The Value of One

Luke 15:4–7 NKJV

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

We live in a world obsessed with numbers

It used to be on myspace how many friends you have

How many views you get on videos? How many followers?

How much did that cost

Our lives are controlled metrics

Data

How big is the church?

How many of you know instantly if a video on youtube is worth watching because of likes and views

Like and subscribe notifications

Pad the Number

Numbers matter to God because numbers represent people

Even when Jesus was in a crowd he still noticed the ONE

He noticed:

One blind man crying beside the road.

One woman touching His garment.

One tax collector in a tree.

One woman at a well.

One thief hanging beside Him.

The world measures crowds. Jesus measures individuals.

If we're going to have the heart of Jesus, we have to learn to see the one.

1. THE VALUE OF ONE

IN Luke 15:4–10

Jesus tells three stories:

One sheep One coin

The Son

The shepherd has 100 sheep and loses one.

The woman has 10 coins and loses one.

The shepherd still has 99. The woman still has nine coins.

By the world's standards, that's pretty good

99% retention!

If we kept 99% of the people that walked through the door

We would need a bigger building

But the shepherd doesn't celebrate the 99 and forget the missing one.

He has the attention of the one that’s missing

"One is missing."

Why?

One is Valuable

The coin and sheep had value because they belonged to someone

That's how God sees people.

Don't determine someone's value by their current condition.

Heaven Celebrates One

Luke 15:7 says there is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents.

One.

One prodigal comes home—Heaven celebrates.

One teenager encounters Jesus—Heaven celebrates.

One father comes back to God—Heaven celebrates.

Heaven's priorities are revealed by what Heaven celebrates.

WE define Culture by what you celebrate and and what you tolerate

The Culture of heaven is to celebrate the ONE!

If Heaven’s culture is for the one so Should Reign church

Who Is Your One?

We can pray-

"God, save our city!"

But who is your one?

We can’t desire a church to reach thousands to mismanage the one.

"Start with your neighbor."

We want revival.

God says:

"Start with your coworker."

Everyone should have a name.

Who is close to you...

but far from God?

Think of that person right now. Write their name down

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE ONE

In 1855, Edward Kimball was a Sunday school teacher in Boston. One of the young men in his class was Dwight L. Moody, a shoe salesman who was not yet a committed Christian.

Kimball became burdened for Moody’s salvation. He went to the shoe store where Moody worked, found him in the back, and personally spoke with him about the love of Christ and his need to surrender his life to Jesus.

Moody came to Christ.

And that one conversation had consequences Kimball could never have imagined.

Moody eventually became one of the great evangelists of the 19th century, preaching to enormous crowds in America and Britain.

Then comes the often-told evangelistic chain:

D. L. Moody influenced J. Wilbur Chapman. Chapman became an evangelist and worked with Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday’s ministry helped create the environment that led to Mordecai Ham holding a revival campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina. At one of Ham’s meetings in 1934, a teenage Billy Graham surrendered his life to Christ.

Graham would go on to preach the gospel to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Edward Kimball never preached to millions.

He reached one.

We might not preach to thousands or millions but we can reach the one

Matthew 3:1–2 NKJV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

It’s within arms reach, who is within arms reach of you daily?

2. SENT TO SEEK AND SAVE

Luke 19:10

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Jesus didn't wait for lost people to find Him.

He went looking for them.

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 10:14–15 NKJV

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

How will they believe if they haven't heard?

How will they hear without someone preaching?

How will they preach unless they're sent?

Picture of Ben Hernandez

Philippines:

Ministry we’ve been partnering with for 40 years

One man

300 hundred Churches

150 Pastors

Revival cause one man shared the gospel with a Gangstar

We aren't saved simply to gather—we're saved and then sent.

The Church is the muster point

This is where we’re equipped to Go out

Into schools Construction sites Businesses Offices Gyms Neighborhoods Families

Your kids baseball and softball teams

That's your mission field.

The Church isn't called merely to fill seats.

We’re called to build the kingdom

We’re not on a cruise ship, we’re building a battle ship

To humiliate hell and make heaven crowded

WELL I”VE BEEN trying I just haven’t seen results with FAMily

3. DON'T CONFUSE SLOW GROWTH WITH NO GROWTH

Sometimes we get discouraged.

We pray.

Nothing.

We invite.

Nothing.

We share.

Nothing.

But not everyone's journey looks the same.

Paul — Miraculous Encounter, Immediately changed

Acts 9.

Paul is traveling to Damascus.

Suddenly—LIGHT.

Jesus speaks.

Everything changes.

OFF → ON.

Some people have a moment they can point to when everything changed.

Peter — Slower 3 year process

Peter's journey was different.

He followed.

Believed.

Doubted.

Walked on water.

Sank.

Declared Jesus was the Christ.

Denied knowing Him.

Was restored.

Received the Holy Spirit.

Then stood up and preached at Pentecost.

Dimmer switch.

A little brighter.

A little brighter.

Until eventually the room is filled with light.

Some people you're praying for are Peters.

Don't give up on them because they're not Paul.

Some people are one conversation away.

Others may be one hundred conversations away.

Don't confuse slow growth with no growth.

4. YOUR JOB IS FAITHFULNESS — GOD'S JOB IS THE INCREASE

1 Corinthians 3:6 NKJV

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

Wed don't save anybody.

Jesus does.

You can't change someone's heart.

The Holy spirit does

Your responsibility is faithfulness.

God's responsibility is increase.

Sometimes you plant.

Sometimes you water.

Sometimes you harvest.

But every role matters.

The Seed

A farmer doesn't plant a seed Monday and dig it up Tuesday because he can't see anything happening.

Why?

Because growth often happens invisibly before it happens visibly.

God is working beneath the surface

Water Pray. Love. Trust God for the increase.

We all Have a Roll to Play

Not everybody has the gift of evangelism.

But every believer has the responsibility to witness.

Some plant.

Some water.

Some reap.

Everybody participates.

Evangelism isn't simply an event the church puts on.

Evangelism is a lifestyle believers live.

Your mission field is already around you.

Instead of asking:

"How do I reach everybody?"

Ask:

"God, who have You already put in front of me?"

And remember:

People inside the Church read the Bible. People outside the Church read your life.

They're watching your integrity.

Your marriage.

Your generosity.

Your attitude.

Your response under pressure.

Your consistency.

Live in such a way that when you tell somebody Jesus changes lives, they have evidence standing in front of them.

Acronym I stole from a Pastor that stole it from another Pastor

5. B.L.E.S.S

How do we practically reach people?

B — BEGIN WITH PRAYER

Before you talk to people about God...

talk to God about people.

Pray their name every day.

Set an Alarm

Ask How can I pray for you

I Have an alarm on my phone 8:15 every morning,

Pray for the Lost

Prayers to Pray:

God, open their eyes

God, soften their heart

God, give me an opportunity

God, let them encounter Jesus

Let the scales fall from their eyes

L — LISTEN

"How can I pray for you this week?"

People will tell you where they're hurting if you'll slow down enough to listen.

8:00am Monday morning- How can I pray for you?

Greg STORY

E — EAT- Develop relationship

Jesus spent time around tables.

Invite somebody over.

Grab coffee.

Buy lunch.

Have a barbecue.

Relationship often changes before belief changes

Bring them into a Godly environment

S — SERVE

Help them move.

Bring them dinner.

Mow their lawn.

It Doesn’t have to be complicated

Show up when they're hurting

Celebrate when they're winning

The Gospel becomes believable when love becomes visible

I had a friend tell me he was proud of me - I was caught off guard

Catch them off guard with a compliment

We usually make fun of each other lol

S — SHARE

Share your story:

"Here's who I was. Here's what Jesus did. Here's who I'm becoming."

Then share the Gospel.

Jesus loves them.

Sin separates us from God.

Jesus died for our sins.

He rose again.

Forgiveness and new life are available through Him

And then ask:

"Can I pray for you right now?"

CLOSING — PUT A NAME ON THE MISSION

I don't want us leaving saying:

"That was a good message about evangelism."

I want us leaving with a name.

Jesus didn't just see crowds.

He saw Zacchaeus.

He saw Bartimaeus.

He saw the woman at the well.

He saw Matthew.

He saw Peter.

He saw one.

So:

WHO IS YOUR ONE?

Who is close to you...

but far from God?

Maybe you've prayed for them for years.

Don't stop now.

Maybe you've invited them twenty times.

Invite them twenty-one.

Keep praying.

Keep listening.

Keep serving.

Keep loving.

Keep watering.

Because you don't know what God is doing underneath the surface.

Let us be consumed with what God is consumed with

Let us take on the culture of Heaven

Let God’s passion for the One become our OWN

Matthew 3:1–2 NKJV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

John 14:6 NKJV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Sinners Prayer:

Father God, I give you my life

I give you my heart, I give you my all

I repent today for my past

I thank you my sins are forgiven

I believe in Jesus and that he died on the cross and rose again

I make you the Lord and Savior of my life

I love you God

In Jesus name amen

More Prayers to Pray of Lost People:

__________ is convinced that God exists.

__________ is ripe for an encounter with Father God.

__________ knows the immeasurable love of God.

__________ is being led to repentance by the kindness of God.

__________ is actively being pursued by Holy Spirit!

__________ knows the truth and the truth sets him/her free.

__________’s spirit receives revelation from Holy Spirit.

__________ has encounters with the Holy Spirit when he/she sleeps.

__________ pursues relationship with God.

__________’s heart is open to receiving the gospel.

__________ is drawn to intimacy with God.

__________ has divine and angelic encounters.