3. Jesus is Passionate About The One

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:1-10 (ESV)

There are three stories in this chapter and we read two of them.

The first is about one sheep out of a hundred. The second is about one coin out of ten. The third is about one son, although the second son clearly ties into the meaning of that story as well. But in every story, the one is first lost and then found. And in every story, there is exuberant joy and celebration when the one is found.

God graciously seeks and saves the lost. We were once lost and now are found.

These verses remind us that God seeks us individually.

I like how David Platt summed it up for us: “So you put it all together, and the collective message is clear: God is passionate about the one. About finding the one. And that’s remarkable when you think about it. Like, God has a universe to run, galaxies to uphold, governments to rule, and more than 7 billion people to sustain. Yet the Bible doesn’t say that heaven rejoices over these cosmic mysteries, these universal realities. Instead, something glorious happens in heaven when one person who was separated from God in sin is restored to God in love.”

Is that not awesome? I mean, what makes heaven happy? When one who was lost is found. That’s what causes heaven, angels in heaven to rejoice. Oh, just let this soak into your own life and then think about the lives of people around you.

This is what we need to aim for as God’s people! This is the direction for Osage Hills Christian Church and our vision for the year 2024.

We are adjusting the scope of purpose and ministry at Osage to find the ONE just like Jesus. You have a ONE in your life right now. Our community is filled with them. Just as the shepherd left to find the ONE, we are going to focus our efforts on doing the same because we are going to be passionate about the things God is passionate about.