Summary
What does it mean to be truly lost, and what does it reveal about God that He would leave everything behind to find us? In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, and on the surface it sounds like a simple story about a shepherd and his flock. But beneath it lies one of the most radical claims Jesus ever made about who He is and what He came to do. We explore the two groups standing before Jesus that day, the self-righteous who were good at being good, and the broken who had chased life in every direction and come up empty. Both groups heard the same parable, and yet it offended one and offered hope to the other. The key is understanding what Jesus was actually claiming when He cast Himself as the shepherd who seeks the lost. Rooted in the ancient prophecy of Ezekiel 34, where God declared that faithless shepherds had abandoned the flock and that He Himself would come to search for His sheep, the parable is not just a warm story about compassion. It is a declaration of identity. Jesus is saying He is the fulfillment of that promise. For us today, this carries a deeply personal weight. There was a season in each of our lives when we were the one lost sheep, wandering, searching, and far from home. And the extraordinary truth is that heaven throws a celebration not over thousands responding at once, but over one. Over you. That is the kind of God we follow.
Key Scripture – Luke 15:1-7
Discussion Questions
Opening
- Think about a time you lost something that really mattered to you and then found it. What did that moment feel like? How did you respond?
Diving In
- The sermon described two groups of people surrounding Jesus — those who came to listen and those who came to complain. Which posture do you think is easier to fall into, and why? Have you ever found yourself in either camp?
- The Pharisees were described as people who were “good at being good.” In what ways can a focus on rule-keeping actually become a barrier to genuine faith and to reaching others?
- Read Luke 15:3-7. What details in the parable stand out to you? What does the shepherd’s response — leaving the ninety-nine, carrying the sheep on his shoulders, and throwing a party — reveal about the character of God?
- The sermon connected this parable to Ezekiel 34, where God rebuked the shepherds of Israel for not seeking the lost and promised to search for His flock Himself. How does knowing that background change or deepen the way you read the parable?
- Romans 10:13-15 describes a chain of events that leads to someone being saved. Where in that chain do you feel most equipped? Where do you feel most hesitant or uncertain?
- The sermon said: “There was a time in your life when you were the one more.” How does remembering your own story shape the way you think about reaching others?
Going Deeper
- Andy noted that Jesus did not just preach the pursuit of the one — He practiced it. What does it look like practically to pursue someone who is far from God in your everyday life?
- Is there a specific person in your life right now who might be the “one more” God is calling you to pursue? What is one step you could take this week toward that person?
Closing Thought
The shepherd in the parable did not wait for the lost sheep to find its way home. He went out, searched until he found it, carried it back on his shoulders, and then celebrated. That is the heart of God toward every person who is far from Him. We have been sent to join that search. The question is not whether we have been sent — we have. The question is whether we will go.
Scripture Reference
- Luke 15:1-2 — The setting of the parable; tax collectors and sinners gathering around Jesus while Pharisees and scribes complain that he welcomes and eats with sinners.
- Luke 15:4-6 — The parable of the lost sheep; the shepherd leaving the 99 to find the one lost sheep, carrying it home on his shoulders, and celebrating with friends and neighbors.
- Luke 15:7 — Jesus declares there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance.
- Ezekiel 34:1-4 — The prophecy of woe against the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves rather than tending, strengthening, healing, and seeking the lost flock.
- Ezekiel 34:11 — God declares he himself will search for and look after his scattered flock.
- Ezekiel 34:16 — God promises to seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak.
- Romans 10:13 — Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
- Romans 10:14 — The chain of dependence: belief precedes calling, and hearing precedes belief.
- Romans 10:15 — Preachers must be sent; a quotation alluding to Isaiah 52:7 about the beautiful feet of those who bring good news.