1>99

by Clay Gentry

In Luke 15:3, Jesus poses a simple question that pierces through the layers of our comfort and complacency: “What man among you…?” Even though it’s the opener to the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus isn’t asking about animals; he’s focusing on people. He’s challenging us to examine our hearts. Are we content with the ninety-nine, those already here, already “safe”? Or are we motivated by a relentless, God-given desire to seek the one who is lost? This morning, we will explore the Parable of the Lost Sheep, not as a quaint story but as a mirror reflecting our own approach to the lost. So, let’s begin by asking ourselves: Do we honestly understand that in God’s eyes, 1>99?

1. Pharisaical Evangelism:
   1. They “traveled across sea and land” to make a single Gentile proselyte. - Matthew 23:15; cf. Act 2:10; 6:5: 13:43
   2. But ignored the Jewish tax collectors and sinners in their own land. - Luke7:36-39
   3. Their focus was on building their kingdom, not God's kingdom. - Galatians 6:12-13
   4. Ultimately, they shut the door to heaven in the face of sinners. - Matthew 23:13
2. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7):
   1. Told to defend Jesus’ eating with “tax collectors and sinners.” - Luke 15:1-2; cf. Matthew 18:10-14
   2. The Challenge: Value people more than animals, “What man among you…” - cf. Luke 13:10-17
   3. The Loss: A shepherd has lost one sheep from a flock of hundred. Why bother? - Luke 15:4a
      1. Surely, he could absorb the loss with such a large flock. - Luke 15:8, 11
      2. And there was nothing special about this one sheep. - cf. Gospel of Thomas 107: “The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked for that one until he found it. When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, ‘I care for you more than the ninety-nine.’”
      3. But the shepherd’s love, not the sheep’s merit, gave it value. - John 3:16-17
   4. The Search: Leaving the ninety-nine, he searches “until he finds” the one lost sheep. Luke 15:4b, cf. Luke 15:8
   5. The Recovery: “He laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” - Luke 15:5
   6. The Joy: The shepherd called his neighbors to rejoice with him, “I have found…” - Luke 15:6
   7. The Application: “Just so, there will be more joy in heaven…” - Luke 15:7
      1. In context: Heaven rejoices more for one sinner who repents than for ninety-nine Pharisees who believe they need no repentance. - cf. Luke 5:32
      2.  For us: Heaven rejoices more over one sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people in the church.
3. 1>99 Evangelism…
   1. It isn’t being content with the comfort of ninety-nine but seeking the one that is lost. - II Timothy 2:1-4
   2. It sees the value of each person because each person has a soul. -  Genesis 1:26-27
   3. It is compelled by love to seek the lost until they are found. - II Corinthians 5:14-15

Imagine, amidst the rugged terrain of the vast hillside, where the shadows of the approaching sunset lengthen, a lone shepherd desperately searches for one lost sheep. This is a glimpse into the depths of Jesus’ love. We can either stand with the Pharisees, whose hearts were indifferent to the lost sinner, or with the Good Shepherd, whose heart is fueled by a love that knows no limits. The lost are all around us—in our families, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. They are the broken, the hurting, and the forgotten. They are the ones Jesus came to save, and He is calling us right now to join Him in His mission. Pray for the lost. Seek the lost. Share the Gospel with the lost. Celebrate with the lost when they are found! The time for complacency has passed. The time for action is now. Because in God’s economy, 1>99.