{"id":86010,"date":"2025-03-24T12:00:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=86010"},"modified":"2026-04-27T12:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T17:41:08","slug":"199-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/199-2\/","title":{"rendered":"1>99"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Clay Gentry<\/p>\n

In Luke 15:3, Jesus poses a simple question that pierces through the layers of our comfort and complacency: “What man among you<\/em>…?” 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?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Pharisaical Evangelism:\n
      \n
    1. They “traveled across sea and land” to make a single Gentile proselyte. – Matthew 23:15; cf. Act 2:10; 6:5: 13:43<\/li>\n
    2. But ignored the Jewish tax collectors and sinners in their own land. – Luke7:36-39<\/li>\n
    3. Their focus was on building their kingdom, not God’s kingdom. – Galatians 6:12-13<\/li>\n
    4. Ultimately, they shut the door to heaven in the face of sinners. – Matthew 23:13<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    5. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7):\n
        \n
      1. Told to defend Jesus’ eating with “tax collectors and sinners.” – Luke 15:1-2; cf. Matthew 18:10-14<\/li>\n
      2. The Challenge: Value people more than animals, “What man among you…” – cf. Luke 13:10-17<\/li>\n
      3. The Loss: A shepherd has lost one sheep from a flock of a hundred. Why bother? – Luke 15:4a\n
          \n
        1. Surely, he could absorb the loss with such a large flock. – Luke 15:8, 11<\/li>\n
        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.'”<\/li>\n
        3. But the shepherd’s love, not the sheep’s merit, gave it value. – John 3:16-17<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        4. The Search: Leaving the ninety-nine, he searches “until he finds” the one lost sheep. Luke 15:4b, cf. Luke 15:8<\/li>\n
        5. The Recovery: “He laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” – Luke 15:5<\/li>\n
        6. The Joy: The shepherd called his neighbors to rejoice with him, “I have found…” – Luke 15:6<\/li>\n
        7. The Application: “Just so, there will be more joy in heaven…” – Luke 15:7\n
            \n
          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<\/li>\n
          2. \u00a0For us: Heaven rejoices more over one sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people in the church.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
          3. 1>99 Evangelism…\n
              \n
            1. It isn’t being content with the comfort of ninety-nine but seeking the one that is lost. – II Timothy 2:1-4<\/li>\n
            2. It sees the value of each person because each person has a soul. –\u00a0 Genesis 1:26-27<\/li>\n
            3. It is compelled by love to seek the lost until they are found. – II Corinthians 5:14-15<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              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.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[1191,689],"class_list":["post-86010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-lost","tag-parables"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47091,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-lost-sheep\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":0},"title":"The Lost Sheep","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 15:1-7 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When people can\u2019t fault a person, they will sometimes seek to find fault in the way someone does things. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This is how the Pharisees and Scribes sought to degrade Jesus\u2019 reputation. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It wasn\u2019t something they would do. In fact, they implied it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57975,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-lost-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":1},"title":"The Lost One","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edwin Crozier via\u00a0Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 28, July 15, 2007 In Luke 15:1,2, the Pharisees and scribes grumbled against Jesus saying, \"This man receives sinners and eats with them.\" Jesus responded with a parable of a lost sheep. He asked how many of the men wouldn't leave the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0071-246x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14879,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-point-of-the-prodigal-son\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":2},"title":"The Point of the Prodigal Son","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford I know that one should not have high expectations of religious memes, but the one below grinds my gears. Every time I saw it, I rolled my eyes a little bit harder, until I knew that either I\u2019d have to write about it, or my eyes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/prodigal-son-300x293.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":33905,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-humble-servant-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":3},"title":"Jesus – Humble Servant King","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ross Ward Text: Mark 11:1-11 The king of the Jews enters Jerusalem Mark 11:7-11 - on a colt donkey Zechariah 9:9-10 - fulfilling prophecy Significance of Donkey Horse symbol of war Size Strength Speed Chariots - Zechariah 9:10 Donkey symbol of peace Jesus was not a conquering King taking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":90561,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/compassion-for-the-lost-in-this-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":4},"title":"Compassion for the Lost in This World","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer With so much turmoil in the world, so much chaos and confusion, we should be reminded of how disciples should think of and respond to the world. This passage in Matthew 9:36-38 captures a very important principle. \"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7634,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-parable-of-the-unjust-steward\/","url_meta":{"origin":86010,"position":5},"title":"The Parable of the Unjust Steward","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Luke 16:1-13 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many find this parable confusing because of the praise of the lord in verse 8. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How is it that an unfaithful steward, about to be relieved of his position, gains praise from his employer when he ends his career stealing more from him? 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