Nick Hall | May 2, 2021

Recap:
God longs to reach people who are looking for a Savior. As Jesus shared in His parable about the lost sheep, when 99 sheep are safely sleeping for the night, He will leave them alone to go find one lost sheep. This past weekend, guest minister Nick Hall stirred our faith about just how much God cares for those who don’t yet know Him—even if that includes you—and encouraged us to reach out to those who are lost. Let them know they need Jesus.

Dive Deeper:
The parable of the lost sheep in Luke chapter 15 shows us a glimpse of God’s heart. God longs to bring those who are lost and hurting in this world to Him. The crazy love, joy, pursuit, and prioritization of lost people will make no sense unless you first understand the heart of our Father who is seeking and saving and loving and redeeming lost people back to Him.

Our God is a God of mercy. He is pulling people back to Him. He is not shaming; He is declaring this is a moment of breakthrough. So let’s stop focusing solely on self-preservation when people are suffering.

Nick Hall presented three challenges for us: to leave the 99 and reach the one lost sheep, we must reset our hearing. We must truly listen to those who are hurting and hear what they have to say. People are lonely and need Jesus.

To truly leave the 99 and reach the one means that we need a reset of our comfort. We can’t play it safe if we are going to hunt for those who need Jesus.

Lastly, to leave the 99 and reach the one lost sheep means a reset of our tribe. Find people who need Jesus and be an example for them. The people you are judging don’t know any better. No one has told them God is their answer. That’s why God has positioned you exactly where He has. He has people for you to meet who need you to tell them that Jesus is the way.

Read More:
Luke 15:1-7 NLT
Parable of the Lost Sheep
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
 
Discussion Questions:
1. When was the last time you asked God to break your heart for what breaks His heart?

2. What does reaching the lost look like to you?

3. When was the last time you shared your faith with someone?

4. What’s one thing you can do today to reach out to someone who may not yet know Jesus?

Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!

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