And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
4 sermons cite this verse
… and go after the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. And then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep. Luke, the author of this gospel, says Jesus told them this parable. Parable. He calls this a parable. A parable is a story that is portable, that is profound, and that teaches a deep truth. It's a story that is portable. That is to say, it can travel from culture to culture, from generation to generation, and not lose its meaning. And it's profound because it can never be exhausted. Every time it's studied, a new truth is uncovered. And it speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart. and this brief yet powerful poignant parable is a perfect example of that. So when we take this parable, this portable, this poignant story, when we take it and apply it to our lives, what do we notice? Well, two or three things come to mind. First of all, that the shepherd has sheep. …
he doesn't conform to the patterns of this world where the world says, y'all take the L on the one. That's not our God. He's going after you. He's going after you. And so verse five, and when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and his neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way that there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Aren't you glad that he's willing to go after the one? The one is you. The one who has wandered. The one who thinks their way is better. That is trying to take control of the situation. We are the sheep. I don't know if you know this about sheep, but They're D-U-M-B. They ain't that smart. I like to think I'm smarter than the sheep, but maybe I'm not. …
… one of them. Doesn't he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and he goes home and then he calls all of his amigos and his neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep. I have found, oh my gosh, I leave the 99 to go find the one that is lost. Second movie reference, Finding Nemo. Let's just go Finding Nemo. Great movie. Finding Nemo, the dad swims through the Pacific Ocean to find his lost child. Do you realize that God, when you were lost, didn't write you off as a lost cause? He didn't turn his back and say, oh, you're going to miss out. Come on, clap if you're grateful that he left the 99 to go find you. Come on, clap a little bit louder if you believe that God is gracious. See, the shepherds didn't chase sheep because they were perfect. They chased them because they were his. They looked up and down and everywhere to find because this sheep belongs to me. You got to know you're a son or a daughter of the most high God. God looks for you because he values you. You are his son. You are his daughter. He loves you. …
… Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that's lost until he finds it? And when he's found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I've found my lost sheep. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. This is the word of God for you, the people of God. Thanks be to God. This past Tuesday, when I exited the M1 bus right in front of the church, a voice called out to me, Pastor, it's been a long time. I looked up and saw a slender man sitting right out in the front steps there. He was holding a cardboard sign. He was asking for money. I studied his face. He looked vaguely familiar. …