HOST: Ron House
SPONSOR: Start2Finish
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Ninety-nine percent. In most areas of life, that number is acceptable and even exemplary. A score of 99 on a test is excellent. In basketball, a 99% shooting average is amazing. A batter who hits .990 would be the greatest ever. But when it comes to souls, God is not satisfied with ninety-nine percent. Every soul matters. Each one is important. That is the point of Jesus’ parable concerning the lost sheep. But in making that point, he also teaches us that we should be just as concerned for that one soul. Which one of you, Jesus asks, would not go out looking for your lost sheep and then rejoice and celebrate when you found it? Implied is the idea that anyone who has a flock of sheep would go looking for one that was missing. Should we not be just as concerned for an eternal soul as we are for an animal? God cares about lost souls. Even one sinner that repents and returns to God causes much joy in heaven. As God’s children and servants, we should also be concerned for lost souls and work to help them find their way back to God.
What can we do to help the lost to find their way back?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
