WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144).
Songs
Call to Worship
We’re continuing our series, Hidden in Plain Sight, where we’re discovering that Jesus often hid profound Kingdom truths inside ordinary stories. Jesus tells us of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for one sheep that has wandered away. Not because the ninety-nine are forgotten, but because every sheep is precious to the Shepherd. This is the heart of our God. He pursues the lost. He welcomes the wandering. He restores the broken. He rejoices over every life brought home by His grace. No one is beyond His reach. No one is forgotten. No one is beyond the love of Christ. So come with confidence. Come with gratitude. Come with joy. For the Good Shepherd is here among His people, and His steadfast love endures forever. Let us worship the Lord.
Good Morning FBK & Welcome to Worship!
Songs
Prayer
CONFESSION:
Gracious Shepherd, you know each of us by name, yet we confess that we are prone to wander. Sometimes we drift from You through distraction rather than rebellion. We become consumed by our own plans, our own worries, and our own desires. We neglect Your voice and follow paths that lead us away from the life You desire for us. Forgive us for the times we have trusted ourselves more than You. Forgive us for failing to love others with the same compassion You have shown us.
Too often we are content to remain comfortable while others wander without hope. Instead of sharing Your heart for the lost, we have been quick to judge, slow to forgive, and reluctant to reach out.
Thank You that You never stop seeking those who have wandered. Thank You that Your mercy is greater than our failures and Your grace is stronger than our sin. Draw us close again today. Teach us to recognize Your voice, to follow wherever You lead, and to share Your heart for those who have yet to experience Your saving love. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Hear the good news. Jesus tells us that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he joyfully places it on his shoulders and carries it home. That is the heart of God toward all who turn to Him. Receive His forgiveness with joy, rest in His unfailing care, and walk in the peace of Christ. Thanks be to God!
Hidden in Plain Sight
The Lost Sheep/The Good Shepherd
Today's Message: Pastor Marlee Page
There are some people in life who are hard to miss. think about that person that just popped into your mind. They walk into a room and everybody notices. They’re confident, outgoing. Successful perhaps. They always have a story people want to hear. And then there are other people. They slip into the room quietly. They sit near the back-nothing inferred to those of you sitting at the back this morning. They don’t say much. Maybe they feel like they don’t really belong. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we become very good at overlooking people like that.
Our culture is wired to notice the loud ones. The accomplished and influential ones. The people who seem like they have something to offer us. The parable Jesus tells this morning is a story today about a shepherd who does something that doesn’t make much sense to the crowd. He leaves ninety-nine sheep to go looking for one. And that one sheep is the whole point. Because Jesus wants us to understand something about the heart of God: The one everyone else overlooks is never overlooked by God.
Listen to what the Lord says: Read Luke 15:1-7
Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-7; John 10
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
THE SHEPHERD SEES THE ONE.
If you begin to study the life and ministry of Jesus, one thing that you will quickly pick up is His ability to always see what the crowd overlooks. Luke 15 begins with an interesting scene. Luke says: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.” Notice who is coming toward Jesus.
• Tax collectors & sinners.
• People with reputations.
• People who didn’t fit the religious expectations of the day.
• People who were probably used to being judged, criticized, avoided,
and talked about.
And then Luke tells us: “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” And there’s the problem. Jesus has the gall to pay attention to people that the religious crowd had already written off. The Pharisees saw categories. Jesus saw people. The Pharisees saw sinners. Jesus saw sons and daughters. The religious elite saw people who were unworthy. Jesus saw people who were worth pursuing. Where the crowd saw a sinner. The Shepherd saw a sheep. And that’s why Jesus tells this story. He says: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.” One. Now, one out of a hundred doesn’t sound like a huge loss. It’s only one percent. If you have one hundred dollars and lose a dollar, you probably aren’t going to turn the house upside down looking for it. If you’re cooking dinner for one hundred people and one dinner roll goes missing, you probably won’t call in a search party.
One seems insignificant. But Jesus says: What seems insignificant to the crowd matters deeply to God. Because: The Shepherd sees the one.
EVERY PERSON HAS UNCONDITIONAL VALUE
This is the first lesson Jesus wants us to understand: Every person matters to God. Every person. Not just the people who have their lives together or go to church every week. Not just the people who believe the right things and make good decisions. Every person. The lost sheep doesn’t become valuable because it finds its way home. The sheep is valuable before it is found. That’s an important distinction. The shepherd doesn’t say: “Once that sheep gets its act together, then I’ll go get it.” No. The sheep is worth pursuing while it is lost. That’s grace.
God does not look at people and say: “She’s too broken, and He’s made too many mistakes.” “They’re not worth the trouble.” No, God sees something different. God sees a person made in His image. Someone with dignity, worth Someone He loves. Someone worth pursuing. Does someone need to hear that today? If that’s you, then hear me on this. You may feel like you’ve become invisible. Maybe you feel overlooked at work. Maybe you feel forgotten by your family. Maybe you feel like you’ve disappointed everyone. Maybe you’ve made mistakes and assume God is disappointed in you. Maybe you’ve been carrying something quietly for a very long time.
I mean it, Hear me say this: You are not invisible to God. He sees you. You matter to Him. The Shepherd always sees the one. When, Jesus tells the story of the shepherd who goes looking for the lost sheep, he follows up later in the Gospel of Luke, with this: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus doesn’t simply talk about searching for lost people. Jesus is the One who does the searching! And then, in John 10, Jesus tells us exactly who He is. He says: “I am the good shepherd.” That’s important. Because: Luke 15 tells us what the Shepherd does. John 10 tells us who the Shepherd is.
The Shepherd who goes looking for the one is Jesus. The Shepherd who carries the one home is Jesus. The Shepherd who rejoices when the one is found is Jesus. And the Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep that was Jesus too. Church, this isn’t simply a nice story about a shepherd who cares about his sheep – Jesus is showing us His own heart. And this isn’t new or shouldn’t have been. Isaiah describes God as the shepherd who “gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40:11).
In John 10, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” He knows them. Think about that. The Shepherd doesn’t just know that He has a flock. He knows the sheep. He knows which one is missing, where it wandered or where it is hurting. He knows where it is hiding. He knows the way home. And He knows the sheep by name. You are not a number to God. You’re not an attendance statistic. You’re not a name on a membership list. You’re not one face in a crowd. The Shepherd knows you.
He knows your name, your story, your joys and disappointments. He knows the things you talk about and the things you don’t. He knows where you’ve been, where you’re going. And He knows when you’re beginning to wander. The Shepherd always sees the one.
Here’s the next lesson for us to take from this parable “goes after the lost sheep until he finds it.” Until he finds it. That’s the second lesson: God doesn’t simply wait for lost people to find their own way home. He goes looking. The sheep is lost. The sheep isn’t finding its own way home. The shepherd goes into the wilderness. He searches. He looks. He calls. He keeps going. Until he finds it.
You see, when a sheep gets lost, it doesn’t turn around and follow its steps back. It would do one of two things- continue wandering which would leave the sheep disoriented, exhausted and farther from the flock. Or the sheep would find a comfortable spot, sit down and start to cry out with hopes that his shepherd would find him.
Does this feel familiar? Sometimes we imagine faith as our journey toward God. We were lost. We figured things out. We cleaned ourselves up. We became better people. We found God. But the gospel tells a different story. The gospel says: God came looking for us. Grace is not God sitting safely at a distance waiting for lost people to find their way home. Grace is God moving toward us, pursuing us. Grace is God saying: “You matter to me.”
And here’s where this story becomes personal. Because sometimes we are the lost sheep. And somewhere along the way, you looked up and realized: “I’m not where I used to be.” The good news is this: The Shepherd noticed – He didn’t forget you. He didn’t say, “Well, they made their choice.” He came looking. Maybe you’re here today because you think you’ve found your way back to God. But perhaps the deeper truth is: God has been finding His way to you. The Shepherd sees the one. And if you’re the one today I promise He sees you.
Here’s the final and most beautiful detail in this story. Jesus says: “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders.” He doesn’t say: “When he finds it, he lectures it.” He doesn’t say: “When he finds it, he makes it feel guilty.” He doesn’t say: “When he finds it, he says, ‘I told you so.’” He puts it on his shoulders. And he rejoices. That’s the heart of the Father.
There has been much teaching over the years about the Shepherd finding the Sheep and breaking his leg before putting the sheep up on his shoulders. It’s been presented as a loving shepherd disciplining his sheep and helping him to learn better for next time. On his shoulders the sheep will learn the shepherds voice as he heals and will learn to stay closer next time. This goes along with our picture of God that looks more like an angry shepherd than a loving one.
The bible never says this and the history of shepherding never alludes to this either. A broken leg in any animal let alone one who is living in the wild is never a great thing and that was usually exactly one of the things a shepherd was trying to avoid. This kind of injury was usually life ending, not life giving.
After some investigation and research, many theologians feel the confusion began with the word “braking” not “breaking.” And this is just as it appears. The shepherds would use something to slow them down or simply to keep them closer if they were a wanderer. Think more like hobbling or halter leading.
Popular version says: “The shepherd hurts the sheep because he loves it, then carries it until it learns to stay close.” Jesus’ version says something much more powerful: “The shepherd goes after the lost sheep until he finds it, puts it on his shoulders with joy, and brings it home.” That shifts the emphasis from discipline producing dependence to grace accomplishing rescue. We can imagine God standing at the edge of the field with His arms crossed saying: “Where have you been?” “How could you do that?” “Why did you wander away?” But Jesus gives us a different picture. The shepherd finds the sheep and carries it home. That’s grace. The sheep doesn’t carry itself. the shepherd carries the sheep joyfully!
Do you know how far the Shepherd is willing to go in this pursuit of the one sheep?
John 10 takes this even deeper. Jesus says: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The Shepherd doesn’t simply search. He sacrifices. Jesus doesn’t simply find us. He gives Himself for us. In fact, he goes all the way to the cross where He took our sin and bore our shame. He carried what we could never carry ourselves. And in that, laid down His life so that all the lost sheep can come home. That’s why the cross is not simply a symbol of suffering. The cross is the declaration: “You are worth pursuing.” “You are worth saving.” “You are worth coming for.” Yes, The Shepherd sees the one and The Shepherd lays down His life for the one. Now, here is a question we’ve been asking you for much of the year
WHAT IF WE BECAME A “ONE” CHURCH?
Imagine if First Baptist Kingsville became known as a church that notices the one. What if people said: “They noticed me.” “They remembered my name.” “Someone sat with me.” “Someone called.” “Someone invited me.” “Someone listened.” “I didn’t feel judged.” “I felt welcomed.” “I felt like I mattered.” Wouldn’t that would be a beautiful testimony.
• Not because we had the biggest programs.
• Not because we had the most impressive building.
• Not because we had the biggest crowd.
But because we had the heart of the Shepherd.
What if our church became a place where people who felt invisible suddenly discovered: “I am seen.” “I am loved.” “I matter.” Not because we’re perfect. Not because we have all the answers. But because we’re ALL learning to see people the way Jesus sees them.
WHO IS YOUR ONE?
So here’s the question I will ask you again today – do you remember our cards? “Jesus, who is my one?” Not ten people. Not everybody. One. Who is the one person God may be putting on your heart? Maybe it’s a neighbour. Maybe it’s a family member. Maybe it’s somebody at work. Maybe it’s somebody who drives you crazy. And maybe that’s exactly why God put them on your heart. Because sometimes the person God calls us to notice isn’t the person we would naturally choose.
What if this week we started praying: “Show me the person I’m not seeing.” “Show me the person who needs encouragement.” “Show me the person who feels alone and needs to know they matter.” “Show me the person You are already pursuing.” And then pay attention. Because sometimes God answers that prayer through something very ordinary. A name that comes to mind. A conversation. A text message. Someone who suddenly tells you what’s really going on.
And remember, we don’t have to save them. We don’t have to fix their life. We don’t even have to have all the answers. We simply have to notice. Because sometimes the first step toward someone coming home is for someone to actually notice that they’re gone.
THE SHEPHERD SEES THE ONE
So let’s bring all of this together. *Every person has value. The lost sheep isn’t worthless because it’s lost. The Shepherd values it enough to go looking. *God actively pursues the lost. He doesn’t sit back and wait for us to figure everything out. *The Shepherd goes into the wilderness and sometimes challenges our pride just like He did with the Pharisees. We don’t get to decide who is worthy of grace. The Shepherd does. And the Shepherd’s answer is: “Go find the one.” Luke 15 tells us what the Shepherd does. John 10 tells us who the Shepherd is. The Shepherd who searches is Jesus. The Shepherd who carries is Jesus. The Shepherd who rejoices is Jesus. The Shepherd who lays down His life is Jesus. And that’s the heart of God. The Shepherd always notices the one.
Prayer
Good Shepherd, thank You that You see us. You see the parts of our lives that others don’t see. You know our stories, our struggles, our wandering, and our fears. And still, You love us. Thank You that when we were lost, You didn’t leave us to find our own way home. You came looking for us. You pursued us with grace. You carried us when we couldn’t carry ourselves. And through Jesus, You made a way for us to come home.
Lord, forgive us for the times we’ve been more like the crowd than the Shepherd. Forgive us when we’ve judged instead of welcomed, when we’ve excluded instead of embraced, when we’ve seen someone’s failures instead of their value, and when we’ve forgotten that every person matters deeply to You. Give us Your heart, Jesus. Give us eyes to see the people others overlook. Slow us down enough to notice the person who is lonely. The person who is hurting. The person who feels forgotten. The person who has wandered. The person who isn’t sure they belong. And Lord, we ask You a simple question: “Jesus, who is my one?” Bring one person to mind. Someone You want us to notice. Someone You want us to encourage. Someone You want us to listen to. Someone who needs to know they are loved. And when You show us our one, give us the courage to move toward them.
Help us make the call. Send the message. Pull up the chair. Start the conversation. Offer grace. Extend kindness. Remind us that we don’t have to fix anyone. We simply need to love them the way You have loved us. Good Shepherd, help us become a church that sees the one. A church where the overlooked are noticed, the lonely are welcomed, the broken are treated with compassion, and the lost discover that there is a way home.
And when one person comes home, teach us to celebrate the way heaven celebrates. Because one matters to You. One is worth pursuing. One is worth loving. One is worth celebrating. Thank You for being our Good Shepherd, the One who knows us, the One who seeks us, the One who carries us, and the One who laid down His life for us.
May we never forget: The Shepherd sees the one. And may we leave here today ready to see them too. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Good Shepherd and our Saviour. Amen.
Song
Benediction
Go now knowing that you are not forgotten. The Good Shepherd knows your name. He will lead you. He will carry you. He will never stop pursuing you. And this week, may you have the eyes to notice the one others overlook. May you hear the Shepherd’s voice saying, “Go find them. Love them. Welcome them. Let them know they matter.” So go with the compassion of Christ, the grace of Christ, and the heart of the Good Shepherd.
Amen.
Blessings and have a great week.