Lost & Found | Mitch Haaby | Contemporary

Devotional

Day 1: We were all once lost and in need of a savior.

Every person has a story that includes a time of wandering, a season of being disconnected from the source of all life and hope. This is not a point of shame but a universal truth that unites us in our shared humanity and need for grace. The beautiful promise is that our state of being lost is never the end of the story. It is merely the condition that precedes the joy of being found by a love that will not let us go. We can rest in the knowledge that we are seen and valued, no matter how far we may have strayed. [41:39]

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23, ESV)

Reflection: Consider your own story of faith. In what specific ways can you remember feeling "lost" before you understood God's pursuit of you? How does remembering your own story shape the way you view others who may be wandering today?

Day 2: Christ’s mission is motivated by relentless, seeking love.

The driving force behind the gospel is not duty or obligation, but a profound and patient love. This love compelled Jesus to leave the safety of the ninety-nine to search for the one who had wandered away. It is a love that demonstrates itself in action, most perfectly through the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. This love is not passive; it is actively seeking, searching, and longing for reconciliation. It is the very heart of God, who desires that all people be saved and come to know the truth. [45:38]

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your current relationships or community do you see evidence of God's patient, seeking love at work? Is there someone in your life you have been tempted to give up on, and how might this truth renew your hope to pray for them?

Day 3: Heaven celebrates every single repentant heart.

The economy of heaven operates differently than our human instincts. While we might be inclined to focus on maintaining the ninety-nine, heaven throws a party for the one who turns back. This divine celebration highlights the immense value God places on each individual soul and the transformative power of repentance. It is a joy that eclipses all else, reminding us that redemption is always a cause for cosmic celebration. Our call is to align our hearts with this heavenly perspective, rejoicing in every step taken toward grace. [53:18]

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. (Luke 15:7, ESV)

Reflection: When you hear of someone with a difficult past coming to faith, what is your first, genuine reaction? How can you cultivate a heart that more readily joins in heaven's celebration rather than dwelling on the past?

Day 4: We are called toward the lost and away from grumbling.

A life following Christ involves a dual movement: moving toward others in compassionate love and moving away from a critical, Pharisaical spirit. Grumbling and creating divisions based on who is "in" or "out" stands in direct opposition to the seeking heart of God. The call is to actively step out of comfort zones and cross boundaries to extend mercy, just as the Good Samaritan did. This is the practical outworking of loving our neighbor, especially those we might be conditioned to view as different or unworthy. [57:45]

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a person or group you find it difficult to love or understand, perhaps due to political, social, or personal differences? What is one practical step you could take this week to move toward them in a spirit of Christ-like neighborliness?

Day 5: See the person, not just the sin; see the potential for redemption.

It is a challenge to separate the evildoer from the evil that influences them, yet this is precisely what God does. Jesus focuses on the lost sheep, not the muddy pit it fell into. He sees the inherent value and potential for redemption in every person, regardless of their current state or past mistakes. This perspective is crucial for us to adopt if we are to participate in God's redemptive work. When we only see the mess, we risk writing people off; when we see the person, we can hope for their restoration. [01:02:46]

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone you know who is far from God. How might your prayers and actions change if you consciously chose to see them first as a "lost sheep" loved by the Shepherd, rather than defining them by their choices or beliefs?

Sermon Summary

A twin dedication opens the gathering, offering prayers over Marcus and Thomas and inviting the congregation to share in their Christian nurture. The assembly reads Mark 10’s account of Jesus embracing children, then turns to Luke 15 to explore a single parable told in three scenes: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The parables trace a single thread—lostness and recovery—illustrating both the worth of the one who wanders and the fierce, personal joy that accompanies restoration.

Luke 15 reframes common reactions to social fracture and moral failure. The Pharisees’ grumbling about association with tax collectors reveals a posture of exclusion and self-righteousness; the parables counter that posture by depicting a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine to retrieve one, a woman who sweeps every corner to find one coin, and a father who throws a feast when a wayward child returns. The narrative emphasizes that every person bears value, that all have once been lost, and that redemption triggers celebration in heaven and on earth.

Scripture receives repeated citation to anchor the claims: human sinfulness (Romans), God’s patient love (John and First Timothy), and the mission of Christ to seek and save the lost (Luke and Second Peter). The theology centers on active pursuit rather than passive judgment: God’s love initiates rescue, rejoices over repentance, and refuses to reduce people to the worst choices they have made. Practical application follows—people receive a call to move toward the lost with relentless, boundary-crossing love and to move away from grumbling, canceling attitudes that prioritize fairness or purity over restoration.

The closing charge urges adoption of the shepherd’s posture: seek the lost, separate evil from the evildoer so that the person remains redeemable, and resist the ease of categorizing others as enemies. The assembly prays for renewed zeal to join the reconciling work already underway, to throw lost ones on shoulders of welcome, and to celebrate when lives return to life.

Key Takeaways

1. All people were once lost Every human story bears a moment or season of separation from God; recognition of that fact destabilizes moral superiority and reorients mercy. Acknowledging shared lostness fosters humility and fuels persistent compassion rather than dismissal. This truth reframes evangelism as restoration, not condemnation. [41:12]
2. Christ came to seek and save The mission centers on relentless pursuit rather than passive waiting: God actively seeks stray lives with patient, costly love. That pursuit invites believers to join in seeking, not to deputize judgment. Theology that emphasizes rescue changes both posture and practice. [45:08]
3. Heaven rejoices over one repentant Repentance catalyzes cosmic celebration and reorders priorities: recovery matters more than maintaining pristine ranks. Joy over a single return exposes misplaced attachments to fairness and highlights restorative ends over retributive impulses. Worship flows from recovered life, not from preserved status. [52:25]
4. Leave grumbling; love the lost Grumbling and exclusion mimic Pharisaic posture; love requires crossing boundaries and engaging discomfort. Moving away from complaint toward active, sacrificial neighborliness sustains redemptive encounter and preserves the image of the redeemable person. Loving the lost practices gospel imagination in daily life. [57:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[23:21] - Child Dedication
[31:15] - Reading Luke 15
[39:35] - The Lost Sheep Parable
[44:12] - The Shepherd’s Joy
[45:08] - Christ Seeks and Saves
[52:25] - Heaven Celebrates Repentance
[55:39] - Toward and Away: Application
[63:16] - Final Charge to Seek the Lost

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Luke 15:1–7 (ESV)
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.”

Observation questions

What specific complaint did the Pharisees and scribes have about Jesus?
What actions does the shepherd take when he realizes one of his sheep is missing?
How does the shepherd respond when he finds the lost sheep?
According to Jesus, what causes greater joy in heaven?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think the shepherd’s decision to leave the ninety-nine for the one was considered worth the risk?
How does the parable challenge the attitude of the Pharisees toward “sinners”?
What does this story reveal about God’s heart toward those who are lost?
Why do you think Jesus emphasizes joy in heaven over one repentant sinner rather than the ninety-nine who are already “righteous”?

Application questions

Everyone was once lost and in need of rescue [41:12]. How does remembering your own story of being “found” change the way you see people who are far from God today?
Christ’s mission is to seek and save the lost [45:08]. What would it look like for you to actively join in that pursuit this week, rather than waiting for people to come to you?
Heaven throws a party when one sinner repents [52:25]. Is it easier to desire fairness or to celebrate restoration when someone turns back to God? Why?
Grumbling and canceling others often comes more naturally than pursuing them [57:17]. Who is one person in your life you’ve been tempted to give up on or avoid? How can you intentionally move toward them in love this week?
How can we separate the evil someone does from the person themselves, so we never see anyone as beyond redemption [01:02:28]?
In what practical ways can we cultivate a heart that rejoices more in restoration than in being “right”?

Sermon Clips

36s

#SeekTheLost

“Jesus wants you and I to seek the lost. I know I've said that 10 times. They're not our enemies. They're lost. It's possible that who we have perceived to be on the opposite team is somebody who needs Christ. They need a shepherd to rescue them, and we need to be loving people as dramatically and relentlessly as Christ does. When we no longer care about seeking and saving the lost, we are at risk of becoming a pharisee. I hope that's crystal clear.”

41s

#RepentanceOverRetribution

“This brother's reaction is predictive of the pharisees. It's maybe predictive of some of our response. Maybe we're not into the celebration of the sinners repenting. Maybe some of us want justice more than we want repentance. We're at risk of missing the heart of God when we are obsessed with things being fair. I'm gonna say that again. We are at risk of missing the heart of God when we are obsessed with things being fair.”

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Lost & Found | Mitch Haaby | Contemporary | February 22