SUNDAY SERVICE [11/30/25] - "The Parables of the Lost Sheep & Coin

We returned to Luke 15 and sat with two of the most tender pictures Jesus gives us: a shepherd who won’t quit until he finds one lost sheep, and a woman who lights a lamp and sweeps her whole house to recover one lost coin. I reminded us that salvation and joy always belong together; wherever God rescues, heaven erupts. That’s not sentiment—it’s reality. Jesus says the party in heaven over one sinner who repents outstrips any celebration we can imagine down here. Even the grand heroics of history pale next to the joy that explodes when an eternal soul is found and reconciled to its true Owner.

We noted how Jesus tells these stories in the face of sneering religious leaders who scorn the “people of the land.” He answers their coldness by revealing the Father’s heart: God is not governed by statistics. He is moved by compassion for the one. He counts, he notices, he knows you—not the generic you, but you by name. And when we stray, he does not wait for us to self-rescue. The shepherd climbs hills and calls out; the woman creates light and overturns obstacles. The coin cannot move; the sheep will not return. Grace acts first. That’s the story of our salvation.

So what does this mean for us? First, remember: you are of immeasurable worth to God. You’re not an afterthought or a footnote. Second, God’s pursuit of you is relentless, and his welcome is joy, not scorn. Third, we don’t merely admire that love—we join it. The church is not a museum for the impressive; it’s a rescue mission for the missing. We are not content with the ninety-nine or the nine we can see. We go after the one, and when even one returns, we throw a party that matches heaven’s own.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Salvation and joy belong together Wherever God saves, joy follows. Jesus insists heaven throws a real party when one heart turns homeward, reminding us that the fruit of rescue is celebration, not suspicion. If joy is absent, we likely misunderstood the rescue—or missed it. Let’s measure our lives by heaven’s soundtrack. [49:17]
• 2. God pursues the one who strays The shepherd doesn’t wait for the sheep to wander back; he goes, calls, lifts, and carries. God’s initiative disarms our pride and heals our fear, because rescue depends on his resolve, not our stamina. He moves toward us before we move toward him. [46:15]
• 3. You are known and of great worth God’s love is not governed by math. The value of the one is not reduced by the ninety-nine; it is revealed by the pursuit. He knows your name, your wounds, and your wandering—and still sets his joy on you. [43:23]
• 4. Grace moves before our repentance The coin contributes nothing; the woman does everything—she makes light, sweeps, searches. That is how grace works: it uncovers before we awaken, and it awakens us by uncovering. Repentance is our response to a rescue already underway. [56:48]
• 5. Join heaven’s search and celebration We are not curators of a clean room; we are co-laborers in a search-and-rescue. Pursue the hidden, carry the weary, and celebrate even one response. If heaven rejoices, we should not be subdued. [62:33]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:35] - Salvation and joy belong together
• [24:51] - The Fleming–Churchill legend begins
• [27:46] - Churchill revealed and saved twice
• [31:09] - Joy over eternal rescue
• [33:32] - Reading Luke 15:1–10
• [36:55] - Setting: Pharisees, outcasts, and context
• [40:07] - Why Jesus tells these parables
• [43:23] - The worth of one soul
• [46:15] - The Shepherd’s pursuing initiative
• [49:17] - Heaven’s celebration over repentance
• [53:40] - The Lost Coin explained
• [56:48] - Grace that lights and sweeps
• [59:30] - Our call: seek and rejoice
• [71:27] - Benediction and sending

Bible Reading

Luke 15:1–10 — 1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, 2 “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “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? 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 that was lost.’ 7 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. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Observation Questions

1. Read verses 4–7. What specific steps does the shepherd take to recover the lost sheep, and how does the text describe heaven’s reaction to one sinner who repents? [33:32]
2. Read verses 8–9. What do the woman’s actions (lighting a lamp, sweeping, seeking diligently) tell you about who starts the rescue and how the rescue is carried out? [56:48]
3. Look at verses 1–2 together with the parables. What complaints did the religious leaders make about Jesus’ company, and how do the two parables answer that complaint? [40:07]
4. Notice how the parables focus on “one” (one sheep, one coin, one sinner). How does that repetition shape what the reader learns about individual worth before God? [43:23]

Interpretation Questions

1. “God’s love is not governed by math; the value of the one is not reduced by the ninety‑nine.” What theological assumptions about divine concern and justice are challenged by that claim, and how should it affect the church’s understanding of worth and mercy? [43:23]
2. “Grace moves before repentance; the woman creates light and uncovers before the coin can respond.” What does it mean theologically that grace initiates the rescue, and how does that inform the relationship between God’s initiative and human repentance? [56:48]
3. “The shepherd carries the found sheep on his shoulders and calls neighbors to rejoice.” What is the significance of the shepherd’s physical, public actions for understanding restoration, shame removal, and the communal nature of salvation? [46:15]
4. “Heaven’s celebration over one repentant sinner is greater than human celebrations.” How should this description of heavenly joy shape the church’s posture toward sinners who return—especially when the community prefers order, respectability, or reputation? [49:17]

Application Questions

1. You are of immeasurable worth to God. Who in your life has taught you to feel otherwise? What is one concrete step you will take this week to rehearse and rest in the truth that you are known and pursued by name? [43:23]
2. God’s pursuit of the lost is relentless and welcoming, not scornful. Is there a place where you hesitate to return to God because you expect judgment or anger? What single next step can you take to approach him trusting his welcome? (call a friend, confess, attend a service, pray) [46:15]
3. Grace acts before repentance. Think of a habit, fear, or sin you feel you “must fix” before coming to God. How can you let God’s seeking grace begin the work instead of waiting to clean yourself up first? What practical action will you take this week to invite that grace? [56:48]
4. The church is a rescue mission, not a museum. Who is one person in your circle who needs pursuit rather than judgment? Name them (or their role), and commit to one concrete outreach this week (call, invite to coffee, bring a meal). How can the group pray or help? [01:02:33]
5. Celebrate even one response. When someone in your circle turns toward God, how do you usually respond—criticism, silence, or celebration? What will you change this month so your response reflects heaven’s rejoicing? [49:17]
6. If you find yourself wandering now, the shepherd is calling and will carry the weary. What one practical step will you take today to come home (phone a believer, read Luke 15 aloud, confess)? Who will you ask to walk that step with you? [51:16]