Go After the Lost Luke 15: 3-7 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In Lk 15:3-7, Jesus spoke a parable about a shepherd who, if he had a hundred sheep and lost one of them, would leave the ninety-nine and “go after that which is lost, until he find it.”  That statement, “Go after that which is lost,” is profound.

With Jesus, saving a lost soul is not numerical, but personal.  This shepherd knew one of the ninety-nine sheep was lost.  That’s numerical.  But since this parable is about Jesus, the good shepherd, he would know which one it is.  

And he went after that one which was lost.  Often, the reason that we don’t see people saved is that we don’t “go after that which is lost.”  We stick around the flock (church) with the ninety-nine “which need no repentance.”  Jesus found the lost woman at the well (Jn 4).  Jesus found the lost impotent man by the pool in the sheep market (Jn 5).  These guys weren’t “coming to church.”

Another reason that we don’t often see people saved is that we don’t go after the lost “until he find it.”  We may go out.  But we don’t go out with the diligence and determination to find the lost sheep that the Lord is looking for.  We go out more to say we did it than we go out to find the lost.

When the shepherd found his lost sheep, “he layeth it on his shoulders.”  He’s bringing it back to the flock.  That pictures us caring for a new convert for awhile until they are settled in the flock (Acts 20:28, the church).

Notice the joy after the sheep is found.  The shepherd rejoices.  That’s a picture of the personal joy we have when souls get saved.  His friends and neighbors rejoice. That’s a picture of the joy the church has when a person gets saved.  And then, there is joy in heaven.  That’s the joy “in heaven over one sinner that that repenteth.”

We need to “go after that which is lost.”