BIG IDEA
Jesus notices you.
MESSAGE NOTES:
WHAT:
When it comes to your faith, there are a lot of reasons why you might feel lost sometimes. See, you and I were created to be close to the God who made and loves us. But . . .
Some of us don’t know our Creator yet.
Some of us know Jesus but we wander far away from Him by making unwise decisions or turning our backs on Him.
Some of us know Jesus but we're struggling with what we believe, with a difficult situation we're in, or maybe even with our mental health.
In all of these situations, we can feel pretty lost sometimes.
SO WHAT:
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:3-7.
We don't know how this sheep wandered away from its shepherd. Maybe it got distracted or confused. Maybe it saw another sheep walk that way so it followed along. Maybe it was trying to run away. Either way, the sheep found itself far from the safety of its shepherd.
Imagine how difficult it would be to find one lost sheep in that huge desert, filled with valleys and steep cliffs. It would take time, effort, and a lot of attention. If I were the shepherd, I'm not sure I'd be willing to put in the effort.
But here's what the shepherd in Jesus' story did.
Even though he had one hundred sheep to take care of, he noticed when one of them was missing. I imagine he knew that sheep's name too.
Even though he knew it would be difficult, he searched for his lost sheep until he found it. He never gave up.
When he found his lost sheep, Jesus didn't say the shepherd yelled at it, made fun of it, or punished it. The shepherd lovingly carried it home.
NOW WHAT:
Sometimes we're all like the sheep in Jesus' story, wandering away from the safety of God, our shepherd.
Maybe we wander from God because . . .
We don't know Jesus is our good shepherd in the first place!
We get distracted.
We get confused.
We walk away.
Just like sheep are sheep, you and I are human. God knows we're prone to getting lost. That's why Jesus describes the good shepherd the way He does.
Even though God has created hundreds of billions of people, God knows each and every one of us by name. When you go missing, God notices. You're not insignificant to your shepherd. Even though convincing us to come back to God is difficult, Jesus never stops searching for us. He never gave up on you and He never will.
When you and I finally realize we're lost and need help, God doesn't yell at us, made fun of us, or punish us. When you need help, God celebrates and Jesus will always lovingly carry you home.
Just like the shepherd in the parable notices his missing sheep, Jesus notices you. Yes, you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Q1: If you could get lost anywhere in the world, where would you want to get lost?
Q2: What are some ways a person could be spiritually “lost”?
Q3: In what ways do you relate to the lost sheep in Jesus’ story?
Q4:What do you think or feel about the words, “Jesus notices you”?
Q5: Read Psalm 139:1-18. Has there ever been a time when you really needed to hear these words? Tell
us about it.