The Power of OneSample

In Luke 15, a group of Pharisees were gossiping about how Jesus “eats with sinners.” In response to his critics, Jesus told three stories. The first was about one restless shepherd who left his flock behind in search of one missing sheep. Upon finding it, he raised it on his shoulders and exclaimed, “Rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep!” (15:6)

The second story was about a woman who lost a coin in her home. A search commenced, the floors were swept, and the woman hunted diligently until finally finding it.

In the third story, a rebellious son chose to leave the circle of his father’s love to try life on his own. Nearly starved and with a broken spirit, the son finally returned home. But instead of shaming him, the father rejoiced and embraced him, welcoming him home.

The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Jesus used these three lessons to portray God’s heart. When the sheep wandered off, the shepherd went and found him. When the coin was lost in the house, the woman remained and searched diligently. Finally, when the son left his father and squandered his inheritance, the father waited with anticipation for his return.

The message of these stories was underscored in Jesus’s final moments on Earth as he left his disciples with a call to action that has reverberated in the hearts of believers ever since: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

These words have been manifested in the lives of Christians throughout history, such as David Brainerd who was an early missionary to the Delaware Indians. he died during his missionary travels and yet said, “I care not where I live, or what hardships I go through so that I can but gain souls to Christ.” The missionary Elisabeth Elliot not only endured the murder of her husband and friends at the hands of the Waorani tribe but also agreed to live amongst them afterward to reach them with the gospel as her husband had endeavored to do. The result was a tribe whose leader opened his heart to the Holy Spirit and a village of people who followed.

But while history is rich with stories of individuals who shared the heart of the “restless shepherd,” God’s relentless passion for the lost is just as urgent now as ever before. And the call to action now extends to us—to you.

Not everyone is called to be a missionary, to move across the world, or to preach to the masses from a stage—but we are all called to pursue the ONE. God’s heart is restless for the lost, and he is inviting us to share His passionate burden for His people, especially those right in front of us. They could be co-workers, classmates, the barista who makes you coffee every morning, the homeless man you see on the street corner, your neighbor, or even a family member.

Who is one lost person you know with whom you can share Jesus?