Why the Shepherd Went Looking

RON PEARCE:

Welcome to The Unshakeable Church, the podcast series that unpacks spiritual truths and lessons I have learned through more than 30 years of working alongside national church planters in spiritual hotspots around the world.

Today, I want to talk about responsibility. We will look at two parables from the Gospel of Luke that reveal an important characteristic found in many of the revivals taking place around the world today. National believers are winning the lost at all costs because they feel a deep responsibility before God for those who do not yet know Him.

Let me give you the main point right at the beginning. These believers are compelled to reach lost souls because they understand that responsibility comes with salvation. When they are born again, they begin to see others through God’s eyes.

Let’s read from Luke 15 in the New English Translation:

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, ​‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

“So Jesus told them this parable:

‘Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? Then, when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, telling them, ​“Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.”

‘I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.’

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ​‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’

‘In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.’ ”

Let’s look at the first parable.

A shepherd was responsible for the sheep under his care. A flock of one hundred sheep represented both his livelihood and his responsibility. Those sheep provided for him and his family, making them extremely valuable.

A shepherd led his flock to pasture and water. He protected them from wild animals. He counted them carefully, making sure none were missing. He did not simply glance over the flock and assume everything was fine. He counted them one by one because each sheep mattered.

If one sheep went missing, he took personal responsibility for finding it. The ninety-nine would be entrusted to another shepherd while he searched diligently for the one that was lost. He would not stop until he found it.

Now consider the second parable.

The woman was likely a wife and mother who managed the household. She was responsible for food supplies, household goods, clothing production, savings, and daily expenses. While the husband oversaw larger matters, she managed the day-to-day life of the family.

When she lost one of her coins, she searched because that coin was valuable. It represented food, clothing, and necessities for the people she loved.

In homes of that time, dirt floors were common. I have seen homes like this while travelling through rural areas of China, Ethiopia, and many other countries. A coin could fall into a crack in the floor, become covered with dirt, or be pressed into the mud. That is why she swept carefully and searched thoroughly until she found it.

The coin mattered because the family mattered.

These are the lessons Jesus was teaching.

As I reflect on the national church ministries we work with through Empower Ministries, I see these same principles lived out every day.

Pastors care deeply for the believers in their churches, but they also look beyond the flock they already have. They look to those who have wandered away, those who have never heard the Gospel, and those who have not yet encountered Christ.

Like the shepherd and the woman, they work tirelessly to find what is lost.

They are compelled to do so because they believe that salvation is meant to be shared. From the moment they experience the saving grace of Christ, they understand they have a responsibility to tell others.

One of the major themes in Luke’s Gospel and throughout the book of Acts is repentance. Again and again, Luke emphasizes the importance of turning away from sin and turning toward God.

That same message remains central to the work of national believers around the world. They call people to turn from false gods, turn from sin, and embrace the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

Another important theme in these parables is rejoicing.

Both the shepherd and the woman celebrated when they recovered what had been lost. They gathered friends and neighbours and shared their joy.

I love that picture.

The work is hard. The searching takes effort. There are moments of uncertainty and sacrifice. But when what was lost is found, there is rejoicing.

Think of those who survived the sinking of the Titanic. Imagine loved ones welcoming them home after they had been rescued from the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There would be celebration because someone who was facing death had been brought safely home.

That is the picture Jesus is giving us.

Across the world today, pastors rejoice when someone is rescued from spiritual destruction and brought into the Kingdom of God.

The work requires intense labour.

Sometimes, especially in the West, we spend a great deal of time talking about evangelism without actually doing it. We discuss strategies and plans, but often fail to engage in the work itself.

Many of the believers we work with overseas are different. They are constantly looking for opportunities to share the Gospel. Reaching people is not merely something they discuss. It is something they do.

Prayer is also central to everything they undertake.

Do you think the shepherd prayed while searching for his lost sheep? Do you think the woman prayed while looking for the missing coin that meant so much to her family?

Of course they did.

Likewise, national believers pray continually. Prayer is woven into every Jesus Festival, every mini-crusade, and every outreach event. Many pastors rise at four or four-thirty in the morning to spend time in prayer before beginning their day. As they travel and minister, they continue praying for lost souls.

Prayer is not an accessory to their work. It is part of who they are.

Another characteristic is perseverance.

The shepherd did not give up. The woman did not give up. They kept searching until they found what was lost.

I have to confess something. I enjoy western movies, especially those starring John Wayne.

One film that has always stayed with me is The Searchers. In the story, a family member is kidnapped, and the search continues for years. Through winter, summer, and countless obstacles, they refuse to give up.

That same determination is present in many of the revival movements we see today.

People are hungry for God. They are hungry to see souls saved. They refuse to quit.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of knowing Leonard Ravenhill. He influenced my life deeply through his teaching, his letters, and his passion for revival.

What stood out about Ravenhill was his unwavering commitment. He was determined. He was focused. He would not be distracted from his calling.

That same spirit is evident among many national church leaders today.

They carry a burden for lost souls.

The shepherd did not say, ​“I still have ninety-nine sheep. Losing one isn’t a big deal.”

The woman did not say, ​“I still have nine coins. One missing coin is acceptable.”

There are no acceptable losses in the Kingdom of God.

Every sheep mattered.

Every coin mattered.

Every soul matters.

This realization transforms people. Once they understand God’s heart, they begin carrying the burden of caring for those who are lost.

I want to leave you with one final story.

Years ago, I met a young pastor in India. The day before, I had travelled high into the mountains to meet believers living in remote communities. Some of them climbed down steep hillsides just to attend the gathering.

The next day, I sat beside this young pastor.

I asked him about his testimony, and he told me how Christ had transformed his life through a miraculous healing.

Then he began describing his ministry.

He pointed toward the mountains and explained that he was responsible for several villages scattered throughout the region. Another pastor nearby cared for a different group of mountain communities.

Then he looked at me and said something I have never forgotten:

“These are my people on my mountains, and I will win them to Christ.”

Even through a translator, those words struck me deeply.

He was taking responsibility for the people God had placed before him.

Could they reject Christ? Yes.

Could they turn away? Certainly.

But he was determined to make sure they heard the Gospel and had the opportunity to respond.

He was young, perhaps twenty years old. Yet he had already learned something many believers never fully grasp.

Spiritual maturity grows when we willingly carry responsibility for others and take up the cross Christ has given us to bear.

May we never forget that there are people around the world who still need to hear about Jesus.

And may we embrace our responsibility to help reach them.