Jonah: Embracing the Other: Part 2
120,000 At Risk: Do We Care?
In this message, Pastor Ben explores Luke 15 and the parable of the lost sheep, revealing God’s relentless love for those who feel forgotten, overlooked, or far from Him. While Jonah ran from God’s call to reach Nineveh, Jesus moved toward those others rejected, welcoming sinners and treating them like family.
Message Summary
In this sermon, Pastor Ben continues a summer series on the book of Jonah titled ‘120,000 at Risk: Do We
Care?’ with a message called ‘Embracing the Other, Part 2,’ focusing on those on the margins of society.
Drawing from Luke 15 and Ezekiel 34, he explores how Jesus actively seeks out the lost, the forgotten,
and the rejected, just as a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find the one that is missing. The sermon challenges
the congregation to recognize that Jesus welcomes those whom religious culture often pushes away, and
that His heart has always been for the scattered and overlooked. Pastor Ben calls the church to remember
their own rescue story, understanding that each person was once on the outside before Jesus brought them
home. From that place of gratitude and personal experience, believers are commissioned to go out and
reach their ‘one,’ the person in their life who does not yet know Jesus. He emphasizes that this mission
belongs to every follower of Christ, not just pastors or leaders, and that the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us to
prepare the hearts of those we are praying for. The Nineveh challenge for the week is to write down your
personal rescue story and share it with someone outside your household.
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you today grateful that you are a God who seeks and saves the lost. As
we gather in this small group, we ask that you open our hearts and minds to what you want to speak to
each of us personally. Remove any distractions, any pride, or any walls that might keep us from hearing
your voice clearly. Holy Spirit, lead our conversation, stir our compassion, and remind us of the great love
you have shown us. May this time together draw us closer to you and to one another.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Ice Breaker
What is one pet or animal you have had or wished you could have, and what made that animal special to
you?
Key Scriptures
Luke 15:1-7
Ezekiel 34:2-16
Isaiah 40:11
Matthew 28:19-20
Luke 19:10
Questions
- Pastor Ben opened the sermon by asking the congregation to reflect on their own ‘rescue story,’ the moment or season when Jesus brought them home. Can you briefly share what that looked like for you, whether it was a dramatic turning point or a gradual journey of faith?
- In Luke 15:1-2 (ESV), the Pharisees and scribes grumbled that Jesus ‘receives sinners and eats with them.’ Why do you think religious people in Jesus’ day, and sometimes today, struggle with welcoming those who seem different or spiritually far from God?
- The sermon described ‘winter lambs,’ sheep rejected by the flock simply for being different. Who are the ‘winter lambs’ in your community or social circles, and what barriers might keep them from feeling welcome in your church?
- In Ezekiel 34:4 (ESV), God rebukes the shepherds of Israel saying, ‘The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have
not brought back, the lost you have not sought.’ How does this passage challenge the way we think about our responsibility to those on the margins? - Pastor Ben said that before we can reach others, we must first understand that we were once on the outside ourselves. How does remembering your own need for grace change the way you approach people who are far from God?
- Jesus describes leaving the 99 to find the 1 in Luke 15:4 (ESV). What does this tell us about the value God places on every individual person? How does this challenge the way we prioritize our time and energy as a church community?
- The sermon emphasized that the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) is a command for every believer, not just pastors or ministry leaders. What is one practical step you could take this
week to participate in that mission, even in a small or quiet way? - Pastor Ben shared that your personal rescue story is uniquely suited to connect with someone specific in your life. What makes sharing your own story of faith different from simply telling
someone facts about Christianity, and why might it be more effective?
Life Application
This week, take time to write down your personal rescue story in a few sentences or a short paragraph.
Reflect on when and how Jesus brought you home, whether through a dramatic moment or a gradual
turning of your heart. Once you have written it down, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to one
person outside your household with whom you can share it. It does not need to be a polished presentation.
Simply tell them what God has done for you. Trust that the Holy Spirit has already gone ahead of you to
prepare that person’s heart.
Key Takeaways
-
- Jesus actively seeks out the lost, the forgotten, and the rejected. Just as a shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find the one that is missing, God’s heart is always moving toward those on the margins, not away from them.
- Before we can effectively reach others, we must first remember and embrace our own rescue story. Understanding that we were once on the outside, in need of grace, is the foundation for genuine compassion toward those who are far from God.
- The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) is a calling for every believer, not just church leaders. Each person in the congregation has a unique story and personality that will connect with someone specific who needs to hear about Jesus.
- God has always cared for the scattered and overlooked. Ezekiel 34 shows that God rebuked leaders who neglected the weak and the straying, and He promised to go and find them Himself. This same heart is fully expressed in the ministry of Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit goes before us in our efforts to reach others. We do not carry the weight of someone else’s salvation on our own shoulders. God is already at work in the lives of those we are
praying for, and we are invited to join what He is already doing.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for being the shepherd who never stops searching for the one who is lost. Thank
you that you left the comfort of heaven, came to us, and carried us home on your shoulders. As we leave
this time together, fill us with a fresh awareness of your love and a renewed compassion for those around
us who have not yet come home. Give us courage to share our stories, boldness to step toward those on
the margins, and trust that your Holy Spirit goes before us in every conversation and every relationship.
May we never forget what it felt like to be found, so that we are always eager to help others be found too.
In your name, and for your glory, Amen.
5-Day Devotional Guide
Day 1: You Were Once Outside Too
Devotional
It is easy to look at the people around us who seem far from God and forget something important: we were once in that same place. Whether your journey to faith was a dramatic turning point or a slow, quiet walk toward the light, there was a moment when you were on the outside looking in. Jesus never forgot where people came from. In Luke 15, He welcomed tax collectors and sinners, people that polite society had written off. He ate with them, which in that culture meant He was treating them as family. He did not wait for them to clean themselves up first. He went to them. That same Jesus came for you. He crossed every distance, every barrier, every wall you had built, and He brought you home. That is not a small thing. That is everything. When we remember the depth of our own rescue, something shifts in us. We stop seeing outsiders as problems to solve and start seeing them as people who need the same grace we received. Gratitude becomes the fuel for compassion. You have a story. It is real, it is yours, and it matters more than you know. Someone out there is waiting to hear it.
Bible Verse
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:10 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
When you reflect honestly on your own journey to faith, how does remembering that you were once on the outside change the way you see the people in your life who are still there?
Quote
“Before we talk about those on the outside, before we talk about those on the margins, we have to understand that we were once in those margins. We were once the ones outside looking in.”
Prayer
Lord, thank You for coming after me when I was lost and bringing me home. Let the memory of Your grace toward me fill my heart with compassion for those who have not yet found their way. Amen.
Day 2: The Shepherd Who Came Looking
Devotional
There is something deeply personal about the parable of the lost sheep. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to go after one. Not because the one earned it. Not because the one found its way back. But because the shepherd could not rest until that one was found. This is not just a warm story. It is a portrait of who God is and what He does. Centuries before Jesus told this parable, God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel and made a promise: He would search for the lost Himself. He would bind up the injured. He would strengthen the weak. He would bring back the strays. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. He left the comfort of heaven, stepped into our world, and actively pursued the people everyone else had given up on. He did not send a message. He came Himself. And here is the part that should stop us in our tracks: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. That is not the image of a distant God. That is a God who is tender, present, and relentless in His love. If you have ever felt like the one who wandered, take heart. He came looking for you, and He found you.
Bible Verse
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” – Isaiah 40:11 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
In what area of your life do you most need to trust that God is not a distant overseer but a shepherd who is actively, tenderly present with you?
Quote
“I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. That’s God’s word. I see you. I hear you. I love you. And if they won’t come and get you, I’m gonna come and get you.”
Prayer
Father, thank You for being a God who searches and does not give up. Remind me today that Your love is not passive, and help me rest in the arms of the Shepherd who came all the way for me. Amen.
Day 3: A Mission That Belongs to All of Us
Devotional
It would be convenient if reaching the lost were someone else’s job. A pastor’s job. A missionary’s job. Someone more gifted, more confident, more trained. But Jesus did not give the Great Commission to a select few. He gave it to all who follow Him. Every believer. Every personality. Every background. Every story. That includes you. You do not have to be loud or polished or have all the answers. Some people need someone passionate and bold. Others need someone calm and thoughtful. The person in your life who is far from God may need exactly the kind of person you already are. Not a better version of you. Just you. And here is the encouraging part: you are not going in alone. The Holy Spirit has already gone ahead of you. He is already at work in the lives of the people you are praying for, whispering to them, drawing them. Your role is not to manufacture a spiritual breakthrough. Your role is to show up, stay open, and trust that God is doing something you cannot always see. The mission is shared. The weight is not all yours to carry. But you are called, and that calling is real.
Bible Verse
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
What is one specific person in your life who might need exactly the kind of presence and personality you bring, and what is one small step you could take toward them this week?
Quote
“If it is only on my shoulders or Pastor Steph’s shoulders or my wife’s shoulders, it’s not going to work. All of us have to be about this mission because we’re all called to the same mission.”
Prayer
Lord, help me stop waiting for someone else to do what You have called me to do. Give me courage to show up, and remind me that Your Spirit goes before me wherever You send me. Amen.
Day 4: God’s Patience Is an Invitation
Devotional
Have you ever wondered why Jesus has not returned yet? It is a question believers have wrestled with for generations. But there is a beautiful answer tucked inside that question. God is patient because His mercy runs deep. He is not slow in the way we sometimes think of slow. He is holding the door open. He is giving more time because there are still people who have not come home yet, and He is not willing to close things out while they are still on their way. That patience is not passive. It is an act of love. And it is an invitation for us to be part of what He is doing in the time that remains. God’s heart for the lost is not a new idea. In Ezekiel 34, He rebuked the leaders of Israel for ruling harshly, for failing to search for the strays, for abandoning the vulnerable. He was grieved by shepherds who did not shepherd. His standard has always been high because His love has always been deep. We get to be part of His answer. Every conversation, every act of welcome, every shared meal with someone who feels on the outside is a small reflection of a God who is still, even now, holding the door open and calling people home.
Bible Verse
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.” – Ezekiel 34:11 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
How does understanding God’s patience as an act of mercy, rather than a delay, change the way you think about the people in your life who are still far from Him?
Quote
“You may wonder, why hasn’t Jesus come back yet and taken us home? And what he responds with is, don’t you know I have a deep, huge heart of mercy? And I’m not going to come back until there’s a couple more that come in.”
Prayer
God, thank You for Your patience with me, and for the mercy that kept the door open until I walked through it. Help me reflect that same patience and mercy toward others who are still finding their way. Amen.
Day 5: Ring the Dinner Bell
Devotional
You have been found. You have been carried home. You have sat at the table and experienced the grace that changes everything. Now what? The answer is not to stay inside and enjoy the warmth while others are still out in the cold. The answer is to go to the porch and ring the dinner bell. To call out to the ones who do not yet know there is a place set for them. Your story is one of the most powerful tools you have. Not because it is dramatic or polished, but because it is real. Someone out there has a life that looks a lot like yours did before Jesus found you. When you share what He did for you, it will not just be words. It will be a lifeline. Our Shepherd became a sheep. He lived among us, experienced what we experience, and then gave His life so that we could come home. He rose from the dead, and because of that, the story does not end with us. It continues through us. Open your eyes today. The people who need to hear what you have to say are closer than you think. They are in your neighborhood, your workplace, your family. The table is big enough. The welcome is wide enough. Go tell them dinner is ready.
Bible Verse
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1 (English Standard Version (ESV))
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to actively “ring the dinner bell” this week, and what fear or hesitation might be keeping you from doing it?
Quote
“Your specific story is going to connect with someone out there. Your rescue story is going to be the one rescue story that resonates for someone, that when you share it, they’re going to connect to it.”
Prayer
Jesus, You left everything to come and find me, and I am grateful beyond words. Give me the courage to share my story and the eyes to see the people around me who are still waiting to come home. Amen.
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