There is no chapter in the Bible like Luke 15. Even without this poignantly unique passage, we know Jesus cares about lost things. He ate with sinners, He healed the broken, and He exceedingly preferred the company of the outcasts.

Yet His passion for these things is most dramatically explained in three parables of Luke 15 — stories of lost sheep, lost silver and lost sons. All three parables underscore one central point: Jesus is searching for people who are not in right relationship with Him, and He longs to save them. This is why He says in verse 19: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The stories also demonstrate the extraordinary steps He takes in reclaiming them. He will leave 99 sheep unattended to find the one missing. He is willing to sweep the entire house for one single silver coin. He will remain standing, eyes fixed on the horizon, until He sees His lost son coming home.

And when that which is lost is found, there is unbridled rejoicing. Nothing brings joy to the heart of God more than when someone is saved. Jesus says this in verse 10: “I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

We all would say we are thankful for Luke 15, yet so often we as individuals and as churches operate as if this chapter does not exist. We are too immune to the miracle of salvation. Maybe we have become discouraged, doubting that He still saves. Quite possibly, we are distracted by the cares of everyday life and have lost God’s heart for saving the lost. Too often, we as individuals and churches lose focus on what moves the heart of God more than anything else. Salvation is a divine mystery in all respects; to peer into it is to study a beautiful enigma. Yet what is crystal clear is that each one of God’s children is uniquely created as an integral part of God’s great rescue plan.

God is bringing salvation to the ends of the world, and He uses us to accomplish the mission. For our churches, there is no greater joy than watching the greatest miracle God does: saving people. God’s favor falls on His people like the morning dew when we celebrate the sinner redeemed. There is no joy quite like when a lost sheep is found. The fatted calf will not be provided until the biggest of occasions, like when a wayward son finds his way home.

Both individually and in our churches, we must rediscover the joy of seeing lost people reclaimed for and by the Gospel. Otherwise we may live our lives incomplete and find that our joy falls short in our churches. Pastor J.D. Greear says it benefits the church to join God in His salvation mission: “If evangelism is not something that we do well as a church, everything else that we do will be sterile.”

When we as the church focus primarily on the desires of the 99 and simply fight for the attention of those who already have found safety, we miss the masses despairing all around us. The true joy of a church can never be duplicated by focusing on new programs or projects. If you want to party with the angels, lost people must meet their Savior.

The Bible’s grand narrative is His story of redemption and salvation. It is no surprise we find our fullest meaning in joining Him on this mission. The offer of salvation is why the world tarries on.

As long as time can be kept on a wristwatch, the lost are not without hope. Think of the joy when God brings salvation to a member of your family. Imagine the prospect of Him reaching your neighbor or coworker.

And, finally, keep your head up looking beyond the horizon. God’s greatest joy might be just around the bend.

— Doug Mize holds a doctorate in preaching from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a contributor to Baptist Press and The Courier.