The Value of One Soul
The Lord attaches infinite value to every individual soul and is willing to go to great lengths to seek and find the lost.
John Henry Jowett preaches on the immense value God places on each soul, emphasizing the deep concern and pursuit of the Shepherd for the one lost sheep. Just as a missing face creates a void in a family, a wandering soul leaves a gap in the Father's house. The Shepherd's relentless search in difficult terrains mirrors the lengths to which God goes to seek and save the lost, ultimately rejoicing in the restoration of the lost sheep.
Text
MATTHEW xviii. 7-14.
What an infinite value the Lord attaches to one soul! "And _one of them_
be gone astray!" I thought He might never have missed the one! And yet the
Eastern shepherd says that out of his great flock he can miss the
individual face. A face is missing, as though a child were absent from the
family circle. When a soul is wandering in the far country there is an
awful gap in the Father's house! Is thy place empty? Is mine?
And mark the pangs of the Shepherd's quest. He "_goeth into the mountain
and seeketh!_" The Eastern shepherd goes out in tempest, and in rocky
ravine, or in thorny scrub that tears the hands and feet, he seeks and
finds his sheep. And my Lord sought me, in stony and thorny places, in the
darkness of Gethsemane, and in the awful desolations of The Hill.
And the Shepherd found His sheep, and He returns across the hills singing
the song of the triumph of grace--
"And up from the mountains, thunder-riven,
And up from the rocky steep,
A cry arose to the gates of heaven,
'Rejoice! I have found My sheep!'
And the angels echo around the throne,
'Rejoice! for the Lord brings back His own!'"
Sermon Outline
- The Value of One Soul
- The Shepherd's pangs of searching
- The Shepherd's triumph of grace
- The Lord's joy in finding the lost
- The Lord's song of triumph
Key Quotes
“And up from the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep, A cry arose to the gates of heaven, 'Rejoice! I have found My sheep!'” — John Henry Jowett
“And the angels echo around the throne, 'Rejoice! for the Lord brings back His own!'” — John Henry Jowett
“And my Lord sought me, in stony and thorny places, in the darkness of Gethsemane, and in the awful desolations of The Hill.” — John Henry Jowett
Application Points
- Recognize the value that the Lord attaches to every individual soul.
- Be willing to seek and find the lost, just as the Lord does.
- Celebrate the triumph of the Lord's grace when the lost are found.