Does God Notice Me? What the Lost Sheep Tells Us
*From Pastor Rayce’s sermon “For the One,” part of the By Any Means sermon series at The Mount Church. Sermon notes dated October 4, 2026.*
Does God Notice Me? What the Lost Sheep Tells Us
You can spend a day surrounded by people and still feel overlooked. The question is Does God Notice Me? What the Lost Sheep Tells Us. Someone asks how you are, and you give the easy answer. There are questions you have never said aloud, choices you regret, or a distance from God you cannot quite explain.
Perhaps you have wondered whether God notices any of it. With so many people in the world, would he pay attention to you?
In Luke 15:1–7, Jesus tells a story about a shepherd with a hundred sheep. One goes missing. The shepherd goes after that one, finds it, and carries it home with joy. Jesus connects that joy to a person turning back to God.
The story gives us a place to begin: your distance from God matters to him, and he has acted through Jesus to bring people into a restored relationship with himself.
A welcome that surprised the religious crowd
The setting matters. Tax collectors and people known as sinners were gathering to hear Jesus. The Pharisees and religious teachers complained because Jesus welcomed these people and ate with them.
Jesus answered with the story of the lost sheep. He described the effort of the search and the celebration when the sheep was found. His listeners understood why someone would care about a missing animal. He invited them to recognize the worth of a person who returns to God.
If you have ever felt out of place around religious people, notice who drew near to Jesus. People with troubled histories wanted to hear him. He received them, and his teaching offered them a way forward.
That welcome also challenges anyone who has spent years in church. It is possible to know the language of faith while becoming impatient with people who are still asking questions. The shepherd's joy calls us to make room for them.
Recognizing ourselves in the lost sheep
Before asking whom we should reach, this sermon asks us to recognize our own need for grace. We are the people who have wandered.
That can be uncomfortable to admit. We can usually explain our failures: the pressure we were under, the hurt someone caused, the circumstances we could not control. Yet there are choices we made willingly, words we wish we could take back, and ways we have placed ourselves above others.
The Bible calls this sin. It includes our actions and the pride that makes us resist God. Recognizing it means being honest about what has damaged our relationship with him.
Pastor Rayce applies this personally, acknowledging how easy it is to look down on others while forgetting his own need for mercy. That confession leaves no room for spiritual superiority. Everyone who comes to Christ comes needing forgiveness.
You can begin with that same honesty. You do not need a polished explanation. Tell God where you have wandered and ask him to help you turn toward him.
What it cost Jesus to bring us home
The shepherd's care points us toward the heart of Christ. In 1 Peter 2:21–25, Jesus suffers without returning insults or making threats. He bears our sins, and people who had wandered are brought back to the care of their Shepherd.
The sermon emphasizes the cost of that rescue. Jesus gave his life for people who had rebelled against God. At the cross, he took the judgment our sin deserved. His love reaches into the very places we would rather keep hidden.
This gives a person burdened by shame a reason to come to him. The invitation to trust Christ rests on what he has done. We can admit the truth about our sin and ask for forgiveness because he has made a way for us to be restored.
Luke 15 describes the joy of finding what was lost. The shepherd carries the sheep home rejoicing. Jesus wants his listeners to understand that a person turning back to God is cause for celebration.
A restored relationship and a new direction
In 2 Corinthians 5:15–21, Paul describes reconciliation: being brought into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He also describes new life in Christ and a changed purpose for the people who belong to him.
Forgiveness changes how we approach God. We can come to him with trust. It also changes how we see the people around us. Paul calls believers Christ's ambassadors, people entrusted with representing him and sharing his message of reconciliation.
For someone exploring faith, a practical first step is to read Luke 15:1–7 slowly. Notice what the shepherd does and how Jesus explains the story. Then speak honestly to God about what you need to understand. A simple beginning might be: Jesus, I need your mercy. Help me turn from my sin and trust you.
You can also ask a Christian you trust to read the passage with you. Bring the questions you actually have. A conversation over coffee or a shared meal can give you room to consider what following Jesus means.
For someone who already follows Christ, the challenge for this week begins with prayer. Think of one person in your life and write their name somewhere private. Pray that they will be open to Christ, that you will grow in care for them, and that God will give you an opportunity to speak. As an opportunity opens, respond with patience and willingness. Give this person your attention without trying to force a conversation.
The question is personal in both directions. Will you respond to the Shepherd who seeks the lost? And, having received his grace, whose life will you make time to enter with patience, humility, and the hope of Christ?
If you are exploring faith in Georgetown, Kentucky, you can learn about The Mount Church and find a way to connect. Bring your questions as you consider what it means to follow Jesus.
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