Gospel Conversations Part 2: The Plan of God

Matthew 18:10–14


I. GOD SEES THE ONE

Matthew 18:10  “See to it that you don’t despise one of these little ones…”

1 Samuel 16:7  “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.’”
Romans 5:8  “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”


II. GOD SEEKS THE ONE

Matthew 18:12–13  “What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.”

Luke 19:10  “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Ezekiel 34:11–12  “For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them. As a shepherd looks for his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness.’”


III. GOD SENDS US AFTER THE ONE

God’s plan is not simply that we would have a heart for the lost. God’s plan is that we would participate in reaching the lost.

Matthew 28:18–20  “Jesus came near and said to them, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Romans 10:13–15  “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent?”

This gives you a tremendous evangelism progression:

  1. They must call.
  1. They must believe.
  1. They must hear.
  1. Someone must tell them.
  1. Someone must be sent.

IV. WILL YOU BE THE ONE TO FIND THE ONE?

  1. We must intentionally look for our “one.”

Colossians 4:2–3  “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ…”

  1. We must pray for opportunities.

Colossians 4:5–6  “Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.”

  1. We must be willing to go outside our comfort zone.

Acts 1:8  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”


God sees the one.
God seeks the one.
God sends us after the one.