Introduction

There’s a line that lingers in the soul like a song you can’t forget: Jesus came looking for people. Before we raised our hands, before we learned the words, before we found our seat on a Sunday—He was already searching. He crossed crowded roads, dusty villages, and social barriers, because that’s what love does. Love walks. Love looks. Love lingers until the lost are found.

You can almost hear His sandals on the cobblestones of your neighborhood. He knows the shut-in on your street, the single parent beside you at the stoplight, the student scrolling through the night. He knows the worry that keeps you up and the weight you carry quietly. And He whispers, “I came for that.” For the fear, the failure, the fatigue. For the complicated story you don’t know how to explain. He came to seek and to save.

This is why the church breathes. We are not a crowd watching a stage; we are a people sent on a mission. As John Wesley once said, “I look upon all the world as my parish.” (John Wesley) That sounds large, but it begins small—on your block, at your desk, in your kitchen. When the Spirit sets hearts on fire, ordinary places become holy ground. In the classroom, compassion becomes a sermon. In the office, integrity becomes a witness. In the neighborhood, kindness becomes a bridge. We embrace the mission of Jesus to seek and save. We proclaim freedom and justice in the power of the Spirit. We cultivate abundant life in the world we serve.

This is the melody of the Master: - He seeks so that people are saved. - He sends us in the Spirit so that captives hear good news and the oppressed taste liberty. - He speaks life so that hearts flourish in His abundance.

Friends, what would it look like for your calendar to carry Kingdom weight? What if the conversation in your kitchen tonight opened a door to grace? What if your next step today—one quiet, faith-filled step—became the very path Jesus uses to meet a neighbor’s need? Hear His heart. He isn’t far away. He is near and He is active. And He invites you into His work with a hand on your shoulder and hope in His voice.

Scripture Reading Luke 19:10 (ESV) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” John 10:10 (ESV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Opening Prayer Father, thank You for sending Jesus to seek and to save. Thank You that Your Spirit anoints, empowers, and comforts. Open our ears to Your Word and open our eyes to the people You love. Soften our hearts to Your leading. Where there is fear, bring courage. Where there is weariness, bring strength. Where there is apathy, awaken holy compassion. Lord Jesus, align our lives with Your mission. Put names on our minds and love in our hands. Teach us to proclaim good news with clarity and kindness, to stand for freedom and justice with humility and boldness, and to carry Your healing presence into every conversation. Holy Spirit, fill us afresh; make us faithful witnesses who cultivate abundant life in our homes, our workplaces, and our city. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

Embrace the mission of Jesus to seek and save

Luke writes it in a clear line. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” That is the reason. That is the shape of His work. When we live with Him, we share that aim. We look for people who are far from God. We point them to the One who rescues. We set our plans under His purpose. We say yes to His heart.

“Seek” means He moves first. He does not wait for perfect words or perfect lives. He goes where people are. “Save” means He rescues from sin and shame and brings people into a new life with God. This is rescue with real names and real stories. This is grace with power. The Spirit makes this more than a task. The Spirit makes it life.

Think about the scene just before that verse. Jesus is passing through a crowded street. He looks up and sees a man hidden in a tree. He calls him by name. He steps into his home. He shares a meal. That simple path tells us a lot. Seeking begins with seeing. Seeking slows down. Seeking learns names and steps across thresholds. It sounds like care. It looks like presence. It feels like honor. This is how walls fall. This is how hearts open.

So we practice the same way. We ask the Lord for eyes to see the person others miss. We leave room in our day for holy interruptions. We walk at a pace that allows a stop. We learn names. We ask kind questions. We listen more than we speak. We accept invitations and also make them. We offer a seat at our table. We bring peace into rooms that feel tense. In that simple path, the good news has space to land. This is how the word seek becomes visible.

Saving is more than escaping danger. It is rescue into wholeness. Luke records Jesus reading from Isaiah. The Spirit is on Him. Good news reaches those who are poor. Captives hear that freedom is at hand. Eyes open. Those under heavy weight stand up straight. The time of God’s favor is announced. This is what saving looks like in action. It touches bodies, minds, homes, and streets. It lifts people from guilt and also from grinding despair. It breaks lies and it breaks chains.

So we speak and we serve with the same grace. We announce forgiveness through the cross. We teach what Jesus said. We pray for healing with simple faith. We stand with those who suffer. We share food, skills, and time. We work for fair treatment where there is harm. We bless children and honor elders. We do it in the Spirit’s strength, not our own. In that mix of word and work, people come to trust Jesus. They taste freedom. They learn to follow Him. That is the saving He promised.

Lost does not only mean wild living. Lost can look tidy. Lost can look busy. Lost can sit in a meeting or on a bench. Lost means away from the Shepherd. Away from His voice. Away from His care. This is why seeking stays wide. We look for the lonely and the loud. We look for the angry and the afraid. We look for the one who jokes to hide pain. We look for the neighbor who says, “I’m fine,” every time.

When the moment comes, we name Jesus with kindness. We share what He has done for us. We open the Bible and read a few lines. We explain the cross in plain words. We invite a clear step of repentance and faith. We offer to pray right there. We follow up the next day. We walk with new believers as they grow. We teach them to pray, to read, to gather, to serve. Saving is not a flash. It is the start of a new life with a new Lord and a new family.

There is also a way to carry this work that fits real life. We start with prayer. We ask the Spirit, “Who is ready?” We keep a short list of people and pray by name. We look for small doors. A question. A need. A meal. A ride. A kind word. We give what we can and trust Jesus with what we cannot. We show up again. We keep showing up. We stay gentle and clear. We bless without pressure and speak without fear.

This is where the promise of life comes in. Jesus says He came so people would have life, and have it in full. He is the source. So we watch for signs of that life. Peace after long worry. Clean breaks from old chains. New joy in worship. Families mending. Work done with honesty. Neighbors helping neighbors. Leaders who serve with humility. We thank God when we see it. We keep asking for more.

Proclaim freedom and justice in the power of the Spirit

Listen to the way Luke tells it ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO