“Mission: 99 and 1” — Sunday Sermon from September 13, 2026

Introduction: You Are a Living Stone in the Body of Christ

At the beginning of the sermon, Pastor Oleksandr Koltukov addresses the important topic of every believer’s belonging to the church. Every person is a unique part of the Body of Christ. Without our active participation and service, the church building becomes like a wall with gaps, unable to protect from the cold or offer full shelter.

God addresses us just as He once did to the prophet Isaiah, looking for those who will answer His call:

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”
Isaiah 6:8 ESV

It is our response, “Here I am, send me,” that determines whether the people whom no one else will reach will ever hear about salvation. All our resources—time, finances, efforts—gain true meaning only when we dedicate them to service.

The Paradox of God’s Mathematics: 99 vs. 1

In human understanding, 99% is practically an absolute success. But for God, 99% is an unfinished mission. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reveals the paradoxical logic of the Heavenly Father:

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
Matthew 18:12-14 ESV

By human logic, it seems irrational to leave the obedient majority for the sake of one sheep that strayed and ran away on its own. However, the value of each individual soul is so high to God that He measures it not by statistics or likes, but by the price of the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Call of the Sermon: 3 Steps for a Believer

1. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

   An obedient flock of 99 sheep represents safety and comfort. But the Shepherd goes to seek the lost sheep in dangerous, steep mountains. True Christianity is not about sitting among our own; it requires the courage to go where it is hard, dark, and where people are perishing.

   

   An example of modern ministry is American Pastor Loren Kennedy, who, after retiring, left his comfortable life in the US and came to Ukraine during the full-scale war. Over more than 400 days, together with his team, he distributed over 60,000 food packages to frontline residents, sharing the Gospel in the most dangerous areas.

2. See the Value of the One

   The world is used to evaluating people by status, wealth, and reach. God sees everyone individually. Even if a person stumbles or is broken, the Shepherd does not punish them; He picks them up on His shoulders and carries them home.

   The story of Pastor David Wilkerson vividly illustrates this principle. Leaving a comfortable parish in Pennsylvania, he went to the streets of New York to reach juvenile gang members and addicts. There he met Nicky Cruz, the leader of a violent gang. Wilkerson’s love and perseverance led Cruz to repentance, which later birthed the international movement Teen Challenge—a ministry that has saved thousands of addicts around the world.

3. Become Part of the Search Team

   God calls every believer to join His mission. The greatest joy for a Christian is seeing a found soul return to the Heavenly Father.