be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found….”
“Speaking of Jamie, I don’t think I’ve seen him in Church
for a while; perhaps I will give him a call?” “Better yet, let’s go visit him
at his place; I’m sure he will appreciate the visit,” Tom suggested to Phil.
n a church, particularly one with a large congregation, it’s
possible for some members to be inconsistent in their attendance; some may even
have stopped coming altogether. This may not be immediately obvious, especially
if the church is always full during the services.
As Christians and soul winners, we should be concerned
enough to know if anyone in our congregation has strayed away or fallen by the
wayside. In Luke 15, the Lord Jesus told the parable of a shepherd with one
hundred sheep. One of them got missing, and he left the ninety-nine in the
wilderness to search for the missing sheep. When he found it, he carried it
home rejoicing, and invited his friends and neighbours to celebrate with him.
Then, Jesus said, “…Likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke
15:7).
Jesus was preaching here to the Jews. He was talking to them about the lost. Understand that He wasn’t talking about one who had never come to the Lord, but one who had strayed away. There’s a difference between the one who has never been inside (the church) and the one who was inside, but strayed away. Remember, Jesus was dealing with Old Testament church here; so He wasn’t referring to the lost sinners of the world.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for making me genuinely concerned about your children who have strayed from the way. I pray that Christ be formed in them, and that they’d be established, rooted and grounded in your love, being fully persuaded that in you alone lie their joy and total fulfilment, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
