“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4)
Lost sheep. Wounded people. Broken lives. Rebellious. Inquisitve minds. Seeking hearts. Self-destructive desires. Wandering souls.
Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost. In this teaching Jesus spoke of the heart of the shepherd. The shepherd would secure those inside the fold to leave in search of the one sheep that got separated. To the hireling the remaining ninety-nine hold MUCH more value than the one, yet to the shepherd each one is invaluable. Each sheep has worth. He will gladly risk endangering his life to the potential enemy that stole or killed the one sheep unaccounted for. What a beautiful picture of our Savior!
Many of us grew up in the church. We heard the same Bible stories. We have heard the same sermons. We have sung the same songs. Yet when we left “home” we went out on our own. Every parent knows the feelings of uncertainty as you send your kid out to face the world on their own. You hope enough of the scripture got into them to remind them when they get into situations. Yet there is that gnawing fear. And we have all had friends who strayed from the path and got into trouble. They had enough of church and they wanted to see what all the fuss was about – this avoiding of sin.
To those who have wandered off and gotten stuck in the thicket of drugs or illicit sex, who have allowed themselves to be drawn into a bottle and now are trapped, to those who have maybe found themselves behind bars because of their “discoveries” this passage should offer hope. There is no valley too low or to land too far that God cannot rescue you, cannot save you, cannot restore you.
But to those who are Christians this scripture becomes a challenge of sorts. How can they hear without a preacher? And how can one preach without being sent? I’ll go one further: how can the one being sent reach them unless they are familiar with the path that got the lost one there in the first place? Therein lies the point. Each of us, as believers, are sent to a lost and dying world – our world – to find those who have fallen along the way. It’s interesting that many who perish don’t die because of the initial injury: they die from extended exposure. It is our job to find those who have been injured, who continue to lay where they fell, and to rescue them. Each one has walked a different path. We all have varied testimonies – that’s what makes the Body of Christ so unique.
For example, there is an organization called “Hookers For Jesus” that has been around for several years now. They are on Facebook and other social media sites. Their mission statement includes “We help exploited women find hope and healing with our houses and aftercare.” How awesome!!! Nicky Cruz (“The Cross and the Switchblade”) is still going strong with his ministry of rescuing young men and women from the life of street gangs. Michael Francese, once a renowned Mafia boss, is now saved and preaching the Word all over the United States and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even Alice Cooper, famed rock-and-roll superstar, is very vocal about his return to the Body of Christ and his life as a born-again Christian. These people are not traditional pastors in the truest sense of the word, yet they have found their mission fields and are actively working to snatch souls from the fires of hell.
You may not be one of these high-visibility personalities. You may just be known within the four walls of your church as a minister of the gospel. I encourage you to get outside the walls of the church and take your message to the streets. The church is a safe space in which to learn, to be equipped, to practice your skills, but Jesus didn’t so love the church that He gave His life – He so loved the world that He gave. He taught the twelve in close quarters, to be sure, but there came a time when He sent them out two-by-two into the surrounding areas. You may not become the next Billy Graham or Oral Roberts, but can you name the person who led these two to the Cross? That person may remain nameless (in your consciousness, or) to the general public; however, they are forever noted in heaven for having won that soul to God and they get credit for an assist in all the lives won by these two men.
God doesn’t expect us all to become superstars in the eyes of the Christian world, but He does command us to go into all the world, preaching the gospel, teaching them to become disciples, etc. You are not responsible for every living person in the world today, but you are held accountable for the souls of those with whom you come into contact on a regular basis – whether that is family member, friend, or checker at WalMart. And, just as importantly, you are not responsible for their response to the gospel you share. You are just called to share the love of Christ with them and let them know Jesus loves them, too. Deeper conversations and friendships may ensue, but for now they need to know this simple truth. We are to walk the earth eyes open and hearts attuned both to God above and mankind around.
Ray Boltz sang a song many years ago entitled, “Thank You.” In that song is portrayed someone reaching heaven and having different people step up to them and tell them how they affected their lives and led them to heaven. It may have just been a word of encouragement, it may have been an act of selfless service, it may have been giving someone a ride somewhere, it could have been just a simple eye contact or handshake. People need to know the love of Christ and they can see it in your eyes and feel it in your touch to their lives. To those already doing these things I say, on behalf of those you touch and in the authority given me by Jesus Christ, “Thank you.” To those who are afraid to step out, to reach out, to speak out, I encourage you to begin small. Just a simple friendly hello can break the ice. Just a true and trusted handshake may make the difference. Just do something. Then do something more. You can do this.
Be blessed.
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