Luke 15:7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (NLT)
Bringing people to salvation is a matter of primary importance to God. Not only did He give Jesus, His son in order to make this possible, He also expects of us to set aside every excuse and to lay down our lives in pursuit of connecting people to Him. God wants every single one of His children to be fruitful when it comes to soul winning. His heart is that none should perish; therefore our hearts (and actions) should be that none should perish…
In Luke 15:1-7 Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep to demonstrate the fact that Heaven rejoices more over one person getting saved than over ninety nine saved people getting together for a religious meeting. Considering this, the Church should never be a group of pious people getting together to be personally blessed. Much rather than a ‘feel-good’ meeting, the Church is a rescue operation that should have every resource bent on paving a way for the lost to be saved. Jesus, as the Chief Shepherd set the perfect example for us in this regard. As the saved, God has called us to operate on the level of shepherds. When we start thinking and behaving like the sheep, our purpose and mission become compromised and we fail to do what we were called to do. Sheep are needy and prone to complaining, shepherds on the other hand take responsibility and lead. In order to be good shepherds we have to:
Know the flock: A good shepherd spends time with his sheep so that he knows each one of them on a personal level. He carefully takes stock regularly to ensure that the flock is complete and if he misses one, he goes to look for it.
Be an expert tracker: Knowing where to find a lost sheep correlates closely to knowing the sheep that is lost. If we know the people we are responsible for, we will also know where to go and look for them when they fall away.
Know how to fight: One of the main attributes of a good shepherd is the extraordinary love and passion with which he tends the flock. Protecting and fighting for them with fervor born in love is an ever-present part of the make-up of a good shepherd. Even in the face of disappointment and discouragement we never have the option to give up on people or to stop fighting for their spiritual breakthrough.
Know how to dress wounds: A good shepherd knows how to care for his sheep. Likewise we should know how to minister so as to bring healing and restoration to people’s lives. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit we have the ability to help others with their marriages, children, finances and life issues.
Learn to carry people: God carries us every moment of every day. We should in turn learn how to carry people when they need it. Integral to this stands our capacity to set all personal plans and agendas aside in order to provide help where and when it is needed. When the good shepherd found the lost sheep, he picked it up and carried it back. When people backslide they sometimes need an extraordinary amount of support and help to get back to where they are supposed to be. Because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we have the ability to do this.
God does not require perfection from us; He requires a heart that is willing to take responsibility for the people with whom we share our world. As the called of God, we operate under the supernatural power of God. He has personally enabled us through the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel, pray for the sick and set the captives free. We, however have to answer to the call by making a concerted decision to stop living for ourselves and to be available to be used of God, even when it is costly or inconvenient.
This week determine to let go of a sheep-mentality and to instead step up and take responsibility as a shepherd in your community! Find one that wandered off and fetch a new one before you go to cell and when you come to church! Every part of who we are, every resource we have, geared towards finding one and fetching one, this week and always!
Part 1 - Seek And Save
Bert Pretorius
October 25, 2015
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Find One, Fetch One