Lost Sheep

Good Morning,

Matthew 18:12-14 (NKJV)
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

Let me ask you a question this morning. Have you ever attended a congregation where, at some point in time, you noticed that someone you were used to seeing each week was absent for a time? Okay, maybe another question. Have you known people or had friends who stopped coming to services as they had always done? Um, well, one more question. What, if anything, did you do about it?

I'm afraid that we, most of us, don't do much of anything when faced with this kind of situation. We might attend a particular congregation for a long time and we see the same people week after week, month after month, and even year after year. But then, "John" or "Mary" stops attending services. We sort of notice because he/she always sat right over there, you know, behind "Harry" and his family. We notice, but we don't give a lot of thought to it...at least that's how too many of us are when we are faced with such a circumstance.

I guess it's partly because we, today and in our society, have been taught that we ought not to pay attention to other people's business. When we ask questions about this person or that, people say that we're being nosy and we're prying into the private affairs of those about whom we are asking. "It's none of my affair," is a common answer to queries asked, all too often. We've been hardened by a world that has decided (when I don't know) that we're sort of all islands unto ourselves and we don't want people prying into our lives. Even us. Brothers and sisters in Christ. We wonder, perhaps, and maybe even DO ask a question or two, but when faced with frowns and people shaking their heads because we're "meddling" into business that isn't our business. So, we stop our questioning and then just go about our lives.

Here's the thing, though. When people sort of disappear from our church services, well, IT IS our business! We are SUPPOSED TO ASK about them! As Jesus said, "(If) one of them goes astray, does he not leave...and seek the one that is straying?" Are we not Jesus appointed representatives here on this planet? Don't we have a responsibility to act more like Him? Shouldn't we, as He said, go and find that one lost sheep? Isn't it just right for us to want to find the one who has strayed and do all possible to have him or her return to God's flock? And, if we are successful, doesn't it make sense that we would also rejoice with the Father and the angels in heaven?

My friends, we need to pay closer attention to those around us. Now, I don't mean we ought to pry into their affairs or intrude into their lives where we really don't belong. What I do mean is that, as I just said, we have to be more cognizant about the goings on around us and who may be missing from our congregation for a time. Then, no matter what people might think, we have, I feel, a real responsibility to go out and seek those who have, perhaps, strayed or become lost. It is up to us, after all, we are God's hands and feet and ears and mouth here on this earth, it's up to us to do all we can to help a "sheep" who may have gone astray and do all we can to lead that one back to the flock.

Let's don't let our congregations become so big and impersonal that we don't notice when someone goes missing. Let's don't harden ourselves as those of the world might do and become uncaring about someone who needs us to find him or her. Let's not allow ourselves to let even one of God's children perish and become lost in the world.

Let's pay attention!

Love, peace, and blessings,

David

(Thanks Alan!)