Monday: We are to Seek
Read Luke 19:10, Mark 1:17, Luke 9:2, and Revelation 14:6-7. What is one key point that all these texts have in common? That is, what are they telling us to do?
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
For years a Seventh-day Adventist congregation prayed, “Lord, please draw the people in our community to our church and to You”-as if our church is a giant magnet that will magically draw people in. Yes, sometimes people do walk into our churches, searching for God, all with no apparent effort on our part.
But what is your church to do when years go by and no one from the community walks through your doors? If you merely focus on praying for people to come, you are not following Jesus’ method for winning souls. He mingled, socialized, and sought out people to save. “We are not to wait for souls to come to us; we must seek them out where they are. . . . There are multitudes who will never be reached by the gospel unless it is carried to them.” – Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 229.
Various metaphors illustrate this idea of seeking:
1. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep that are in the fold to seek for the one who has wandered away (see Matt. 18:10-14). Jesus is telling this story in the context of His admonition to nurture and protect “little ones” from sinning. The “little ones” could be literal children or immature Christians. If they wander back into the world, we, like Jesus, are to seek for them and lovingly bring them back to Him.
The point here, as in the texts above, is similar: we are to be proactive in seeking the lost. We need to make an effort to reach out to them. Though, on occasion, it happens that someone walks in off the street and says, “Teach me about God, about salvation, about truth,” that’s generally not the norm, is it?
2. “Christ’s method” of reaching the lost “will not, cannot, be without fruit.” – Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 144. Are we, however, focusing only on the “low-hanging fruit”-people who already share our Christian worldview, such as Christians of other denominations? What are we doing about reaching the “hard-to-reach fruit”-secular people, atheists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, et cetera? Historically, people with Christian worldviews find Adventism relevant, but we must do a much better job of sharing Jesus with faith groups that have other worldviews.
(33)
Yes,we are meant to seek the lost ones,but the question is Have we received Christ as our Lord and savior and also allow him to dwell in our heart,if yes,then we are to seek, for we can not give out what we don't have.God bless us as we do this Amen.
Technology can be used for many purposes. We can use it to get a stay-at home education for all age groups. We can study our Bibles (guilty), order food, pay our bills, we can even go to church via live streaming. We only communicate these days through texting, emails, Facebook, Instagram, a poke, etc. Rarely do we talk to each other voice- to - voice. We are always waiting for a "ping". So with this in mind what would impell us to get up and go "seek". To search out those who need and/or waiting to hear the gospel.
We need the same desire as the "Good Shepherd" had when He left His 99 to go search for the one sheep who went astray. We are commanded by Jesus to get up and go. Matt. 28:19-20. Eze. 3:17-19 calls us "watchmen on the wall" who must warn others or suffer the consequences.
Jesus when He was on earth was intentional. He sought out those who He knew would cross His path that day who needed a touch. We have to be just as intentional. In our daily devotions we have to ask God for the Holy Spirit to lead us to the person who is waiting to hear His voice that says "follow Me". I'm talking to myself just as well. We all need to just get up and go!
Mattie As you noted, technology can be used for many purposes. True we can follow Jesus and seek a good example also. The time and places on the internet that will lead to any spiritual good are miniscule in comparison. The time that is devoted to the social sites, and other attractions that absorb time away from God, are the ones that are used the most. If we are honest we don't want to admit to these failures. To misuse an opportunity, often leads to self justification. I plead guilty also and pray for the changes that are needed.
Something that truly amazes me is that the quest to reach out and make disciples of all nations isn't limited to SDAs only. I see almost all Christian denominations now actively involved in outreachs and evangelism, and if we will not go out and seek and save the lost then God will raise up even stones to do his will.
I'm reminded of the parable of the talents where one servant decided to hide his instead of investing it and when the master came he took it from him, will our talents be taken from us because we have decided to hide our light under the bushel instead of holding it out to illuminate the paths of others?
I'll leave us with a theme of one of the Pentecostal churches in my neighbourhood "FOUND PEOPLE...FIND PEOPLE"
I think we need to remember the paragraph after the \"Jesus method\" quote we always quote.
There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen.
• The poor are to be relieved,
• the sick cared for,
• the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted,
• the ignorant instructed,
• the inexperienced counseled.
We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit. {MH 143.4}
I suspect that when Jesus taught the lesson about leaving the 99, to go in search of the 1 stray sheep, that the hearers [especially the Pharisees,] were reminded of a text in Ezekiel chapter 34.
"My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.
Therefore, you [under-]shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock” — therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!
Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
For thus says the Lord God: “INDEED I MYSELF WILL SEARCH FOR MY SHEEP AND SEEK THEM OUT. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick..."
Thanks
When I say: "The church should...", this includes me. It starts with me. If I want the church to change, I have to change. I can't change myself and should never try it but rather invite and allow Jesus to change me. If I change, the church changes, because I am part of the church. I am a member of the body, the body of Jesus Christ.
Very well said. Thank you!