Search and Rescue

 

SEARCH and RESCUE

I have always been a little judgmental of the Church for not GOING OUT more searching for lost sheep. Many times that was not a fair judgment. I have grown in my knowledge of PEOPLE THAT DO GO as commanded by the great commission. Yet, I contend, more CHURCH ATTENDERS are NOT fulfilling their calling to reach the lost. I just don't see how we can be a follower of JESUS and not have an overwhelming desire to go out and seek the lost. IF WE DON'T GO...... WHO WILL? No one went out to search for the LOST SHEEP with the GOOD SHEPHERD. We are called to GO! We are all called to JOIN JESUS on the SEARCH and RESCUE mission of a LIFETIME!

Acts 1:8 - 'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'

The parable of the lost sheep isn't JUST about God's love for us - it's also about our calling to LOVE FOR OTHERS. Once we've been found, we're invited to join the search party. We become AMBASSADORS of the GOOD SHEPHERD, extending His love to a world full of lost sheep. This calling can feel overwhelming. How do we reach people who seem so far from God? How do we share our faith with those who might reject or ridicule us? The answer lies in remembering our own story. We were once lost too. We were once WANDERING in the wilderness, looking for something we couldn't find on our own. When we approach others with humility instead of judgment, with compassion instead of condemnation, we create space for God to work. 

We don't have to have all the answers or be perfect examples. We simply need to be authentic about our own journey and available for God to use us. Sometimes being a searcher means having difficult conversations. Sometimes it means showing up in messy situations. Sometimes it means going to places that are uncomfortable or unfamiliar. But remember - this is exactly what the Good Shepherd did for you. The beautiful truth is that we're not searching alone. The same God who found us is working through us to find others. We're not responsible for the results - we're simply called to be faithful in the search. 

Every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, every moment of genuine care becomes part of God's relentless pursuit of the lost. You have a story of being found. Now you get to be part of someone else's story of being found too.

'So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making his appeal through us.' - 2 Corinthians 5:20

Who in your life might be a 'lost sheep' that God is calling you to reach out to, and what specific step could you take this week to show them the same love that found you? REMEMBER? FIND YOUR ONE!!!!!!!!!!

So we are Christ's ambassadors. God is making his appeal through us.

Lord, make me a faithful ambassador of Your love. Help me to see the lost sheep around me and give me courage to reach out with Your compassion. Use my story to be part of someone else's journey home to You. Amen.