Win Them Back
…bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us
eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found... (Luke 15:23-24).
In a church, particularly one with a large
congregation, it’s possible for some members
to be inconsistent in their attendance; some may
even have stopped coming altogether. This may not
be immediately obvious, especially if the church is
always full during the services. As Christians and soul
winners, we should be concerned enough to know if
anyone in our congregation has strayed away or fallen
by the wayside.
Soul winning must have accountability; we have
to be accountable for the souls the Lord has given to
us. In Luke 15, the Lord Jesus told the parable of a
shepherd with one hundred sheep. One of them got
missing, and he left the ninety-nine in the wilderness
to search for the missing sheep. When he found it, he
carried it home rejoicing, and invited his friends and
neighbours to celebrate with him. Then, Jesus said,
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety
and nine just persons, which need no repentance”(Luke 15:7).
Jesus was preaching here to the Jews. He was
talking to them about the lost. Understand that He
wasn’t talking about one who had never come to
the Lord, but one who had strayed away. There’s
a difference between the one who has never been
inside (the church) and the one who was inside, but
strayed away. Remember, Jesus was dealing with Old
Testament church here; so He wasn’t referring to the
lost sinners of the world. Matthew 10:5-6 says, “These
twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying,
Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city
of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The Lord is sending you today to that brother
who went back into the world or to that sister who no
longer comes to church. Don’t give up on them; find
them, intercede for them and win them back. When
you bring them back, the Bible says there’ll be great
joy in heaven. This is something you have to do.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for making me genuinely concerned
about your children who have strayed from the way. My bowels
of compassion are opened to intercede for them. I pray that
Christ be formed in them, and that they’d be established,
rooted and grounded in your love, being fully persuaded that
in you alone lie their joy and total fulfilment, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further study:
ephesians 3:14-17; Galatians 4:19; Galatians 6:1
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Matthew 5:1-20
Genesis 12-14
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Matthew 3:1-9
Genesis 5