Scripture: Matthew 18 v 11 - 14: "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."
Jesus Christ is in us to continue to be a magnet to draw the lost to Himself. He said, If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me. This was when He was crucified.
At that moment of His death there was a storm and an earthquake and the Roman centurion who crucified Him said, Truly this Man was the Son of God!
Now Jesus is alive in each one who has been born again. Then through baptism in water our old sinful nature dies and we receive our new righteous nature that loves goodness, peace and joy. Finally, we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit which equips us to be witnesses to Jesus Christ.
This turns us into magnets that will draw those lost sheep to the love of Jesus. He especially needs people to go after the one that got away. He has secured the 99 righteous sheep but there is still one that went astray.
Jesus will leave those 99 just sheep and focus us on the lost one. Prayer and more prayer to ask the Father to open those eyes, that heart, that person to hear, understand and receive the truth about Jesus.
Because of the many strange doctrines that have invaded churches, we need to be sure we are walking in the true light ourselves. Because 1 John 1 v 7 says: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
We must be in the same Light that is Jesus to have real fellowship with one another. We have to get the log out of our eye to remove a splinter from someone else's eye. When we know that we exhibit the nature of Jesus, the fruit of the Holy Spirit as in Galatians 5 v 22 - 23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Then we are fit for purpose.
We are witnesses to the life of Jesus within us and through His presence are able to draw lost sheep to the foot of the Cross. Their need is to offload the burden of sin at the feet of Jesus where His Blood will cleanse them. The desire to never sin again, repentance, should be strong and permanent.
The whole of Heaven rejoices when one lost sheep is found and his or her name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelations 21 v 23 - 27: "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
There are churches and denominations that do not preach the full gospel of Jesus Christ whose candlestick has been removed, and He has walked away from them. They don't seem to realise He has gone and continue in man-made traditions, decrees, doctrines and rituals. Jesus longs for all to be saved and will welcome every prodigal who returns to Him.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, some time in the past we were that one lost sheep that had to be found and rescued. Thank You for sending a witness of Jesus to bring us into the fold. O Lord let us not procrastinate or shirk to seek that sheep that's fallen into a ditch and care for it until You have it in hand. It is not Your will that any should perish. In Jesus' name. Amen.
