| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Christian community” Our Bible verse for today: “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? Luke 15:4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Is the Good Shepherd searching for you?” One of the praise songs we sing in our church is “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury. It’s based on Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep, found in Luke 15:3-7. The chorus goes like this: Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘till I’m found, leaves the 99 And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Some people misread the parable of the lost sheep to be about Jesus seeking after lost souls who have never professed their faith in Him. But that wasn’t Jesus’ meaning at all. While he does care deeply for every lost soul, and He is of course seeking them, the parable is about a sheep that was one of His already but then wandered off and is now out there somewhere, alone, in the wilderness, and extremely vulnerable to predators. In the parable the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep who are safe and secure in the flock, and he rushes out to find the one who has strayed and is now alone and in great danger. The parable is about us. It’s about Christians who have left the flock and are out wandering in the spiritual wilderness. There’s safety in numbers. Sheep in a flock, under the care of an attentive shepherd, are safe and secure. A lone sheep is exposed and vulnerable, and as Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” The Bible makes no provision for “Lone Ranger” Christians. The New Testament always pictures Christians in close fellowship with a community of believers, meeting regularly for worship, teaching, service, and support. If you are not involved in the full life of a good church, then you are that lost sheep that has strayed. I encourage you to let Jesus bring you back into the safe and secure environment of a healthy church family. God bless, Pastor Jim (Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Attend in-person if you are close-by or, if you are geographically distant or a shut-in, then please join us online at www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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