No man Left behind

I want to examine the roles and responsibilities of the shepherds (Church Leaders), the Flock (Church Congregation), and the sheep (You) when one of God's lambs is wounded. Take an honest look at how God asks you to respond when you are the wounded lamb. And we will look at the model of the Good Shepherd (Jesus) to see how health can be restored to wholeness. The Goal is simply to bring stray sheep back into the fellowship of other believers. That is reevangelism. I am not talking about believers losing their salvation. It is specifically about the idea of returning those who have made a commitment to faith but re no longer a part of a fellowship. It is us to us to restore the wandering and injured sheep and heal them, emotionally and spiritually. We must no ignore the uncomfortable fact that many injured lambs sit near us every Sunday. Even if they have not physically wandered off, many Christians are emotionally absent from the body of Christ, and their untended wounds are rendering them ineffective for God's Kingdom.They need our help too. Imagine what could happen if we restored the powerful influences of once-committed believers and joined it with the energy of the new followers the Holy Spirit calls daily to the Lord's flock? Perhaps with that combined strength we would be more effective in our efforts to establish vibrant flocks that effectively feed and tend each sheep, as well as attract new lambs to the circle. Out in the fields, successful shepherds tend the wounded, seek the wanderers, and welcome new lambs through the miracle of birth. We Christians should do the same by pursuing the abandoned, healing and restoring our injured, and adding new lambs through the miracle of spiritual rebirth. Our prayer should be as Pastor Dave Burchett says, in his book, "Bring 'Em Back Alive" (Which I quote heavily from). That this principal is well illustrated in the movie, "Black Hawk Down" (which I was a soldier there). "In a devastating battle the troops have the option of escaping to safety or staying to rescue their comrades. They choose to endanger their own lives because they "Never leave a man behind." Their love of country and commitment to one another prevents them from taking the easier route. We Christians, however, are often too willing to take the easy way out and leave our brothers and sisters behind. But surely the love of God, His liberating grace, and His commitment to us His bride, the church, gives us no choice but to care about and seek the lost and the wandering, the wounded, and the abandoned lambs. We Christians must come to the conviction that we must never abandon members of the flock. We are to pursue those who have been hurt or who have made bad decisions, and we have a responsibility to restore them to health, not compound their injuries! We have a call to seek those wandering lambs with the overwhelming love of Jesus. I am going to challenge you to prayerfully ask God to give you a desire to seek, comfort, and "Bring 'Em Back Alive!" "Most of us would gladly seek to restore SOME people to the body of Christ. These are the people we connect with, like, and miss when they leave. Honestly, though, we would be just as happy if others found a different flock to call home, not because it would be better for their growth, BUT BECAUSE WE WOULD PREFER THEIR NOT BEING AROUND TO BOTHER US!" (Dave Burchett, "Bring 'Em Back Alive"). And that is my exact sentiments too! I know, because I have been rejected too! Pastor Smitty