The Lost in the Church

At the end of January our congregation traveled to Lake Williamson Retreat Center in Carlinville to have a Planning Retreat. It was a wonderful day as a great group of people looked at what the Lord has given Zion to do for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many good suggestions came up. We have many good things going for us for the sake of the Gospel.

However, we did discover something rather disheartening. It was made known that we have nearly 500 members of Zion that claim to be part of our fellowship, but have not received the Lord’s Supper in more than a year. This is a serious spiritual issue that confronts not only the Board of Elders and me. This is a spiritual issue that directly effects our ENTIRE congregation. Something has to be done.

But the question may well be asked, “Why do we have to do anything? Isn’t going to church a personal choice?” This may be the question that many in our community may ask. However, it is not a question that a faithful congregation can accept. We need to start taking a serious look at this not for the future of the congregation, but in the light of the eternal salvation of those who are absenting themselves from the Lord’s House and the Lord’s Table. The reality is, that while not going to church is not a sin that automatically results in eternal damnation, it is no trifling matter. I recently read an article by Waldo Werning. He puts our problem into perspective. He does this by the term he uses to describe those who are not in worship and at the Lord’s Table. He calls these people the LOST WITHIN THE CHURCH. We are very comfortable with calling those outside the church the lost. However, it is time that we as members of the body of Christ here in this place have nearly 500 people who are lost WITHIN the church. They are members of the outward organization called church. But they have lost a relationship with Christ. When this relationship is lost, their souls are lost.

So what are we to do with these “LOST WITHIN THE CHURCH”? There is the temptation to take the easy way out. We could simply strike them off the books with the swipe of a pen and the keystroke of a computer. But we must ask the question, “Did Jesus take that approach with you?” When you were lost in your sin, did Jesus just write you off? NO! He went to the cross. That is what this holy season all about. The death and resurrection of Christ happened so that you are not lost

What Christ has done for us is the exact model for what we, ALL OF US—BOTH PASTOR, ELDERS, and YOU--, are to do with these LOST WITHIN THE CHURCH. We are called to reach out to the lost. Our task as the body of Christ in this place is to reach out to these souls who have gotten lost. We reach out to them not just to get them back to Church. We reach out to them to get them back into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Friends, you know who these lost are. They are your family and friends. They are your neighbors. Would you want to lose them for eternity? NO! So now is the time that the people of Christ in this place take action. We act by taking Jesus to them. Pray that the Lord will give you the opportunity AND the words to take Jesus to them. It is Christ’s word that will win them.

This task is hard. But then again, so was our salvation. The cross wasn’t easy for Jesus. This cross of caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have wandered from the faith isn’t easy either. But it is an effort that is necessary. Christ’s cross was necessary. Our reaching out to our wandered brothers and sisters, sons and daughters is necessary too. It is necessary for us now, so that they will no longer be lost here in time and for eternity. There is no better time for this than now.