Leadership

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by Calvin Moss
07/15/23
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Matthew 18:12-14 (KJV) 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?
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.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

If I were to leave you with a thought, it would simply be remember the flock. God is married to the backslidder. Remember the flock. God is married to the backslidder.

Millions of people have come to the house of the Lord. Many have given their lives to Jesus Christ. They attended church service whenever the church doors were open. Many have went on to study the word of God and become active in the ministry. They showed up to prayer meetings and holy convocations amen, and volunteered to do physical labor in the house of God.

When a person joins a church, he or she gives their telephone number and address to the ministry. I believe the reason for this, is so the ministry can stay in contact with it's members.

After a while, something begins to happen. They're no longer showing up to church service. They're no longer attending prayer meetings. They're no longer studying the word of God. They were once active but now have become a silent member. What happened to the flock. What happened to the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As leaders in ministry, I believe it's important to stay in contact with members who may have backslidded or somehow fallen away from the faith. The problem that I have is there is little if any communication with absentee members.

In my opinion, there should be a ministry dedicated to checking up on members who haven't been in church in a while or in a backslidden state. The saints of God over the ministry would be responsible for contacting and or visiting the members to see what's going on their lives and why they haven't been to service. If they chose to join another church etc, and are no longer a member that should be noted as well.

Although the members are responsible for their own walk in Christ and service to the Lord, I still feel that the church has a responsibility to reach out to it's members whenever they become a no show. Unfortunately, it seems as if much of church leadership chooses who they want to stay in contact with or not.

On your job, if you don't show up for work, you have to speak to someone stating your reason why. If you don't call, someone will usually call you. Your supervisor needs to know if you're okay. It should be the same procedure in ministry. Someone needs to know that you're alright or not, and make notation of the contact.

In many churches, It seems to not be an issue if you don't show up for service. In most cases, no one is going to call you to see if you're okay. You're able to come and go as you please. Now I understand that you're not an employee of the church and not getting paid. However, leadership has a responsibility for the souls of its members.

The Lord is concerned about the souls of his people. The bible says he's married to the backslidder(Jeremiah3:14-15). If God is concerned, we must be concerned as well.

It should be a rule of thumb that the saints are required to talk to someone or text if they're unable to come to service. If they do not call or text, the attendance ministry will contact them to make sure they're alright.

In conclusion, I've seen a lot of people come and go through church doors. I was one of them. There were a few times when I got calls from leadership whenever I didn't show up. I appreciated that because it made me feel like I was a part of a family not just a ministry.

I believe people want to feel like they're a part of a family not just a ministry. Folks need to feel a sense of belonging. If we're a part of the family of God, we should be treated like family, not just another number.

And so the scripture says: 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?
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.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. It is not God's will that any man go astray or perish, especially the backslidder.

James 5:19-20 (KJV) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Wouldn't it be awesome to cover a multitude of sins? Wouldn't it be amazing to be a soul winner for Jesus Christ? Wouldn't it be fantastic to save a soul from death? Remember the flock, God is married to the backslidder.

Many of the saints of God who fell away are perishing and it seems as if there is a lack of concern. Although we cannot make those who went astray come back to the Lord, if we treat them like a brother and remember them as such, it's a possibility they will come back versus ignoring their existence.

Leadership must remember the flock of God because God remembers his people. Since the Lord remembers his people, we have a responsibility to his people. Remember the flock. God is married to the backslidder. Amen.

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