By Tom Shanklin

“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:4-7, KJV.

As I read this parable recently, I was struck by the contrast of heaven’s attitude toward the lost versus the Church’s attitude. For many churches, the emphasis of ministry is almost exclusively on maintaining the 99 rather than on reaching the one lost sheep. In many cases, there are wonderful programs for the Christians, but very little is being done to reach those outside the church walls. But Jesus said that the angels of heaven rejoice MORE over the one lost sheep who is restored than in the 99 who are already in the flock.

Sometime ago, I was asked to speak on missions at a local church in central Minnesota. I spoke about Jesus’ commission which He gave before He left this earth, calling us to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. I stated that the Church too often is neglecting the Great Commission in favor of much lower priorities.

As an illustration, I brought a copy of the church page from our local newspaper here in Mankato. As it happened, there were many announcements of various church-sponsored events. There were events like spaghetti dinners, lutefisk dinners, fund raisers, entertainment, and events to support environmental and social causes. But there was not one single event that had anything to do with the Great Commission or bringing people to Christ. I said, “If someone who knew nothing about the Bible were to read this newspaper, they would think that the church is a social club for people who love to eat, listen to music, and get involved in popular social causes.”

And the truth is, that IS what people think, because, as the Bible says, “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” Proverbs 20:11, KJV. In other words, it’s not just what we say, but what we DO that reveals what is important to us. And what the Church is doing reveals what is really important to the members.

Now, I’m not trying to be critical here, but my desire is to jog our thinking, and to help us all to examine what we are doing, and see how that reveals the true priorities of our lives and ministries, so that we can change.

I know that there are many powerful local churches which are clearly focused on the Lord’s priority—reaching the lost and making disciples. For example, I’m thinking of a church in northern Minnesota. I recently read a report of their activities during 2014. It reveals that they like music and enjoy eating too. They have a fish fry each year and provide meals in the communities near their church. They have fun and entertaining events for the youth in their area. During these events they present the Gospel and give people an opportunity to receive Jesus as Lord. They are reaching out and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways and telling people about their Lord and Savior. They are going after that one lost sheep. Their activities reveal their priorities, and demonstrate that they believe that one lost soul is worth the whole world. That particular church may not be reaching thousands for Christ (at least not yet), but I believe that they are making heaven happy.

How about your church? Or more specifically, how about you? After all, the church is people. The church is you! We are each called to examine ourselves and adjust our own lives. We are all involved in this. After all, we ARE the church. I’m writing this to encourage both church leaders and believers in the pew—not so we can argue about which direction the church should go—but so we can work together in love and unity to see God’s will accomplished. We shouldn’t point a critical finger at church leadership or at other Christians in our churches. And when we speak to one another about these things, we should do it in a respectful, loving, God-honoring way, with a goal of building up and not tearing one another down. Anyone can criticize, but it takes a wise person to bring about positive change through their words and actions.

Here are some suggestions for church leaders about how to change the culture of your local church, and bring a shift back to the Lord’s number one job—souls:

Preach the Gospel. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” Romans 1:16, KJV. No one ever got saved apart from the Gospel, so we need to be sure that the Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose again the third day is being proclaimed consistently from our pulpits.

Give an invitation. Jesus said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” John 3:7, KJV. People must be given an opportunity to repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ. The best time for that to happen is right after the Gospel is proclaimed and when the anointing of the Holy Spirit is moving. Give people an opportunity to confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in your services. This will create an expectation in your church for salvation, and people will know that when they invite others, there will be an opportunity for them to be born again.

Train believers to reach others. Jesus said that we are to go into all nations and make disciples “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Matthew 28.20 KJV. Jesus’ last command was to reach others for Him, so training believers to reach others should be a major priority in of all of our ministries. Christian believers should be clearly taught to share their faith, witness to others, and to minister God’s love and power. Sometimes we have a lot of Bible teaching, but it’s not always focused on helping people to become effective ministers. We need to provide ministry training in our churches.

Work with an evangelist. The Bible says “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11, 12, KJV. Each one of those five gifts are necessary to have a healthy, well-rounded, effective church. It’s not enough to have pastors and teachers and apostles (missionaries) and prophets in the church. An evangelist will bring the much-needed emphasis and anointing of evangelism to your church, so the people can fulfill their ministry of reconciliation. Invite an evangelist to minister in your church. Or if you’re fortunate enough to have an evangelist attending your church, make use of their gifting to help build the body of Christ.

Encourage God’s people to invite and welcome unchurched people. Jesus said, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23, KJV. Surveys indicate that nearly one half of people outside the churches would consider visiting if someone would invite them. (Source: www.Barna.org) Every believer has a part in reaching the one lost sheep by living the Christian life before them, befriending them, sharing your testimony, and inviting them to your church. Plan special events in your church to share the love of Christ and to present the Gospel and invite your unchurched friends to come.

Take a look at your budget. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21, KJV. Where we spend our money, both individually and corporately, reveals what is really important to us. I recently read that of all the money spent for Christian ministry, only 0.3 percent is used for expanding the kingdom and reaching out to lost people. (Source: www.issacharinitiative.org) All the rest is used for buildings and equipment and maintaining the people who are already in the church. Maintenance is certainly important and having well-taught Christians and a nice facility is important, but we need a healthy balance. We need to invest in reaching the lost, not only on the foreign mission field, but also in our own back yard. Take a look at your personal and church budget and see what it reveals about your priorities. Then adjust accordingly.

Make prayer a priority. Jesus told His disciples, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:38, KJV. In order for the culture of a church to change, the hearts of the people must change. Prayer is God’s method to change hearts. Pray for the lost, and for our Father to speak to the hearts of His people to reach out to others. Pray in your Sunday services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, and in your private prayer time. God will meet you. You will hear His voice. And He will lead you to the lost sheep so you can carry them home on your shoulders rejoicing.

Yes, you and your church can make heaven happy! And you will find that you will be happy, too. There is no greater joy than reaching lost people and bringing them home to the Good Shepherd.