“Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death.” James 5:20
Charles Spurgeon once said in a sermon,
If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. . . . If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for.
What a vivid image of the purpose, meaning, and activity of the church! A church whose primary focus is not comfort and security, but a church who is willing to throw itself in front of hell-bound humanity, insane in its rebellion, and marching toward its own destruction. We cannot, if we are disciples of Jesus, sit by and watch this parade as disinterested spectators. We are saved so that others might be. We’ve been found so that we might go find the lost.
The church has never been a chaplaincy, country club, or coalition of the privately committed. If it is the church of Jesus Christ, it has been and will always be the animated body of Jesus, directed by the head to wrap its arms around any and all who have yet to taste the freedom his pardon brings.
I love our church more than words will ever be able to convey. I’m so proud of how the brothers and sisters in it willingly step out in faith to follow the King in tough places. You are the evidence of our shepherding and a joy to your pastors.
I pray that we are encouraged today to throw ourselves in the path of our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family members as we invite them to come and hear a message of power—God’s power—that will change them in an instant. Let’s trust that because the Holy Spirit empowers, Jesus is alive, and our Father intends to save, he will make the gospel live in those we bring.
