The lost and evangelism

One of the traditional terms that I grew up with for non-churched people is "the lost".

I've always been a little bit uncomfortable with that term - not quite sure why - but maybe it's because "the lost" don't know what "the lost" means when we use that term.

Are we referring to the T.V. show "Lost"?

Did they lose something?

What did they lose?

Part of the reason we use the term goes back to what Jesus said in Luke 15 - in giving a series of stores about the "lost Sheep" and the "lost coin" and the "lost son."

What was lost - is now found.

In each story, the shepherd, woman or father, searches for the sheep, coin and son, respectively until they are found.

In Luke 15:32, Jesus says, "we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

In that sense, I understand the term.

This Saturday, October 15th, we are having an all-morning outreach (8:45 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.) in which we will be going "door to door" - inviting people to our church.  If they aren't there, we will be hanging "door hangers" on the door.

I encourage you to come.  I encourage you to "back up" your concern for the "lost" by joining us in this outreach. 

I can remember the time that our oldest daughter, Christie, slipped away on the beach we were at (she was around 3 years old, I think).

She apparently slipped away and then went back to what she thought was the lifeguard stand where we were at.

She wasn't gone but a couple of seconds (it seemed like) when Debbie and I realized she wasn't with us.

We were frantic.  I still remember (to this day) the feeling of despair. (we immediately found her).

While it might be, in one sense, a bad analogy, in another sense it is - do we care about the "lost" so much that we will do everything we can to connect them with Christ?

It is a stirring challenge.

Just a thought for a Thursday.