Letting go of Lost Sheep

Jesus said, in Matthew 18:12-14, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”

The Barna Group Website - a “Gallop Poll” type of organization, but with a Christian foundation, found here:

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=home

states that 9% of all Born-Again adults, and 7% of Protestants subscribe to a Biblical worldview.

In a survey of 601 Senior Pastors nationwide, 51% of Protestant Pastors have a Biblical worldview, defined from the survey parameters of 6 core teachings: 1) accuracy of Biblical teaching, 2) sinless nature of Jesus, 3) literal existence of satan, 4)Omnipotence and Omniscience of God, 5) salvation by grace alone, and 6) the personal responsibility to Evangelize.

51%.

Now frankly, those 6 core values are really not a lot to ask.

What person would take a college course in Physics, taught by the professor, who said, “Class, today we’re going to open our text books, and study Isotopes. Now…I don’t believe everything the textbook says. It says, for example, that heavier Isotopes tend to react somewhat more slowly than lighter Isotopes. I don’t believe that.”

Wouldn’t you have a great deal of anxiety at that point?

Wouldn’t you be thinking, “I’m working toward a career in this field, and this Professor is either a Genius who I should be lucky to study under, or a crackpot that will derail my success.”

And yet, like “Quail” that just follow along behind the one in front, human beings go to these Churches and sit under a Pastor who doesn’t believe the accuracy of the very book he teaches from.

That’s fine.

But why be a Pastor?

Go do something else that you believe more.

America - right now as you read this - is going through a religious shift on the “Tectonic Plates” of Evangelicism. With more Churches accepting homosexuality (notice the wording very carefully - this has nothing to do with the rejection of the person), and more Churches accepting divorced people in positions of Ministry, the Church in America is causing a “polarization” of different Christian Walks.

These groups are beginning to coalesce together in demographic patches all over the country.

There will be a time when some Churches will be indistinguishable from some of the most liberal special interest groups. Already there are Churches that have adopted philosophies from Planned Parenthood, Homosexual Rights groups, PETA, and only the Good Lord knows what else.

Is Jesus going to continue searching for lost sheep, when they insist on being lost? If the sheep have no interest in returning to the Good Shepherd, then how will God violate each persons free will?

The separation of True Born-Again Christians from fake ones may be an interesting cultural dynamic to watch, but it’s best to watch it within the safety of Salvation.