Seek the Lost

Seek
Written By Patrick Burch

OPENING THOUGHT

Ask the average church member what the mission of the church is, and they will likely respond with words like “evangelism,” “missions,” or “saving souls.”

Yet how many Christians have helped bring someone to Christ in the last six months? In the last year? In the last five years? In a lifetime?

There’s probably no greater example of a gap between what we know we should be doing and what we are actually doing.

The gap shows in the alarming decline in churches in the U.S. over the last few decades. Thankfully, Christians in other parts of the world own the responsibility to seek the lost, and the church is growing at a remarkable rate in those regions.

How can we grow in our desire to seek the lost?

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD

Proverbs 11:30

  • What is a wise way to live, according to this proverb?

  • We will move heaven and earth to pursue earthly goals but won’t lift a finger to win souls. Is there anything more valuable than a soul? What does our neglect say about our failure to value what’s most valuable?

Luke 19:10

  • If we are seeking to be like Jesus, how should our daily to-do list reflect his mission to find the lost

  • How would your approach to your neighbors change if you knew you only had 90 days to tell them about Christ?

  • Is it difficult to “seek” someone who doesn't realize they are lost? How can we do this successfully without coming across as mean-spirited or judgmental?

John 4:35-38

  • What keeps believers today from seeing people as a spiritual harvest rather than just part of the background of daily life?

  • How can procrastination, fear, or comfort cause Christians to delay sharing the gospel?

  • Jesus speaks of sowing and reaping as shared work (vv. 36–38). In what sense is evangelism a team effort?

  • Jesus tells the disciples they are entering into the labor of others (v. 38). How does this perspective shape our responsibility to seek the lost even when we may not see immediate results?

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

  • Paul describes conversion to Christ as a “new creation.” Do we sometimes fail to emphasize the new life Christ makes possible in our evangelistic efforts? What other aspects of becoming a Christian do we allow to distract from the new life God wants to give us?

  • What is “reconciliation”? Why is it necessary?

  • What price did Jesus pay for our reconciliation and righteousness? How can we share his love with others?

  • What is an “ambassador”? How does this help us understand our mission as disciples of Christ?

Patrick Burch
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