Where Are They Now? Pt 2: The Ministry of Reclamation
Hebrews 10:23-25
There are people who were once very active in the body of Christ- believers who are bound for heaven, who won’t lose salvation- who no longer attend church. God made us to be connected with one another in the body of Christ, so these people won’t experience the completeness God designed them to have. This week we continue looking at issues that cause Christians to stay home.
4. They needed forgiveness and didn’t experience it. We must forgive others as God has forgiven us in Christ. God’s forgiveness of us is unlimited and forever; Contractual forgiveness, warnings, and forgiveness by measurement are not consistent with Biblical forgiveness. By making our own personal forgiveness harder for others to earn than God’s, we are placing ourselves above Him in importance. It is not our place to police others. True forgiveness completely cancels the debt others may owe you.
5. They hungered for the Word of God and didn’t hear it. Many churches today are unfaithful to the teachings of God. Although Aspen Park always strives to keep the Word at the center of everything we do, many churches dilute their message in the interest of popularity. When people are hungry for the Word of God, they try & try and eventually stop looking when they cannot find a church that provides what they’re looking for. People feel the pull of God’s Word and are filled with the desire to follow Him, but grow disheartened when they can’t find the Word of God in the churches they try. People isolated by bad theology can still be reached with the right encouragement.
6. They needed salvation and never received it. People who participate in church activities but never give their lives to Christ eventually grow bored and uninterested in attending. Unlike the other groups we have listed so far, people without a connection to Christ in their heart might not be headed for heaven. It is easy for people who attend but haven’t been saved to get burned out and drop out of attendance. This group may participate for social acceptance, business connections, or mission-related altruism, but without feeling the touch of God in their lives, they sometimes feel like they aren’t “getting anything out of” going to church. It is especially important to communicate to these members and help them truly understand what it means to give their lives to God.
Can you think of someone who needs to be reclaimed into the body of Christ? Understand their unmet needs and become a messenger of reconciliation to bring them back to God.
Other sermons in this series: