August 20 - Search & Rescue.

Luke 19:10
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”
 
In the Old Testament the Lord revealed to the prophet Ezekiel the Truth of how the Lord Jesus would both search for and rescue His lost sheep.
Ezekiel 34:11-12
“For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
 
“seek” – Jesus Searches For Us.
He came to us when we were unable to come to Him. He loves us even though our sin makes us unlovable. He searches for us when we think we cannot be found. When we have lost something, do we not search frantically until we find it? We must seek the lost diligently just like Jesus did. We must seek them with the purpose of winning their souls for Him.
 
Luke 15:4,8-10
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
 
“save” – Jesus Rescues Us.
As the Good Shepherd, He rescues the sheep that go astray. We are all just like that sheep that left the fold that the Shepherd came and rescued like we were His only child. He loves us that much.
 
Matthew 18:11-14
“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
 
When we had no strength to get to Him, Jesus came and rescued us by dying for us. As ungodly as we are, He gave His life so that we might have ours.
Romans 5:6-8
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
 
Just as Jesus did, we should seek or search for the lost. We cannot save them, but we can perform a “Search & Rescue” and point them to the only One Who can be the Saviour they so desperately need.
 
How can we go about a Search & Rescue?
Soulwinning is not a spiritual gift. Soulwinning is a spiritual discipline. It is something we inwardly choose to be obedient to, for the cause of Christ. Soulwinning is the greatest thing we can do in order to exhibit the image of Christ. Curtis Hutson said, “The only alternative to soulwinning is disobedience.”
 
Proverbs 11:30
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
 
Make an effort to “Search & Rescue” those that need Jesus.
 
 
Bible Reading:
Job 19-20  |  I John 2 |  Psalm 21