It is estimated that 1/3rd of the world’s population claims to be Christian. That is about 2.5 billion people. Of course, we know that a claim of Christianity does not equate to being a genuine follower of Christ. So, that is likely a smaller portion of the world that follows Jesus. There are billions of people who do not know that Jesus is the Christ and who do not claim Him as their Lord.
When we talk about searching for the lost, we are not talking about looking for a needle in a haystack. Have you ever been looking for your car keys? You look everywhere you know to look and you just cannot find them. You give up and ask for help, and your spouse walks in and says, “Here they are, right where you always put them.” How could we miss something so obvious? We feel so dumb at that moment. Those keys were staring us in the face, and we looked right past them.
That is lostness in our world. There are lost people looking at us in the face every day and we look right past them. Our search is more about how aware we need to become. Not about how difficult it is to discover someone who is separated from God because of their lack of knowledge of Jesus, or their unwillingness to repent and believe.
How can you and I become more aware of the lost people who we encounter every day? I like to think of the 3 L’s, in order to help me be more aware of people and where they are on their spiritual journey. The three L’s are look, listen, and love.
First, look. Look for people. Look at people. We are often so busy with our own life that we forget to just take notice of the people around us. Look people in the eye. Speak to people. Be intentional of becoming aware of the people who cross your path. This includes those in your house, in your family, in your school, and in your workplace, as well as the strangers and acquaintances you see on a random basis.
Second, listen. Listen to others. Listen to what they tell you. People will open up if you are willing to listen. The things they tell you are often open doors to presenting the gospel. But do not just listen to the people, listen to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will give you what you need to say at any given moment. So, listen with your ears and listen to the Spirit within you.
Third, love. Love the gospel. Love Christ. Love the lost. Christ died because God loves the world. He sent the disciples into the world to share His great love. Let the love of Christ compel you. The five-plus billion people in the world who do not believe in Christ are headed for a God-less eternity. How could we not care that they will suffer forever?
As we search, we need to always be mindful of this as well. The theme of our witness is Jesus. The power of our witness is the Holy Spirit. And the validity of our witness is how we live our lives. So, be mindful of your doctrine, faith, and walk as you look, listen, and love.
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Pastor Mark
