James 5:19–20

Churches are not made up of perfect people. Far from it! This surprises some, who assume that Christians live lives of near perfection. For such people there is great consternation when the organist goes off with the youth leader, or the treasurer embezzles the church’s money. We should always be shocked and disappointed by such behaviour – but never surprised. Churches are, in many ways, similar to hospitals: composed of people who are far from perfect but who, by God’s grace and in the power of his Spirit, are becoming stronger and more mature in their Christian lives.

Sadly, there have always been people who wander away from the Church. It is always tragic when this happens and churches need to have a clear strategy for reaching out to such people. Here James finishes his letter by inspiring his readers to be proactive when someone sadly backslides. He wants them to know how important this restorative ministry is. In bringing someone back to the Church they are doing nothing less than saving them from spiritual death.

In recent years, large numbers of people have sadly slipped away from our churches. It may be because of sin, but often it’s because they became disappointed or disillusioned with the Church. This means that it is vital that every church prays earnestly for those who have slipped away, and has a very clear plan as to how they can reach out to these people with love, understanding and forgiveness. We can never force people to return but we can reach out to them with open arms, knowing that the Lord is always willing to welcome them back.

Question

Can you think of anyone who has slipped away from your own church and, if so, is there anything you could do to encourage them to return?

Prayer

Lord, we thank you that when we sin you never give up on us. Thank you that your desire is always for us to be restored. Amen