Verse #9: No One Searched or Looked for Them

My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. Ezekiel 34:6 (NIV2011)

This is a convicting verse. Read the entire passage. Read it slowly:

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. Ezekiel 34:1–6 (NIV2011)

The job of the teacher is not merely to dispense information. It is to care for the flock. It is to look after the people. It is to care. It is to keep up with. It is to call. It is to do lunch.

Only the small group leader can do this. A pastor can’t do it. There are too many in his flock. He can only do it through people like you who take care of people one at a time.

Do you have any absentees in your group? Anyone who has not been there in a long time? How do you feel about them? Do you care? Are they on your heart and mind? Do you pray for them? Do you think about them?

When I ask if you pray for them, I don’t mean, “Do you have a list that you religiously go over?” That might be a start, but it is only a start. Prayer at its best is a prayer that you cannot keep from praying.

My appeal to you is that the people in your group would be your burden. I want you to care. God wants you to care. He cares, and He wants you to represent Him in caring. He wants you to do what He would do if He were here in a body. Call. Text. Invite. Email. Care.

I am blessed that two of my grown children live in the same town as me. From time to time, we go to lunch. We have them over. We do stuff together. No one has to remind me. When it has been a few days, I start to think about them. I start to wonder about them. I call. I text. I connect.

This is what Jesus had on His heart just before He left planet Earth:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15–17 (NIV2011)

Commentators make a big deal about the fact that there are two different Greek words at play here: agape and phileo. Jesus asks if Peter agapes him and Peter responds that he phileos him. I don’t think this is really the point. The point has to do with the repetition. We repeat what is important. We repeat what is important. We repeat what is important.

Verse 17. Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him a third time. It was the repetition that got to him.

Jesus repeated what was important to Him. He repeated what mattered. He repeated what was on his heart. He repeated his burden. And what was Jesus burdened about just before He left planet earth?

To some degree, He was concerned with the whole world. That is what the Great Commission is all about, and we will get to that.

In a narrower way, Jesus was concerned with His flock. He was concerned for His own. He wanted them to be fed. He wanted them to be cared for. He wanted them to be looked after. He wanted someone to worry about them. He wanted someone to call. He wanted someone to keep up with.

He still wants that today. He wants you to call, care, keep up with.

Yes, but how?

So what is the application of this chapter’s truth? Exactly how do we keep up with folks? One of the best ways I know is to have a party once a month. Do something fun, and invite everyone in your group. If they come every week, invite them. If they have not been there in a while, invite them.

Invite them, and keep inviting. They may turn you down month after month after month. Keep inviting.

Social media can be a big help. We often think of social media as a broadcast mechanism. We want a blog with lots of subscribers who will tune into our channel. There is a better way to think about social media.

Think of social media as way to tune into their channel. Don’t think of it as a way to get people to pay attention to you. Think of it as a way for you to pay attention to them.

Twenty years ago I wrote a book called You Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less. The main theme can be reduced to a slogan: you can double your class in two years or less by inviting every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.

If I were writing today, I would add another sentence. I would encourage teachers to get on the Facebook page of every member and every prospect. I would encourage them to do it every week. Comment as appropriate. When you see them, ask about what is going on in their life. If you want them to be interested in your group, take an interest in their life.