Who does the sheep belong to?
The Shepherd?
The one the Shepherd sends to minister?
It appears to me you're claiming ownership of something that belongs to the Shepherd.
And it's interesting that you bring up this issue, justpassinthrough, because the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is one body over which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head (Eph 1:22).
So if the Lord Jesus Christ as Head of His body, directs you, as a member of His body, to minister to another member of His body, does that mean ownership of the member to whom you are ministering transfers to you?
If that is what you believe, you are incorrect.
1 Corinthians 12:
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
And we read this in Ephesians 4:
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting (Gr. katartismon = preparing; equipping) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Your attempt to distract from the context and change the subject is noted.
Jesus teaches that it’s up to us to go after the lost.
Jesus finished His ministry.
4 “What man
of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? Luke 15:4
Jesus is describing what we are to do, about sheep who have wandered away and become lost.
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “
Tend My sheep.”
John 21:16
Jesus is in Heaven.
Jesus has finished His ministry on earth, in which His Spirit now dwells in us, for us to do the works that He did.
Here it is from Jesus -
- he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
It's up to believers to preach the Gospel to the world of unbelievers.
It's up to believers to teach the truth to the Church.
It's up to believers to cast out devils.
It's up to believers to heal the sick.
It's up to believer's to go after a brother or sister who is lost, to turn them back to Christ.
- “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
A Christian who wanders away and becomes lost is no longer justified [declared right with God], and has returned to being a sinner in need of repentance, or remain lost.
Matthew's version shows us what Jesus taught about dealing with such a person, and in context shows us the principle of forgiveness and unforgiveness.
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Matthew 18:12-17
- If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?
- And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.
Jesus defines the steps to take, to go after a person who has sinned against you to get them to repent:
- “Moreover [likewise] if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
- If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
- But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
- And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
James says it this way -
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
- Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth
- and someone turns him back
- let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way
- will save a soul from death
Found = Reconciled to God: Justified - Declared to be right with God.
Lost = Seperated from God. Unjust. Unrighteous. A Sinner in need of repentance.
For one of His sheep to become lost, it must first belong to the Shepherd.
JPT