40 Days of Witness
LEAVE THE NINETY-NINE (straying sheep)
Matthew 18:12-14
Great Commission Church
Intro:
Matt 18:12 “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?
Matt 18:13 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.
Matt 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
12–13. In Luke this parable is aimed at Jesus’ opponents, who objected to his ‘evangelistic’ concern with undesirables; here it is addressed to disciples, to remind them that God’s ‘pastoral’ care is extended to all his ‘little ones’.
The object in Luke 15 is to show what the good Shepherd will do, when even one of His sheep is lost, to find it; here the object is to show, when found, how reluctant He is to lose it.
“goes astray” vs. “loses one”
He refers to a man who owns a flock of a hundred sheep of which one goes astray.
Such a man does not reason that 99 percent of his flock are safe and well and that on the whole he has no reason for alarm.
Jesus asks whether he does not leave the ninety-nine where they are on the hills (and presumably far from shelter) and keep looking for the one that strayed.
Though only one is missing, the shepherd’s whole routine is altered. He concentrates all his energy on recovering that lost one. He is prepared to leave the ninety-nine at some risk in order to ensure the safety of the one that strayed.
We know from the context (e.g., 18:6, 15) that the sheep’s straying represented the believer’s falling into a pattern of sin, departing from the pattern of righteous living (close fellowship, consistent obedience) suited to God’s children.
18:13. The word “if” expresses uncertainty. It renders the outcome of the Shepherd’s search far from certain—“if” he finds it.
Finding the sheep is not at all certain, but if it happens, then the response indicates (as does the leaving of the other sheep) that for the moment the lost and restored one is more important than the whole flock.
Some straying believers will return to the path of righteousness and the fellowship of the community (18:15–17a), but some will continue their own way, away from the community, away from the Father, into self-destruction (18:17b).
The joy that results from finding the lost exceeds the joy of knowing that ninety-nine are safe.
There is a peculiar joy over bringing one that is lost safely into the fold. The flock then has not lost one of its members.
This text summons those who share God’s agenda to go after those who stray. It is not enough to avoid causing someone to stumble; we must also actively seek to prevent anyone from stumbling.
18:14
(1) God takes the initiative to go to great lengths to bring back to himself those who are estranged from him.
(2) Reclaiming such people should lead to celebration.
(3) The faithfulness of the majority may never excuse us for ignoring anyone who still remains distant from God.
The paragraph on discipline fits closely with the preceding paragraph on seeking the straying sheep and the paragraph before that warning against causing little ones to stumble.
SOME COMMON OBJECTIONS to Church Discipline/Restoration:
mean-spirited
judgmental
unloving
cult-like
environment of fear
Accountability for church members is essential because others are watching.
J.L. Dagg – “It has been remarked, that when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it.”
Matthew Henry – “The heinous sins of professed Christians are quickly noted and noised abroad. We should walk circumspectly, for many eyes are upon us, and many mouths will be opened against us if we fall into any scandalous practice.”
God commands us to hold each other accountable – passing judgment on sin within the church – leaving Himself to judge the world. We do not judge the world, we evangelize it.
GOVERNING GUIDELINES:
restoration, not retribution
clarity, not confusion
repentance, not shame
warning, not shunning
holiness, not tolerance
grace, not condemnation
humility, not pride
BENEFITS of Church Discipline/Restoration:
obeying the Scriptures
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
clarifying who is in and who is not
1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
a loving corporate testimony
Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Psalm 141:5 Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it.
1 Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
deterrent to ungodliness
1 Timothy 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.
1 Timothy 5:20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
Conclusion:
