Parable of the Lost Sheep      Audio   MP3   Download

This is an often misused and misapplied scripture.  Who are the lost sheep?  Are they people who left the ICG?  Can ministers and members be likened to the shepherd who goes after the lost sheep?

Some have used this parable (from Luke 15 and Matthew 18) to justifying a program whereby the congregation and/or ministry goes after a member who has stopped attending or has left the church all together in an attempt to bring him or her back to the fold.  This is wrong on at least two counts.

1) In the parable of the Lost Sheep, Christ is the shepherd.  He gave this parable to explain and justify His being seen with sinners.  This is not a parable that instructs the congregation to go after members who have left the ICG.  Nowhere do you see a sheep going after the lost sheep.

2) Neither the ministry nor the members of the congregation have any power to convince, convert or save anyone in or out of the church.  We have no biblical direction to go after those who are falling away or were not converted in the first place.

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