Other Sheep Not Of This Fold

Post 2, Chapter 5 God’s Called Out Ones.

This is the second post from the serialization of Chapter 5 of Friends With God: God’s Called Out Ones. In this Chapter we are exploring the role of the Church, and what God expects of its members, and how it is to be structured and organised.

Who’s The Boss ??

One of the major divisive issues within the Church over the past 2,000 years has been the question of who is to be the leader of the Church.

While Jesus was on Earth, he was clearly the leader, but who did he say should lead the Church after he died?

It surprised me to notice that whenever Jesus mentioned he was going to be killed, in almost every case the Apostles would start to argue amongst themselves about who would be the greatest! This jockeying for the top position, however, is something we could expect in any group, and it gave Jesus plenty of opportunities to explain the true role and motivation that leaders should have.

Here is one example:

the Apostles of Jesus disputed among themselves (as to) who was the greatest. He (Jesus) sat down and called the Twelve (to him) and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
This was a simple lesson in humility.
Jesus, however, continued to press the point by a very clear analogy:
And He took a child, and embraced it, and set him in their midst. And He said to them, “Whoever receives one of such children in My name receives Me. (showing that even a child can lead a person to Jesus) And whoever receives Me, not only receives Me, but Him who sent Me.” (Mark 9:34-37)

He who sent Jesus was God the Father. (John 6:44-45)

In The Name Of Christ

In a similar account in Matthew, Jesus used the instance to explain the need for the Apostles to become humble like little children. (Matt 18:1-6) However, here in the context of this issue as related in Mark 9, Jesus went on to discuss what “being in his name” actually meant:

And John answered him, saying, “Master, we saw one casting out demons in Your name, and he does not follow us. And we forbade him, because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him. For there is no one who shall do a work of power in My name who can lightly speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, He shall not lose his reward”. (Mark 9:38-41)

The issue being addressed by Christ is “being in the name of Christ” -which is what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus.

Jesus was stating very clearly that it’s no big deal to be a person who can lead people to him, for it is God the Father who calls us. God can even call us through little children, if he wishes to do so.

Being a great leader is not important, but being a true Christian “in the name of Christ”, who is following the example of the life of Christ, is the critical factor.

It is such true followers of Christ whom God will use to lead people to him.

Cast Out Demons In Jesus Name

Jesus said that even though these people, who cast out demons in his name, were not part of the disciples’ group, that the disciples were not to forbid such people from doing so “in his name”; For he who is not against us is for us. These people will also be rewarded for being Jesus’ follower, for He shall not lose his reward.

This incident may seem strange to those who promote the idea that there is only “one true church”. For clearly, from this example, we see that when Jesus was on Earth, he was not trying to set up an exclusive, single group of chosen and educated individuals from whom the truth was to emanate.

His ministry was the ultimate example of ‘cast your bread upon the waters’ and see what happens after many days. (Ecc11:1)  

And surprisingly, this person, who cast out demons, would not lose his reward. What reward? Could it even be the reward of eternal life, given to all those who follow Christ? (Matt 25:31-46) It’s clear that this person who was casting out demons was in some way a follower of Jesus, but he was not in association with the disciples.

The temptation to exclusivism and self-aggrandisement by the apostles is perhaps understandable. After all, they were hand-picked by the Son of God on Earth to ‘follow him’! (Matt 4:19, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27) Ironically, this desire to control how others worship God is the same attitude that the Pharisees had when trying to force Jesus, and his disciples, to yield to their authority. (Matt 15:2-6, Mark 7:3-13, Acts 5:17-42) 

Christ was trying to correct the disciples, for they were falling into the sectarian trap of “we are the people and you are not”!

By forbidding ‘outsiders’ from casting out demons in Jesus’ name, they were trying to control what other people did in their worship and service of God.

The Apostles obviously thought they were the only special group close to God. In addition, when he corrected them, Jesus talked about humility, and then addressed the fact that they were not the only group whom God was working with at that time. The quality of humility was what the Apostles were lacking.

Clearly, God the Father was working with individuals, other than the twelve special disciples. Our calling is from God the Father, and exclusivism is not what God wanted back then: No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, "And they shall all be taught of God." Therefore everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to Me. (John 6:44-45) And God has not changed. (Heb 13:8)

We all have a personal relationship with the Father, even if we don’t originate from the same group as those disciples who knew Jesus personally.

Jesus’ goal for us, is that we have the same relationship as he had with God the Father; for whoever receives Me, does not only receive Me, but (receives also) Him who sent Me. (Mark 9:36-37)

“Other Sheep Not Of This Fold”

Jesus also told the Apostles about even more of his followers who were not associated with the twelve:

I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by those who are Mine. Even as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep who are not of this fold. I must also lead those, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

How long before there shall be one flock and one Shepherd? We don’t know, but Jesus wanted those in the first century to know that they were not the only flock at that time.

Who were these other sheep who are not of this fold?

Perhaps he was talking about the Samaritans, whom Christ spent two whole days with, yet were certainly not of the fold of Israel? (John 4:39-40) Or perhaps he meant those with great faith who were gentiles, such as the woman whose daughter was healed due to her faith. (Matt 15:21-28)

Whoever this other flock was, it’s clear that Jesus knew that the small group with whom he personally spent about 3 years, was not the only group that God the Father expected to develop a lasting relationship with.

The One True Church

Unfortunately, many who claim to have some ‘new truth’ think that their little bit of supposedly unique knowledge somehow makes them ‘God’s one and only true church’.

Once they have this idea firmly implanted in their followers’ minds, they often attempt to raise their credibility by using all sorts of contrived justification to link themselves back to the original twelve apostles.

Such an attitude of exclusivity, however, contradicts the scriptures, which unequivocally tell us that, even during the life of Christ, there were other believers, and not a few, as they were called a ‘flock’.

So, beside these very special twelve disciples, there was also ‘outsiders’ doing a spiritual “work of God”- even casting out devils in Christ’s name. And, what’s more, they would not lose their reward! 

Jesus wants us to not only develop a relationship with Him and the Father, but also to relate to other people and to respect their personal relationships with Him and the Father.

Our ultimate goal is: that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us. (John 17:21)

This type of unity Jesus spoke about is not physical, but spiritual.

If we try to control how people physically relate to God, then we will interfere with the personal spiritual relationship that we should all have with God the Father- he is the one inviting us individually into a relationship with Christ and Himself.

God The Father Calls Us, and The Holy Spirit Teaches Us

Although God may call us through a physical person, such as a preacher, it’s the Father who invites us to follow the Way of Christ, through the preacher. (John 6:44)

We are in fact not taught by the preacher, but by the Holy Spirit:

But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name,
He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatever I have said to you. (John 14:26)

It’s the Father who also responds to what we ask:

if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:19-20)

Jesus here was addressing all the disciples, not just the twelve Apostles.

The Decentralized Church

So, if it takes only two or three to be gathered together to constitute “the Called Out Ones” (the church), then it’s apparent that any authority in the church is completely decentralized.

This two or three, however, must also be “gathered together in my name”.

What does it mean to “be in the name of Christ”?

Also, if we are “gathered together” this seems to imply some kind of structure to the gathering. Is the structure actually “being in his name”, and if so, what does this mean? We will address these questions in detail in the next post in this series.

Part of this meaning is found by understanding the relationship we are to have with the Father and Christ. Those called by the Father to come to Christ, are to actually be one with them both:

At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. …, If a man loves Me, he will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode (home) with him. (John 14:19-25)

God the Father and Christ will come to us and make their home with us, and we will be one with the Father and the Son!

The proviso, however, is that in order to be at home with God, we must demonstrate that we love God by keeping his commandments.

It is only then that we are “in the name of Jesus”, because we are doing God’s will and his commandments that were given by the Father.

We can then call ourselves true worshipers of God, as Jesus said:

God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

We are in the spirit, if we have the Spirit of God leading us to do the will of God.

And we are in the truth if we follow the Spirit’s promptings to do Gods’ commands in our life.