Matthew 18:12 says, How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?  Jesus had just said that He came to save the lost, and now He uses the analogy of a shepherd who had lost one out of a hundred sheep.  Jesus asked if the shepherd would leave the ninety-nine who were safe and go search for the one that was lost.  The shepherd would not endanger those sheep that were safe, but would make the lost sheep his priority.  Jesus does not leave us defenseless when He is searching for the lost of the world, but leaves us safe in the arms of God.  Verse thirteen states,  And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.  This rejoicing over the one lost sheep that was found more than that ninety-nine who were safe does not mean that they are not important, but Jesus had stated that His purpose was to save the lost, and when one is saved, who comes safely into His fold, then He rejoices and so should we.  Verse fourteen declares, Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.  Jesus tells us that just like the shepherd looking for the lost sheep, so is the heavenly Father.  God does not want anyone, even the least in the eyes of the world to perish, so He sent Jesus to save all who will believe in Him.  We need to acknowledge that God does not send anyone to hell, but that He simply allows them to go there if they reject the salvation of Christ.  Verse fifteen states, Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  Jesus now begins to speak about the relationship between people, and I believe that it applies to those who follow Him in particular.   If we feel that someone has somehow harmed us, we are to go to that person and tell them what we think they have done, and that we are to keep it between the two of us.  We are not told to go to someone else and ask if they can believe what this person has done to us.  Verse sixteen says, But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  Jesus tells us if they will not reconcile, then to take one or two more that by the mouth of two or more witnesses the truth can be established.  Still, we often refuse to believe that something wrong has occurred, even if several people say it has happened.  Verse seventeen declares, And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  Jesus said if the person refused to hear when two or three others went to that person, the take them before the whole church.  The church represents Christ in the world, and we are charged with following in obedience to Him.  If we profess to follow Jesus, then we must listen to our fellow believers if they attempt to correct us when we are doing something to harm the witness of the church.  Jesus then said that if a person would not listen to the church, then that person is to be treated as a heathen or a publican.  There really is no room within the church body for personal disputes, nor is there really room for such disputes between individual Christians.  If they occur, we must do all that we can to resolve them.  In verse eighteen Jesus says, Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again, I believe that this means anyone we reach with the gospel will be freed from the power of sin and death, and those who will not listen will still be bound.  Verse nineteen states, Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  Again, this would have to be done for God's glory and not for our own personal desires.  Verse twenty states, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  When we gather together as followers of Christ, then God is in the midst of us.  We do not gather to be entertained, but we gather to glorify God and learn how to better represent Him in the world.