Matthew 18_15-20 Getting it Straight

Matthew 18: 15-20

“Getting it Straight”

Secular:

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•  Three blindfolded men who have never seen an elephant. One man feels the elephant's leg and confidently states, "An elephant is tall and stout like a tree trunk." Another man feels the elephant's trunk and declares, "No, you are completely wrong. An elephant is long and flexible like a large snake." The third man feels the elephant's tusks and says, "You are both wrong. An elephant is solid and curved, and it ends in a sharp point." Notice that each man is basing his belief on accurate information, but it is incomplete information. Each man is totally convinced that he is right and the others are wrong, and isn't this how many of us tend to be when it comes to the Bible?
• Power Point Slide…
• Map… and still lost….
• Don’t you hate that!!
• Where am I?
• State / Province
• City, Town, Village
• North, South, East West
• Intersection…
• Where am I Going…?
• Where am I Now…?
• Without a basic understanding of where I am now… and even where I am going… a map can prove useless!!
• Perspective says… where am I… in relationship to others… where am I going… where am I now!
• GPS uses 24 satellites… 4 at a time
•  More than one piece of information… where do I think I am…
• To many jokes about guys not asking for directions to not see how well that works…
• View from many angles…
• Kids away…
• I missed them after the 2nd day…
• We moved…
• We wanted to give them their own rooms…
• Means we have to build…
• Our project is underway…
• The girls came home 2 Fridays ago… and moved into their rooms…
• I had one week to finish the boy’s rooms….
• Great help… tight schedule…
• This week….
• Sat with a man who is dying…
• Made a hospitals visit…
• Attended two days of the Leadership Summit
• Had a staff meeting…
• Prepared this sermon…
• Met with my small group…
• And did the regular stuff…
• Picked Beth up from her babysitting course…
• Picked the boys up on Friday… at ¼ to midnight…
• But I didn’t get their rooms done….
• This story gets worse…
• I was cranky… and burdened… not wanting to disappoint them…
• Josh went to his Nana’s to get his bike… and the tire was flat…
• They were struggling with get it filled…
• I had errands to do… drywall to pick up etc.
• When my mom suggested calling me… Josh knowing the stress I was feeling… said don’t call Dad… he’ll be upset…
• They very child I was trying to please… was apprehensive about calling for help!
• I was trying to serve him… but I lacked perspective…
• Perspective…
• Seeing as others see…
• Seeing as Christ sees…
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…

Biblical:

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Personal:

• Counselling…
•  Husband and wife… sharing a story…
•  Husband… shut up woman… stop blubbering
• I want to step in and say…
• Do you not know that you are damaging your wife
• Do you not know your actions are damaging your relationship… and ultimately yourself…
• With whom are you in relationship
• Where are you now
• Where are you going…

Bridge:

• Matthew 18... often called Church Discipline
• But the passage isn’t just about right and wrong…
• It is about perspective… having a right view of…
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…
• Seeing as Christ sees… * It is about our relationship with Christ…
• Guiding it, protecting it, loving and nurturing it… in community… caring and giving perspective… getting it straight

Body:

Circles… #1

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

• If your brother…. If your sister… damages their relationship with God! SINS…
• Sit up and take notice!!
• Certain closeness understood
• Certain closeness understood
• Discreet -  a hand on the shoulder….
• A BOND
• Close
• Loving
• About restoration… about care… about loving…
• This isn’t about a high and mighty…. Ah-ha… got ya!
• Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
• Have your ducks in order… and hear the truth in your life too…
• You are more effective that way…
• Bankrupt Financial Advisor
• Imprisoned Lawyer
• Obese Personal trainer
• We need to be careful to practice what we preach… share it in love…
• If he listens…
• Recognize the communion… and restores the communion
• Bring the Word of God to bear on the relationship with Christ!
•  Perspective!!
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…

 Circles… #2

Matthew 18:16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

• How many times have I told you!!
•  Famous words… to our kids…
• Sometimes bringing it forward privately doesn’t cut it…
• Sometimes we need a BROADER perspective…
• Remember the goal…
• Bring the Word of God to bear on their relationship with Christ!
• 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
• Bring in help… lots at stake…
• Why do we go to a marriage counsellor… cause marriage is worth it…
• Gentlemen… it is worth it…
• Bring in help… bring perspective
• Priority
• Relationship with Christ
• Word living in life
• True love of a sibling in Christ
• Witness/es… not about preference or personality
• Truth in love
• Not an instrument of personal gain
• Not an instrument of legalism
• An instrument of reconciliation!!
•   Perspective!!
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…

Circles… #3

Matthew 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

• Dearest thing to the Body of Christ…
• To bring Glory to God, to exalt and love him!!
• To see the name of Jesus Christ lifted up!
•  How… in communion with Him… with his people
• How… exalting his name
• How… living a testimony
• How… sharing his truth… and his gospel
• If we get to this third stage…
• We are bringing our passion and love for Christ, his promises, his Word… his truth…. To bear
• It is about being honest… calling a spade a spade…. Honest about the Word… Honest about sin… honest about the love of Christ….
• Loving someone is telling them the truth… Easy or Not!
• Every wonder how people can think something different… how could so many people be wrong?
• Dealing with Sin 1 on 1
• Dealing with sin before witness
• Dealing with Sin before the community of grace…
• (Where else would you want to deal with this… preaching… sharing… singing…)
• Question… what do you think of someone who chooses to serve their Sin… no repentance… no humility…
• Scripture tells us that they are to be treated as gentiles and tax collectors…
• Those apart from God…
•  Those serving the world…
•  What do we do with those who serve the world…
• We treat them as an unbeliever…
• Preach the gospel…
• Show the love of Christ…
• Ask them repent… for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!!
• If in Real Estate the 3 keys are Location, Location, Location
•  In realm of Matthew 18… it is Restore, Restore, Restore….
• Perspective!!
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…

The Church

Matthew 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

• When the Body of Christ brings the Word to bear…
• When you bring it to bear on earth
• It will be brought to bear in heaven

• If you call sin… sin on earth
• It is sin in heaven
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• Deal in truth… deal in the Word
• If you call it wrong on earth
• It is wrong in heaven

• God honours faithful adherence to his Word… * This verse isn’t about fellowship
• It is about truth…
• "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
• Not about prayer… or asking for riches…
• It is about bringing truth to bear…
• When the body… in God’s Word bind sin to the sinner… it is bound
• When the body… in God’s Word releases/forgives sin… it is forgiven
• 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
•  Where the people of God… bring the Word to bear… God is there… in the process… in the truth!!
•  God honours faithful adherence to his Word…
• Perspective!!
• Whom do I serve
• With whom am I in relationship
• Where am I now
• Where am I going…