Loving enough to Seek to Restore a Believer
Matthew 18 • Sermon • Submitted
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Matthew 18:15-20
Matthew 18:15-20
Jesus outlined for the church what faithful Christian living should be in first few verses of Matthew 18
-Last week we said the Believers conduct should protect the little ones in the faith
-Its very hard for to believe anything a proclaimed believer says when they are living a life of sin
-it ruins their credibility and it hurts the church because now the church has to deal with the sin and protect the little ones in the faith
MacArthur said Gods desire for His children here on earth is purity of life.... Because God is so concerned for the holiness of His people, they should be equally concerned.
But the church isnt- its concerned enough at times to gossip about it or say preacher what you gonna about this, or someone needs to talk to them
It also does a whole lot of this- Its not my business, It doesnt affect me, He who is without sin cast the first stone, and my personal misquoted favorite “Dont judge me, only God can judge me”
All of which is are wrong-
Sin is every believers business especially inside a church context,
Sin affects far more than just the person in it and affects the health of the church,
John 7:53-8:11 is not even in the earliest of biblical manuscripts and even beyond that this is plotted and planned set up to trick Jesus of which Jesus reminds them of their sinful adultering hearts
Jesus doesnt say because your believer that has sinned in the past that you shouldnt correct a sinning brother or sinner
What he does say is use correct judgement or stop judging people against yourself when in reality the judge is God and perfection is our standard
Matt 7:1-6- The biblical truth to remove the planks from our eyes before we remove specks from others is the correct way to help a brother.
-A believer will never be off any restorative help to anyone else if there lifestyle goes against Gods word
-God is not saying dont help, confront, and restore others- he is saying do it correctly
Matt 7:1- is the dont judge me passage… Again we already addressed already but I want to remind us of
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
The same test can be applied to the believer
-You will recognize, spot, know, see them clearly for who they are on the inside by their fruit
Ive heard it so many times- he is good boy but or he has great heart but
Hell is full of good hearted good ole boys but their isnt one Godly one there.
God is concerned about the purity of his people and the church
With this in mind, let move on into How JESUS- The JUDGE of ALL PEOPLE says EVERY BELIEVER AND THE CHURCH should respond to sin
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
It begins with some type of sin from a brother- person who claims to be a believer
-Primarily this is against a person directly--- the “you” is singular
-However all sin from believer is a affront to God and to his people
-But in the context here- its against you but the desire is from heart of love and compassion to stop the sin in the believers life
-No one wants to do this but all believers are called to
-To allow a professing “believer” to continue in sin is not loving at all- its hate as Jesus previously stated in Vs 6
Step 1- Go and tell him alone
-Every believer has the responsibility to do this quickly and graciously but frankly
-the longer sin sits unaddressed the greater possibility for bitterness and emotions to build
-the point of going is to tell him the sin
-It could be we completely misunderstood, it could be they completely didnt realize what they did, maybe the did realize it or it could be that it was a combination of all the above
-But what is certain is the necessity of going
-One thing I have found helpful at getting to the point is using this “I love you and care for you, and if I didnt care for you I wouldnt be here”
-There is a risk in this but its a necessary one because God commands it
Also, there is an importance to “ between you and him alone”
-Often other people hear about issues before the actual person who sinned did
-Go to them first
-Sometimes, there are issues that cannot be address singularly but even in that case one more person should be more than enough to begin this attempt to reconcile and restore a brother
“IF he listens to you, you have gained a brother”
-Most things stop right here
-Most can be reconciled easily, forgiveness given and then put silent
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Paul sees Peter acting in sin setting an example for the others to follow in sin
What we find is not bitterness from Peter, but love as he writes in 2 Peter
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
-Paul is beloved brother- Peter knew Paul spoke out of love for him
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
However sometimes this isn’t enough
2. Take 2-3 others to help
-the person will not repent and see their sin
-So Jesus says to get 2-3 others to go with us
-A time frame is not given between the first step and the second step
-Some time may be needed to see repentance and some time may needed for the sinning brother to think on his sin
-However the idea of getting 2-3 others is based out of Deut 19
“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
-No legal proceedings were to be based on one persons report but verified by 2-3 others
-It could be that the offended brother was wrong to begin with and the 2-3 correct him
-Either way, the extra believers are provide extra wisdom, preferably someone with no tie directly to this and can be completely subjective and impartial
-this is a wise practice to help preserve peoples names and lives
Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
-Especially with church leaders, clearly needing accountability as well, say to dont even listen to it without charge of 2-3 witnesses
-Many names have been ruined my hurt pride and lies
-but also many lives have been broken because people were not willing to be biblical and hold leader and believers accountable
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.
3. Take it to the church
-We can clearly see the escalation of the encounter
-Private, Semi Private, Public
-Most things have been handled here for believers but some do still refuse to hear their sin and repent
-IF so Jesus says tell the church- this is the first reference to the church in the bible
-However the idea is any body of gathered believers
-The point here should be that the church should eagerly seek out and pursue the wayward brother to repent and turn
-I really want us to see, Jesus never says “Tell preacher, its his job, thats what he gets paid for.”
-First- God meets my needs just as he provides for yours
-Second- its everyone responsibility
-Third- the biblical model doesnt have the church body or leadership involved necessarily til step 3
-However when sin occurs in the body, its normally go tell the preacher- he can do something about it
- “I dont want anyone mad at me so lets put the preacher who wasnt near around to be the one who has to address something that other wont”
See problem in this is we have lost the love aspect
-It should that out of love, “WE” the believer reached out to this person, then took 2-3 more if needed and then saught the church to pursue the person
-This process always has repentance and restoration as its goal
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.
But at times that isnt enough
4. Let go as an unbeliever and pray
-The idea of Gentile and tax collector was used as typical metaphor not a slander
-Gentile would be a non Jew who was pagan in belief and actions- not a redeemed believer
-Unlike the Gentile- Tax collector was an outcaste by choice not birth
-Jesus point in this statement was that people who continue on unrepentant, willful sin need to be put out of the body
-Their life clearly shows no sign of faith
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
We see a clear example of unrepentant sin that Paul says- get it out
The “so called beleiver” who lives in sin is not a believer and by command of God should not have fellowship with the body until repentance is found
Its different when we speak of believers than unbelievers look further down in 1 Cor 5
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Its the fact that to walk in sin is to walk apart from God
But those in Antioch Baptist Church, the church has the responsibility to hold each other accountable and Paul seems to have no problem saying under inspiration of the HS to judge the evil person and remove them from the fellowship
-Why?
you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
In hopes they turn and repent
We don’t turn our backs completely but look for opportunities to share the Gospel and seek restoration
But a time of separation from church membership is biblical and needed
The mark of Baptist ideology was a regenerate church membership
-We have lost that- We have strayed and we need to return
-We have so many on our rosters that FBI cant find how in the world are we to keep them accountable
-You cant and we are only hurting the church
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Lastly what Jesus is saying is that when the church obediently follows the Lords commands he affirms their actions.
-Rest assured God has already judged correctly
-He is not giving the church some supernatural way of saving or condemning but validating the churches authority when they act obediently to Gods command
Vs 20- another often misquoted verse
-Jesus not saying we need to have 2-3 people to have his presence with us
-Jesus is omnipresent and He lives in all his people
-What he is saying is that when the church moves forward in obedience to restore a wayward brother- HE affirms his presence and work in the midst of it to either draw them back or identify the unbeliever
Parents its not loving to let you children walk in sin and call it ok
Church its not loving to let brother and sisters walk in sin and call it ok
Because they will kill the little ones in the faith
Why does this matter so much?
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
As Pastor its my responsiblity to shepherd the sheep well because Jesus blood bought them
To be child of God came a great price and was not by chance
Jesus gave his life to save people who hated him so he could establish his church through them
Unbeliever would see the Love of Jesus today?
Believer would you commit to be holy, submit to be accountble and love enough to care for the wayward brother?
This is necessary for the church to have an effective witness in the world
-Pastor story- man invited anther fellow to his church and the man said I will never go there- the crookedest lawyer in LA goes to church their
Living in sin destroys the churches witness
Love enough to seek to restore the wayward brother or sister.