After Someone Stumbles
Matthew 18:15-20
March 4, 2012
As you know we’re in the middle of a very important passage of Scripture,
For it is in this passage that our Lord has laid down specific direction
For how we are to relate to one another in the church.
Directly from the mouth of Jesus, we learn how to function in the church.
And it is really not hard to discern what sort of attributes
Are important to Jesus in regard to His church.
TODAY
• Ability seems to very important…
• We also speak of influence…
• We look for people with communication skills…
• It doesn’t hurt to be famous…
• It is always nice to have wealthy people in the church…
But those weren’t attributes our Lord highlighted.
Thus far he has only spoken of two. (a third will be added later)
Humility & Purity
He dealt with HUMILITY right off the bat,
In fact that really is what started the whole conversation.
The disciples were arguing as to who was the greatest
And Jesus used a lowly child to reveal that they were wrong.
They didn’t need to seek greatness,
They needed to seek the good of their brother.
Beyond that Jesus has also been teaching the importance of PURITY.
Giving us very explicit warnings
Against being a stumbling block to someone else.
It is no minor thing to cause someone else to sin.
Jesus actually said “Woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes”
Well how bad can it be?
We don’t know for sure, but we do know that “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
And so causing others to sin is a bad thing.
The question I want to address at the outset here this morning is WHY?
And there are a couple of reasons.
Obviously one is that leading someone to sin IS NOT LOVE.
Sin destroys men.
It brings consequences and ultimately leads to death and judgment.
James 1:15 “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Obviously you will have a hard to time proving you love someone
If you pull that kind of weight down on their head.
Leading someone into sin is not love.
And this was the essence of what Jesus meant in verses 12-13
When He spoke of the shepherd searching for the one lost sheep.
We are in the business of saving men, not defiling them.
And true love would never cause someone to sin.
The second reason why was alluded to in verse 14.
“So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”
The second reason we avoid leading others into sin is because it is CONTRARY TO THE WILL OF GOD FOR THE CHURCH.
And this is what I think is important to understand this morning.
Back in Matthew 16, when Jesus first introduced the church
HE ASCRIBED OWNERSHIP TO IT.
He called it “My church”
And of course that is true it was purchased with His own blood.
The church belongs to Christ, and that means that above all else
The church must be subject to His will at all times.
• Our first obligation is not to the world…
• Our first obligation is not to the government…
• Our first obligation is not to the pastor…
• Our first obligation is not to the deacons…
• Our first obligation is not even to the majority…
• Our first obligation is to Christ.
The church, above all else, must be what Christ wants her to be.
And let me remind you of what Christ wants for the church.
Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
Paul was clear there.
• Christ didn’t necessarily want a big church
• Christ didn’t necessarily want a wealthy church
• Christ didn’t necessarily want an influential church
Christ wants a PURE church
He wants a CLEAN church
Remember His conversation with Peter?
John 13:8 “Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
If He can’t make you clean, then He won’t take you at all.
He wants a pure bride.
And that is what we learn this morning.
We are studying one of the most
Ignored passages in all of Scripture.
In this passage Jesus actually says that there are some circumstances in which we must tell people that they are no longer welcome in the church.
And if that didn’t come directly from the mouth of Jesus
People would throw up their hands and say, “That is Unchristian!”
(some do anyway)
But you and I are going to have an awful tough time
Accusing Christ of being unchristian.
What we learn here is that Christ is passionate and seriousness
About the purity of His bride.
And that isn’t just seen here.
TURN TO: Acts 5:1-13
There Christ actually killed two church members because of their sin.
TURN TO: Revelation 2:12-17
He is angry at the church at Pergamum for tolerating sinners in the assembly.
He wants a pure bride, and He makes no bones about it.
I want you to understand this morning that being a part of the fellowship of the church is not a right, it is a privilege.
I have already told you that the ECCLESIA are the “called out ones”,
They are those whom Christ has invited to be a part of His church.
This is a privilege that we would be called sons and daughters of God.
It is a privilege that we get to dwell in this fellowship.
And with this privilege comes responsibility
And that is to live up to the standards of purity that He demands.
So with that I ask another question.
WHAT DO WE DO AFTER SOMEONE STUMBLES?
• We know that it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come…
• We know that we are sinful humans who fall prey to temptation…
Romans 7:14-15 “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”
We know that we sin, it is regrettable, but it happens.
The question is what happens next?
Well that is what Jesus deals with here.
There are three things we see here.
#1 A SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY
Matthew 18:15-17
When we read this passage the point our Lord is making is clear.
He does not want sin tolerated, He wants sin confronted.
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault”
Now this isn’t even talking about shunning or passing judgment yet.
All this is talking about is confronting someone who is sinning.
The word “judge” in Matthew 7 is KRINO it means “to judge or decide”
The word here is ELEGCHO which means “to expose”
It is the same thing Paul told Timothy to do.
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Jesus isn’t even talking about judging here (He will in a moment),
But all He is doing here is telling us that when a brother sins
We are called to go and “expose” that sin.
We are called to “show him his fault”
In 2 Timothy it is translated “reprove”
Paul used the same word referencing the importance of prophecy.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.”
There translated “convicted”, but the same word.
We very simply are called by Jesus not stand idly by
And allow another person to have sin unconfessed in their life.
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
• They need to know that what they are doing is sin.
• They need to know why Biblically.
• They need to know the consequences of it.
• And they need to know that forgiveness is available if they will confess it and repent.
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault”
But also notice that the concern here is all focused on the sinner.
This is all for his good.
This is meant to help him, not harm him.
For Jesus says to “show him his fault in private”
We are all familiar with the day the Pharisees dragged the woman caught in adultery before Jesus and put her on display before the entire crowd asking Jesus if they should stone her.
To which Jesus responded, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”
Jesus certainly did not approve of adultery,
But He also did not approve of the type of redemption
That only wishes to publicly humiliate a person either.
And so even here Jesus says to “show him his fault in private”
There is a very real possibility that it was a sin committed in ignorance.
There are times when we sin and don’t realize it.
And it is those times that we are dependent on
Our brothers and sisters to help us.
But we are thankful when we are confronted in private
Because we didn’t have any desire to live in sin,
And we are appreciative of being spared the public embarrassment.
And that is what Jesus is shooting for.
He wants the sin gone, but He is so gracious to do it
In a way that allows us to save face.
And then Jesus says, “If he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
And that is certainly good news.
James 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
And that is exactly how it is meant to go.
• Stumbling blocks are inevitable which means that stumbling occurs.
• The objective of the church is to confront that sinning brother with the truth,
• And lead him to repentance and back into the blessed life of God.
So confront your brother it is a loving act of restoration.
BUT…
Sometimes we don’t just deal with sinning brothers.
Sometimes we deal with SKEPTICAL brothers.
Those are the ones who don’t instantly believe you when you confront them.
They think it is personal…
Or they think you have some sort of vendetta against them…
Or they aren’t sure that it is really sin…
So when you encounter a skeptical brother a second step is required.
(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.”
You certainly didn’t want to have to involve others,
But he left you no choice.
So now you take backup.
And their role is clear.
They are there to “confirm” your confrontation of his sin.
And again the Lord is so gracious.
• He is only asking for a little more pressure.
• He is still trying to keep it as secretive as possible.
And again, if your brother repents then again “you have won your brother.”
BUT…
Sometimes your brother isn’t just sinning…
And sometimes he isn’t just skeptical…
Sometimes we run up against a STUBBORN brother.
And a stubborn brother is one who doesn’t particularly care
What you or your witnesses think.
He is really hanging on to his sin and he doesn’t want to let it go.
Another step.
(17) “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church;”
He has failed to believe you or your witnesses
And so now it is time to let the entire church weigh in on the matter.
It is more drastic, but knowledge is still confined
Only to those who should love and care for the man,
As well as quickly reconcile with him once the matter is absolved.
And again, if finally standing before the entire church does the trick,
You win your brother.
BUT…
Sometimes our brother isn’t just sinning…
And sometimes our brother isn’t just skeptical…
And sometimes our brother isn’t just stubborn…
Sometimes our brother is SELFISH
He knows it is sin, he knows it is wrong, but he doesn’t care.
When given the opportunity to choose sin or truth, he chooses sin.
He loves himself more than he loves the Lord.
And for that a very drastic step is required.
(17b) “and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
Now that is severe.
• The command is to expel him.
• The command is to forsake association with him.
• The command is to utterly and completely remove him from the fellowship.
Whereas Jesus began by commanding a confrontation of sin,
Here He commands judgment of it.
And this is by no means the only place this is mentioned.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.”
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
Titus 3:10-11 “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”
And this not just on the members, but on the leaders as well.
1 Timothy 5:19-20 “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”
But perhaps the most blatant account of this sort of action (aside from the Ananias and Saphira incident) comes in the book of 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
There Paul says to hand him over to Satan.
Not so different than what Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”
WHAT IS THAT?
It is the same thing Jesus mentions here.
It is removing a brother out from under the privilege of the church
And subjecting him to the chastisement of the enemy.
We know about Satan don’t we?
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
And when you remove one from the assembly
It makes it much easier for the lion to devour.
(sanctified in marriage – Lot in Sodom)
The point here is that the fellowship is a privilege and a blessing
And Jesus does not tolerate sin in the assembly.
So they are to be removed out from under the protection
To be dealt with accordingly.
They must be judged.
That is not what I say, that is what Jesus says.
It is His bride, it is His church, and this is the rule that He set.
And so it is a serious responsibility that He has given us.
First – A Serious Responsibility
#2 A SOVEREIGN REASON
Matthew 18:18
Here Jesus is very helpful in what He has just commanded us to do.
“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven;” (referring to one who is shunned)
“and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (referring to one who has been won)
This is the second time Jesus used this phrase.
The first time was back in Matthew 16
When he was also speaking about the church.
He told Peter that the keys to the kingdom were his,
And then He made that same statement.
The meaning is clear.
Whatever we do as a body on earth,
Is only representative of what has already been done in heaven.
We are not MAKING judgments, we are REVEALING them.
When we confront a sinning brother and ultimately have to remove him from the fellowship, it is NOT US who is judging, it IS GOD.
THAT JUDGMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECREED IN HEAVEN,
WE ARE MERELY PASSING IT ON.
And this is so important.
We are human, and we know that when faced with such a decision,
We had better get braced for a little retaliation.
“Well who are you to judge…”
“You’re not perfect…”
And because we know we aren’t perfect we often shrink back and say, “You’re right why don’t you just come on back and we’ll work this out.”
But that is not what Christ intended.
We are not judging our brother by our own righteous standard.
We judge our brother by God’s righteous standard.
Some, when you speak of this try to refute it by quoting Romans 14:4
Romans 14:4 “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
That verse does not contradict Matthew 18, it enforces it.
By revealing that the Lord is the judge of every one of His servants.
And if the Lord says one of His servants needs to be punished
Then he needs to be punished.
• We don’t expel our brothers based on personal preferences…
• We don’t expel our brothers based on differing personalities…
• We don’t expel our brothers based on non-sinful practices…
We only expel our brothers when they persist to be disobedient
To the clear commands of their Lord.
We act as the hands of Christ to discipline His wayward child.
His sovereign judgment is not to tolerate sin,
And who are we go against His will.
DO YOU REALIZE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WHEN WE TOLERATE SIN?
If we don’t confront and discipline as Christ commanded:
• We are telling Christ to “get over it” it’s not that big of a deal.
• We are telling Christ that brother’s presence is more important than His.
• We are telling Christ that we know better than He who is welcome in His church.
• We are telling Christ that we know better than He what He needs in a bride.
This is not a human decision.
This is a decision of sovereign God.
So we have a Serious Responsibility And there is a Sovereign Reason
#3 A SACRED REALITY
Matthew 18:19-20
Here are two verses that are almost always quoted out of context.
They are used by the “name it claim it” crowd to support their notion
That God is a Jeanie in a bottle and if we can just get a majority,
We can strong-arm God into giving us what we want.
I mean if I can agree with you that we should have a million dollars,
Then this is a no-brainer.
This is an obvious lesson on why you can’t take Scripture out of context.
Jesus is talking about disciplining a sinful brother,
And He is presently telling us why we have the authority to do so.
We have the authority to discipline our brother,
First because it is the sovereign decree of God.
Secondly because we are the Spirit-filled body of Christ.
(19-20) “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. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
This is not a passage teaching that God gives whatever we want.
This is a passage revealing that the church has the authority
To act on God’s Word because of the unity of the Spirit of God.
After all, when I confront a brother, do I get to shun him for not listening?
No. (In short, I don’t get to judge)
Shunning (or judgment) only occurs at the hands of the entire church.
God has so orchestrated the church with authority.
As Christ’s body we have the authority to carry out His commands.
Here is what that means.
If we ever get to the point where a brother is so in love with his sin that he must be removed, when he turns to us and say, “You don’t have the right to do this, who do you think you are?”
Our response is, “We are the church of the living God, the bride of Christ, the pillar and support of the truth, and based upon the authority that God has given us, we tell you to repent, or don’t come back.”
And Scripture says that God is united with us in that decision.
It is a sacred reality.
THE POINT TO ALL THIS?
DON’T TOLERATE SIN
Don’t cause it.
Don’t commit it.
Don’t condone it.
Sin must be removed.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
And there is a great introduction
Into the ordinance we are about to partake of.
This morning we are going to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Paul said, “Let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
There is a way in which the Lord’s Supper is supposed to be done,
And condoning sin is not one of those ways.
In fact later in his letter Paul unequivocally told us to examine ourselves before we partake to make sure we don’t get sick and die from partaking in an unworthy manner.
See folks, Christ died to make us righteous.
And that means there is no more unfitting way to partake
Than to partake in sin.
If we as a church want to properly partake of the Lord’s Supper
And do it in a manner that truly glorifies Christ,
Then we must do it in purity.
Not condoning sin in our own lives and not condoning sin in our church.
This morning before we go to the table of the Lord
We are going to have a time of preparation
To examine ourselves before we partake.
Let me ask you to confess sin and turn from it before Christ
So that you may honor Him as you partake in holiness.
LORD’S SUPPER
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
• Give bread to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out bread
Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
• Take bread
1 Peter 1:13-19 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
• Give juice to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out juice
Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”
• Prayer and closing chorus
