Unity through Communication

2006011

Topic # 627 (unity)

Introduction:

A.     Mt. 18.

B.      Love is active. We are to love God w/our whole being & to love our neighbors.

1.      We demonstrate that love by actively serving others & showing mercy & kindness.

2.      We do not choose who we will treat as a neighbor; rather we choose to be a neighbor.

C.     Mt. 18 is another passage that instructs us that love and mercy is active.

1.      Love/mercy must show up in everyday behavior.

2.      We are called to behavior that acts in mercy & grace and preserves the unity of the church.

D.     Unity. How unified are we? How concerned are we about unity?

1.      We need to be concerned about preserving the unity of the church.

2.      not unity at all costs

3.      But…unity through communication with each other – and communion with Jesus.

 

I. 18:1-14 – Jesus’ teaching about church community.

A.     18:1 – disciples ask:

1.      Who’s the boss? In charge? Who gets God’s favor?

B.      18:2-5 – the kingdom of God is different from our world.

1.      In God’s kingdom – the least are not ignored. The spiritually weak & humble are not abused.

2.      Kingdom is a place where even the humblest child is among the most important. Radically different from culture of Jesus’ time.

3.      Those preoccupied with worldly greatness will never come under the rule of Almighty God.

4.      18:2-4 – radically different from our line of thinking.

a)      How is kingdom greatness different from worldly greatness?

1)      He who wants to be great must be little.

2)      We must remove any speck of self-importance or significance.

b)      In these verses, Jesus begins to discuss how we should treat each other.

5.      Christians are to welcome each other into an atmosphere of love and care – loving one another w/o prejudice or partiality.

a)      When we welcome a disciple because he is a disciple of Christ, we welcome Christ. (Mt 10:40-42; 25:35-45).

b)      Who are some of the “little ones” or humble ones that may escape our attention?

6.      How are the weak & vulnerable to be treated in God’s kingdom?

a)      How do we view God’s church?  Resort? Social Club?  OR a hospital for sinners?

b)      We are all in the same condition – sinners in need of God’s grace/mercy/forgiveness.

7.      Love and godly behavior demand that we extend our care and concern to everyone in God’s family.  That we demonstrate that care through our actions.

C.     18:6-10 – Jesus is deadly serious about not causing his little ones to sin or fall away.

1.      These verses should serve as a warning to God’s disciples.

2.      Sin can cause young Christians, weak Christians to suffer tremendously.

a)      So we must discipline ourselves.  Exercise self discipline & self control.

3.      Think about it in practical terms w/the family:

a)      Household when father/mother refuses to control anger/addiction/lust and greed.

b)      Who suffers? Everyone! Perhaps the little ones suffer most.

4.      Churches.  How many congregations hurt by those who refuse to restrain:

a)      pride/anger/greed

b)      Dissatisfaction; lust for power.

c)      How many young Christians have been permanently damaged by the actions of supposedly “mature” Christians who trample over them by ungodly behavior?

d)      When we cause another Christian to sin we are playing with hell fire!

5.      18:8-10

6.      The principles in these verses are what Paul builds upon in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10. 

a) Romans 14:15, 19. We must walk in love…

D.    18:11-14 – love demands we seek out the lost.

1.      No acceptable losses. God wills for no one to be lost

2.      These verses show us the kind of concern for community that God has.

a)      18:12 – love is not passive – but active.

b)      Goes out to find the lost.

3.      Involves bringing lost into the kingdom & bringing them back when they stray.  That’s evangelism.

a)      Evangelism is the ongoing communication of gospel love.

4.      interesting here that after mentioning how shepherd goes out to bring back lost sheep – Jesus teaches us very practically what it means to practice church communication.

 

II. 18:15-17 – Jesus’ teaching on church communication.

A.     Are these verses a legal outline for organizational control?

1.      How often do we consider these verses just from context of institutional church discipline?  If so, we’re missing out!  Not the context of the chapter!

2.      Matthew 18 was not written to teach us how to get rid of offenders but how to win them back. (McGuiggan)

3.      These verses are about communication in love.

4.      18:15 – note the family language in this verse.

B.      18:15 – we are to do the going and it is to be just between the 2 of us. (NIV)

1.      Personal one on one communication. Need to do this! Put in practice.

2.      Talk to one another in loving & constructive ways.

a)      5:23-24 – offender to go to the offended…

b)      Point? Whenever sin alienates brethren, it doesn’t matter who is guilty or innocent.  What does matter is reconciliation.

c)      Both sides are to go to each other.

3.      Aim? To win the person over.  There to help – not condemn.

4.      go to person – 1 of 2 things are possible:

d)      Been a misunderstanding or miscommunication that needs to be straightened out

e)      The other person needs some help in overcoming sin.

C.     18:16 – not listen?  Then take 1 or 2 others along.  Sin can be powerful & we may need help in persuading the person.

1.      Goal? Not to just hear a grievance. But to win the person over.  Reconciliation.

2.      Who to bring? Anyone mature enough to work to reconciliation.

3.      Don’t bring someone in if you haven’t tried 1 on 1 approach first.

D.    18:17a – step 3. Everything else is exhausted.

1.      This is communication….not excommunication.

2.      This step is an alert for help! A spiritual crisis. Time for prayer & help!

3.      Not a time for gossip or the judging of motives.

E.      18:17b – ultimate step.  Offender had every opportunity to reconcile – but refused.

1.      Here communication has fallen on a hard heart.

2.      Person does not want to live as a citizen of the kingdom.

3.      Even if things do come to this, ultimately the goal is reconciliation. Repentance is still a possibility.

F.      Through all of this – the aim is emphasized in 18:15. You have won your brother back.

1.      Communication.

2.      Often, however, because we don’t talk as we should – we allow imagination/emotion to run wild.

3.      Think of all the problems we create when we avoid the initial “just us” phase.

G.    Communication is a key to unity!

1. Is there someone you need to communicate with for the sake of reconciliation?

H.    18:18-19 – refer to the statement made at the end of 18:17.

1.      Disciplinary action against impenitent is heaven’s will that local churches are to honor.

2.      Congregational discipline is how God maintains the purity of His church.

I.        18:20 – have you ever considered this verse in context with the rest of the chapter?

1.      Context is not:

a)      Referring to # of believers necessary to make-up a church.

b)      No general principle here about prayer & worship.

2.      2 or 3 refer to the ones in 18:16.

a)      When witnesses to a dispute are in agreement, their recommendation to the church carries the authority of God.

 

III. 18:21-35 – Jesus teaches about forgiveness.

A.     The teaching of 18:15-17 leads naturally to the question raised by Peter in 18:21.

1.      There is to be no limit to our forgiveness.

2.       1 Cor. 13:6 – love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth

3.      Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.

B.      18:23-35 – think about the parable of the unmerciful servant…

1.      Is the unmerciful servant the victim or the victimized?

2.      The offended or the offender?

3.      The greatest or least?  Powerful or weak?

4.      Answer: all of the above.  How?

C.     We cannot break our society down into simple classes of guilty/innocent.

1.      Can’t break it down into offended and offenders.  Why?

2.      We’re all in debt.  We’re all in slavery.

3.      We’ve all been bound and need to be loosed.

 

Conclusion:

A.     Dilemma for unmerciful servant is the dilemma we all face: depends on which side of forgiveness we find ourselves:

1.      Offender – wanting/needing God’s grace, 70 x 7 sounds hopeful & welcome.

2.      If on the inside of the fence; control the gate, then 70 x 7 is a great challenge.

a)      What will it cost us to release the latch?  Forgive? Truly?

b)      How will things change if we welcome the one who has sinned – perhaps the one who has sinned against us?

B.      In a sinful world, forgiveness is important for 2 reasons.

1.      We have sinned & need forgiveness – 1 John 1:8, 10.

2.      We are sinned against & often face situations in which we need to forgive.

3.      18:35 – if we refuse to forgive others – we ourselves will not be forgiven.

4.      If the church is the community of the forgiven, then all its relationships will be marked by a forgiveness which is not a mere form of words, but an essential characteristic.

5.      You see, when we put these things into practice, unity will be the result! 

6.      Let us all work toward the same goal of heaven & the process of being transformed into God’s kind of person.

C.     Do you need the forgiveness of God?

1.      He is a God that is reaching out to you.  Seek Him, and you can be forgiven of all your sin.  Though your sins be as scarlet…

2.      Obey the gospel today!

D.  I N V I T A T I O N