Matthew 18

Preaching for me. I normally do not get knots in my stomach anymore, but this is one of those verses that really has me on a level of an exotic, a level of wondering because I dealt with this and previous congregations, I pastors that are dealing with conflict and specifically these verses talk about how Christians and the church should deal with conflict now. Who was the believe that there would be conflict in God's church, right? Sure. We always get along. We always agree that there's no fighting, there's no disagreements, right? Isn't that God's Church? But we all know in order to growth in order to meet people where they are, we're going to have disagreement. It's, it's in some ways, it's very healthy. It's what we do to get to the point of unity that can really determine if we are doing what God wants us that are not in. So I'm just going to kind of walk through Earth's this morning, they hit home for me in a way. That again, it causes me a little bit of worry, a little bit of anxiety. I just be completely honest with you because I've dealt with it and congregations. I wrote an entire thesis for my doctoral dissertation on it, but it says here in verse 15, If your brother or sister sends. Now, we're talkin about a fellow Christian here. Not somebody just out on the streets. That doesn't believe in Christ. We're talkin about a fellow brother or sister. Go and point out their faults. Just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Now hear this, right? We are as the church supposed to call each other, to accountability, right? We're supposed to be in some type of group together with fellow Christians, so if you're sending, they call you out for your sins, right? And they call Henson. Now, that's really Troublesome isn't. How much do you? How many of you feel comfortable with calling each other sent out this morning?

I'm not right. That's that's risky stuff you know you see someone in the church sending and you go in and tell them hey you need to get your act together. But that's what we're supposed to do that. Especially among the leadership. The council, the council is supposed to call each other sent up from one another, and we are to do that privately first, aren't we? Now, I would challenge you and your own family's. You should be calling each other soon out from under the table. You need to get this stuff out in the open now as Protestants, you know, we don't have a confessional booth that some Lutheran churches do, but there's a real freedom in announcing your sins wide and they open, right? That somebody can hear it. It doesn't necessarily need to be the pastor are the priest, but it needs to be somebody that you trust and love and care for that. You honest with them that I'm really struggling in this area, right. Maybe it's Pride or anger or Envy or lust or whatever it is.

Determine the right versus here.

In these verses, Jesus lays the foundation of reconciliation. The we as Christians are called to be peacemakers. Not passive bystanders. We have an active faith. Right. We have a, a faith that we are supposed to be doing something with it. Challenges us to approach conflict with love and humility. That's the number one. My. My hesitation here this morning is we don't want the congregation this all of a sudden calling each other sentence out, without humility, right? We have to be humble and recognize that we are all sinners and the eyes of God. All of us were all found guilty. That's why Jesus came to free us from our sins. All right. Can we move on the next step of the process?

Verse 16. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along. So that every matter may be established by the testimony of two who are three Witnesses right at this, private opportunity to announce sends, is it taken at heart and that person does try to do better? You are to take two or three others with you. Now, how challenging is that is I'm not going to have you raised your hand, but if you've ever been a part intervention or even maybe seen it on TV, right? We have this group of people and they can front right in front of her. Struggling with addiction, whatever it is.

But it is what Jesus tells us to do. Instructs us to find those additional Witnesses so that you can Safeguard and protect yourself from misunderstanding. How can I witness this in the church eyewitness? This in the world you probably have seen her in the workplace, right?

It stops.

And then you move on verse 17. Now, this is challenging. If they still refuse to listen, you called they're sent out. You had two or three others meet with them intervene.

Tell the church. And if they refuse to listen to the church, treat them, as you would a pagan, a non-believer or a tax collector. Now, if you're familiar with the Amish community, right? And they practice today, Shawnee of people Now, this is what this verse kind of tells us that, you know, you've tried to resolve, send you, you've approached them, you brought two or three others, you've gone now to the church. Now just imagine We put a person on trial right here in front of the congregation. That would be tough, wouldn't it? Amen. You guys ready to do that? No, not me. Either write, you brought them to the church. They refuse to listen to any amount of reason. Now you're the non-believer. That's tough, and we're not talkin about forgiveness. We can forgive the person, because that's what Jesus also tells us to do right to continue to forgive, but there is a level of accountability as Christians. We are to have active faith and meet this type of accountability. And conflict management is what Jesus gives us, as example, know what really scares me is when Church leadership, doesn't understand that Jesus gave us this example. I've spoken to Bishops, who did not understand Matthew 18, then, right? We have to be able to have some level of Christian accountability that comes from a place of love, and that's what it is in many churches. This is a part of their Church Constitution that this is the process and I believe it's someone in ours as well. Write that this is the process in which would deal with. Now as we continue to turn from this, the verses 18 to 20. It says that's truly tell you whatever you bind on. Earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven. And again, truly, I tell you that, if two of you on Earth agree about anything they ask for it will be done by them by the Father in heaven. For two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.

Cooking. We got to walk through this or several things here. First, as has, truly, I tell you, whatever, you bind on. Earth will be bound in heaven review, loose on Earth will be loosed in heaven. We're talking about forgiveness. If we forgive somebody God, forgives us. Also write a tells us that the trip. Sure that we are to forgive our brothers and sisters. Not if you have anybody on your heart this morning, that you have not forgiven. It's not always about that other person, is it, it's about you. You forgiving that person as our father in Heaven, forgives them. And sometimes that is harder than it, sounds, right? There's been lots of my life that hurt me. And I mean four years did not totally forgive them. Until God made it a priority in my life that I had to do it. And I've shared some of those stories with you in the past, but I want you to think about that in your own life. Is there someone in your life today? But you need to forgive, you need to let go because we are commanded by Jesus to do so. And you hear those incredible testimonies right? Like these, these men and women on death row and the victim's family forgives. Those that murdered their family members, I mean, just the complete worst case scenario.

And in these words and also gives us an establishment of the Keys of the Kingdom, right? The guide through the apostles has given us the authority on Earth. We recognize that forgiveness and Reconciliation are not just something that God does what he's getting to his church, that we are to forgive each other.

Now, this is kind of an interesting point here for me. Again, I truly, I tell you that, if two of you on Earth agree about anything they ask for it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. So again, that's word processing as a church, is the holy spirit, leading Saint James. I am listening for those areas of agreement, right? Where is God calling us together? Where our prayers together? Where is our Unity among God's people?

For where two or three Gather in my name. There I am with them. Until there is a men's bible study talked about this this week, right? We've always thought about this kind of positive thing right? Where your two or three are gathered God's there but it's also talking about Christian accountability. Right that we have two or three Witnesses and do here on Earth Now, among the youth among the adults are still working, right? It is important, isn't it? It's important to have forgiveness important to have accountability.

But it is uplifting that God is with us here in our church right now there's definitely more than two or three Gather in his name. Listening to his word. Proclaiming the gospel singing. His songs of praise and thanksgiving. but these verses, It's Off Script. These verses have the ability to change congregations for the good across the United States. Just for the world is in turmoil, the devil is using everything, he can to split God's Church be that politics. Disagreement covid, you know, stuff maskeen, I'm asking again democrat-republican, you know, Public School, non-public school. I mean, there is stuff that is dividing this country every day and he is trying to use it in the church, just separate and cause conflict. But we have to, in God's Church, follow this path. Follow this path of Matthew 18 and I've seen churches that have done it really well, and they've grown and they Thrive, and they do God's Mission because they keep the first thing. The first thing, the gospel, And they had others. And they make the Small Things, the major things and it causes churches to split right again. I'm sure. I know a church friend of mine started to build a new thing for their daycare. And half the congregation. Didn't agree. So what do they do? They sell Church? Right down the street from each other. That is not God's wish or his will is Will and wish for us to be faithful to his word. To love each other to forgive each other, to be United, and Fishin. And so this week, You know, look through these versus again. It's very challenging to me to sit here and preach at you this morning, because I've lived it I understand it. I've seen The Good the Bad and the Ugly right through these versus, but it's so vital that we follow this set that Jesus gives us here at st. James. And so, I'm so glad that here at our church. The main thing, the main thing Youth moments against solutely.

Right? When we disagree and working, God gets us through it. Because he is helping us grow together. Amen. Hey man, I'm excited to be here and I'm excited to be able to see where again what that's going to do for this next year. A chance. After you eat tacos today, go down the Christian education Wing has been painted. Thanks to Allison and Christian over the weekend. It was finished up Neil's, working on it. Some more. Is doing some great things so next Sunday we're going to feed you again. So we're going to we're just going to feed people till they keep coming back, right? We got pancakes next week right after church and then we have Sunday school officially starting And we have Sunday school for the little bitty kids that are 3 years old, all the way through high school. And guess what? You're going to get fed every Sunday morning during Sunday school, our right? So you have no excuse, you got, you have to stay and go to Sunday because we want our congregation to be discipled and God's holy word to her. Making that a priority for this next season together. So I'll finish preaching at the yawning back there. So let's pray, Lord, we thank you so much for the ministry here, in St. James, Or this is a tough scripture this morning. Learn to be honest, if it wasn't for the lectionary, I might have skipped it. But Lord we thank you that you are put it before us. But you continue to teach us. How to love each other how to grow in Christ together Lord and how he nap gate. Just disagreements. Lord help our count and myself. Be an example of this model of conflict management. Lower that we can grow together as Jesus is Calling our church to grow. I pray all of this and Christ name.