Matthew 18.15-20 | Humble Enough to Confront
February 15, 2015 Speaker: Sam Ford Series: Matthew | The Revelation of the King (Book 3)
Topic: New Testament Passage: Matthew 18:15–18:20
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We have been examining Jesus’ fourth of five sections of concentrated teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:15-20 must be read in the context of the entire discourse. Jesus is continuing to speak about Christians as children and the church as a family. Jesus reveals the Father’s desire for how his children to relate to one another in community. Jesus not only commands His children to care, protect, and pursue one another. Jesus commands us to confront one another about our sin.
The process in Matthew 18:15-20 serves as an overall outline for carrying out church discipline. The concept of church discipline carries with it a pile of connotative baggage. Some of that stems from mishandling this text and others from misunderstanding it. I intentionally am using the word confrontation because of the negative connotations associated with discipline. These connotations are not biblical as, more than once, discipline is described as loving. Hebrews 12.6 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” This passage is embedded within other passages that speak to the seriousness of causing others to stumble and the importance of pursuing the one lost sheep we do well to view church discipline less like a punitive process and more like a paternal pursuit. Discipline is an essential part of our lives together as a spiritual family of families. Read More
More in Matthew | The Revelation of the King (Book 3)
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Matthew 20.1-16 | Never too Lost or too FoundMarch 15, 2015
Matthew 19.16-30 | Who Jesus RejectsMarch 8, 2015
Matthew 19.13-15 | Who Jesus Receives