Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. What's the goal? The goal in all of this is spiritual restoration and reconciliation. The goal is not to punish the individual. But to restore him or her to the Lord and to reconcile.
with those who have been offended. By the offender's actions. The goal. is always Restoration. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Followers of Christ know firsthand of the grace and forgiveness of God, so we should be the most forgiving of people. But what specific guidance does Scripture give about confronting, forgiving, and restoring a brother or sister in Christ who sins against us? Today on the verdict, Pastor John Monroe explains as we take a closer look at the biblical process of spiritual restoration. I have friends who buy old cars and restore them. It's very impressive what they can do with their meticulous attention to detail.
Today, we're learning not about restoration of cars or furniture, but spiritual restoration. In Psalm 23, King David says of the Lord, He restores my soul. David knew personally about restoration. Once he has strayed very far from the Lord, committed serious sin and then knew God's wonderful forgiveness and restoration. Today we're going to learn about restoration.
Because of our fallenness, there's often conflict in homes and even in the church. What are you going to do when someone sins and offends you? gossip about it, brood over it, shun the person. Let's learn about spiritual restoration from the wonderful teaching of Jesus. Forgiveness of all of our sins is one of the brilliant benefits of our salvation.
The forgiveness of sins. Is a gift from God. It's not something that we can achieve. We can't atone for our own sins. We cannot eradicate even the smallest of sins from our lives.
And so we are saved, the Bible says, our sins are forgiven by grace alone. Through faith alone, in Christ alone. Paul writes, To the Colossians, that God has delivered us. from the kingdom of darkness. into the kingdom of his beloved son.
Through the redemption. Through his redemption. The forgiveness. Of our sins. We sometimes sing, my sin, or the bliss of this glorious thought.
My sin not in part, but in whole. is nailed to his cross. And I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Oh my soul, how wonderful to know. that in the grace of God you Whatever your past. Whatever you have done, whatever you've thought. That all of that can be eradicated. eternally eradicated through the grace of God.
And one of the marks of those who have been transformed by the grace of God. Is that we who have had our sins forgiven Should be characterized by forgiving others. Why are we sometimes so slow? to forgive others. when we have received such a magnificent Salvation.
Sometimes it's difficult, isn't it? to forgive others. And we'll think of that next week. There are situations in life All of us have experienced them and experienced them when we are offended. When we feel someone has wronged us.
And we're going to deal with that. But before looking at the particulars of the teaching of Jesus this morning, let me say. That there are many situations in life, and you know this if you're married. Uh where Every wrong Perceived or real. Doesn't require confrontation.
We're going to deal with situations which require confrontation, but there are many situations in life where we are a bit offended, and rather than make an issue of it, we should show what the Bible calls as forbearance, forbearing with one another. Paul writes with all humility. And gentleness with patience, bearing with one another in love. Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. True of the home, True of the church, true in your workplace.
That when we're offended, we don't need to make an issue of something, but rather, certainly, those of us who are following Jesus.
Sometimes we choose to ignore the situation. To suffer the insult, certainly to forgive from our hearts, to move on, to be kind, not to gossip about this wrong. But rather to understand as Peter tells us. That love covers a multitude of sins. No?
The scripture is not saying that we cover up our sin, but we are saying in a loving situation, whether it's in our marriage or home or at work. Certainly in the church. that when we love someone We show that forbearance, that gentleness, that patience with them, understanding that we ourselves are also sinful people. But how do we act? And what should we do when we are aware that a brother or sister in Christ is sinning against us?
What are we to do if that person persists? In that sin, in that wrongdoing, in that divisive conduct, in that malicious gossip, in that false teaching, in that very sinful behavior, what are we to do?
Well, let's turn to Matthew chapter 18. The Lord Jesus is going to tell us exactly what we are to do. Sadly, this scripture. is rarely followed, but is very, very clear. We're dealing this morning with spiritual restoration.
We're going to read first of all verses 12 through 14, where Jesus, in a sense, summarizes a story which is given in more detail in Luke chapter 15 of the sheep which strays, but he's dealing not so much, I think, with the unbeliever, but when we as believers stray. Have you ever stretched, spiritually speaking? Anyone here ever got off track spiritually? I should say a flood of hands. Which one of us would say that we have never strayed?
Which one of us would say that we have always faithfully followed Jesus every day? No, the reality is. that we do Stray. Verse twelve. The end of Matthew 18, what do you think?
Isn't Jesus the The perfect teacher. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, Does not Does he not leave the 99 on the mountains? and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it Truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 that never went astray.
So It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones. Should perish. A reminder that our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect shepherd. Three times in the verses I read, we have the words going astray. I remember when I was practicing law, we had a client who's a very wealthy farmer.
And I remember going to his farm and him explaining his problem to me that he was a grower of leeks. In Scotland, we eat a lot of leeks, you don't seem to eat them so much here. But he had many, many acres of leeks. And during the winter months when there was snow, His neighbor farmer, instead of taking care of his sheep and building the fences between the two farms, Uh he let the fences at least this was our client's um contention and I always believed what our client said. Of course.
But this is his explanation. And the neighbor's sheep. Strayed into his field and, in fact, ate the leeks. Sheep do not normally eat leeks, but because the farmer in the neighboring field was a poor shepherd, wasn't feeding his sheep, and the sheep straight. And Jesus is reminding us that we are like sheep.
The Bible tells us that in several ways, all we like sheep have gone astray. One of the characteristics of sheep They're not the most intelligent uh animals. They love to stray. And when sheep stray, they tend to get into trouble. Here they are.
in a property they shouldn't belong to. They fall into the ditch. They get injured. And the reality is That when you and I, who are following Jesus Christ, when we are like sheep, And we go astray, we get ourselves into all kinds of problems, don't we? Our life begins to unravel.
We we create problems for ourselves. Uh four Our parents. For our husband, for our wife. For those that we work with, when we get off track, when we Straight. But notice what Jesus says.
What does the good shepherd do? Oh, the bad shepherd wouldn't care less. The good shepherd goes after The sheep. In Luke 15, the story is he searches and searches for that strange sheep until he finds it. How wonderful then.
That we who are sinful people who disregard God, who go our own way, that God does not leave us to our own devices. But rather in love, He sends His Son into this world as the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. Who comes to seek And to save those that are lost. Our Lord Jesus Christ comes on a mission. on a rescue mission.
to search and search for that lost sheep. Praise God. For that. We would never ever ever find our way back to God. We would go further and further away.
And how wonderful that God intervenes in our lives. And brings us to a church where we can hear the wonderful Message of the gospel. that if you repent of your sin, And if you turn from your sin and if you look to Christ and Christ alone, He will save you, He will cleanse you, He'll bring you to that eternal fold. Because when He finds that sheep, He gives that sheep. Eternal life.
and they shall never perish. And all of heaven rejoices. All of heaven rejoices over the one sheep. Think of the wonder of that. that heaven itself rejoices.
When that string sheep is found and brought. to the fold. Stray from time to time, but even, and here's the point in this passage, here's the context. That we who are following Jesus, we also sometimes stray. And praise God.
for spiritual shepherds. For pastors, for elders. For parents, for Sunday school teachers, for friends in Christ, that when we stray, They don't leave us to our own devices. but they in tenderness. As we will see.
confront us. The subject. is spiritual. restoration. What do you do?
When this person you know who's a brother or sister in Christ trays. And perhaps You're aware of their sin. In fact, their sin may be against you. Here it is. Step one.
Private. confrontation Step one, private confrontation. Verse 15: If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault. between you and him alone. Underline the word alone.
Very, very important. If he listens to you. You have gained Your brother. This confrontation is a sign of your love. and your care.
and your friendship of that person. Proverbs 27 verse 6. Better is open rebuke. Then hidden Love. Do I like to be rebuked?
No one likes to be rebuked. But it is necessary. If we're going to grow in the Lord. From time to time, all of us, including pastors, Need Open Rebuke. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Verse 6, Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Here is a person who flanders you, kisses you. But as they do that, they're stabbing you behind the back. That's a very antithesis of the teaching of Jesus.
Faithful. are the wounds of a friend. And can I say, brother, sister, When you are confronted regarding that sin, do not resent it. I realize you're first Reaction is going to be defensive. You're going to try and think of something where you can attack that person.
Don't do that. Remember, last week we learned that humility is key in the Christian life. When you go astray, And your brother or your sister has the integrity and the spiritual maturity to speak to you privately one-on-one. Say, praise God that this person loves me. Faithful.
are the wounds. of a friend. And listen. As Jesus says, Your brother or sister may listen to you. They may agree with you.
If he listens to you, verse 15, you have gained your brother. That's your goal. Your goal is not to devastate a person. Your goal is not to humiliate them, you want to gain them, you want to bring them back, as it were, to the path. Also you may have prejudged the issue.
You may have come to a wrong conclusion. you may not know all the relevant facts. You may have thought, well, I'm reading between the lines, but you're reading the wrong lines. You're adding two and two, but you're coming to five. This very, very wise procedure taught by the Lord Jesus protects us.
against premature judgment. And also prevents casting a shadow over someone's reputation where you make a judgment which could be very, very wrong, and instead of resolving that question with the individual on a private basis, you malign that person and, in a sense, assassinate. their character.
So what do you to do when that person Offend you. Don't jump to a conclusion. First step, private. confrontation because why your goal is spiritual Restoration. When you confront a person, they may admit their wrongdoing.
They may say, That is right. I was wrong. I did say that. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.
And the matter is Resolved. You have won. Your spiritual brother and sister in Christ. He or she has been spiritually restored. That's step one.
Step two. Private, step one, private confrontation. Step two, plural reproof. Verse 16. But if he does not listen, you say, Yeah, the person offends me, they don't listen to me.
Okay. If he doesn't listen, take one or two others along with you. That every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. This is brilliant teaching by Jesus, isn't it?
So you go to the person. They don't listen. Listen now. What's wrong? Her, go away.
I'm not going to meet with you. Or they meet with you and they start insulting you. They're proud. What you to do? you take one or two others with you.
So you're bringing someone else with you communicates to the person that this is serious. A third party also provides You don't bring your best friend. But you bring someone who you feel can bring some objectivity. And it also provides some protection for you, and as Jesus says, it provides corroboration of the conversation. That was very, very important in Jewish law.
Deuteronomy 19, verse 15: Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. That's wise.
Sometimes we don't have it in this legal system that someone can be convicted on the evidence of only one person. Not under Jewish law. Not under the law I practiced. Corroboration.
So one person, you go to the person, they don't listen to you. You bring. Another person with you, or two people with you. And you state the facts. Yes, they listen to the individual as well.
Here is corroboration. And in particular, Don't bring a charge. against an elder. Don't bring a charge against a pastor. Except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
You say, really? Yes, really. 1 Timothy 5, 17. 19 rather. 1 Timothy 5, 19.
Do not admit... A charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three. witnesses. That was part of the Jewish law. Paul is making it part of the evidence of the New Testament.
Why is that? Because church leaders are particularly susceptible to unfair criticisms and accusations, malicious rumors. And gossip? If you're in the public eye, if you're a politician, if you're in the media. If you're doing anything in public, you realize that you're a target.
And sometimes there is malicious statements. Think of all that goes on on social media today. People passing judgment. People making the most awful, awful accusations against people. That has no part.
in the vocabulary of the Christian.
So I go to the individual. He doesn't listen to me. I take a couple of the brothers with me. We go to the individual. If the individual then admits the wrongdoing, If the individual repents, the matter is at an end.
You have gained your brother. Spiritual restoration. has been achieved. But you say, well, what happens if they still don't listen? I'm glad you asked.
Verse 17. 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. Truly I say to you, whatever you bound on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you lose on earth shall be losed 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. Step one private confrontation. Septu.
Plural reproof. Step three. Public. Rebuke. If spiritual restoration has still not been achieved, The matter is brought.
to the church.
So, you've taken a couple of people with you, they still don't listen, the person's sin continues. Either immorality Their lies, whatever it is, their false doctrine, it continues. You bring it to the church. The leaders then of the church approach the individual who has yet another opportunity to repent. The leadership of the church will be in prayer.
They will give time to that individual to think of the seriousness of the situation. Having listened to the person, of course. You see, when people fall in sin, And you know this, if you've gone astray. Your heart's hard, isn't it? And when you're confronted, you may not initially admit.
You're saying. That was true of David, King David. with his sin of Bathsheba. Took a long time before he finally admitted as Nathan went to him and said, No, you are. the man.
You are wrong. You have offended God. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever.
but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry.
Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte.
We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well What's your verdict? I trust you personally have experienced spiritual restoration. All of us have sinned. We're like sheep going astray. The good shepherd comes, finds us, puts us on his shoulders and brings us back to the fold.
We love God's forgiveness, but sometimes we're very unforgiving and harsh with others. Follow the teaching of Jesus. Remember the goal is not to hurt the person or get even. The goal is to win your brother or sister. in the spiritual work of restoration.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
