OPEN CONFLICT

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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In today’s devotional, which has been taken from Jesus’ teaching on how to prayerfully and lovingly seek to help a fellow believer who is struggling with an ongoing and outward area of sin, we come to the part that scares us all to bits. 

In today’s message from Matthew 18:15-17 we hear about what it means to hold someone accountable for their actions before the wider community of faith. To make sure we understand the context, let’s reread the teaching from our Lord:

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 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 or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

(Matthew 18:15-17 NIV11)

Third

In verse 17, we hear about the third step in the process of confronting someone we love with the effects and consequences of their ongoing sin or rebellion against the Lord. 

Just to recap, the following steps are assumed:

•  You are certain that their action is objectively seen as sinful. 
•  You have prayed and checked your motives with the Lord.
•  You have brought the issue to the person in a face-to-face situation. 
•  They made no effort to change, as seen in the fruit of their actions. 
•  You gathered with one or two others to pray and seek the Lord. 
•  Your small group brought your concerns to the person face-to-face. 
•  They continued on in their area of sin and rebellion. 
•  You have prayed and sought the Lord in this area and feel that you need to take further action for the good of the person and for the good of the wider community of faith. 

Refusal

In verse 17, the following condition has been set for us, “If they still refuse to listen”. It is important to ask the question, how would you know if they have refused to repent and seek change?

It is important that after the small group meeting, that you give the person space to think about what your group lovingly shared. Also, it is essential that you allow the Holy Spirit to act. Conviction and change of heart are the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of a sinner. 

We cannot assume that because they responded negatively when confronted that they will not follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and seek the Lord’s help in making the change that you long for them to make. Give them time and space to demonstrate the fruit of repentance before you take the next step. 

Community

In the next section of verse 17 we are told to, “tell it to the church.”  Who are we supposed to get involved in this next step? We have traditionally translated the Greek term of, ekklesia, which is used in this teaching, to mean the organized and developed church of Jesus Christ. 

This has led to some massive issues and problems over the centuries. The term used for church here is also a very basic term that is often used to describe any group that is gathered together for a purpose. 

Disciples

In context, when Jesus Christ gave this instruction, he was speaking to his community, his collection (ekklesia) of his disciples. 

In Matthew 18:1 we hear that the setting for this collection of teachings was that of the inner collection of disciples. In this context, this instruction would be applied to the small group of Jesus’ closest followers. 

Example

If we were to read this teaching in its actual setting and not jump forward in time and assume this was speaking to the future church, then this might look a little different. To help this make sense, here is an example scenario:

•  Imagine that Peter sees John engaged in a destructive and sinful behavior. 
•  Because Peter loves John as a brother, he is worried for him. 
•  Peter prays for John, but the behavior continues. 
•  Peter then sits down with John and speaks the truth in love to John. 
•  John resents Peter’s intrusion into his life and tells him to walk across the lake. 
•  Peter sees that John has made no change in his actions, so Peter prays for John again. 
•  Peter gathers Bartholomew and Thomas and, without gossiping, tells them that John is struggling and that he (Peter) needs some backup for their next meeting. 
•  All three men sit down with John and again tell the truth in love. 
•  John says he will change.
•  Time passes, and Peter sees that John is dishonest about his repentance as he continues on with his sins. 
•  Peter then gathers the other disciples together, along with John, and again tells the truth in love. 
•  At this point, John can see that his sin is affecting the whole community of faith and that this is something that his closest friends are seriously concerned about for John. 
•  How John responds to this situation will tell the whole group exactly what John thinks of his sins, his friends, and Christ’s command. 

Hard place

If you should ever find yourself in this kind of a situation, you will no doubt have been walking with the person you are seeking to help for a long time. Your heart will be heavy for them and you will desire to see them turn from their destructive and sinful ways. In the last section of this teaching we will hear how Jesus instructs us to respond to those who continue on in their rebellion and sin. 

Pray

But for today, we should pray for those in our lives who are in places of addiction and suffering as a result of their sin. We should refuse to stand over them as though we are free from sin and superior to them in any way. Were it not for the grace of Christ and the work of the Spirit in our lives, we, too, could be in such a hard place as well. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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