Holy (Matthew 18:10-20)
We are in a short series to begin the new year entitled the church Jesus wants. We thought last week about the fact that Jesus wants a church founded on the truth.
Jesus wants a church that reflects God’s holy love.
This morning we are looking at the second mention of church in Matthew’s gospel, and we will see here that Jesus wants a church that reflects God’s holy love.
A church reflects God’s holy love is characterized by 3 things:
Helping each other towards heaven
Confronting each others sin
Trusting in God’s promises
Helping each other towards heaven
Read Matthew 18:10-14.
We are dropping here into the middle of a sermon that Jesus preached, the fourth of fifth different discourses in Matthew’s gospel, and this one is all about the Christian community. It was prompted by the disciples asking who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, you can see that up in Matthew 18:1. This is something that they were always talking about concerned about, just as all human beings are. Who is the best? How do we get ahead? How do you move up the ladder in this group? In the sermon Jesus tells them that his kingdom flips all the expectations of the world on their head — in His kingdom you get to the top by being humble like a child, down at the bottom. That is how He begins. At the end, He says that in His kingdom you should be merciful and forgiving, not harsh and unforgiving.
Here in the middle He talks about the attitude we should have towards other members of the community. That is what he means by “these little ones” in Matthew 18:10. In Matthew 18:6, we read the phrase, “little ones who believe in me”. This is a way Jesus likes to refer to His disciples. Sometimes they are actually children, but all of them are child-like in their faith and trust in Him. He says here “see” or “make sure” that you don’t despise them (Matt 18:10).
Don’t despise other believers. It’s a negative command, but we wonder, why would we despise them? Realise that Jesus is forming a community unlike any other, not based on any of the ways that the world forms communities. The world forms community based on commonality: maybe a common ethnicity — we are all Malay, or Chinese, or Indian, or a common socioeconomic level — we are all middle class working professionals, or based on common interests — we all like football and think Liverpool is the best — some kind shared enthusiasm. In that sense people form community based on a perceived benefit from the group identity. I’m friends with people that I think can help me or benefit me in some way.
Jesus is forming a community based on a singular thing that cuts across the other groups — that people believe He is the Christ the son of the living God.
Jesus is doing nothing like that. Jesus is forming a community based on a singular thing that cuts across the other groups — that people believe He is the Christ the son of the living God. This is wonderful, but creates an awkward situation. You’ve got Zealots who want to overthrow the government and tax collectors who work for the government and respectable moralists and prostitutes and formerly blind beggars and educated people of means and people from Africa and the Middle East and Europe — they are all thrown together, how He says they are the ekklesia, the church. There are 1000 reasons why this new group of people might start looking down on each other or disliking or ignoring each other.
But Jesus doesn’t want His church to be like that, so look at what He does. He says the negative, don’t despise each other, then He brings the positive and tells them to be like God. Look at this.
These other believers may be new and unimportant to you, but they are important to God. In fact He says, in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matt 18:10). If you’ve ever heard of “guardian angels” this is the main text it come from — I don’t think it means that each person has one and only one designated angel to take care of them, but collectively angels do watch over God’s children. Hebrews 1:14 says of angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
God sends His angels, His messengers to serve believers, because they are precious to Him and they need help. And because these angels also stand in the very presence of God, even the least of believers — though they are nothing in the eyes of this world — they have an audience with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Every single one of them. How would you treat someone if you knew they had the ear of the prime minister?
So we have to stop and ask ourselves how we look at others in the church. Who do we overlook? Avoid? Do we gravitate towards people because of their faith or because they meet some felt need of ours? Are we looking to bless people or benefit from people?
Jesus wants to push us even further than that, so he draws us in with a hypothetical question. He asks “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one goes astray, does he not leave 99 to go in search of the one that went astray? (Matt 18:12)” And if he finds it he rejoices over it more than over the 99 (Matt 18:13). You don’t have to know much about sheep herding to get the point here — but Jesus fills out the meaning of the illustration by saying “So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matt 18:14)”
Now you can read that as just a statement of the eternal security of the believer — Jesus will save all that are His. That is true. But in the context of Him giving the negative — don’t despise these other believers. And then the positive example here about how God the Father Himself is like a shepherd committed to chasing down lost sheep and finding them and rejoicing over them and making sure they don’t perish meaning they make it to heaven. Well, the implication is that this is how you and I should be living in this thing called the church.
What we are doing here is trying to help each other get to heaven. We are trying to watch over each other…
This will revolutionize your view of church. What we are doing here is not getting a spiritual jolt for the week, or just having a version of tuition for our kids, or trying to check off some box about being a good person, or making our parents happy, we are not trying to find some music we dig or a preacher that makes us laugh. What we are doing here is trying to help each other get to heaven. We are trying to watch over each other, and if I begin to stray from the path you come help me, and I’ll try to do that for you too.
Our church covenant says it this way: We will be devoted to one another in brotherly love; to watch over, pray for, patiently bear with, forgive, encourage, and admonish one another with love, humility and gentleness.
The elders have a special role in this as those called as shepherds of the flock. But this is not merely for pastors, it is addressed to all Christians. All of us should take responsibility to be like God in chasing down stray sheep. If you stopped coming to church for a number of weeks, I sure hope that someone would come try to find out why. That’s not nosy, that necessary. This is the kind of community we desperately want to build here. The kind where members take responsibility for fellow members, where this results in pursuing deeper relationships, where we are willing to have hard conversations with someone who is flirting with the world, where we are seeking to know and be known.
Jesus wants a church where far from despising each other or ignoring each other, we are trying to help each other spiritually. God’s holy love is reflected by helping each other towards heaven.
So Jesus wants a church where far from despising each other or ignoring each other, we are trying to help each other spiritually.
So God’s holy love is reflected by helping each other towards heaven. There is a second thing that reflects His holy love:
Confronting each other’s sin
Jesus gets more specific here in Matthew 18:15-17. There are different ways to help each other spiritually, but one of the biggest ways is confronting each other when we see each other in sin. What do we do then? This is super practical.
Jesus says here to: go to the right person with the right motive following the right procedure.
1. Go
The ESV reading here in Matthew 18:15, adds two words that are not in some of the earliest manuscripts “against you” – this is a hard textual decision, about half of the early manuscripts just say “if your brother sins” the other half “if your brother sins against you” so the NIV and the NAS you won’t find those last two words. Regardless, this passage has application both for directly interpersonal sins as well as sins more generally. This passage is very useful in conflict resolution for sure, but it goes beyond that. So think about any scenario where you find out that your brother or sister in Christ has committed some sort of sin.
Remember our immediate context is leaving the 99 sheep to go track down the one lost one. Well here the lostness takes the form of a brother or sister in sin. “Brother” here, “adelphos” in Greek is sometimes used as a collective for both male and female.
What kind of sin are we talking about?
This is an outward sin. This is something that can be observed by others, it involves witnesses so it can be observed and confirmed, there is some kind of evidence that could be presented — and fault can be established. So things like greed, lust, hatred are definitely sins, will be judged by God, do indeed hurt people — but they are not things that are primarily in view here.
This is a serious sin. Not everything that might be an observable sin is to be chased down and rebuked. There are interpersonal sins that fall under the category of offenses to be overlooked, we are called to bear with one another. You can imagine the married couple that starts trying to apply this every time the other is short or impatient with them. Is impatience a sin? Yes, often it is. Overlooking an offense is often in order. But we are talking about serious sin here.
This is unrepented-of sin. If the person had already repented there is no need to go. So they are blind to it, or don’t want to admit it, maybe you are not sure at first.
But the point is that in these cases we are to go. Go. The greek word here is imperative. A command. Go and have a conversation with them. Not the church leaders, you. Not someone else who you think knows them better. Somehow you know about this sin, and you are to go to them.
“But what if I am not a confrontational-type person?” I often wonder who this supposed confrontational type person is. Anyone like potentially awkward, potentially relationship-breaking, potentially conflict-filled conversations? Not me. But Jesus says go.
“Go and show him his fault. (Matt 18:15)” So you go and you explain what you observed or heard. Sometimes in your going you will be acknowledging you are not sure, you are giving the benefit of the doubt. But even if they don’t immediately agree or see it, if they have in fact done wrong you need to tell them that. Go.
2. To the right person
Notice who you go to — “between you and him alone. (Matt 18:15)” The person who sinned. It is a wonder to me that the idea of church discipline should be viewed as unloving, when it is in fact worldly human community that is unloving. When someone sins, who gets talked to? Everyone except the person. “Have you heard about so-and-so? It’s a sad state of affairs.” “What did you hear?” “Well, I heard…” People’s reputations are not spared. This is especially true in interpersonal conflict and sin — where one party feels aggrieved but they do not follow Jesus’ words here. It can feel good to vent our frustration to others, maybe we don’t even realize that what we are doing has no chance of solving the actual problem. We are in fact compounding their sin against us by sinning against them — through gossip.
Many times I’ve had to stop someone who is telling me about a sin someone else has committed — and just ask them “Have you talked to them about it?” Jesus wisdom here is profound for us. Think about all that could be avoided if we would just go to the right person, the person himself or herself.
3. With the right motive
Matthew 18:15b sums up a motivation that is entirely of love. What motivates the difficult task of going and having this conversation? It is the realisation that sin destroys, it brings pain, it brings the judgment of God. So out of a concern for the person you go, and if they listen, hallelujah! You have gained your brother or sister! Gained them back to a right relationship with God and with you as their fellow child of God. Restoration, joy, fellowship.
The fact that the goal is for them to listen also changes the tone and tenor of the conversation. You want to be persuasive. You want to communicate a sense of care even as you bring up a hard topic.
The motive is love. Church discipline is an incredibly loving thing. Think of all the ways it is loving:
It is loving to the individual sinner who can be saved from the consequences of their sin.
It is loving to the church, that others can be warned about the danger of that sin.
It is loving to the watching world that is kept from becoming confused about Christianity.
And it is loving to Jesus, whose name and reputation is on the line in the life of every Christian.
4. Following the right procedure
Matthew 18:16-17 puts it this way: “But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and let him be to you as a Gentile and tax collector.”
Sometimes people are hardened to their own sin, they can’t see it, and they have rationalised it. Or, they are simply unwilling to do anything about it. This requires the next steps.
There is background here in Deuteronomy 19:15 — “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”
Taking someone along with you to have a follow-up conversation clarifies the matter. Is this just one person’s view, one person’s opinion? Multiple people speaking in unison also has greater persuasive power. Remember the tone and tenor of this conversation is an urging to repent. Let’s picture a person who has stopped attending church for a long time. Now here we have two or three brothers and sisters urging them to come back to the fellowship of the church. Their collective voice might prevail upon the person.
But even that might not work, they may refuse to listen even to two or three. And so the final step is to bring it to the church, to the entire local gathering of the believers. Jesus says that at this point they are to be treated, if unrepentant, as a Gentile or a tax collector. Now what does that mean, it sounds ominous.
Well it means someone outside the covenant community. Gentiles did not believe in the God of the Bible, and tax collectors were Jews who had made a decision to work with the conquering Roman Empire, and were renowned for living an ungodly life. The point is not to say these are people to be treated rudely, but that these are not people that you treat as believers. You are treating them as unbelievers. Keep in mind that Matthew who is recording all this was a tax collector!
As a church we are making a collective decision that the unrepentant sinner no longer has a credible profession of faith. They may continue to say that they believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God, but their life no longer backs up that profession. So we as a congregation are putting that person out of our membership, saying we no longer affirm their claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Some people have mistaken this as a shunning, but the goal for this person is still repentance — in our context we would still want to speak with them, still want them to come to church to hear the gospel preached. But the way we communicate with them should change completely — we would not treat them as a brother or sister in Christ, we would want to speak with them about their need to repent and the spiritual danger they are in. Intimate fellowship we would avoid, because we wouldn’t want to confuse them into thinking they are OK when they are not.
Jesus tells us go to the right person with the right motive following the right procedure.
So Jesus tells us go to the right person with the right motive following the right procedure.
He wants us as a church to live this way. The great majority of the time we should be living in the first step. Our aim in our relationships and fellowship should be to welcome others speaking into our lives. As Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted”. And so hopefully most things are caught early, they aren’t allowed to fester and get entrenched.
Beloved these are our marching orders. This is what we are to do, simple and straightforward, but let me ask you, are you willing? I think a lot of times when we talk about leaving the 99 and going after the 1 we imagine it to be an easy task. A nice little chat over coffee and then butterflies and rainbows. More often it takes courage to speak with someone, feeling a little sick in your stomach and then having to start talking completely uncertain of what will happen next.
I can tell you that the only people who have made a marked impact on my life are the people who were willing to speak the truth to me even when it hurt. I’ll bet you are the same way. So we must resolve to do this for each other.
Jesus wants us to reflect His holy love by confronting each other’s sin. There is a final way…
Trusting in God’s promises
There are three promises here in Matthew 18:18-20 and they are a meant as a support and encouragement about the hard things He has just called us to. As we are faithful to try to help each other towards heaven and confront each other’s sin, what has He promised? What can we expect from Jesus? Three things.
1. We can expect Jesus’ authority to stand behind us.
As Matthew 18:18 writes, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Binding and loosing was used of making decisions of right and wrong, truth and error, we saw last week that Jesus used it in describing the use of the keys of the kingdom to declare who is inside and outside. We don’t save anyone, but do make declaration about right belief and right conduct. Here in the context about church discipline—we are saying about the unrepentant sinner—that is not Christian behaviour. That is conduct inconsistent with a person who says “I follow Jesus.” That person’s profession of faith is not credible to us. When we do that rightly, Jesus says He has our back. Heaven stands behind the church that does this rightly. So the first promise is that we have His authority, we have that power of attorney as described last week.
2. We can expect Jesus to work through our obedience to bring people back from the brink.
Matthew 18:19 reads, “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.” This verse is regularly quoted without context as an encouragement to pray. That is fine, God does answer prayer and corporate prayer is powerful as we unite our hearts together in asking God to act. But here in context it seems clear to me the request is that God would work through our obedience to bring people back from the brink of destruction.
The word here for anything, any matter or deed literally — it often refers to a matter in a legal case. In English “anything” just sounds like any thing, but here it is about the matter or deed in question. So the believers and the church are pictured as praying, as asking God to work and are given a promise that God is going to respond. God is going to bring the wayward home. God is going to purify His church.
Paul writes this about church discipline in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5: “When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”
Friends that is what we want. We expect Jesus to work through our obedience to bring people back.
3. We can expect God to bless our church.
Matthew 18:20 is an often quoted verse, but rarely in context. The point of this verse is not to say that if a few of you meet up for lunch in the CBD that Jesus is with you. That is true, and I hope you do, but that is not the point here.
This promise of his presence is meant to encourage the church that is gathered in His name — His name is His character, His holy character and His loving character. He is pleased to dwell with this kind of church. The church that founds itself on the right doctrine and enacts loving discipline.
150 years ago Baptist Pastor John Dagg provocatively said, “When discipline leaves a church, Christ leaves with it.”
That is because the converse is true — if we do not found our church on holiness and love, we have no reason to expect His presence.
So as we begin this new year, let’s set ourselves on these things. To so pray and so work do be a church that reflects the character of God.
Searching for the lost sinner — not willing that any of these little ones would perish.
Confronting the sin that unrepented of brings disaster and destruction.
Trusting in God to do the supernatural work that only He can do.
That is the church Jesus wants, the church we can expect Him to bless.
I don’t know how many of us will be here in 2050. We might be curious about what things will be like then. What songs will they be singing? How big will the church be? What will they look like? Will there still be so many kids around? Those things are interesting, but they aren’t nearly as important as this: will our life together reflect the holy love of God?
Let’s pray.