Monday, March 14, 2011

Why Should I Forgive, Part 1 of 34

TEXT: "Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him' ” (Luke 17:3).

"Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that, by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17).

IDEA: Rebuke should be done thoughtfully to be done successfully.

PURPOSE: To have listeners think about how to make rebuke effective in the lives of other Christians.

Jesus says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” (Luke 17:3)

Do some people find this hard to do?

Do some people find this easy to do?

What are the dangers each of these people face?

How are we to go about the ministry of rebuke?

Jesus spells that out in Matthew 18:15-17:

“Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that, by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

Note that we’re dealing with a question of SULK.

Jesus isn’t saying, “If your brother irritates you, or upsets you, or ignores you, or disagrees with you about some practice, you are to follow this procedure about that.” This procedure deals with sin.

Another Christian word covers irritations:  forbearance.

We are to bear with one another. We are to put up with things that irritate us, forgive them without saying anything to the person involved. We are not to make such matters a matter of confrontation or discipline.