The Unmerciful Servant

Matthew 18 is a very well-known passage for it details the process for Biblical church discipline. At the sin of a brother or sister, we are to go and "reprove [them] in private" which means that we are to point out their error. (Matthew 18:15) If they do not listen, we are to bring a witness and do the same. (Matthew 18:16) And if they still refuse to listen, we are to tell it to the church whose job it will be to shepherd the one in sin unto repentance. (Matthew 18:17) But if, tragically, this brother or sister refuses to repent, eventually the process will lead to excommunication where the person is delivered over to Satan and declared to be a non-Christian. (Matthew 18:17b-20)

This is the very difficult call of church discipline. In fact, the difficulty of this process can be measured by how infrequently it actually is practiced today. The tendency when we are wronged is rather than going to the brother or sister who has offended us we go to our spouse or best friend who ultimately counsels us to go to "the pastor." And thus, the Biblical and positive path of church discipline is neglected and rejected for gossip!

For a transcript of this sermon follow the outside web link.