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• Old Testament verses supporting this theme, including Proverbs 27 and Leviticus 19
• The importance of not harboring hatred or seeking revenge
• The duty to expose and confront sin in others, and the responsibility that comes with it
• The command to love one's neighbor as oneself
• The concept of reconciliation and its two-way nature
• The need for humility and gentleness when addressing sin in oneself and others
• The identity of being saved sinners and the importance of acknowledging our brokenness
• The nature of sin as deliberate acts of hurting others' faith through unrepentant living
• Christian legalism vs. a lifestyle of care and gentleness in confronting sin
• The importance of seeking reconciliation over confrontation
• The need for humility when addressing someone else's sin
• Recognizing the heart behind Jesus' teaching on confronting sin and patterns of life
• The speaker is distinguishing between struggling with sin and a lifestyle of sin that rejects change
• This pattern of sin involves thinking "I don't need to change" and taking God's throne as the ultimate judge of one's life
• Confronting this pattern requires care and gentleness, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 18
• If people listen and repent, it means they have been won back into the family of God, similar to the prodigal son parable
• The goal is reconciliation, which involves power and joy in forgiveness and restoration of relationships
• The importance of a one-on-one conversation to address sin
• Bringing in small groups and the church community if necessary
• Telling it to the pastor or the whole church as a last resort
• Exhausting all means to win back a lost brother or sister
• The role of the church coming together with gentleness and care
• Recognizing that reconciliation may not always be possible
• Discussing church orders and their role in guiding a healthy church fellowship
• The concept of accountability among church members, as stated in Article 79 of the church order
• The responsibility of church elders and deacons to instruct and remind members of their duties
• The goal of reconciliation for erring or sinning members through repentance and forgiveness
• Jesus' teaching on authority within the church, including the role of the church community versus individual authority
• Authority within church communities
• Problematic use of the pulpit for rebuke and conflict resolution
• Comparison with secular institutions, such as politicians in a House of Commons meeting
• Paul's warning on rebukes and confrontation of sin in Galatians 6
• Danger of sinning in anger during rebukes or confrontations
• Quotes from St. Augustine and John Calvin on forgiveness and reconciliation, accountability, and confronting fellow believers in the church
• The concept of confronting others about their unhealthy patterns vs letting them be
• Critique of individualistic culture and its message to "do you" without accountability
• Discussion of biblical teachings on carrying each other's burdens in the church community
• Importance of speaking into one another's lives with gentleness and care
• Contrast between Jesus' teaching on treating sinners with seriousness and care vs simply dropping them without effort
• Warning against sinning in anger or holding grudges
• Importance of starting small and taking one step at a time
• The good news of the gospel being for us, not just challenging us to fail
• The foundation of forgiveness and leaning on God through every step
• The role of the Holy Spirit guiding us every step of the way
• Seeking to be a community of forgiveness and reconciliation
• Journeying through difficult processes together in humility and wisdom
[0.00 --> 9.82] Good morning, Hope.
[11.82 --> 15.24] This morning we are continuing with our series on forgiveness.
[16.08 --> 20.66] And I actually want to highlight the subtitle for our series as we begin this morning.
[21.12 --> 24.52] As you can see, if you can see in the graphic there with the pictures,
[25.34 --> 29.82] forgiveness, and the subtitle is Learning to Live in Grace.
[30.28 --> 31.46] With grace.
[32.16 --> 34.52] And that's what we want to focus in on today.
[35.10 --> 40.76] We have now reflected for the last couple of weeks on what it means to forgive as we have been forgiven.
[41.64 --> 46.20] This is our Christian identity, a way of life to live in grace.
[46.72 --> 52.84] And if you haven't been able to listen to our past sermons here for the last couple of weeks on forgiveness,
[53.38 --> 57.50] I strongly encourage you, whether you can go onto our YouTube site,
[57.50 --> 59.90] or you can listen to us on podcast.
[60.40 --> 62.48] We do have a podcast, by the way.
[62.90 --> 66.80] And so I'm not just promoting it because I edit it and I'm in charge of it or anything.
[67.66 --> 70.38] I just, I'm not big on the numbers thing.
[70.44 --> 71.46] I don't need more followers.
[71.92 --> 73.80] It's just the way, if you miss a sermon,
[73.90 --> 77.70] it's a great way to listen to it on your drive to work or wherever you can listen.
[78.24 --> 80.14] Listen to the past sermons on forgiveness.
[80.14 --> 85.10] And today is a continuation of, obviously, our sermon series.
[85.80 --> 91.52] We continue with this difficult and sometimes seemingly impossible identity of ours.
[92.04 --> 98.58] This living out, this lifestyle of forgiving because we have been forgiven.
[98.58 --> 108.84] And today we hear from Jesus who teaches us specifically on how to handle conflicts among brothers and sisters in His church, His body.
[109.60 --> 111.12] This is a word for us, church.
[111.48 --> 116.20] And so if you have your Bible with you, or if you can follow along on the screen,
[116.38 --> 120.84] we are in Matthew chapter 18 this morning and also Galatians chapter 6.
[120.84 --> 126.98] So we'll start with Matthew 18, verse 15, where Jesus tells us,
[127.52 --> 134.14] If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault just between the two of you.
[134.78 --> 137.90] If they listen to you, you have won them over.
[138.42 --> 146.38] 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.
[146.38 --> 150.96] If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church.
[151.66 --> 156.82] And if they refuse to listen to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
[157.80 --> 160.98] Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
[161.18 --> 163.98] and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
[164.62 --> 169.54] And again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for,
[169.86 --> 172.42] it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
[172.42 --> 177.86] Because where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
[178.64 --> 181.14] And from Galatians, Paul says to the church,
[181.56 --> 184.14] Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin,
[184.68 --> 188.90] you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.
[189.88 --> 193.68] But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
[194.50 --> 195.90] Carry each other's burdens.
[195.90 --> 199.54] And in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
[200.40 --> 200.90] Amen.
[200.90 --> 206.64] Personally, as we've been learning and reflecting from this sermon series,
[206.74 --> 208.00] and thinking about forgiveness,
[208.46 --> 211.70] there is one thing that I really, really resonate with.
[212.36 --> 214.22] And it is the fact that forgiveness,
[214.76 --> 217.16] and seeking reconciliation that comes with it,
[217.44 --> 219.48] is extremely difficult.
[220.54 --> 222.44] It is very, very difficult.
[222.80 --> 223.94] And what I want to say is,
[223.94 --> 228.02] it is much harder to forgive and seek true reconciliation,
[228.82 --> 230.82] compared to just forgetting about it,