[FBC] Why Children Matter, Part II - Matthew 18 - 2013.12.01
Channel: Foundation Bible Church
Date: 02/12/2013

Most people sense that life has meaning, but what kind of life does God value? The kind of life you value reflects what you think is important and charts the course of your life.

Last week, in Matthew 18: 1 - 14, we saw two primary takeaways: 1) Be humble, 2) Care about children.

Picking up from Matthew 18: 15 - 20, we begin the church discipline portion of the chapter. We see that going to a person who's offended you in person destroys gossip.
In verse 18, binding / loosing is about capturing and setting free, condemning and absolving. When Christ talks about church discipline, he's not about grinding someone down, he's about winning obstinate hearts. If, after working through the system, the Christian still won't humble themselves and accept correction, it is appropriate to remove them from fellowship (not hurt them, not kill them, just remove them). God says, in effect, "If you love Me, walk with Me. If you don't, walk away."

Questions to ask before kicking a recalcitrant person: 
* Is the person still learning?
* Is it best for the person to keep learning in the fellowship of the church?
* Has the church leadership done all we can? Is there something the church leadership should humble themselves to change?

2 reasons to remove someone from fellowship:
1) To ultimately win their heart back to Christ. (You can't do that if you destroy them, but you can if you quietly but firmly remove them for a season.)
2) If sin and rebellion are ignored in the Body of Christ, it could destroy the church.