Regulating Precepts (Mat. 5:21-24; 18:15-17)

In this part of the sermon: Using an old commentator's vivid description, Martin details the scenario of a worshiper remembering a brother's legitimate complaint against him at the altar, highlighting the…

Martin quotes an old commentator who vividly describes an Israelite at the temple altar, about to offer a sacrifice, when he suddenly remembers a brother has a just complaint against him. This illustrates the concrete situation Jesus envisions in Matthew 5:23-24.

And there remember that your brother has something against you. One of the old commentators so graphically describes what our Lord is envisioning that I want to read a paragraph of his commentary to set it before you. The meaning evidently is do not, I'm sorry, the meaning evidently is not dismiss from your own breast all ill feeling. But get your brother to dismiss from his mind all grudge against you.

16:50 - 17:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Husbands and wives, reconcile immediately after conflict, even on Sunday morning, before worship.

Martin provides an example of a husband and wife, or parents and children, having a tense exchange on a Sunday morning. He applies Matthew 5:23-24 by asking what it would mean to take this seriously and reconcile before church service or family worship.

No, God says in his word in this passage that the responsibility rests upon the one aware of the brother's sin. The brother's complaint to take the initiative to rectify the issue. Now, dear people, if we took this seriously, do you see the profound implications it would have? What would it mean when you husbands and wives in the rush of a Sunday morning had stumbled over the chain of command and somehow things got tense and there was a nasty, sharp word spoken by husband to wife or wife to husband?

33:29 - 34:06 Read in full sermon

The point: If your brother sins against you, go and reprove him alone, not telling others first.

Martin describes the common, instinctive reaction when wronged: telling closest friends (husband/wife) to elicit sympathy and stir animosity against the offender. This highlights the natural tendency that Matthew 18:15 corrects.

It doesn't say, if your brother sinned against you, go and tell your closest friends and seek their sympathy for you and stir up their animosity toward your brother. Alas, that's what many of us do by instinct. And if you don't admit it, you have either attained a level of sanctification beyond the average church member in Trinity Baptist Church, or you're lying.

45:34 - 46:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not give up on reconciliation if the first attempt fails; escalate the matter with witnesses if the sin is serious.

Martin shares his observation of people who can make moving, generic confessions of depravity in prayer but would rather die than own a specific sin against a fellow mortal. This illustrates the pride that hinders reconciliation.

of Hebrews 3 to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, though a brother has come and pointed out a specific sin. He's putting himself in the high road to apostasy. I've met lots of people in my life who can make the most moving, generic confessions of depravity in their prayers, but who would rather die than own one sin in the presence of a fellow mortal and say, I sinned against you. Will you forgive me?

50:29 - 51:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Regard unresolved issues between brethren as serious enough to escalate to public discipline if not resolved.

Martin recounts an old writer's observation that if God's people obeyed both Matthew 5 and Matthew 18, the offender and the offended would often meet halfway between their houses, running towards each other to reconcile. This vividly portrays the posture of obedience to both directives.

disaggregation would be a new intention because we are going towards יה worship you remember that you are the one who wronged another. There you remember your brother has something against you. In the Matthew 18 passage, you are the one who has been wronged. And as one old quaint writer said, if God's people ever obeyed this, you know what would happen? They'd often be meeting halfway between each other's houses in obedience

56:21 - 56:58 Read in full sermon

The point: When seeking counsel about a private offense, do not name names.

Martin shares a recent experience where a pastor sought his counsel on a 'sordid, sickening, vile' church discipline issue, but never named the guilty party. This illustrates the principle that knowledge of private offense should go no further than necessary.

you and him alone. And if you're not exactly sure and you need counsel, don't name names. I've been involved in the last couple of weeks in one of the most sordid, sickening, vile aspects of church discipline that I've ever had my counsel sought about. A pastor has spent hours on the phone with me, but to this day, if the man guilty walked through the door, I wouldn't know him. He's

58:53 - 59:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Constantly soak your souls in gospel realities to make obedience to these peacemaking directives natural.

Martin describes instances where a 'shepherd' (likely a fellow pastor or elder) has confessed grievous sin against him, and his response is immediate, free, and full forgiveness, illustrating the spirit of a 'forgiving saint'.

There's almost a sense in which we should long to have opportunities to see the spirit of the gospel manifested in our interpersonal dealings. How many times in my own study when one of the shepherds has come and acknowledged some grievous area of deflection from the law of God and the ways of God and at times attitudes and dispositions and things that were sins against me and they finally have gotten it all out and I've said, my brother, my sister, you've asked forgiveness. You are freely, fully, unreservedly forgiven.

63:08 - 63:50 Read in full sermon