How to Mend the Unity of the Spirit

In this part of the sermon: Martin uses the analogy of maintaining physical health to illustrate the three ways to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit: avoiding harmful things, engaging in healthy practices, and…

The analogy of maintaining physical health (avoiding bad things, doing good things, seeking medical help when sick) is used to frame the three ways to maintain the Holy Spirit's presence: avoiding sins, cultivating graces, and using divine 'medicines' for disunity.

indulging the particular sins which will rupture the unity of the Spirit, secondly, by failing to cultivate the graces essential to the maintenance of the unity of the Spirit, and thirdly, and this is our focus this morning, by refusing to implement the means ordained by God for the mending or restoration of that unity when it has been fractured. And as I tried to think of an illustration that would help you to hold these things in your mind as a working framework and sphere of reference for your own walk before God and your walk among your brethren,

7:41 - 8:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Take these three specimen passages to heart and seriously as a congregation to avoid grieving the Spirit.

The example of Noah's drunkenness and immoral behavior is used to illustrate the Bible's shocking realism in not hiding the sins of eminent saints.

The same Bible that says that when God looked down upon a wicked world, right for judgment prior to the flood, that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And yet the same Bible that marks out righteous Noah records the tragedy of his subsequent drunkenness and immoral behavior. The same Bible that describes David as a man, the same Bible that describes David as a man, The same Bible that describes David as a man, after God's own heart, and has given us in the book of the Psalms many of the expressions of the various dimensions of his devotion to Jehovah, records the sordid tale of his

10:52 - 11:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Take these three specimen passages to heart and seriously as a congregation to avoid grieving the Spirit.

The example of David's lust, adultery with Bathsheba, and murder of Uriah is used to further illustrate the Bible's shocking realism in not hiding the sins of eminent saints.

The same Bible that says that when God looked down upon a wicked world, right for judgment prior to the flood, that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And yet the same Bible that marks out righteous Noah records the tragedy of his subsequent drunkenness and immoral behavior. The same Bible that describes David as a man, the same Bible that describes David as a man, The same Bible that describes David as a man, after God's own heart, and has given us in the book of the Psalms many of the expressions of the various dimensions of his devotion to Jehovah, records the sordid tale of his

10:52 - 11:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Take these three specimen passages to heart and seriously as a congregation to avoid grieving the Spirit.

The example of the eminent church at Ephesus being rebuked for leaving its first love is used to illustrate the Bible's realism about sin even in prominent churches.

lusting, of his carnal, illicit sexual intercourse with Bathsheba, his wretched plotting for the murder of noble Uriah. I say the Bible is at times shockingly realistic in its teaching. It does not hide the sins of some of the most eminent saints, nor does it hide the sins of some of the most eminent churches. Ephesus was an eminent church, eminent in usefulness, and yet the Lord Jesus said, I have somewhat against thee, thou hast left thy first love.

11:34 - 12:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Matthew 18:15-35, clarifying that it refers to a brother sinning 'against thee' and outlining the steps: go and rebuke (convict) him alone, and if he hears, you've…

A humorous example of someone complaining about an improper greeting in the foyer is used to distinguish between real sin that fractures unity and trivial 'nitpicking' issues.

And what is the mark? God's law. Something so clearly sin that when you lay out the facts, two or three impartial brethren listening on can have their judgment convinced that the guy really sinned. Now, can you imagine trying to prove to two or three mature adult Christians that someone's sinned against them against you because when you passed them in the foyer, they didn't turn around 180 degrees and face you square on, but they just glanced over the shoulder and winked?

32:57 - 33:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Matthew 18:15-35, clarifying that it refers to a brother sinning 'against thee' and outlining the steps: go and rebuke (convict) him alone, and if he hears, you've…

A quotation from Lutheran commentator Lenski is used to define what constitutes a 'real sin' in Matthew 18, distinguishing it from minor faults or overly sensitive perceptions.

Listen to Lenski, the Lutheran commentator, commenting on these words. It is necessary, however, to note that only a real sin is referred to. One that is apparent as such when one or two other brethren are called in the case and when the whole congregation considers the matter, they are convinced that it is sin. This excludes what a sensitive brother may deem a sin without due warrant that it is such.

34:26 - 34:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Keep the knowledge of a brother's sin as limited and restrained as righteousness allows, by going to him alone first.

The Greek word for 'agree together' (symphony) is used as a metaphor for the church praying with one heart and voice, emphasizing that fractured unity renders this 'mighty weapon' useless.

And that word agree together, we transliterate the Greek word and get our word symphony. It's the picture of the church symphonizing with one heart and one voice in corporate prayer, one of its most mighty weapons. But if the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace has been fractured, that weapon lies useless in the church's hand.

43:01 - 43:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God's grace to sinners keeps no ledger.

The metaphor of God keeping a 'ledger' for sins is used to illustrate that God's grace is unlimited and does not keep accounts, urging believers to reflect this in their forgiveness of others.

God's grace to sinners keeps no ledger.

46:01 - 46:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Take heed to yourselves, watching out for those who might be an occasion of stumbling and ensuring you do not cause others to sin.

The analogy of a gangland murder where a man's feet are set in concrete and he's thrown into a lake is used to illustrate the severity of the woe pronounced on those who cause others to stumble.

There's the realism. But then with that, He says there's responsibility, but woe unto him through whom they come. It were well for him that a millstone, the large millstone that is drawn by the ox and grinds the grain, the large stone, millstone be hung about his neck and thrown into the sea. It's like a gangland murderer, murder where they stick a man's feet in soft concrete and when it hardens, they throw him into Lake Erie.

51:38 - 52:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds Luke 17:3-5, setting it in the context of Jesus' realism about stumbling blocks and responsibility. The directive is to rebuke a sinning brother and, if he…

A humorous example of critiquing a brother's tie for being 'funky' or out of style is used to distinguish between personal preferences and actual sin that violates God's law.

And say, if thy brother wears a tie and you don't like the color of it, or you think it's out of style and you feel uncomfortable, go rebuke him. Frankly, that's none of your business. Unless you feel that the shape and the color of this tie could undermine his testimony, in which case, if he's your friend, you might take him aside and say, now, Henry, John, Pete, whatever your name is, whatever your name is, are you aware that that tie is a little bit funky? I know you want to be a good witness.

54:08 - 54:36 Read in full sermon

The point: If a brother repents, joyfully and freely confer upon him the assurance of your forgiveness, letting the sin go into the sea of God's forgetfulness.

The example of married couples in their early days of adjustment falling into the same sin multiple times a day is used to illustrate how one might literally sin 'seven times in a day' and repent, requiring repeated forgiveness.

And if seven times in one day he sins against you, and some say, Well, that can't mean the same sin because the repentance wouldn't be real. Well, wait a minute. I know married couples in their early days of adjustment would fall into the same sin seven times in a day when they began to feel for the first time the pressures upon remaining sin in the multi-leveled intimacy in the marriage relationship. It could be that a husband would have to say literally more than seven times in one day to his wife, Honey, forgive me for speaking sharply.

57:21 - 57:59 Read in full sermon