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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Forgiveness, Session 6: Failing Leaders

 

Forgiveness, Session 6: Failing Leaders

Matthew 18:1-35


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  1. Review

    1. Session 1: Forgiveness is God’s Purpose – Luke 4: 14-30

      1. Recognize the complexity of forgiveness and aspects of its definition

      2. Define God’s forgiveness and identify some aspects of it in the Bible

      3. Better understand the role of Jesus Christ in God’s purpose

      4. Realize the universal scope of God’s forgiveness: it is initiated by God through Jesus as a gift to all mankind and is necessary to restore fellowship with Him.

    2. Session 2: Why Should We Forgive? - Colossians 1:13-14; 2:6-14; and 3:12-13

      1. Clarify/prioritize three Christian motivations to forgive others: for Christ’s sake (Luke 1:76-77), for others’ sake (John 20:23), and our own sake (Matt 5:14-15)

      2. Better understand our obligation to forgive others – 2 Corinthians 2:9-11

      3. Realize that true, Christ-like forgiveness is not possible. We are invited to participate in God’s forgiving activities – Matthew 26:40 (Flesh is weak), Romans 7:18-25

    3. Session 3: The Politics of Salvation – Luke 19:1-10

      1. To appreciate the socioeconomics of repentance (Luke 18:9-14, 3:11-14, 19:8)

      2. To understand the relationship between repentance and God’s forgiveness (Acts 2:38-39, 1 John 1:9, Matthew 6:14-15, James 5:15-16)

    4. Session 4: Becoming Forgiving People – John 8:2-12 and 1 John 1:5-2:6 8:12

      1. Understand the five sensitivities of forgiving people and the perception of others

        1. Sensitive to repentant heart

        2. Eager to understand mitigating circumstances

        3. Desire restoration with the offender

        4. Reconcile for the sake of others (see Colossians 3:12-17)

        5. Realize our own fallen state and need to forgive for our own sake

      2. Identify and explore ways to acquire and apply the five sensitivities

        1. Prayer and in-depth study of His Word

        2. Support each other and share burdens

        3. Offer or establish a ministry of reconciliation

        4. Seek examples to emulate and strive to be such an example

    5. Session 5: See How They Love One Another – 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

      1. How the elements of worship - singing, teaching, the Lord’s Table, baptism, small group meetings (Sunday School, other studies) and doxology - shape the five sensitivities of a forgiving person (See with the new vision provided by Christ’s Salvation). Colossians 3:12-16, Galatians 3:27-28, Romans 7:7-25;12:5, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

      2. Recognize the centrality of reconciliation to the church’s ministry and outreach

        1. Consideration of John 13:34-35 and Revelations 2:2-6 (what does a strong, faithful,
          Christ-centered church look like – compared to one that lost its first love?)

        2. Defined Outreach, Preaching, Ministry and the need for a strong fellowship that supports, encourages and drives the elements of reconciliation, love etc.

      3. The ways we are reminded of God’s love, grace, forgiveness and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:76-77) emphasizing participation in church life.

  2. Session 6: Failing Leaders – Matthew 18:1-35 (focus on local leadership within Church)

    1. Session Objectives:

      1. Consider and understand (perhaps forgive) some church leaders who betray and abuse members because they are “unhealed wounders” and appreciate how members and the whole congregation are injured. For example: local pastor exploiting a member, a minister stealing church funds, deacons constantly tearing members down, a teacher flashing bursts of temper (rage), a worship leader disguising substance abuse, etc.

      2. Understand the Christian community’s obligation to forgive and restore failing leaders, and examine the restoration practices which we use, or should use, in our church

      3. Recognizing the importance of reaching out to the fallen, and the consequences to those who fall and do not repent, confess, seek forgiveness or recognize they have a problem.

    2. Church leaders who betray or abuse members because they are “unhealed wounders” and hurt church members and the congregation.

      1. What about Matthew 7:1-6? See the article by Paul Copan

      2. 80% of identified exploitive leaders had been abused or abandoned as children or adolescents. See with the “heart’s eyes” as session 4 of this series suggests. What can we do to identify the “damaged” believer/leader and lead them to realization of problem?

        1. The sinners background may help us understand, but that person must still recognize their sin and ask for forgiveness before we can begin their healing process

        2. Fallen leaders must still ask for and accept the forgiveness of God and others before they know the deep self-worth that comes from experiencing reconciliation.

      3. Members feel personal shame, grief and anger which go unshared because we begin to distrust fellow church members. The damage, hidden just below the surface, will often surges to the surface spitting a congregation into cliques and divisions.

      4. Who are to be protected and how (Matthew 18:1-7)?

    3. The Christian community has an obligation to help a failing leader recognize their problem, confess it as a problem, ask for forgiveness, accept forgiveness and participate in their own restoration. (Matthew 18:21-22)

      1. For Christians, forgiveness means restoration – no continued humiliation, probation or eternal banning. Forgiveness requires that we treat restores with the same grace extended to new converts.

      2. Areas of support and help – restoration practices

        1. Denominational – the leader surrenders credentials to the denomination for a period of study, counseling - monitored by progress reports leading to full restoration.

        2. Spiritual Prayer Team – A small group, assembled by the fallen leader from among the congregation and/or other Christian friends who will act as guides and mentors holding him accountable. They may offer special care to the leader and his family

        3. Congregational – A local congregation following the “threefold admonition” in Matthew 18:15. Usually this is formalized in some way, but it remains supple to individual cases.

          1. This is the best framework to heal an injured congregation and nurture its Christian responsibilities for community discernment during restoration

          2. Not the best if restoree moves or it stops at judgment phase

          3. May not have sufficient resources

        4. Friendship-church team approach – Combines the Spiritual Prayer Team approach and Congregational approach. It is more formalized than the first, yet less formalized than the latter.

          1. This practice has more inclusive goals that care for the restoree and provide care for the wounded congregation.

          2. When possible and at an appropriate time, the team would organization a more formal restoration worship service for the restoree.

    4. What does the Bible tell us of those who “go astray” and the consequences of failing to be restored

      1. What does Matthew 18:17 tell us? Is there an alternative?

      2. What does Matthew 9:9-13 and Matthew 12:15-21 teach us about restoration?

      3. What can we learn from the stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son (Luke 15), the ten lepers (Luke 17:10-19); Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); the restoration of Peter (John 21:15-19); Barnabas restoring both Paul and John Mark (Acts 9:27 and 15:36-39) in respect of restoring someone who has gone astray?

    5. Study Questions

      1. How are church members injured when a leader fails them? Are they all injured, or just those directly involved?

      2. Besides physical and mental abuse, what other kinds of unhealed wounds might contribute to a leader’s fall?

      3. How should we respond when a fallen leader does not apologize and repent?

      4. How does our church recognize and address failings within our leaders? How does our church forgive, heal, and restore leaders who fail? Which of the example responses, or combination of responses, given in section E-c-ii would be most effective in our church?

  3. Closure


Who Are You to Judge Others?

By Paul Copan

Hands down, Matthew 7:1 is the most frequently quoted Bible verse today: “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” It’s been twisted to mean we can’t say someone’s action or lifestyle is wrong. However, when someone says, “Don’t judge,” he’s judging you for judging someone else. You’ve done wrong by saying someone else has done wrong! Clearly, we can’t escape making moral judgments. Furthermore, in the same context of the oft’ quoted verse, Jesus made a moral judgment about certain persons, using metaphors about “dogs” and “pigs” (Matthew 7:6), stressing that we shouldn’t continue to present God’s grace to those who persistently scoff and ridicule. At some point we must shake the dust off our feet and move on to the more receptive (Matthew 10:14, Acts 13:51). On the other hand, Jesus commanded, “Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment” (John 7:24, emphasis added).

How do we resolve the apparent tension? By taking note of the spirit in which we make judgments. Do we think we’re superior (the attitude Jesus condemned), or are we assessing actions or attitudes with a spirit of humility and concern, recognizing our own weaknesses (1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 6:1)? In Matthew 7:5, Jesus told us first to examine ourselves (removing the log from our own eye), then we can help our brother or sister (taking the speck out of his or her eye). So there is a problem to be dealt with – but only after self-examination. The wrong kind of judging is condemning. The right kind of judging is properly evaluating moral (or doctrinal) matters with a humble, helpful attitude. (In 1 Corinthians 5:5, “judging” – even excommunicating – is required in light of a church member’s shameless sexual misconduct.) We should treat others the way we would want to be treated (cp. Matthew 7:12), thinking, “There – but for the grace of God – go I.”

So, when discussing judging with others, first clarify what you mean by the word “judge.” This can serve as the context for clarifying right and wrong kinds of judgment. Further, we must take care to avoid the “Who am I to say So-and-So is wrong?” mentality. We can’t shrink from making moral judgments, nor can we escape them – lest we declare it wrong to say another is wrong.



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