RESTORING FALLEN CHRISTIANS - The Ministry of Reconciliation
Galatians 6.1-3; 2 Corinthians 5.18
Full text of sermon by Jim B. Miller, teaching pastor, Old Town Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Nacogdoches TX, vineyard@netdot.com.
INTRODUCTION. In this great spiritual war we are fighting, there will always be casualties. From time to time, Satan’s fiery darts will sometimes pierce a brother’s armor and wound him. Some, including even our respected leaders, may fall into scandalous adultrous affair or some other shameful public disgrace, others may be arrested for crimes, yet others become pregnant out of wedlock, still others may sue divorce and break up marriages and homes. What do we do with these people, especially those who bring such reproach on the church and the cause of Christ?
Frankly, sometimes Christians fall into sin. This is an unchangable fact. Thankfully, it is the exception and not the rule. But it happens. Temptation, like a typhoon, can sweep a weak believer off his feet and send him tumbling. When this happens, what are the rest of us do?
A. Here is the Apostle’s advice, Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself. (Galatians 6.1-3, Amplified)
B. Elsewhere he wrote, But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. (2 Corinthians 5.18, Amplified)
C. We are to restore the fallen brother. We are to reconcile him to God and to the church. We are to help him back on his feet again. This discipline is both personal and corporate . . . the individual has a responsibility as does the entire church. We are commanded to help the brother up. This is restoration.
I. WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN A BROTHER FALLS
Restoring another Christian is a demanding responsibility; it’s a touchy task. How will the person respond? Will they blow up at me? Is the whole thing merely a rumor that I should ignore? It’s none of our business anyway, is it? It is indeed our responsibility. God wants to restore the fallen one, and he chooses to use us as his helpers/restorers. The responsibility for restoration lies squarely on the shoulders of other Christians. Yet because of misunderstanding, fear, and lack of training, we often sidestep this command. Instead we bypass the whole issue when faced with another’s sin. We must avoid these popular "cop outs."
A. We should not diminish the seriousness of the sin.
1. Excusing sin as typical or common doesn’t help. "After all, he’s only human," we say, apparently believing it is simply natural for Christians to fall into sin. We cannot afford tp use the guise of "loving the sinner" to completely ignore the directives of Scripture. Of course, we must love the sinner, even when he is a fallen brother, but for our sake -- and for our fallen brother’s sake -- we cannot afford to dismiss sin with a trivial remark about humanity, treating sin as inconsequential. Jesus told one sinner "Neither do I condemn you," but He quickly added "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11).
2. Sin, sometimes characterized as leaven, has a pervasive influence on others. It can be contagious. We are called to restore our fallen brother, not merely excuse him. Rationalizing sin by justifying it as merely human error skirts the whole issue, ignores God’s command to restore the fallen, and gives the would-be restorer an "easy out" from a tough task.
B.. We must avoid the temptation to witch-hunt.
1. The trouble with this discipline -- and it is a discipline -- of restoring a brother is that those least likely to do it are the best for the job and those most likely to lightheartedly greet the idea of restoring another are the worst ones to do it. In most churches there are a few people who would love the idea of signing up for "search and destroy" missions to uncover and correct the sins of others. They feel that they are experts at exposing and condemning sin.
2. Such "headhunters" love nothing better than the juicy discovery of some member’s wrongdoing. Like the Pharisees, they are always anxious to cast the first stone. If given their way, they’d return to Salem-like witch-hunting and lurid church trials, placing offenders in stocks or burning them as witches. This is not what the discipline of restoration is all about.
C. We must not ignore the sin.
1. While most churches may have a witch-hunter or two, most of us are in little danger of such excesses. But we are just as guilty. In our attempt to avoid the excesses we may do worse -- simply ignore the whole business altogether, hoping it will go away. We attribute the sin to an exaggerated rumor saying, "It’s probably not true anyway." We remain coldly aloof from the sin and the fallen brother, figuring it will evaporate with time. "It’s none of our business anyway," we say, hoping that the fallen brother will heal himself, or fade away, or something!
2. If you had a festering wound on your leg, with obvious red lines creeping up toward your heart, would you ignore it? No. When one of the members in the body of Christ is infected with sin, the rest of us must take action to bring healing, not stand casually by in indifference. Ignoring sin doesn’t eradicate it. We have to get involved, take risks, help. That is, after all, what being a Christian is all about. The local church is a clinic for sinners, not a moldy museum for perfect saints.
D. We must not hastily expel the stumbling saint.
1. While we should not overlook sin, we must guard ourselves from rapidly booting the brother or sister out of our fellowship -- amputating a member of the Body. Some churches pride themselves on their "virtue." One pastor was overheard saying, condescendingly, "We keep a tight reign on our families; not a single one of our people are divorced or separated." Another pastor replied, "And, when they get divorced, you kick ’em out, and they come over to us."
2. We don’t like to clean up messes. Sometimes we send the mess down the street. But restoration is all about cleaning messes and fixing broken lives. Exiling a hurting member is a radical remedy like amputating an infected leg. It is not to be used until all other attempts at restoration fail.
3. This does not mean that we must never expel people from the fellowship of the church. We must fairly distinguish between the Christian who stumbles and falls into sin from the one with a deep-seated rebellion who refuses to accept correction. The second live in open insurrection continuing in sin with an obstinate contempt for truth. A willfully rebellious sinner living in open disobedience and rationalizing his defiance -- should indeed be expelled. For this situation Paul said, "Expel the wicked man from among you" (1 Corinthians 5:13) But, the one who trips and falls, slipping off the straight and narrow road of obedience must be restored, not expelled.
E. We must avoid ostracism.
1. In many churches an offending member is neither restored nor expelled -- he is simply given the cold shoulder. He is not officially ignored or rejected; he is just treated with icy politeness. And in the process a dark thing is happening -- a brother or sister in need of restoration, while still present, is being quietly excluded from true fellowship. This kind of ostracism is very much like the "shunning" practiced by the Amish and other strict sects. We are no better. The person guilty of moral failure never hears his sin spoken of. He is politely greeted and treated civilly. But he is never again included in anything. It is a social excommunication.
2. Most persons who experience this kind of psychological torture eventually drop out of the church or switch to another fellowship which seems more open and accepting. In fact, in almost every community there are churches who, like the cities of refuge in Israel, are known to provide loving relief and asylum for hurting people and some even offer restoration. The word gets around.
II. HOW TO RESTORE A BROTHER
The Bible is so intensely practical. It is more than a book full of theological ideas we are asked to believe. Rather, it is a manual for everyday life. It tells us specifically what to do when our brother stumbles into sin. We are to "restore" him. The word is the same as used for "mending nets" or for a surgeon "setting a dislocated bone." Restoration means becoming my brother’s "repairman." We are to get involved in helping the Christian to his feet again, putting him back where he belongs. Here’s how:
A. The transgression, and the transgressor, must be FACED.
1. Restoration is personal work. It should not be done by letter, E-mail or with the telephone. It’s nasty work but is necessary. The Bible tells us this is work for the spiritual ones, the mature Christians, among us. Novices and carnally minded Christians need not apply. The restorer must pick a time and place to face the brother with the intention of restoring him. Many churches leave this work to the minister. The Scriptures don’t. It’s a Christian discipline which all who are spiritual should bear.
2. Restoration is delicate work. You are attempting to correct the misdirection of a brother or sister who has wandered. It is not to be done without much prayer and thought. Perhaps this is why so few do it. But if we take the Bible seriously, those among us who are spiritual, mature, guided by the Spirit, are to arrange a face-to-face meeting with the brother who has fallen in order to restore him.
B. Your MOTIVES must be pure.
1. The restorer must approach the brother or sister "humbly and gently," vividly remembering that we all have feet of clay. He must avoid gossip, and keep his talking and advice to the minimum. Restoring is not lecturing. The godly restorer puts the best construction on the actions and motives of the fallen brother. He is not looking for an opportunity to give harsh, heavy-handed condemnation or to display his own spiritual superiority. He is not accusatory nor does he demonstrate a holier-than-thou attitude. Rather, he is sympathetic and tactful, carefully selecting his words and monitors his body language.
2. Most of all he is humble. Restoration is not for those who feel spiritual superior. The godly restorer comes, not as one stooping down to raise another up to his level. Rather, he comes alongside as a friend to help a brother back to his feet. Restorers are meek people -- a blend of strength tempered by tenderness -- strong enough to set the broken bone, yet gentle enough to avoid hurting the patient more than necessary in the process.
3. There are precious few folk who meet these criteria. In fact, merely reading the description causes most of us to give up. "Obviously this is not the kind of work for me," we say to ourselves. "I’ll pray while others, stronger than I, do this restoring business." But we are too hasty in dismissing the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
4. Do you want to be this way? Is it your yearning? Can you see a glimmer of hope that you might some day become this sort of a restorer? If so, then let God work in you. If He lays it on your heart to help some slipping saint, then do so without delay. You may discover hidden, untapped qualities for being just this kind of person. You know if you never try?
C. Always keep in mind: The goal is RECOVERY.
Restoring is about discipline, not punishment. Punishment looks backward to the offense and seeks to inflict pain. Discipline looks forward toward recovery. Restoring is discipline. Restoring puts a fellow back on course and gets him moving in the right direction again. You do not visit your brother to see him cower in pain and guilt. You want to get the confession out of the way as quickly as possible, so you can get on with bringing the cure.
D. Wisely reckon your APPROACH.
1. Before you go, determine what your approach will be. Are you offering simple words to admonish, a more definite correction, or clear-cut rebuke? Each person and each situation, may require a different approach. In most cases, we will be giving gentle admonition.
2. There is seldom a need to be harsh. In some instances a more direct correction or outright rebuke is required, but a gentle admonition given earlier is usually adequate. Trutst that the Holy Spirit has gone before you and is working in both you and the person being confronted.
E. REPENTANCE is the only way to recovery.
1. When a Christian falls there is only one way back -- repentance. Repentance is sorrow, brokenness, heartache for sin. It begins with a confession, but is followed by a desire to abandon the sin. When a real Christian falls, he experiences a profusion of guilt and remorse and is usually ready to repent. He may have even already repented privately.
2. That is why it is so important to approach carefully at the most appropriate time. I recently heard of a man prompted to offer correction to a friend about his treatment of a certain individual. He called on Monday and made arrangements for lunch. At lunch that Wednesday, after he had offered the admonition the guilty man said, "I knew the moment you called two days ago why you wanted to see me and I’ve thought about it these last two days." God had already prepared his heart to receive the word of correction. Restorers never arrive first. The Holy Spirit always precedes him.
3. Occasionally, however, a person will not receive the correction. Sometimes the individual will deny everything, even attack you. He may dismiss it as a minor offense, tell you it has been exaggerated, or offer excuses for his behavior. Sometimes this happens even after you have done everything right. If it does, simply offer an apology for offending the person and change the subject. Dismiss the issue, and treat the person tenderly and carefully. Remember, a fallen Christian has a serious spiritual wound. Sometimes when you offer therapy, it causes greater pain than the wound itself. In these cases, simply withdraw and let the Holy Spirit continue His work.
4. Immediate rejection may, however, be only a temporary delay. Sometimes your admonition is rejected, only to become a seed for eventual obedience.
5. Restoration is often risky. But, they say faith is spelled "R-I-S-K." Sometimes, without taking the risk we elect to leave our brother in the clutches of his sin.
F. When we offer restoration, it must be COMPLETE restoration.
1. The whole purpose of restoration is to get the person back to where he or she was -- and often that even means leadership roles. Why is it that the church will take an infamous sinner who has been saved out of the raw and propel him to leadership, while a fallen Christian forever forfeits any claim to leadership? It’s a kind of Protestant penance, only worse -- it never ends. Eventually a fallen Christian who clearly repents and reforms should be restored completely, even to leadership.
2. That doesn’t mean such restoration should be immediate, and it doesn’t mean that following a hasty repentance, the fallen Christian keeps all his responsibilities in the church as if nothing ever happened. On the contrary, a Christian who falls into obvious public sin should relinquish all leadership positions in the Church. But this should only be for a set time. He should be placed under a loving, spiritual mentor for accountability and growth. When a reasonable time has passed, he should be free to be appointed or elected to any post in the church. Restoration to fellowship is the fallen Christian’s immediate need, not his restoration to leadership.
CONCLUSION: I received the following in my email:
A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
An objective person walked by and said, "It’s logical that someone would fall down there."
A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."
A mathematician calculated how deep the pit was.
A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, "You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit."
A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."
A Christian Scientist observed, "The pit is just in your mind."
A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."
A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."
An optimist said, "Things could be worse."
A pessimist claimed, "Things couldn’t be worse."
"Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit."
