How Long? How Long?, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20

18:15  If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.
18:16  But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
18:17  If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18:18  Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
18:19  Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
18:20  For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them.

          There is a story about a son who worked hard to graduate from a prestigious university, and with honors.  Long before he graduated, he had let his father know that he expected his graduation present to be a favorite red sports car.  He felt he had worked hard, and he had earned it.  His father was wealthy, could afford such a gift, and never rebutted the son's expectations.  But when he graduated, his father was on an overseas trip, and his gift arrived in a box wrapped in a red ribbon.  Inside was a large Bible.  The son's reaction was anger.  A Bible instead of the expected sports car?  He vowed never to speak to his father again and began to make his own way in the world.

          Several successful years later, his father died.  When the son heard the news, he was angry once again.  Angry at himself and angry at his father, both for the absence of the expected gift, and because now he and his father could never restore their relationship.  Frustrated, the son strode into his study, found the Bible his father had sent him, and flung it across the room.  As it landed on the floor, a key fell out; the key to a favored red sports car, later to be found abandoned in his father's garage.

          Of course, it might have helped the situation if the father, being out of the country, had sent word ahead about the key.  Just as with the angry son's situation, our Father has given us a key, and it's in the Word of God, and in many cases, we're not using it.

          But unlike the boy's father, our Father has sent word ahead for us. 

          In Joshua 24:12, God told His people, "I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you -- also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow."  They were congratulating themselves for their prowess, ignoring God's part in their victory.  In a way similar to God sending an army of hornets ahead of the Jewish army to drive out the enemy, He has sent the wisdom and protection of His Word ahead for our benefit, so it would be waiting when we got here.

          1st Corinthians 10:11 reminds us, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come."  And in Romans 15:4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

          The church in the world today, the Bride of Christ, is in turmoil because  too many of His chosen vessels are straying into private interpretation that fills the church's treasury but does little to accomplish its mission of bringing the lost to Christ.  Churches today are becoming an entertaining rest home for the saints, rather than a hospital for the spiritually wounded and dying.

          In today's scripture we have Jesus' step by step instructions to believers regarding how to handle those within the congregation who are fomenting personal and institutional error and confusion.  He doesn't say run to the news media, or to higher church authorities or law enforcement, but go to them, talk with them.  And if they ignore you, there are instructions for how to proceed. 

          Now, the interesting thing is this, those instructions work outside the church, as well.  Rather than gossiping -- leaving them lost and perhaps being the reason for their eternal ruin -- or building a consensus of condemnation, rather than ruining lives and reputations, Jesus tells us there is a better way to deal with wrong-doing among ourselves, a better way based in the church's mission to bring people to the salvation of Christ.  And it works outside the church, as well, for its power is in Christ.

          But further, Jesus' instructions for problem solving do not end there.  In verses 18 through 20, we have the key to that red sports car that will speed us out of the very problems facing us today.  The only fly in the ointment is this, we either don't realize the access to power we as believers have, or we don't believe it.

          These verses 18-20 state as follows: "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them."

          The majority of Bible scholars agree "bind" and "loose" refer to what is allowed and what is forbidden.  We the people, by the grace of God, have a say in what is allowed and what is forbidden.

          Nowhere else in history is there a nation of people with the God-given freedoms and liberties, the inspired sense of compassion for others, and the resources to make a difference like the United States of America.  In every other instance there had to be a "strong man" in control to rule and protect and give meaning to the people's industry.

          In America, the "power" resides in We the People by the grace of Almighty God.  And while we say, in word and deed and engraved on our monuments, that we understand that, we obviously do not.  For if we did, the current state of depravity, political chicanery, homelessness, hunger, joblessness would not exist in America.

          Let me repeat verses 19 and 20 here: "Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them."

          We find affirmation of this in 1st John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of Him."

          An ancient Jewish saying promised God's presence for even two or three who were gathered to study His law.  Jewish teachers often called God "the Place," that is, "the Omnipresent One"; Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ is that presence.

          The principles of these rules from Jesus can be put into effect everywhere, and under all circumstances.  And yet they continue to stand neglected.  In all our actions we need to seek His direction in prayer.  We cannot prize too highly the promises of God.  Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we must consider Him as present in our midst, present in every meeting, amidst us in every prayer, with power.

          When will the church worshipping in the name of Jesus Christ -- the church being the people of Christ, not brick and mortar and stained-glass window buildings -- when will the church step up and exercise the power they have through Jesus Christ?  How far down do the people of America have to devolve, how many children damaged, how many lives lost, how badly does the name of Christ have to be smeared, before the church steps up, in His power?  The purpose of the church is to win others for the Lord and His church.  How is this being served today?  How long?

          Amen.