The sermon by Eric Bechler on 'Church Harmony' examines the process of resolving conflicts within the church as outlined in the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, Chapter 26, Paragraph 13, and Matthew 18. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining church order and not disrupting assemblies during conflicts. Members are encouraged to address issues privately first, then involve one or two others, and finally the church if necessary. The sermon stresses the need for patience, humility, and love throughout the process, while also highlighting the dangers of pride and emotional judgment. It underscores the critical role of forgiveness and reconciliation in maintaining church unity and advises against leaving the church over conflicts. The discussion includes the conditions for participating in communion, focusing on the need for repentance. Overall, the message calls for genuine love and unity among church members, reflecting Christ's love for the church.

Our reading today from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes again from chapter 26 of the church. Today we look at paragraph 13. No church members upon any offense taken by them, having performed their duty required of them towards the person they are offended at, ought to disturb any church order or absent themselves from the assemblies of the church or administration of any ordinances upon the account of such offense at any of their fellow members, but to wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the church in 15 through 17. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." We continue our examination of the doctrine of the church. Last week, we talked about the importance of joining the church and the resulting privileges from that and our willing subjection to church discipline. Today, we continue down the path related to church discipline, specifically our behavior during this process.

There are a few assumptions with this paragraph. First, It assumes that this local church is committed to church discipline as prescribed and provided by Scripture. It also presumes that the church is led by faithful elders. To better understand what this paragraph is saying, let's clarify the context. We are looking at a case where there is a problem between two members of the same local church.

There's a member who has offended or sinned against another member. Now remember that being a member of a local church also means you are a brother or sister in Christ, a believer, who should delight in obeying God's commands, who loves God and loves his neighbor. Matthew 18 gives us instructions or a blueprint in how to deal with a conflict between brothers. I just finished reading that. So the first step is to go privately to your brother, not talking behind his back, not gossiping to anyone that will listen, and not quietly doing nothing but growing bitter.

These are not healthy choices, and these are choices of avoidance, not facing your problems head on and doing it promptly. God's way, which is always best, is that you should go privately to your brother and talk it over, explain what he has done against you. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. Perhaps he had no idea that he had offended or sinned against you. By just talking it over, it offers the opportunity to clear the air, so to speak, to reconcile even.

As Matthew states, if he hears you, you have gained a brother. If he sees what he has done, sinned against you, he can ask for your forgiveness and your relationship is restored. But what if he doesn't hear you? He doesn't agree that what he has done was a sin against you. Matthew anticipates this and tells us to take one or two brothers with you to try to resolve this issue so that they can hear both sides of the story.

Perhaps they will agree with him. Perhaps they will agree with you. As Matthew states that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. Anytime there is conflict, Emotion can cloud our judgment. Self-righteousness and pride can also cloud our judgment.

By involving others, those not directly involved, their input is more objective and less personal or emotional. And this gives more weight to their conclusions, especially when two or three agree. The hope is that by their involvement this conflict can be resolved and your relationship with that brother may be reconciled. But what if your brother still refuses to reconcile? Matthew continues his instructions and if he refuses to hear them, this is the one or two other, tell it to the church.

And if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen or a tax collector. Step by step more people are included in this process. And by including the whole church, you're bringing everyone's opinions and judgment into the case. Again, adding more weight. The idea is that if everyone, all the members of your local church, agree that your brother has sinned against you, perhaps he would repent and ask forgiveness.

If this happens, praise God. If in the end though, he refuses still to hear the church to repent, then the local church can excommunicate this brother, which means he is then treated like a heathen and a tax collector, someone not to be associated with, someone no longer part of this fellowship of believers. So back to our paragraph, this process for Matthew 18 does not happen overnight. It takes time. We're to give time for prayer, for emotions to settle down, for the different levels of meetings prescribed.

All of this should take place with love, with humility, with gentleness, with kindness, with a heart that desires reconciliation and restoration. And of course all must be patient and we must wait upon Christ. It does take time. Our paragraph states that during this process the offended brother ought not disturb any church order, ought not absent themselves from the assemblies of the church, and ought not absent themselves from the administration of the ordinances. Paul in writing to the Corinthians about orderly worship explains that God is a God not of disorder but of peace.

1st Corinthians 1433. And that all things should be done decently and in order, 1st Corinthians 1440. We gather on the Lord's day to worship God, to praise and glorify Him. We should, as Paul states, desire that our worship be done properly and in an orderly manner. As the conflict is dealt with, our behavior, our choices should not disrupt our worship time.

It should not distract us, nor take our focus away from God. Our desire to be right should not cause us to disrupt the worship of God. Our worship time is about God and not us. We are also to be in church every Sunday for worship and each Wednesday for prayer meeting. Hebrews 10.25 states that we not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

The presence of some offense by a brother should not keep us from attending our weekly worship or joining in the prayers of the church. Again, do not let your pride get in the way of your devotion to God and to the body of Christ. The final phrase here is that we ought not absent ourselves from the administration of any ordinances because of an offense by a brother. Having performed their duty required of them towards the brother they are offended at. Anthony Carter from Ligonier Ministries comments, we should understand that there are at least two groups of people who should be discouraged from partaking at the Lord's table, namely the unconverted and the unrepentant.

Only those in union with Christ have fellowship with him. They share in his body and his blood and are consequently united to him. John six 56. The unconverted has no fellowship with Christ. The unconverted has no union with him.

There is no promise of Christ's abiding with him. He has no portion in the body of Christ's broken or the blood of Christ shed. Consequently, there can be no sharing in the elements that signify the person and work of Christ for the church. 1st Corinthians 11 24. While the Lord's table is only for the converted, it is also only for the convert who is living the examined and consequently the repentant life.

The sacrament is for believers and yet the admonition to believers is clear. Let a person examine himself then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup." 1 Corinthians 11, 28. Unfortunately, there are those who deny the grace of repentance by hardening their hearts and refusing to forgive or be forgiven. Those who refuse to acknowledge their sin but harbor bitterness, malice, and hatred in their hearts and refuse godly counsel toward reconciliation with God and others and thus neglect the grace of repentance. Let them refrain from the Lord's table.

Otherwise to eat and drink in such a state is to call forth the disciplining hand of God." 1st Corinthians 11 32. Having shared that, our paragraph today is focused on what happens during the process of dealing with a brother's offense. That process that Matthew describes of meeting privately, meeting with one or two others, even meeting with the church to reconcile. This process takes time, so the question is, what do we do while that is underway? Our confession states that we should not disrupt the church order.

We should not be absent from church. We should not refrain from participating in communion, but wait upon Christ in the further proceeding of the church. In today's world, there are too many instances of churches splitting over a conflict. Many times a member will just pick up and leave their local church and go to another church, or even just stop going to church altogether. This isn't good.

This is not what God wants. It's not the right response. Scripture tells us how we are to handle these situations or conflicts. If the matter is rather trivial, it may be best to overlook the sin. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 19, 11, a man's wisdom gives him patience.

It is his glory to overlook an offense. Regardless of the nature of the offense, sin, misunderstanding, conflict or whatever, Paul gives us, he gives believers, words of advice in how to deal with others. From Ephesians 4, 1 through 3, I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And from Colossians 3.12 through 15, to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.

But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body and be thankful. Somehow, though, in the midst of such a conflict or an offense, some seem to become stubborn and unable to humble themselves, and even dig in their heels. This attitude of we must be right at all costs, even to the disruption of the church, the splitting of it or leaving it and ruined relationships. Our pride takes us down a path of destruction, but God shows us a better way. We are to bear with one another in love, with long suffering or patience, because love covers a multitude of sin, 1 Peter 4, 8.

We are to forgive one another just as Christ has forgiven us. And we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit and to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. Can you think of an offense? You believe someone here in this room, even now, has committed against you. And you can't seem to let it go.

You can't get yourself to overlook it. Is bitterness or anger growing in your heart over this? Have you been praying about it? Have you humbled yourself? Are you remembering your miles-high stack of sins that God has forgiven you?

Don't let anger and bitterness grow in your heart. Go to your brother or sister in Christ and go today privately. Go get coffee or some ice cream and talk about what is troubling you. Perhaps it's just a misunderstanding, and Perhaps they have absolutely no idea that they've done this to you, and would feel bad if they actually knew it and would be ready to ask your forgiveness if they only knew. We talk frequently and pray frequently about growing the relationships within our church family.

Not just those who are related, but all the families, everyone, everyone who's part of Burnett Bible Church. This is what that looks like. Talking with each other, forgiving one another, sharing meals together, helping one another, rejoicing with one another, mourning with one another. If I could summarize all this in one phrase, it would be truly loving one another as Christ has loved us. All this takes time and it takes efforts, but this is what the body of Christ does.

Amen.