Notes to the Lord: Why Confront?

Scripture Reflection Matthew 18
17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Lord Jesus--In the middle of this teaching on discipline and leadership in the kingdom there is this teaching on the importance of the value of community in the fellowship. You are putting an exclamation point put on the nature of leadership with your church. This is the reason why there is the need for loving consistent confrontation of known sin.

There is power in the community of believers when they come together in agreement. There is power when people come together in agreement and you are the focus.

There are only two times when you use the word "church" before the cross. It is here and after Peter's confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi. Here you are extending the same power to the church at its smallest unit as it has at any size.

Binding and loosing along with agreement toward a goal are powerful in the hands of believers. Holding on and letting go...binding and loosing are essential functions of the church. What are we willing to allow in the fellowship? More importantly who are we willing to allow into the circle that is looked to for leadership and direction? What gets promoted and focused on? If this element is overlooked and unattended God can not bless.

Lord Jesus--I can mess this up so easily. At times I want to hang on when I really should just let go. Then there are times when I want to run not walk away from where you really want me to be. Your leadership in the binding...hanging on...and the loosing...the letting go is essential. As it is ends up being expressed in the life of the church it becomes even more essential.

19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Lord Jesus--Agreement toward a goal in prayer is powerful and decisive in the life of the church. It is the beginning of where power is released. The promise of your attendance where two are gatheredd in your name is tied to the same power that sent you to Earth and that was demonstrated when you were raised from the dead.

Why confront? It seems so simple here in this quiet place...that if resurrection power is to be at work among your people then it takes people who are not defocused by sin that so easily entangles us. In the world out there it can get so confusing at times.

Lord Jesus--Let your power be released in my life, help me to allow your Holy Spirit to shape the binding and the loosing in my life, bring people into my life that create that kind of accountability that keeps me focused on the essentials...who you are and who you have called me to be.