Winning Your Brother “Search and Rescue”

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

The context of Jesus teaching.

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him.“ The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

1. Does this means if someone hurts my feelings that they have sinned against me? 2. What do I do if a brother or sister is sinning but not necessarily against me?

7:12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets… 22:39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

“Jesus has been warning against the evil of tempting others to sin. Instead of becoming the cause of someone else’s ruin, every follower of the Lord should make it his business to find the sheep that has gone astray and to bring it back to the fold.” Hendriksen

“go and tell him his fault between you and him alone”

Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me…

"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

“Many misunderstandings and hurt feelings can be solved at this stage. This saves church leaders from getting involved in everyone’s personal concerns. Personal confrontation also keeps believers from gossiping with one another. Instead, believers are to be mature enough to go directly to the source and deal with the problem at that level.” Life application Bible commentary

Please Turn In Your Bibles

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

“If we feel that someone has wronged us, we should go to see him personally. More trouble has been caused by the writing of letters than by almost anything else. A letter may be misread and misunderstood; it may quite unconsciously convey a tone it was never meant to convey. If we have a difference with someone, there is only one way to settle it—and that is face to face. The spoken word can often settle a difference which the written word would only have made worse.” Barclay

Everyone enjoys giving good advice, and how wonderful it is to be able to say the right thing at the right time!

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged….Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?...You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”

But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

“Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

“The goal is complete restoration of the relationship. The motive is love, and the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the straying brother or sister to receive the message and make the change. We are to make every effort to avoid public or private humiliation...

This is every church member’s responsibility, and we are to remain focused on the central purpose of restoration. Maintaining the focus to correct the straying believer in a spirit of love will guide us in selecting the best words, setting, timing, and manner for the confrontation. To do this properly takes time and prayer.” Holman New Testament Commentary