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Intro
This morning's scripture reading is from Luke 15:11-24.
This is the parable--a story told to teach a point--Jesus told which is commonly called 'The Prodigal Son'.
Jesus told this parable to teach the point that there should be great rejoicing over the return of someone who had been separated from God.
It is rejoicing over the restoration of the relationship between God and a person who is saved.
The biggest, most important conflict in our world is between us and God.
We all have sinned.
We all fall way short of God's perfect holiness, and His righteous standards.
Sometimes we simply fail to do what He expects.
Other times we willfully step over the loving boundaries He has placed to pursue our own desires.
The result is that we are all under His just condemnation.
However, God loved us, and dealt with the conflict.
He loved us!
He sent Jesus, God the Son, into the world as a man so He could die in our place, taking our punishment.
He raised Jesus from the dead, conquering sin, and the punishment for sin, Death!
He Graciously offers restoration to anyone who believes He loved them, and did this for them.
Anyone who is willing to believe Him when He says, there is salvation in no one else.
For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved!
Have you been restored by God?
That is how we find REAL peace in this world.
We find it by first being reconciled to Him.
Secondarily, we find it as we live following His standards, which call us to be reconciled to one another.
The pathway to REAL peace begins by Going Higher: How do I honor and Glorify God in this situation/this conflict?
Then, the pathway goes inward, as we look within to realize our guilt before God and man.
As we spoke last week, the next stop along the path is Accepting Responsibility for our guilt, repenting to God, and going to confess to men.
The Prodigal son did this in His conflict with his Father.
He accepted reponsibility, repented and confessed.
He did not defend, make excuses, or point elsewhere.
He owned it.
Now, today we look at the next stop along the path.
GENTLY ENGAGE to Restore.
This restoration is seen in the Actions of the Father who put His son back in his right position.
And, in his gently engaging the older son in the portion we did not read earlier.
Listen now.
Read along if you like.
This father had two sons.
One Confessed and was restored.
The other was angry and Gently Engaged, with hope of restoration.
What a wonderful picture of God the Father who restores us when we confess, and Gently Engages us when we are wrong.
Just as God Gently Engages us to Restore us, We are called by Him to reconcile and Restore others when there is conflict.
Let's ask Him to speak to us today.
Confrontation
The time comes when we do have to confront the other party in a Conflict.
I see, and accept responsibility for my part of the conflict.
Now, How do I graciously help this other person see their responsibility so that they can grow to be more like Christ?
It's a Confrontation... wow, something most of us do not want to do, because I don't want or need another conflict!
Isn't this when typically people get defensive all over again as we share with them some weakness in their life?
Then, there is the backlash of all the ills they see, or can come up with now, to show you are worse then they are.
Is it really necessary to confront?
Some would say Matthew 7:1-5 means we should not judge others, or confront them.
But is that what it says?
No, removing the speck from your brothers eye is the final instruction here.
On another occasion Jesus also said this:
When someone sins, we need to go and rebuke him.
Confront the wrong behavior.
Well, it was mostly my fault, and I confessed it to God.
He said that we need to go to someone when we have done something to offend.
Notice, he didn't say if you offended.
He said if your brother has something against you.
Maybe it was only a misunderstanding.
Even so, Jesus says go! Restored unity is the goal, and it is important!
We need to go.
But is it possible to confront without it becoming another conflict?
Unfortunately, I do not do well in this regard.
However, I am trying to learn, and I invite you to join with me in looking at what God tells us in the Bible about how to do this Confrontation.
Gently Engage
Perspective - Caught in Sin
The first thing I see in this verse is the perspective I need to seek.
How does this verse describe the person:
Overtaken by sin
Caught in sin
We need to begin to view the other in the conflict as God would see them.
He sees them through the loving eyes of a Father.
Remember the Father in the parable?
He was out watching and waiting for His wayward son.
This son had basically said, "I wish you were dead!
Give me my inheritance now so I won't have to be with you anymore!"
But still, He waited.
He watched.
He loved.
He wanted to Restore Him Gently.
His son was overtaken by Sin.
His son was caught in a trap.
What is My Perspective of this person?
Are they a bad person, bent on doing me harm?
Or, are they a child of God, caught by Sin?
We need the perspective of God when considering this person.
Purpose - Restore
Next this verse plainly tells us why we are to go to the other person.
The purpose is to Restore them back to a right state.
If sin has, them, freed from the trap.
If they are thinking incorrectly, helping them renew their mind.
If they are acting faithless, building them up in their faith.
The word used for Restore is also used for:
Setting broken bones
Putting back into right position
Mending
Making it into the condition of what it is supposed to be
We need to have the heart purpose of seeing them walking in fellowship with God, growing in stature with God and Man as Jesus did!
Approach - Gently
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