Healthy Accountability

Good morning, and if I haven't said a happy Mother's Day to you, if you're a mom, whether you're a biological mom, a stepmom, a spiritual mom, happy Mother's Day.

We honor you today. It's been a heavy week for one particular family. I just want to mention the Baudour family. They can't be with us this morning, but Brian has been in and out of the hospital again.

He's doing well. Well, Alicia, we buried her father yesterday, and the weight of that is not lost on me, that I'm picking up dirt at a gravesite yesterday, the end of life, and then I'm dedicating four children this morning.

Don't take life for granted. It's a beautiful thing, a beautiful gift from the Lord, and even better when it's new life in Jesus, right? I made you a promise last week.

Actually, I didn't promise. I said there would be one more week in 2 Corinthians, but I lied. There's one more after this. Today, I want to invite you to open to the book of 2 Corinthians, and I'm going to ask you to find chapter 13, and as you're making your way there, what we're going to find in

these 10 verses we're going to take this morning is that Paul is making a final push, a final push with this congregation in the lead up to an impending visit.

He is pushing for something very specific and very straightforward, and that is accountability. I don't know what you think of when you hear that word accountability, but Paul certainly has something very specific in view.

If you're new with us this morning, a special welcome to you. This has been a big theme of this whole letter that we've been walking through as a church, and if you're new and you're like, well, I missed most of it, don't worry, because when

this is done, we start something new again, and you'll be right there in the front row for that one. But Paul has been trying to hold this whole church here at the Greek city of Corinth accountable, a church that he planted, a church that he deeply, deeply invested in, and from which

he moved on, he moved on, and as he's left, things have happened in his absence that are frankly just not good. Some of these church members have been struggling with ongoing patterns of sin.

We know in particular, sexual immorality was a problem. Paul addressed this in his first letter, 1 Corinthians here in your Bible. Others have been succumbing to different kinds of more social sins in the church.

In fact, just last week, we heard Paul list out some of these. Let me take you back there to 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 20 and 21. He says, For I fear that perhaps when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and that you may not find

2 Corinthians 12:20

me as you wish, and that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over

many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced. And if things couldn't have gotten any worse, there's another development that's happened.

We've talked about this. The arrival of the so-called super apostles. These were opponents of Paul who were coming at him, trying to delegitimize him, and really, that would undercut any hopes of real accountability.

And Paul's challenge here is very big. He wants to bring accountability because that's what you do in relationships where there is love. So we're at the end of 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 1.

2 Corinthians 13:1

I'm going to read it for us, and you can follow along as I do.

This is the third time I'm coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warn those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when

present on my second visit, that if I come again, I will not spare them. Since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me, he is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you, we will live by the power of God.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you have failed to meet the test?

I hope that you will find out that we have not failed the test, but we pray to God that you may not do wrong. Not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may have seemed to have failed.

We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.

For this reason, I write these things while I'm away from you, that when I come, I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Let's pray once more, shall we? Heavenly Father, we do thank you for your word. We thank you for what you have given us in it. Father, it is a seed for our hearts.

And so today, Lord, as we take this seed and we put it into the soil of our hearts, will you water it by your Holy Spirit? Will you allow life to sprout from it?

Only you can do that, Lord. And so we pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen. Today, we're really picking up and expanding on, I guess, the fourth point from last week's sermon.

If you missed it, that's okay. We talked about the work of investing in souls. And that fourth point, we said that Paul was showing us that the work of soul investing always, always involves accountability.

And in these verses we've just read here, to put it very simply, I think Paul paints a picture for us, a picture of what healthy accountability is going to look like.

And while our lives and our situations and your struggles and my struggles may look very different today, I think there are some lessons here for us nonetheless.

So let's get started. I want to flesh out this picture from Paul, and we will begin by noticing the first thing Paul shows us about healthy accountability.

He gets right at it from the get-go, number one. Healthy accountability consists of appropriate steps and appropriate timing. Appropriate steps and appropriate timing.

Look at how he starts out in verse one. He says, this is the third time I'm coming to you. And then what he does is he goes on to actually quote from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 19.

Deuteronomy 19 · chapter mention

This is the Old Testament law. He says, every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Two or three witnesses. It's like two witnesses is the bare minimum.

You have a third witness, even better. And understand, this was to prevent false accusations or even simple misunderstandings. You got two people lined up who say, yeah, Eddie Israelite over there stole a goat from Johnny, his neighbor.

And they're both agreeing, yeah, we both saw him steal it. That substantiated. You have three people saying, I saw Susie Homemaker move the property boundary 10 feet to the south.

Again, you have evidence. It's worth investigating. Now that was given very specifically in the law. But, but, we find in the Bible it becomes kind of this broader principle.

In fact, it's even used in the New Testament. We've got Jesus talking about it and commending it to the church in Matthew 18. Matthew chapter 18, verse 10, he says, Every charge must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Matthew 18:10

So, what we see Paul advocating for here is a very appropriate step or steps. To have the two or three witnesses. Or, in this case, more properly, they are warnings.

Two or three warnings. Because we understand that's what he's given them. Three now. Three apostolic warnings for this church. Now, scholars debate on, you know, they debate on everything.

But they debate on what are the two or three witnesses. Some think maybe it's the personal visits that Paul's made. It kind of looks like that, at least in English as we read it.

He's saying, guess what guys, my third visit's coming up. And this is going to be it. Others think that his first witness was actually his first letter that he wrote to them.

First Corinthians. And then the second warning was in that painful visit that he made a little while before this. And maybe right now here in chapter 13, as he writes these words we just read.

This is witness number three. Whichever way you slice it, I think we can agree that Paul's approach passes muster. He is taking the appropriate steps.

And he's doing it in appropriate timing. He goes on to say what he does in verse 2. Take a look. He says, I warned those who sinned before and all the others.

And I warned them now while absent as I did when I was present on my second visit. And then we wonder, well, now what is the substance of the warning?

Let's try to keep that clearly in mind. Well, he says, I'm warning you because you're sinning. That when I come my third time, I am not going to spare you.

We realize that Paul as a man, as an apostle, was a person capable of both patience and firmness. Gentleness. And he could be appropriately disciplinarian.

He told them as much back in the first letter. Let me share that verse with you. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 21. This is what he wrote then.

1 Corinthians 4:21

He said, What do you wish, Corinthians? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness? And it was in that latter spirit of gentleness that he has previously spared them.

Spared them by leaving after the painful visit when things didn't go very well. Instead of fighting and leaning in and pressing in, Paul wisely opted for a cooling off period.

He went away. He gave them space. And he waited before returning. He waited until right now. Waited for the right timing. He says this in chapter 1 of this letter.

Earlier, 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 23. He says, It was to spare you that I have refrained from coming again to Corinth. In other words, it's like, I could have rushed right back here.

2 Corinthians 1:23

I could have gotten right back into the heat of it all with you. Maybe brought another apostle or two with me. Found Peter. Brought him. Found John.

Brought him. But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to spare you guys. So I refrained. And undoubtedly, we know he's led by the Holy Spirit to do what he's done.

He says, I was sensitive to use wiser timing. I think about that wise timing. I think about that in my own life. I wish I had a better sense of wisdom and some of the timing that I've used in situations.

It reminds me of a verse, or actually somebody yesterday named Matt reminded me of a verse in Proverbs that I think really captures a principle pretty well.

You've probably heard of this one. Proverbs chapter 27, verse 14. Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.

Proverbs 27:14

Did some of you kids wake up this morning and go right up to the bedside of mom? She's still sleeping. And you get right into her ear and you yell.

Please don't do this. Happy Mother's Day!

She'll probably receive it a little better if she maybe gets a chance to wake up and come to consciousness first. That's the point. Paul has been very patient, very wise, and he's waited.

But that was then. And this is now. And now, he says, As your loving father, if I come and I find that things still haven't changed, Listen, I'm not going to be able to spare the rod this time.

After all, I, Paul, am your true father in the faith. Not like those other types. I'm a true father who loves you. So yes, I've given you some leniency to try to deal with it on your own.

I've let you hear my warnings from afar. I've given you time to stamp out that rampant immorality in your ranks and stop with all that infighting and bickering and hostility.

But you guys have failed to deal with it. In fact, I've stood by and watched as you've now allowed those super apostles to come in. Swooping in.

Crushing me. Coming at me. And it's been even more crushing to watch as you've tolerated them. So now it's time to deal with things. And you know I see some healthy wisdom in this pattern of healthy accountability from Paul here.

I don't know about you, but it sure seems like there's a lot for us to learn from this. To see that a man like Paul, who is very, very much in the right.

I mean, there's a lot of times where we're kind of right or we're mostly right, but then we kind of get a little warped with some of the sinful aspects that come in with conflict.

That's not Paul here. He's done nothing wrong. The Corinthians are clearly in the wrong. And still, he doesn't rush things. I like how one scholar puts it.

He writes, he doesn't do a rush job. He knows that healthy accountability is going to consist of appropriate steps taken in appropriate timing.

I know that on a personal front, recently I've been dealing with a conflict with a friend. And for various reasons, does that mean that I should just rush right in and immediately, you know, fire off that aggressive text?

Or better yet, I mean, shake up, you know, anybody below 40 years of age and actually like dial their number, call them, make the device talk.

You know, they do do that. You can talk on them. No. Sometimes it's not the right thing to just rush into it immediately and offer a rebuke even if it's needed.

Sometimes it's wise to wait. Sometimes it's wise to let the sun get a little higher in the sky, right? Before you come with something that's going to be received as loud.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit might need to lead us to give a little more grace and maybe, maybe a time for some cooling off. Paul did this. Left after the painful visit.

Waited a bit before he came back to confront them. So what about you? What about you, moms and dads? I think about parenting. What about you as maybe a sibling or as a friend to someone?

Might there be some application here? Sometimes wisdom may say that it's not best to rush ahead into direct confrontation. Sometimes the best first steps are those gentler words of warning.

Those admonitions. Those encouragements. And if it's not received well, maybe even a cooling off period for a bit. Because you know what can happen in those moments?

Sometimes, by the grace of God, we find that the people we care about are led to correction by the Holy Spirit. We give the Holy Spirit room to move and work.

That's what Paul's hoping for. It's what he's been hoping for here. He is hoping, as he says all the way down in verse 7, he's also praying.

And don't miss that either. He says, I've been praying for you, church. Praying that you guys as a congregation get it right. Paul does this because he knows that there is more at work than just human dynamics.

He knows that there is a very otherworldly dynamic involved. One that involves a living Savior. His name is Jesus Christ. And that's where he goes next.

And this is the second part to this picture of healthy accountability. It's where we see the character and heart of it all. Number two. Second part.

Healthy accountability will be Christ-centered and truth-anchored. Christ-centered. Truth-anchored. Christ-centered. You know, that really gets at the heart of all attempts at accountability.

Christ has got to be at the center of it. And the truth has got to be the grounding, the anchor to it as well. Paul starts with the Christ-centered aspect in verse 3.

Right away he says, Since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He's kind of taking one of their criticisms. And he's like, Oh, some are challenging whether I actually have Christ in me speaking through me.

Let's talk about Christ. And then he goes on and says, He is not weak in dealing with you, but he is powerful among you. What does Paul mean by that?

He is powerful among you. Is he talking about great signs and wonders that were going on? We don't think so. I think what he's trying to say is, Remember, church, you guys are in Christ.

Meaning, you've experienced the power of the risen Christ in your salvation. He's like saying to them, We are all believers here, presumably, guys.

And frankly, it's silly to me that you would seek proof that Christ is speaking through me and my ministry. I mean, look at what his power through my weakness has produced there in your city.

A church. It's brought you guys to faith in the first place. Those super apostles, they just got here yesterday. You Corinthians know that only the saving Jesus has brought you to life.

God sent me here for your salvation. And if he hadn't, you would not know the power of his resurrection. But I came. I was sent. And I came and I brought something.

I brought you the gospel. I brought you a gospel that taught you that the Son of God himself became incarnate in the flesh for your benefit.

I taught you that he went to the cross. Verse 4. How he was crucified in weakness. But how he now lives in the power of God. And really, haven't you witnessed the same dynamic in us and in our own ministry to you?

He's talking about that dynamic of power displayed in weakness. That's what the cross was. Weakness of Jesus. The power of God displayed in resurrecting him from the dead.

And he says that pattern is replicated in our own ministry with you. We also appear to be weak when we're among you. But out of that weakness, power has shown up to break the power of darkness in your lives.

See, what Paul wants this church to know is that he is himself a very Christ-centered man. And what he's brought to them is a very Christ-centered ministry.

And right now, as a part of that ministry, as an extension of that ministry, he is bringing a very Christ-centered accountability. This is why he appeals to Jesus Christ in you, as he says in verse 5.

But there's another element to the character of this accountability that Paul is bringing. Christ-centered, yes. But it's also anchored to something.

It's what he says in verse 8. Skip down to verse 8 for a second. He says this, For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

Truth is our anchor. Truth is what we bring. Truth is what drives us, Corinthians. Even when you can't see it, we always fight for the truth.

Truth is what we bring. Truth is what we bring. And we know that Paul refuses to tamper with the truth of God's word. Like ever. Even when others might do it to say, win the Corinthians favor.

But as he told them earlier, we will not be commending ourselves in this way. He says it like this back in chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 2.

2 Corinthians 4:2

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word. But by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

Let me ask you, are you ever yourself tempted to tamper with God's truth? Or maybe more likely, are you tempted to believe things from others who tamper with God's truth?

Who twist what God has said to try to make it say maybe what they would rather have it say. You know, I've become aware that over the last few years, there have been some very popular voices that many people listen to.

I guess they call them influencers, right? And the funny thing, if you don't know what an influencer is, thank your lucky stars for one thing.

But for older generations, these are the people that you buy their books. These are the people whose podcasts you tune into and listen to. These are the people who tell you what styles you should buy and decorate your home with.

Influencers. I can think of several ladies in particular. You say, why are you picking on the ladies? It's Mother's Day. But are you aware that there are some ladies out there who have built some pretty well-known podcasts?

And built brands and little empires, I guess? Names like Hatmaker, Gaines, Hollis. Those are a few I can think of. These are not trusted voices.

Some of them have tampered with God's Word. Some have very cunningly twisted God's truth about, for instance, love. Affirming things and lifestyles that are against the truth that a Christian cannot affirm.

Because they're against the truth. Some of them have even personally engaged in relationships that blatantly contravene God's standards. Ladies and gentlemen, young people too.

Don't tamper with God's Word and please don't listen to people who do. Don't download them. Don't buy their books. Don't read them. Don't listen to them.

Remember that healthy accountability is both Christ-centered and truth-anchored. And I am quite sure that in a seedy city like Corinth, remember it's like the Las Vegas of the ancient Greek world.

Corinth, Paul probably would have been much more popular and well-liked if he could have made a few exceptions in some areas. But he says, we didn't.

He says, he can't. And because he can't, Paul knows that even as he's writing in preparation for that impending third visit, things are moving in a certain direction.

Yes, there's been patience. There's been appropriate steps. Wise timing. But he knows things are moving in a direction. And that direction is this, number three.

Number three, healthy accountability will move in the direction of confrontation.

Confrontation. I say it like this on purpose because I don't think that is necessarily always the immediate first step. I mean, after all, has not Paul been fairly nuanced at times throughout this letter?

We've been taking little pieces, you know, week by week over months. And we might almost forget how bad things are in this church because there are times where he gets into some encouragement.

And just some teaching. In a few places, he'll use a little bit of a rhetorical flourish. Like he's kind of tongue-in-cheek. I think the whole boasting contest that we saw in the last couple chapters, I think that's a case in point.

He's being rhetorical. But the time for positive encouragements and rhetorical games and little boasting contests, Paul knows it can't go on like that indefinitely.

He knows that a time is coming soon and very soon where all the urging and all the pleading and all the encouragement and even all the warning is going to be replaced with something else.

And that's direct confrontation. We already see him doing it in verse 5. Did you read those words? Verse 5. What's he say to them? Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.

I think that's about as direct as you can get with somebody. Like, you should really look at your heart. Are you even really a Christian?

That's what he says. He says, why don't you do a little self-examination to see whether you really are even a Christian. He goes on, test yourselves or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?

Unless you fail to meet the test. Isn't it funny how fast Paul has turned the tables on them? What were they saying to him in verse 3? They were saying like, we're not even sure Christ is speaking in you, Paul.

We go from that to now. Verse 5. Are you guys even legit yourselves? Because I think you Corinthians might need to conduct a spiritual audit on your own hearts.

Is Jesus Christ even in there? And how will they pass the test? How are they going to pass? By heeding Paul's warnings. By being done with those ongoing, persisting patterns of sin.

By stopping with the recent sin of all the fighting and quarrels and dissension and jealousy and whatnot. Listen, Paul does not want to come with the rod of correction.

He wants to be able to come in gentleness and with encouragement. But unless and until some of them change their course. Unless and until some of the others.

Did you notice that? He says the others. As if there's another group in the church that is not directly involved in these sins. But what are they doing?

They're standing by being too lenient. They're condoning it by their silence. He says unless there's a stop. I have to come with the rod.

Verse 7. But we pray to God. That you may not do wrong. And of course by wrong he means persist in these patterns of sin. That you may not do wrong.

Not that we may appear to have met the test. But that you may do what is right. You know it's interesting to kind of step back from the situation a little bit.

And think more broadly about what's going on here. Notice that Paul does not simply assume that a person's association with this church means that they're genuinely a Christian.

Notice that he does not assume that just because somebody's in church or at church. Or even friends with church people. That that necessarily makes them a believer.

Because if someone persistently does wrong. Fails to course correct and do what is right. Somebody keeps engaging in a pattern of sexual immorality.

Keeps filling their heart and their life with impurity. Maybe Jesus isn't in there. Because if he isn't there. There will at least be conviction about these things.

There will at least be a seeking of forgiveness for these things. When we fail in those moments. But it doesn't appear that some of our Corinthians are feeling any conviction at all.

And as Paul sees it. They're failing the test. It's pass fail. They're getting an F. Because when you genuinely have God's spirit inside of you.

When Jesus really is inside of you. Here's what Paul would say. Here's what he's going to write a few months from now. In the book of Romans chapter 8 verse 9.

Romans 8:9

He'll say this. You however are not in the flesh. But in the spirit. If in fact the spirit of God dwells in you. So if you have God's spirit in you.

You are not in the flesh. Or how about this. As he said in the first letter. Back in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16. He says here. Do you not know.

1 Corinthians 3:16

Corinthians. Do you not know that you are God's temple. And that God's spirit dwells in you. He's saying that when God dwells in you. When you are in the spirit.

Then you won't be in the flesh.

Of course he hopes they're going to change. That's why even with these words right now. He's still warning them. He hopes as he says in verse 10.

That when I come. I hope I won't have to be severe in my use of authority. But in as much as these patterns of sin. Are still persisting. Unabated.

Paul knows that. A healthy accountability. Has to move. In the direction of confrontation.

Let me ask you. Is this a place where you're willing to go? To a place of confrontation. Some of us it's true. Our weakness is that. We're too.

We're too quick. We're too fast. We rush. We miss appropriate steps. Maybe don't give the Holy Spirit. An opportunity to do it. To do any work on a person's heart.

But others of us have the opposite problem. And that's that we'll never get to the point where there's confrontation. Every situation is different.

And probably only you are going to know the best interpersonal dynamics with whatever situation is on your mind right now. It could be a certain family member.

It might be a close friend. Whomever it is. And we're talking about people who profess to be Christians. We don't hold the world accountable.

The world that is lost does not have the same standard. They're not claiming Jesus Christ is in them. We're talking about someone that you love and know and care about who professes to be a Christian.

But who are actually professing something else by the way they're living. Healthy confrontation may become necessary. And we do it as an act of love.

A healthy act of love. And we do it not for ourselves. But for them. And on that note we come to a fourth and final aspect of this healthy accountability from Paul.

And it's this. Number four. Number four. Healthy accountability keeps the right priorities in focus. The right priorities in focus.

You see one of the ways that we know that Paul and his heart. And his focus are on the right things. Is because he won't let it become about him.

Himself.

Notice he has not made this about himself. In spite of the fact that his opponents in Corinth. Those super apostles. Are very much trying to do just that.

Make it all about Paul.

Now it doesn't mean he can't slip in a few slightly sarcastic zingers. He's got a couple in this passage doesn't he. I look at verse 6. What's he say there?

He says in verse 6. I hope you'll find out that we haven't failed the test. Really? Really? The apostle Paul? Or next verse. Verse 7. He says things like.

We hope you'll do what's right. Though we may seem to have failed. Or even down in verse 9. In verse 9 where he talks about him being weak. And them being strong.

He's saying. I don't care what you think of us. Call us weak. I just want you to be strong. I think about that today. I don't care what you call me.

Call me unloving. I just want your heart right with Jesus. These are moments that I would call slightly sanctified sarcasm from Paul. Be careful with that.

You're not under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit like he was. Not to that level. But even in these moments. When he's giving in to these caricatures and these criticisms of him.

He does it all with the right priorities and full focus doesn't he? Is this whole matter about Paul and his personal vindication? No. Is this about Paul being proven right?

And seen as legit? Accept me as a genuine apostle. How I've suffered for you. Give me all your respect and recognition. I'm trying to do the right thing here.

And you're coming at me for it. Don't really see that. What's really at stake here. And Paul names it. Is their restoration. That things in their lives would be gotten right.

That they would get right. It's for them to be restored as a church. That's what's really at stake here. He tells them in verse 9. For we are glad when we are weak.

And you are strong. If you want to put air quotes around those two. Weak and strong. You could do that. Your restoration is what we pray for.

When you're truly strong. And Paul would mean when you're spiritually strong. It's going to mean that you've kicked those sinful patterns to the Corinthian curb.

Right? It's going to mean that you don't go into those pagan temples anymore. Just the window shop. When there's sexual immorality going on there.

It means that you'll stop with this constant fighting. And dissensions. And slander. And gossip that feeds this stuff. That's made you a disordered church.

I want your restoration. Paul would say. That is what we're ultimately working for. Writing for. And coming to visit you for. Your restoration.

So yeah. We sternly write to you while we're away from you. Verse 10. Last verse. We've been stern in our letters. Yeah. But this is only so that when I actually come.

I won't have to be severe in the use of the authority the Lord has given me. And he's given me this authority. Not to tear you down. It's for building you up.

To build you up. This is the right priority. When you have a person in your life that is straying. And you're praying for their restoration.

And the situation begins to become a thing where it's all about you. And how mean you are. And how you don't love them. Remind them that you're praying for their restoration.

And keep the right priorities in focus.

This means that we don't allow the conflict to revolve around ourselves. Or enlarge ourselves too much. It means that we don't worry about our need or desire for personal vindication.

We don't let that take center stage. It means that we don't get all caught up in being legitimized or proven right. It means we probably have to retire language like I told you so.

Right? I told you so. I told you you were on a destructive path. Or you should have listened to me. Are you able to do that? To keep the right priorities and focus?

Church, my hope today is that you can see this picture from Paul. Because it is a picture of what healthy accountability looks like. And I just want to say if you have someone around you right now in your life.

Someone that's struggling with an ongoing pattern of sin. Who claims to be a believer. If there are unchecked destructive patterns of sin. That are belying and undermining somebody's claim to be a believer.

Let's follow this example from Paul. It's an excellent example. Let's commit ourselves to bringing a healthy accountability. It's probably going to take appropriate steps and some appropriate timing.

I don't know what that looks like. You can come and talk to a pastor. We'll try to help you figure that out. It's going to have to be Christ-centered.

Not you-centered. Christ-centered and totally anchored in the truth.

It may inevitably need to move toward confrontation. And to keep it healthy. Our accountability will always have to keep the right priorities and focus.

I ask you if you would now stand with me. Just give you a moment. I want to pray for you before we sing. The team's going to come. Lord, many of us have situations that we're reminded of in the past.

Where we were trying to bring just this. This healthy accountability. And maybe we're reminded right now that we kind of messed it up. Lord, we know there's grace.

We know there's forgiveness. There's always second chances in you. And we know that you're a God that sometimes will bring other opportunities yet in the future.

Even when we fail.

And Lord, maybe for someone else here today. There's a situation that's actually manifesting right now. And you're thinking, well, I need to give this some more thought.

I need to maybe lean into this. I've been too quick. I've rushed in. Or I've never gotten to the point of any confrontation. Lord, some of us struggle with keeping you at the center of it.

Keeping ourselves anchored to your truth. May we as a people be firmly planted in the truth. The truth that you have sown deeply into our hearts.

And Father, whatever we do. However we are interacting with each other. With family members. With loved ones. With friends. Will you help us do it?

Keeping the right priorities in focus. And that is not about us. It's about you and your work of restoration in our loved one's life. That's our prayer.

Jesus, we trust you. We are indeed weak. But you have power. And we thank you for that. And we express our love to you today. And we pray this in your name.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. homeless. food. circumstant.

circumstant. circumstant. . 卻. circumstant. to good.