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A
I would say the teen needs to be in church, but held accountable for his actions. If the teen is a believer then Matthew 18 definitely applies and the teen needs to be talked to with the hopes of repentance.
If the teen is not a believer Matthew 18 still applies but with an evangelistic slant. What a great witness the church can be by forgiving this teen and allowing the teen to see we all fall short...even disciples.
If the teen is not a believer Matthew 18 still applies but with an evangelistic slant. What a great witness the church can be by forgiving this teen and allowing the teen to see we all fall short...even disciples.
A
If the teen doesn't walk through the Matthew 18 process well then Matthew 18 does give instruction:
Matthew 18:16-17
16 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.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Remember that Jesus was speaking to Jews, and in the First Century, the Jews would not eat with heathens or tax collectors. By way of analogy, Jesus is instructing us to not eat with, keep company with, or otherwise socialize with sinning brethren.
Matthew 18:16-17
16 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.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Remember that Jesus was speaking to Jews, and in the First Century, the Jews would not eat with heathens or tax collectors. By way of analogy, Jesus is instructing us to not eat with, keep company with, or otherwise socialize with sinning brethren.
F
no, not appropriate but "lying" as you wrote is rather vague. Is it pathological lying? is it lying that is harming others to a significant degree? I can think of several situations I know of having happened in a church where lying was covering up something that was much, much worse than the lying itself.
B
Unfortunately, churches don't really show the real character of God and tend to be legalistic instead of loving. Too often they focus on the rights and wrongs of the actions instead on loving one another unconditionally. I would tend to ask "Why did the teen lie?" Was he\she affraid and wanted to cover up their fear of being caught or punished? If so, then why was there a need to be fearful...When we feel unconditionally loved and accepted, we are able to admit our wrong doings because we know we won't be rejected. God never wants us to fear Him when we do something wrong. Instead He says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..."(Is 1:18) In other words,He just wants us to talk to Him, let Him in our heart so that He can reveal the root cause of the need to lie. That way, He can show us just how much He really loves us. His love will fill that need and take away the fear that causes us to lie. I think that the teen in question needs to be shown unconditional love for it is the love of God that brings us to repentance or to change, not His wrath.
N
I agree Graybeard......many are even saying things about the church itself, when it wasn't mentioned that it was the church that was trying to take the teen out of it......I didn't get that. As I said before ...maybe more of an explaination would be in order. But as you pointed out, Curious seems to have dissappeared.