Jesus has given us a complete and concise answer to this dilemma in Matt. 18:15-20. This teaching, although forgotten by many, needs to be reestablished as the only acceptable means of reconciliation between brothers and sisters in Christ (members of the church). The process has mixed reviews in and out of the church. There are those who feel it is impractical and illegal in the twentieth century, and there are some fanatical groups who have taken this process beyond what Jesus intended. Even though it is true, these are Jesus' words, and if they are properly understood and practiced in the Spirit of Christ, they are very effective in bringing reconciliation between believers.

2. When a Brother Sins Against You, Part Two--Matt. 18:15-20; I Corinthians 5:1-11. 
In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus has given us some very difficult instructions to carry out but in addition to the command are the unbelievable resources our Lord promises to those who are obedient to His commands. In Part 2 we'll look at those resources as well as a case study of a church that did not follow the simple instruction of Matthew 18. It's a powerful lesson on the effects of disobedience. This church, by many standards, would have been considered outstanding. The grace of God was very evident, and the people had been enriched in every way. There was great knowledge in their speaking, and their testimony about Christ was confirmed in them in an obvious way. It was said of the church that they did not lack any specific gift; they were all in operation in the community, and they also had an eager expectation for the coming of Christ.

Doesn't this sound like a church that would be a joy to pastor or attend? No! The church also had unbelievable problems that would cause a pastor or leader to want to run. There were fights and divisions; you could not even address these people as spiritual. They were like a bunch of children. They were giving their founding pastor a horrible time and even tolerating incest in their midst. Interestingly, for some reason this church was so pathetic it was proud of its spiritual condition. In this lesson, we will concentrate on how Paul instructed them; in particular, as to their disobedience to Matt. 18:15-20. This will give us great insight into why this process is so needed in churches today.

3. When a Brother Sins Against You, Part Three—Some resources and examples for the Matthew 18 process in the local church

4. Dimensions of Forgiveness—Matthew 18:21-25
How many times do I go through the steps of Matthew 18:15-17?

5. Prone to Wander—James 5:19-20
Have you ever known a believer who has wandered away from the clear teaching of Scripture? How about you; have you ever done so? A person may be active in the leadership of a local church, and yet over a period of time slowly, almost imperceptibly, wander away from the truth. At the beginning of their journey, they would never have imagined where their trek would take them, but eventually it was apparent they were wandering from the right path—the way of truth. Why does this happen? What can be done to stop or rescue a person from this unintentional departure from the faith? What are the characteristics of the person who is prone to wander? To answer these questions, we'll take an inventory of what we have observed about ourselves and then we'll see what the Scripture has to say in James 5:19-20.

6. Solutions For Helping Those Who Wander:
A summary sheet

7. Intervention—2 Timothy 2:22-26
In warfare the wounded are picked up and immediate care is given to them, but in cases where a soldier is captured this is more difficult. Often a search and rescue mission follows in order to find and release him/her from captivity. Likewise, as Christian soldiers we are called upon to not only do battle but be aware of those who are falling in their Christian life, or are caught in a trap of Satan. Spiritual warfare, therefore, demands not only that we stand strong but that we do what we can to see that all God's army is standing strong, too. It is for that reason we will deal with wounded and captured soldiers in this study. The tragic and permanent failure of some believers doesn't need to happen! There are biblical ways to restore a fallen brother or sister. I want to suggest wise intervention is needed to help a wounded and captive soldier. We need to put feet to our prayers and follow the instruction of 2 Timothy 2:22-26.

8. Healing Solutions for Real Life Conditions—James 5:13-20
When we are in trouble; when we are sick (physically, emotionally, or spiritually); or even when we are happy, God has provided game plans for us to follow in community.

9. Healing for Broken and Guilty Hearts
How do we bring healing to those who have broken hearts? What are the elements of healing, counseling and tending in Jesus' model that we can adopt? A look at His pattern of ministry.

10. Rehabilitation: Release for the Captive and Recovery for the Blind
In Luke 4, Jesus explained that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61's prophecy, and described His ministry to captives and those enslaved (caught and imprisoned, addicted by their sin). They are in some kind of prison or spiritual blindness and need to be released and to recover their sight. Cooperative rehabilitation is what they need: a two-fold expression of rehabilitation—release and recovery.