Church Discipline

I. The necessity of church discipline (why?)

a) to protect the name of God and of his teaching (v.1)

the church needs a good name if we want people from the world to be saved

Would you go to a restaurant that has a bad name to it?

Would you call a plumber that you know does a bad job?

That is why the apostles were concerned that that the church and its message may not have a bad reputation:

1 Timothy 6:1 Slaves are commanded to respect their masters “so that God’s name and his teaching will not be blasphemed”

2 Peter 2:2 Speaks of the false prophets that will cause the way of truth to be slandered.

b) to keep the sin from spreading (v. 6-8)

the image of leaven that slowly spreads through the dough.

Sin and false teaching spread in the church and God’s hates this:

Revelation 2:20

But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

The Romanian church that allowed its youth to date non-believers which lead to immorality.

c) to save the sinner (v.5)

-we rebuke, we instruct and we put the sinners out so he can understand how bad their sins are so that they may repent from them.

One time a young woman came to an older woman to confess her sin. When the older one heard what the younger one commited, she rebuked her sharply and told her she has no chance of restoration.

II. The basis of church discipline (Matthew 18:15-18)

One day some guys were stopped by the corrupt policeman because his car had a cracked window. The policeman said that the he wants to suspend for 90 days the man’s driving licence for this crime. But on what basis?

1. Scripture (not personal convictions, not personal revelations, not traditions, not american or Romanian culture) - 1 Cor 5:15 > Deuter 17:7

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.

2. Jesus’s authority

Matthew 18:18

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven

3. Truth about the matter (not personal opinions)

Matthew 18:16

16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established

III. The people that need to be disciplined (who?)

1. the members of the church that live persistently in sin ( not the visitors, not the people from the world, not family relatives)

2. What kind of sins:

a) sins that affect the other people from your church like:

lovers of money and defrauders (v. 10)

substance abusers (v. 11)

divisive persons: Tt 3:10 Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning.

People who deny fundamental teachings: 2 Jn 7–11. Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; 11 for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.

IV. The method of church discipline

Talk privately one to one

2. Rebuke in front of the church leaders

3. Rebuke in front of the church

1 Timothy 5:20

Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will be afraid

4. Remove from the activities of the church

serving

Lord’s supper

counseling

financial assistance