Physical Discpline: Spiritual Worship

Intro

Good morning church, and guess what! I remembered what I forgot to say last week at the end of service. We are going to be talking about sex this week in church! We will have 3 of these PG-13 messages in our time in 1 Corinthians and as a help for our parents out there who would like to broach these subjects with their kiddos at a time that isn’t right now, we will be providing a children’s church those days right after our time of worship. Next dates are May 26th, and June 2nd.

but as we start this portion of this pastoral epistle, we enter into Paul’s relational discourses with the Corinthians church. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 all deal with how Christian’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors should look in relationship to one another.

Its helpful to remind ourselves here of all the ways the gospel of Jesus Christ had turned their world upside down. Those with worldly honor were now sitting across from those with no honor. Those with wealth were now brothers and sisters with those who were destitute. Those whose background was literal paganism were in circles with those who grew up in centuries worth of Jewish tradition. Roman citizens where in groups with those they had previously persecuted and locked up. The world had never been more cats and dogs than it had now.

As such, Paul is trying to help reaffirm to these new believers that Christ’s reversal doesn’t just apply to how you interact with each other in worship but worship is bowing all of who you are before the Lordship of Christ. All of my relationships, physical, friendly, intimate, grieving, loss, gain, struggle, and celebration. It all goes on the altar before Jesus.

Tension

Why the interest in private matters that happen in the quiet of our own homes? Why does Paul meddle in such things and why is it appropriate for us to talk about them today; almost 2000 years beyond his words? As my mentor John Marshall says almost constantly, “Because Holiness matters most.” The word comments on all of these various parts of our lives because they all matter. They matter to how we live our lives but also we can honor God or dishonor him by our actions.

Secondarily, we have a goal this year of applying these words to our own lives as well as helping new and budding Christians live out God’s will in there own. Do those that we disciple know that God has a life abundant for them? That that lifestyle also includes who they are behind closed doors and when no one is watching? Do they understand that they can honor God in how they interact with their wife, their mother, their sister, their brother, their coworker, those they date and even those that they intend to marry? That God also wants that? And, that he doesn’t create these limitations to your expression or freedoms because he is down on fun, but because he loves you. He wants the best for you. So today, let us dive into the first 5 verses of chapter 5 in 1 Corinthians.

Truth

1 Corinthians 5:1–5 (ESV)

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.

2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.

4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Pray

Exposition

Recap up till now:

Chapter 1 Paul brings up the divisions that have grown around personalities and teachers.

Chapter 2 he declares the importance of the simple Gospel and why he preached it to them how he did, so that they would here it rather than his eloquence. Jesus > Paul

Chapter 3 he elaborates on disciple making and how the teachers and leaders they cling too have one goal of pointing them to Jesus. Christ is responsible for their growth and sanctification and they need to remember that.

Chapter 4 Paul speaks of the ministry of a teacher/preacher/leader in the church and how it is one based in love. Love for Christ and love for his bride.

Now we get to chapter 5.

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.

Paul rips the duck tape off with one sharp pull. Chloe's people have told him of the things that have been taking place while he’s been away. An unnamed man is carrying out an incestuous affair with his stepmother. This type of relationship is prohibited in Leviticus 18:8

Leviticus 18:8 (ESV)

8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.

and in Deuteronomy 22:22

Deuteronomy 22:22 (ESV)

22 “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.

Whats more, this was even known by the super pagan nation of Rome to be against the Law as reported by Cicero and Gaius.

Secondly, we don’t find Paul calling out the stepmom here. Many have speculated that her absence from this rebuke is likely because she was not a Christian. More on this later but suffice it to say now, Paul is holding this man responsible for his actions and continuing on to verse 2...

2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

He brings the church into this rebuke. Not only do they know about this man and his behavior but they are applauding it. They are arrogant about it. They see nothing wrong with it! Verse 2 has 3 statements to look into.

First, the church is arrogant about this sin. Not to mention the conversations that could be had surrounding pride and arrogance of the individual but that the church has collectively endorsed what is lined out as blatant sin, whilst still declaring they are following Jesus is straight blasphemy. This is not an ignorance or misstep. They are declaring what is evil to be fine and doing so with pride.

Secondly, Paul calls them to grief. 1 Corinthians 12:26

1 Corinthians 12:26 (ESV)

26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Galatians 6:1–2 (ESV)

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

They should be heartbroken for this man willingly turning to sinfulness rather than holiness. They should be trying to restore him and help him navigate his way through the lusts he is embracing back to repentance and restoration. They should also see the error of their bragging and boasting in his sin and repent for their wrong in it all. Simply put, the church cannot stand for the things that God stands opposed too. Sin is not a difference of opinion we have from God it is cancer. It kills. It perverts. It destroys. It takes what was meant for good and turns it into base thirsts and hungers.

I had a professor who told us all things in creation are good because they come from God. Immediately hands were raised to counter his point.

“Slavery, pornography, gluttony, war, torture, surely you misspoke.” He asked simply, “aren’t all of those things that we, sinful, and broken as we are, have taken something that God created for good and perverting his intended design to fit our evil desires?

God created us for relationship and community and we choose instead to enslave and lord over others?

God created sexual expression to be had so that we could live in a committed, gospel reflecting marriage and take part in creation yet we would rather settle for an cheap image?

Food can be combined in infinite ways with textures and flavors that are all pleasing and nurturing to our bodies yet we gorge ourselves?

We are called to love one another yet its easier to kill your neighbor and take his stuff than have to negotiate?

I’m supposed to count others a greater than myself yet i will violate your body, causing pain against a fellow image bearer of Christ?

All of creation was and is made good, yet we mixed our sin in the bowl and called it his fault.”

Brothers and sisters, sin is not a difference of opinion, it is us spitting upon what God made; how and why he made it that way and saying “I can do better.” Simply stated, no you cannot. Our best efforts blow up in our face like a dime-store bottle rocket. Left to our own devices, our own lusts, our own desires, we will choose wrong. We need an objective moral law because we are not objective, we are not moral, and we can’t even follow our own laws. We need Christ to show us the path and guide us to keep our feet on the solid ground. Without him we are lost.

Thirdly, Paul calls them to remove the young man from the church. Now, Matthew 18 has gotten a lot of press recently and to be honest, I've always been a little weary of people who hold it to be one of their favorite passages in the Bible. You know who you are. It is the one that deals with church discipline.

Matthew 18:15–17 (ESV)

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Its called the church discipline passage but in all reality, its goal is not to be seen as punishment teaching a lesson that leads down a path for restoration. The hope here, the goal here, is to restore those who have gone their own way.

Yes, this is a good word for the church. Conflict does happen and will continue too. Unfortunately, some people will refuse to repent and get right. What do we do with them at that time? When they aren’t struggling with sin but diving off the board, doing a flip, and with great poise, diving headfirst into it proudly? Simply put, removing them from the fellowship of believers. Treat them as a gentile or a tax collector. It stands to be said that the goal with gentiles and tax collectors is that you would share the gospel with them and try to help them repent and come to Christ for salvation. Paul continues...

3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.

4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Paul uses some clear and definitive language here: verse 2 let him be removed, verse 3 i have pronounced judgment on him, vs 5, deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Paul’s instructions are to kick him out of the fellowship. If he wants to walk his own way and has no care for Christ’s commands then let him go that way and remove him lest his attitude pervert the rest of the church.

this rebuke comes as a stark reminder of a couple things: 1. Self-centeredness has no place in the life of the believer. Its about becoming more like Christ not more the old me. 2. God’s temple demands holiness. You’ll remember, 1 Corinthians 3:17

1 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)

17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Application

We have 5 points of application this morning so lets get started.

Sex and sexuality are not a personal preferences, but gifts given to us by God to be enjoyed in the boundaries he set for them. Belief/Behavior

Now, we will get into this in more depth at the end of chapter 6 as Paul calls out sexual sin for what it is and what it does. In chapter 7 we will see Paul talk about what sexual ethics and practice should look like and why God created them that way. But, for the purposes of today’s passage, I feel compelled to speak to this aspect of the discussion. Our world has become so fixated on customizing our lives to be a reflection of the “me” i want to be and put out into the world.

I have often used the illustration of the phone case. When I was a boy we had phones that were attached to the wall in the kitchen and when we got a cordless phone it was big news. (even though my sisters would never charge the thing and would always leave it all around the house.) Then the brick Nokia came out and everyone had one. Then it became not that you had a phone but which phone did you have. We created classes of people based on the cost and brand of your phone (You know who you are Iphone people!). Then, even that wasn’t enough because you had to find a phone case that customized your device to your personality more. Sparkles, your favorite NFL team, leather, microfiber, and even accessories. From our hair, to our glasses, to our clothing, to our cars, to even our phones, everything has become a way to express yourselves and find and be your authentic-self. Whatever it is that that means.

This generations teachers and gurus have given the same treatment to sexuality as a customization option that you can use to express yourself in the world. The 50’s saw the boom of the nuclear family and sex for the means of procreation primarily, the 60’s saw the sexual revolution with the invention of the birth control pill and cheap contraception, the 70’s ushered in free love with unmarried sexually active 20-24 year olds, going from 4.3 million in 1960 to 9.7 million in 1970. The 80’s saw pornography go mainstream and what used to be kept behind counters and in back rooms is now available to anyone and everyone, with today, the average first engagement with pornography being 8 years old. Social media, influencers, tictok stars, and celebrities are all telling our young people and our kids that they need to go out there and find out what kind of sexual person they are, like they are choosing a phone case that best represents their personality. Friends, they are the blind leading the blinder.

The truth is that sex is a gift. Its a beautiful thing that God gave his people to be experienced in the manner he created it for. We in the church have been guilty in the past of not telling that whole truth. Sex can be great and is great in the right context. Mom, dad, you need to start these conversations at home so that the first time the kids here about these things isn’t on tictok or the back of the school bus or the locker room. Answer questions, teach correct terms and give the why as much as the what. Teach them the context for sex. Don’t shame them for questions or teach them that sex is wrong or gross or immoral. Teach them what it is and what God’s intention for it is in their life.

A word on the context:

First, it was created to be experienced only with the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. While I could go into greater detail as to the psychology and biology of what happens to your mind, suffice it to say that It was created to be a sort of glue for them that both would benefit from and would bring intimacy and compatability. It gave them the ability to procreate and join with God in his creative process. After all, in the beginning the God of creation could make anything as he saw fit. Yet he, speaking with the divine God head of Father, Son, and Spirit, said “let us make man in our image.” He gives us the same ability to make little us’s. Lastly, the intimacy found in the marriage is vulnerability, trust, openness, and all are reflections of the gospel.

One of my professors, Dr. Allen Branch put it this way.

“A drag racing car is alot of fun to drive and even watch do its thing. However, if you were to try to do this in downtown KC during rush hour traffic you would crash and burn and probably destroy yours and alot more lives. That is not to say that its wrong everywhere and at all times. If instead you take that same car and put it in the Kansas speedway with all the proper safety features and precautions, it can and should be enjoyed.”

So it is with sex. Enjoyed in the manner it was intended it can bring great enjoyment and intimacy between a married couple. If used, abused, tweaked, or changed to be used outside of those parameters it can and will destroy.

The Bible doesn’t teach us not to judge, but who to judge and how to judge them. Belief/Attitude

“Juston did you just blaspheme? I may not know much but I know it tells us not to judge.”

Matthew 7:1–3 (ESV)

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

“See Juston, look there it is, I told you.” Let’s keep reading on in verses 2 and 3.

2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

This passage is calling us to not engage in hypocrisy or be deluded into a pattern of self-righteousness. We are no better than any other man no matter what flavor their sin shows up in. You and I are just as sinful, just as in need of a savior, just as “prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” The point is, to bring judgment upon another in a heart of “i’m better than you, you filthy sinner” is to ignore your own reality. Instead, when you bring judgment upon a brother or sister in Christ, do so with love, gentleness, and a certain amount of humility. KNOWING, that you are no better than they are but that in your heart you have a desire to see them right the ship rather than end up wrecked upon the rocks. The judgment you give to others and the heart in which you do it will be given back to you so do so with sober judgment and humility. Secondly, jumping forward to next week, we come to an important passage that should always be studied alongside Mathew 7 here. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13

1 Corinthians 5:11–13 (ESV)

11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

This passage is so crucial for us regarding discipline. We are not to judge anyone outside of the brotherhood of Christians for not adhering to the statues Christ laid down for us. The lost are going to act like the lost, and here me now; believe it or not, just adding Christian lifestyle to their lives will not save them. Cussing less, giving more, coming to church, or engaging in God’s design for marriage and sexuality will not save them. They are sinners in need of a savior, not behavior modification.

Discipline does not mean punishment but “to teach a lesson.” Belief/Behavior

Remember church, despite what we’ve been told and have heard, discipline is a good thing. We discipline our kids, we discipline ourselves, we are disciplined by the Lord. The whole goal is to cause a lesson to be learned. Sometimes that can be done easily and with education. Sometimes, many like me, will need a 2x4 upside the head. Some of us will learn the lessons others give us and some will need to learn them the hard way. But the goal is not to drag people across the coals for our own vindication or pleasure. Its not about retribution but education. If your discipline looks more like punishment than teaching you are doing it wrong. Take some time and reflect, breath and get less mad. When you are sober-minded and can explain to yourself the lesson you are trying to teach then you are ready. Learn this with your kids and carry it with you in your relationships.

Discipline in the church should always point toward repentance and restoration. Behavior

Paul says clearly at the end of verse 5 “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” Paul took no joy in the man’s decisions or the need to kick him out of the congregation but knew it necessary for the good of the church but also so this man would see his error and repent. The hope was, the hope must always be even in our day, that when we exercise any church discipline within the church that our brothers and sisters would have the opportunity to have their eyes opened, their hearts laid bare, and come to repentance and restoration. In the words of so many parents “this hurts me more than it hurts you.” We take no delight in bringing these things up but must due to the debt we owe one another in love.

Some will choose to pursue their desires rather than holiness. We must let them go and pray for their return. Belief/Attitude/Behavior

Where that it would not be so, but it is. Some will choose not to relent or repent. For all hosts of reasons and many in our world will even use the rebuke of the church that loved them as the primary reason for unrepentance. I have in my ministry multiple people leave the church related to something I did directly or indirectly. Sometimes it was a sin that I committed against them and even came to repent and ask forgiveness but it was too late for them. They wanted nothing to do with it or with me. Some were just unrepentant and angry or sometimes ashamed. It hurts still even now thinking about. In those times friends we can genuinely pray that God would make a way where there is no other way. But we cannot allow unrepentant and obvious sin to be left unchecked, even within ourselves. This is not our church, it is Christ’s. We are living temples, standing in his honor. We must live this way and challenge each other to do the same.

Landing

Applications for you and those you disciple:

Have you given all of your desires over to Christ in worship? Including your sexuality?

How do you handle discipline? From others? From the Lord? From yourself? Do you lean in or run away?

Holiness matters most.