A Disciplined Church

Usefulness of Diet and Exercise…yuck?

Overall health - full body system approach

Gotta talk about the less-than-fun stuff, sorry!

Healthy Body - Important to some, to others, smh....

Usefulness of Healthy Church

Make disciples, grow the Kingdom, Evangelize, Edify

Necessities for Healthy Church - Functionally-speaking

Truth, Prayer, Teaching, Breaking Bread, Fellowship - Acts 2:42

Fellowship implies properly managing conflicts

Conflicts ignored - mowing the weeds

TODAY: Specific to conflicts in the church (not family, not work, not friends, although principles apply)

Matthew 5:23–24 NASB95

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

- worship depends on proper conflict resolution!

No “going through the motions”

Healthy Church - Important to some, to others, smh...

When a “Brother” Sins: (against you…)

1) Can Love cover it?

1 Peter 4:8 NASB95

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Maybe 24-hour rule? Maybe longer?

Proverbs 19:11 NASB95

A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

99% of conflict could probably be resolved with this humility and togetherness

2) Process of Resolving Sinful Conflict

Matthew 18:15-20

Importance

A - This passage is absolutely useless without it - discipline

It takes a sincere believer to be willing to follow God’s will - and understanding of Scripture helps

B - Sincere worship depends on this - Matthew 5:23-24

FOR SO MANY - the church’s health is not important enough to follow these principles

We want to do the other things that churches do, more fun, but don’t discuss or do these - unhealthy, ineffective

ASIDE: Humility is a necessary piece to any conflict, Motives are crucial, Patience is assumed in the believer

Doing the “right thing” - THAT is God’s will!

IDEAL: You sin, go to the one you sinned against

Meanwhile, that person is coming to you to ask you to repent

MEET IN THE MIDDLE!

3) Everyday Practice

24-hour rule

It says a lot when you can go to someone and make sure there was no offense

When it’s over, it’s over (if thoughts linger, then there is an issue)

Time frame for steps is variable

Realize that what offends you might not offend another, and vice versa

These principles, at least the first step, are useful even with non-believers

When gossip stops with you, people notice, for instance

Big Picture

Patience, Acceptance of failure, grudges, etc.

God is patient with us, we were at conflict with Him

Romans 8:1-9 and following

POINT: The lost are in conflict with God - that’s not a good place to end up

He went to them, in the person of Jesus

Some repent - done, over, in Christ!

Most refuse - and God (through the church) keeps going to them

He still desires to use the church, trying to reconcile people to Him

2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB95

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

CLOSE/SUMMARY

Spent some time talking about church, healthy membership

Goal is not:

Numbers or money

What YOU can get (such as, what is the benefit to ME to join?)

Goal is:

The most spiritually healthy church we can be

Understand the mission of the church

If you do not, then I’m happy to explain

Set self-interests aside, for big picture

Know that being a member of a healthy church benefits you, SPIRITUALLY

Know that it is a sign of a mature or maturing believer to connect him/herself to a local body of believers