Protect The Body - 5:6-8
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Introduction
Introduction
What kinds of things do you put into a safe?
ANSWERS
We put things like jewelry and important documents in a safe because we want to protect them.
Those items that are precious to us need protection so that they are not lost or damaged.
Sometimes protection is guarding something, other times protection is removing something.
I have often joked with parents that you can tell how old someones kids are by how high the breakables are on the shelves.
The classic saying is that someone is like a bull in a china shop.
We wouldn’t let a bull be in the china shop and if a bull got into the china shop we would remove it as swiftly as possible.
Here’s the point.
Decisive action is taken to protect things of value.
When something is worth protecting, we do what is necessary to protect it!
This attitude and ideology is what lies at the heart of this entire letter and specifically of chapter 5.
The Corinthian Church is headed into danger.
Paul wants to protect them.
The body of Christ needs protection from three conditions.
Decisive action must be taken to accomplish this protection.
Protection frees the body to function as God has designed.
Condition #1…
1. Protect The Body From Infiltration v. 6
1. Protect The Body From Infiltration v. 6
I have here some frosting. I am going to add to this frosting just a little bit of food coloring.
Proportionally speaking, there is far more frosting than food coloring.
Does that mean the frosting will overpower the food coloring and make it white?
No. The food coloring changes the frosting.
And it doesn’t take much.
When only a little bad is allowed to remain, it corrupts all the good.
When we allow the body of Christ to be infiltrated by sin, it corrupts the whole body.
Sin must dealt with to protect and preserve the body of Christ.
How do we do that?
How do we protect the body from infiltration?
To protect the body from infiltration we take two actions.
Action #1…
a. Expose the problem v. 6a
a. Expose the problem v. 6a
6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
This is an indictment.
The behavior is wrong.
We cannot correct what we do not know.
The implication of Paul’s words is that the Corinthian church thinks what it has done is acceptable!
They see nothing wrong with allowing a man who is in a sexual relationship with his stepmother to continue in fellowship.
Your glorying is not good.
Glorying – καύχημα (kauchēma) boast; (reason for) boasting. personal satisfaction n. — a satisfied contentment with one’s own or another’s achievements. Noun (subject), nominative, singular, neuter.
Glorying – καύχημα (kauchēma)
This word is translated “boasting” in all other translations.
The idea is that of personal satisfaction with either your achievements or those of someone else.
This was the attitude of the Corinthian church.
They were boasting about their tolerance of sin!
With zero subtlety, Paul rips off the proverbial band-aid.
Your glorying is not good.
This thing that you are doing?
This behavior?
It is not good.
We cannot address the problem until it has been exposed.
Think for a minute of the medical profession.
X-ray, MRI, CAT scan, Ultrasound, PET scan - all of these have something in common. They are designed to expose the problem.
Why?
Because there can be no correction where there is no exposure!
We cannot operate on a problem until we know what it is and where it is.
There is a problem in the Corinthian church, Paul is exposing it.
The problem is twofold.
1 - They don’t understand the nature of sexual sin.
Paul will deal with that later in the chapter.
2 - They don’t understand the danger of pride.
Their pride is allowing a cancer to spread in the body.
Here’s the bottom line.
We have an enemy. He wants to destroy us.
One of his tactics is to infiltrate the church with sin.
He will disguise it as something good.
This body of believers thinks it is doing good by tolerating this man!
That tolerance is not loving.
By exposing the problem, Paul can now address it.
To fix a problem we must first expose it.
Paul is dealing directly and bluntly with the Corinthian church.
They must understand the danger of what they are doing.
If this problem is not fixed, the church is going to be ineffective.
To protect the body from infiltration we take two actions.
Action #1: Expose the problem.
Action #2…
b. Enable correction v. 6b
b. Enable correction v. 6b
6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
There are two parts to this issue.
We just looked at the first one.
However, we cannot stop there.
We do not want to just go around pointing out problems.
We must also work toward solutions.
That’s what Paul is doing here.
Instruction enables correction.
Do you not know?
This is instruction.
What do they need to know?
A little leaven effects the whole.
Remember our illustration?
A little bit of food coloring affects the whole bowl of frosting.
This is the Greek word mikros or micro.
A seemingly insignificant amount of leaven has an impact on the entire ball of dough!
One of the jobs I had between high school and college was rolling pizza dough.
One time someone left some dough out overnight.
When I came in the next morning there was dough leaking from the top shelf and running down onto the rolling table and all the way to the floor.
The leaven, the yeast, in that dough just kept growing and growing until a mess was made!
It doesn’t take much!
Biblically speaking, leaven is often used to represent sin.
Paul has just addressed a sin issue in the Corinthian church.
When they should have mourned the sexual immorality of a church member, they instead celebrated their tolerance of his sin.
The point Paul is making here is that A little bit of sin has an impact on the entire body of Christ.
Specifically, when a church fails to deal with sin among its members, everyone in that local church is impacted.
The Corinthians are rejoicing about something that is going to hurt them.
Paul instructs the Corinthian church that they might correct their behavior.
What does Paul’s example teach us?
Correction requires instruction.
Paul doesn’t just stop with telling them what they are doing is wrong.
He adds to it the rational behind why they need to take action.
If you let this sin remain, it is going to infiltrate the entire church.
How do we protect the body from infiltration?
We expose the problem.
We enable correction.
The body of Christ needs protection from three conditions.
Condition #1: Protect the body from infiltration.
Condition #2…
2. Protect The Body From Infection v. 7
2. Protect The Body From Infection v. 7
When I was 8 years old I got bit by a spider.
The problem was, we didn’t realize it for a few days.
One day my leg was itchy and I look down at it and there is a raised bite surrounded by shooting red streaks.
So we went to the doctor.
Here’s what the doctor did not do.
The doctor didn’t high five me and say, “wow, nice bite!”
The doctor didn’t say, “come back when it is worse.”
The doctor didn’t tell the nurses that their office was now celebrating spider bites.
The doctor cleaned and inspected the bite and gave me a strong antibiotic.
The goal was to stop the infection and get my body healthy again.
Why? Because failure to stop the infection would lead to discomfort, pain, loss of my leg, and if untreated, loss of life.
The only solution to an infection is to remove it.
That is where Paul goes next.
We must protect the body from infection.
To do that we employ two practices.
First…
a. Practice complete removal v. 7a
a. Practice complete removal v. 7a
7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
Again, Paul is using leaven as a metaphor of sin.
Glorying in sin is not good.
Allowing sin to remain has a negative affect on the entire body.
What do we do?
Purge out the leaven.
What Paul is referencing here is the ritual that Israel did at the Passover feast.
Those who came to the seder dinner will remember that Daryl spoke about this.
They would get all the leaven out of the house and have a hunt for any remaining.
Some would be intentionally left behind and when found, was burned.
This is the picture.
Purge it, remove it, cleanse the church of this sin.
Why?
To become a new lump of dough.
Paul then states that the Corinthian believers are unleavened.
What’s that all about?
This is the difference between position and practice.
Positionally, we are predestined, called, justified, and glorified.
In chapter 1 verse 2 Paul called the Corinthians “sanctified in Christ Jesus.”
These are positional realities.
Meaning, these have to do with our identity in Christ.
Practically, we may not consistently live sanctified lives.
Our practice fluctuates with our obedience.
Disobedience impacts our fellowship not our identity.
Paul is expressing the idea that their practice needs to match their position.
They are unleavened, positionally, they are free from sin.
Now their practice needs to match their position.
Because they are free from sin positionally, they need to purge the sin practically out of their midst.
This purging is to be a complete removal.
Sin that is not purged spreads.
We must not allow any of it to remain.
We must protect from infection.
Therefore, we employ two practices.
First, we practice complete removal.
Second…
b. Practice encouraging reminders v. 7b
b. Practice encouraging reminders v. 7b
7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
The word Paul uses here, calling Christ the Passover would be referring to Him as our lamb, sacrificed for us.
This is motivation for the Corinthians to purge the leaven, this is motivation to deal with sin.
When Jesus came to John the Baptist what did he say?
John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus is our Passover Lamb. Slain to pay the penalty for our sin.
Paul is reminding the Corinthians that Christ was sacrificed for us!
He died so that we would no longer be slaves to sin!
We dare not continue to live in sin!
Don’t boast about tolerating sin!
Don’t ignore sexual immorality!
Purge out the leaven!
Deal with sin.
Positionally we are cleansed. We need to be cleansed in our practice.
The reminder here is that we have been cleansed.
Our sin has been dealt with!
Christ was sacrificed for us.
As we deal with sin in the body of Christ, this is the reminder we need.
This is our encouragement.
Christ has dealt with our sin!
Psalm 103:12
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 32:1-2
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
We who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ have been forgiven!
We have been set free from sin!
This is our encouragement to live cleansed lives.
This is how we protect the body against infection.
Encouragement is the ointment and bandage on the wound.
Encouragement motivates proper behavior.
We need to encourage the body of Christ.
Infection must be removed, but we must also bear in mind all that Christ has done.
His finished work provides the motivation for us to live for His glory.
How do we protect the body from infection?
We practice complete removal.
We practice encouraging reminders.
The body of Christ needs protection from three conditions.
Condition #1: Protect the body from infiltration.
Condition #2: Protect the body from infection.
Condition #3…
3. Protect The body From Infertility v. 8
3. Protect The body From Infertility v. 8
One of my siblings planted a garden this year.
In that garden one of their children was determined to plant a popcorn kernel.
Thinking nothing would happen, the child was told to go for it.
Thursday night they posted a picture of a 2 foot tall corn plant.
Reproduction can be a tricky thing.
However, there are known factors that can enhance or hinder reproduction.
One of the responsibilities of churches is to reproduce.
When someone is infertile they are unable to reproduce.
The same is true of a church that harbors sin.
It will not be able to reproduce.
Growth will be stunted.
The soil is corrupted.
There are two ways we protect the church from infertility.
#1…
a. Protect with purpose v. 8a
a. Protect with purpose v. 8a
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul is continuing in his picture of the Passover feast.
To keep the feast there had to be no leaven present!
Remember what is at stake in the feast.
This is about deliverance from death!
This is about the separation of Israel.
You have to keep the feast.
It was to be eaten with a pure, unblemished lamb, that had been sacrificed.
What does Paul mean by “old leaven?”
In chapter 6 Paul is going to talk about their lives before they were saved.
It seems best to understand that he is introducing that idea here.
We have been made new by the blood of Christ, we are not what we once were.
Don’t be caught up in the sins of the past.
Remember who he is writing and where they lived.
Corinth was known for its sexual immorality.
The sin they are tolerating is a return to old ways.
It is a return to past thinking and acting.
We want to keep the feast, but we want to do it right.
We have a purpose that protects us from infertility.
We want to celebrate our Passover Lamb!
We want to celebrate what we have in Christ!
That celebration gives us passion in proclaiming the gospel and winning people to Jesus.
The Passover was about taking God at His Word.
The Passover was about demonstrating your faith in what God had said.
The Passover was about the blood applied and the deliverance that blood brought.
Paul says we want to keep the feast.
We want to continue to take God at His Word.
We want to continue demonstrating our faith.
We want to apply the blood of Christ and be delivered from sin!
This is our purpose and it delivers us from infertility.
When we focus on our purpose, we reproduce.
We protect the body of Christ through our purpose.
A strong purpose eliminates distraction.
The old leaven is a distraction.
The old leaven will draw us away from Christ and make us unable to reproduce.
We want to keep the feast.
We want to celebrate Jesus.
We protect the church from infertility by having a purpose.
#2…
b. Protect through procedure v. 8b
b. Protect through procedure v. 8b
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
There is a procedure we see repeated in Scripture.
The procedure is to remove the bad and replace it with good.
That’s what Paul tells the Corinthian’s here.
Purge everything that is harmful. Produce what is good.
Again, the old leaven is best understood as the things that ensnared us before salvation.
Paul makes a point of mentioning the leaven of malice and wickedness.
Why single these two out?
To set up the contrast of sincerity and truth.
This is an example.
Past behavior, vs. new behavior.
Malice - unfriendly and hateful disposition.
VS
Sincerity - honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.
Which one of those represents the character of a child of God?
Wickedness - perverting virtue and morality to accomplish evil.
VS
Truth - agreeing with reality.
Are we genuine and honest?
OR
Are we hateful and twisted?
There is to be an obvious difference in the lifestyle and activity of the child of God!
On a basic character level, we should be different.
Put off the bad, put on the good.
Paul illustrates this concept in Ephesians 4:20-24 go there with me please.
Ephesians 4:20-24
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Put off the old man.
Be renewed.
Put on the new man.
We are renewed by the Word of God.
If you try to wear two coats, you look ridiculous.
Take off one, then put on the other.
The body of Christ cannot reproduce in the old man.
The body of Christ will remain infertile until we put on the new man.
Spiritual reproduction requires transformation.
As we grow, as we are conformed to the image of Christ, we are able to make disciples.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We need to protect the body of Christ.
Protection is needed from three conditions.
We protect from infiltration, infection, and infertility.
How do we make this practical?
Personal - Is there something hindering your growth? We must ask ourselves, have I allowed sin to infiltrate my life? Is there an infection of sin that I need to remove? Am I spiritually reproducing? Paul’s words to the Corinthian’s are words to us all. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Purge out the sin. Pursue sincerity and truth. Take action - Confess any known sin. Renew your mind through the Word of God. Pursue righteousness.
Relationships - Any compromise of boundaries will result in conflict. The problem in the Corinthian church was an unwillingness to confront a brother in sin. We must be willing to confront sin and we must be willing to be confronted. All of us are broken, we come to church for the healing power of Christ and His Word! Our relationships must draw us mutually closer to Christ. Take action - confront sin. Encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Parenting - Sin in our lives will be replicated in the lives of our children. That is a heavy statement. As parents we must deal with our sin first. BUT. We must also deal with the sin of our children. You are the parent, act like it. Paul is parenting the Corinthians here. Notice where he points them. He points them to Jesus. He doesn’t say they are disappointing him. He doesn’t say they are making him look bad. Those are not his concerns! Paul is concerned that they are taking the sacrifice of Christ and smearing it in the mud! He reminds them that Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us! Take action - Deal with your sin. Point your children to Jesus.
Marriage - We fall too easily into patterns. Unhealthy marriage habits lead to unhealthy parenting and ultimately to disengagement from church. A strong church is built on a strong family and a strong family is built on a strong marriage. It is not okay to treat your spouse with less love and respect than you would give to Christ. Take action - communicate well. Invest time, money, and hard work into your marriage.
COMMITMENT:
_______________________________________________________
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All of this is necessary because we must protect the church.
The protection of the body of Christ is the responsibility of each of its members.
Don’t boast about sin or a tolerance of it.
Don’t allow the smallest speck of leaven into the dough.
Christ was sacrificed for our sin, we dare not allow it to remain in our lives.
Put off the works of the flesh. Put on the works of righteousness.
Make a conscious, deliberate choice to protect the body of Christ.