The Local Church and Its Moral Parameters!

Introduction

Last week, the message was from 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 which says...

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 KJV 1900

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

In that passage, we discovered the reason for a local church to discipline those members who were living in open sin without repentance. As you may recall, the Holy Spirit drove home the idea that it only takes a small amount of sin to infect and destroy an entire congregation. The problem at the church of Corinth was they were either ignoring the sin in their midst or they were just unwilling to deal with it. In the end, it matters not their reason for not addressing the problem. What mattered was that there was sin in their midst and it needed to be eradicated as soon as possible. Thus, the Holy Spirit was emphatic in His instructions to gather together and to the unrepentant believer over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

I closed last week’s message with the thought that our nation needs churches who are going to confront sin and stand for the Word of God. We need churches that are going to be on the knees praying as well as on their feet standing strong for the Lord. The only recourse and the only hope for American is solid, Bible preaching, Bible believing churches. There is no room anymore for wishy-washy churches. Churches as well as pastors must get back to following each and every command of the Lord.

I say that to bring us to our text today. For, in our text, the Holy Spirit clearly lays out the “no-nos” of churches. These are things that are forbidden for a true believer to be involved. And, they are the things that each true church of God must confront and deal with as soon as they are brought to light. We are to remove any leaven. Remember the Holy Spirit specifically said “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump.” In other words, get rid and be pure once again.

So, let’s begin this morning, by reading verses 9 through 13 of 1 Corinthians 5.

1 Corinthians 5:9–13 KJV 1900

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

You will note immediately that there is mention of another “epistle” or letter.

TWO LETTERS!

The Holy Spirit says “I wrote unto in an epistle not to company with fornicators...” Obviously, way before this letter, there was another letter written at the hand of Paul to the local church of Corinth. Thus, this letter which we know today as FIRST Corinthians was in reality SECOND Corinthians followed later by THIRD Corinthians aka SECOND Corinthians.

Now, here is something that you must understand, not everything in the history of Israel, the Lord’s ministry on earth, and even during the history of the early local churches is included in the canon of Scripture. The word “canon” essentially means the 66 books of the Bible as we hold them in our hand today. I maintain that God’s Word is not only inspired aka “God breathed,” but that it was also divinely preserved in the form of the King James Bible of today. That is great big huge rabbit that I cannot chase today. However, if you would like to know more about inspiration and/or preservation of Scripture, I would love to talk to you. The point that I am making is that all that is included in God’s Word is EXACTLY what God wanted us to know. As all that was written this first letter to the Corinthian church, we have no idea other than what God reveals to us in this verse. It is the same with all the things that Christ taught and did. The very last verse of the Gospel of John tells us...

John 21:25 KJV 1900

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

God gave us all that we needed to know about Himself and His Son through the books that are written. However, from our text, we do know that in that first letter to the church of Corinthian there was clear instruction.

Note again verse 9 and verse 10 of our text.

1 Corinthians 5:9–10 KJV 1900

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

LETTER ONE’S CONTENT

First and foremost, they were instructed “NOT TO COMPANY with FORNICATORS!” It was a pretty clear command. They, as God’s people and as true followers of Christ, were not mix with immoral people! There is no doubt that you become who hang with. If you hang with fornicators, you will become a fornicator. Bad company often leads to bad behavior!

ILLUSTRATION! Back when my wife and I were on deputation as missionaries, we had the wonderful opportunity to spend a month in California visiting churches seeking support. While we there, we were invited to a mission’s conference in San Diego. During our time at the church there, I remember the pastor bragging how that every year he went to New Orleans during Mardi Gra for evangelistic purposes. Now, I don’t know much about Mardi Gra, but I do know that during the week of Mardi Gra there is open sin, immorality along with all kinds of fornication and debauchery. It is definitely not the place to be as a pastor or any believer for that matter. However, he boasted how they would walk the streets during Mardi Gra passing out tracks and preaching on the streets. Even then, I remember thinking this just does not add up. Why would a pastor willing submit himself to one of the most immoral and wicked festivals in America? Well, to make a long story short and to make my point, after leaving that church and only short time after, we recieved word that this pastor had been caught having an illicit affair with the pianist. That pastor ended up losing his marriage, his family, and his church. In fact, the revelation of his affair devestated the church so much that it never recovered. In fact, that church no longer exists.

Here is my point! We are not to have company or mix with fornicators. Instead, we are to run from them. We are to separate ourselves from them. We are to be like Joseph when he was confronted with Potiphar’s wife proposal to sleep with her. He ran!

Now, back to verse 10 again, and note that the FIRST LETTER include more than just fornicators.

1 Corinthians 5:10 KJV 1900

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

The list includes...

The covetous - these are those people who have inordinate desire for money, power, possessions, and other desires such as sex, gambling, etc.

The extortioner - an extortioner is basically a swindler and a thief; they will do anything to steal what they want or desire even to the point of holding people ransom for it.

The idolater - here find a universal sin. An idolater is someone who worship something or someone more than God. This kind of person is one that God has constantly warned against throughout both the Old and New Testament.

Thus, we find that we as members of a local church, a church that Christ loves dearly, are never to mix or be in the company of any one of these kinds of people. And, by the same token, any believer who falls prey to these kinds of sins are to be confronted and dealt with immediately and swiftly.

All that was included in the first letter. A letter that they did not heed or obey. For that reason, the Holy Spirit sends this another letter - this letter we are studying.

SECOND LETTER’S CONTENT

This second letter we hold in our hands today. We can read it. We can study it. We are to pattern our church after it. It is why I have termed it “God’s Blueprint for the Local Church.”

Note verse 11-13.

1 Corinthians 5:11–13 KJV 1900

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

In this letter, the Holy Spirit...

EXPANDS the CONTENT of the FIRST LETTER!

1 Corinthians 5:11 KJV 1900

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Note the word “now.” Before, it was do not keep the company of a fornicator, a covetous, an extortioner, and an idolater. However, now, the Holy Spirit expands this by including two others.

Railer - is a person who uses their mouth and their tongue to attack the reputation of another through slander or libel. Something that can be done publicly or privately. It matters not which. A person who attacks the reputation of anther privately behind a person’s back is just as guilty as the person who stands publicly to do the same.

Drunkard - is a person who habitually drinks alcohol to excess and often succumbs to a state of intoxication. Scripture is quite clear about the dangers of alcohol and strong drink.

Proverbs 20:1 KJV 1900

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Again, going back to our text, believers are not to maintain fellowship with, or to associate with, any professing believer who is known to be an immoral person, or a swindler, or an idolater, or a person who uses their tongue to attack others, or a drunk, and or a thief. That fact still remains that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Nothing can do great damage to a local church and the cause of Christ than to have such people acknowledged, as members in good standing, in the fellowship of a church. The one thing that a local church MUST DO is cut off such person from their fellowship and membership.

The Holy Spirit then continues with this...

EXPLANATION!

Look again our text and verses 12 and 13.

1 Corinthians 5:12–13 KJV 1900

For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

The essence of these two questions is this. The sphere in which local church discipline operates is the local church. This is an important point! Remember that a church consists of those who have publically proclaimed that they are saved and have publically committed to following Christ through complete obedience to His Word. Thus, within each local church is genuinely saved people. For this reason, those people, the genuinely saved, come under the jurisdiction of the church and are subject to its authority and to its discipline.

This, in fact, one of the basic tenets of an independent Baptist church. A true local church recognizes no other authority over it other than what God has ordained. God has ordained that each local church is to govern itself. Local churches do not have to answer to oversight board, a synod, or another ecclesiastical body setup by man. Local churches are governed by pastors and deacons. Church members are under their jurisdiction as the Holy Spirit has already indicated in verse 12. We are going to see more of this instruction by God when we get into chapter 6 next week.

Now, by the same token, note “them that are without (the local church) God judgeth.” Our duty is not judge or preside over matters of those who are not part of our church. We are not to govern in the affairs of unbelievers. We are not to govern in the affairs of another local church. Our concern is only with those matters within our local assembly.

Now, look at the latter part of verse 13 which says...

1 Corinthians 5:13 KJV 1900

But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Here the Holy Spirit encourages us to...

EXECUTE His INSTRUCTIONS!

There comes a time when all the talking must stop and action is required. For this reason, the Holy Spirit ends this chapter and this discussion with a very firm action item. We are to put away the wicked person (remember the list from the previous verses) from among us.

The word “wicked” here is a word which expresses the active form of evil. We are instructed to act against something that will bring great harm. It is something that God has always instructed His people to do especially Israel.

Deuteronomy 17:7 KJV 1900

The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

Note the instruction here concerning any person who embraced paganism. They were to put them to death. In doing so, they were putting away the evil from among them.

Note again a similar statement concerning a couple caught in adultery.

Deuteronomy 22:22 KJV 1900

If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

It is the same statement used for false prophets found among the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 13:5 KJV 1900

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

All of these people were to be put to death under the Law as a means of keeping the purity of Israel. Any ounce of evil allowed in their midst was an ounce that could permeate the entire nation. Thus, evil wickedness was dealt with harshly and swiftly.

As for today and the local church, nothing has changed. God still expects His people to deal harshly and swiftly with wickedness. God even gives us a proper list naming the very sins we must be on the watch against. And, when those forms of wickedness are detected within our midst, we must act. We must execute His instructions.

Conclusion

We know from studying the Old Testament that Israel did not heed God commands. The result was devastating. It led to constant corruption and judgement upon Israel. A local church that fails to heed God’s commands will face the same outcome.

This past week, my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Colonial Williamsburg. While there, we were reminded several times on our tour that Williamsburg started as a British town. Virginia, as were other states at that time, British colonies under British control. During the 17 and 1800s, the British were the dominant colonial power in the world. It was also during this time when Britain itself was experiencing great revivals. Local churches were alive all across the British isles. Pastors and preachers were proclaiming the gospel of Christ. Missionaries were being sent around the world. Men like David Livingstone and Hudson Taylor were products of those days in Britain. However, today, thousands of British churches are empty. Many of them turned into taverns, bars, and other places of wickedness. Long gone are those local congregations who once were fueled with loving obedience to Christ. What happened? Obviously, somewhere along they way they abandoned their obedience to God’s Word. They, like the church of Ephesus, left their first love. Listen to God’s condemnation of that church...

Revelation 2:4–5 KJV 1900

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

It is imperative that we as a local church, the very thing that Christ loved and gave Himself for, remain as pure and holy as we possibly can be before the Lord. This means we must have firm commitment to complete obedience to His Word in all areas of our church life. We must also always address sin immediately and swiftly. If not, then we too stand in danger of losing our first love and being another church in a long list of churches who no longer function for the Lord.