Lawsuits In Sunday Suits
I CORINTHIANS 6:1-11
“LAWSUITS IN SUNDAY SUITS”
I. LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS IS A DISGRACE FOR THE CHURCH A. It’s A Disgrace To The Dignity Of The Church
1. The Saints Will Judge The World
2. The Saints Will Judge The Angels
B. It’s A Disgrace To The Policy Of The Church
II. LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS IS A DEFEAT FOR THE CHURCH
A. It’s A Defeat For The Leadership
B. It’s A Defeat For The Fellowship
III. LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS IS A DEFECTION FOR THE CHURCH A. It’s A Defection Back To Past Corruption
B. It’s A Defection From Your Present Position
Now there is a bit of background I’ve got to give to you if you’re going to understand what’s being said in these verses. In the society in which the apostle Paul was living and writing the Jews normally handled disputes among themselves in their own environment. In other words they had been taught from their Old Testament that God’s people were to solve their problems among themselves and they were not to go outside the people of God to solve them. The Jews settled their disputes among themselves. But it wasn’t true among the Greeks. In Greek society it was very common for them to go to law with one another. In fact in those days lawsuits were very, very common. In fact it was almost a social event, the Greeks seemed to enjoy going to court and they seemed to take pleasure in dragging one another in and out of the courts of law. So in the society in which Paul was writing and dealing with these believers he was confronted with a group of people who had allowed the spirit of the age to infiltrate the church.
Now the purpose of a church is to change its society. The Lord Jesus teaches that we are to be salt, that we are to be light, we are here in the world to change our world. But too often the church takes on the atmosphere of the world and very many times the church is infiltrated by the standards and the conduct of the world. A church is not intended to be a thermometer registering the temperature of the age, but rather a thermostat changing the temperature of the age. But, you see, too often in our day it is like it was with the believers in Corinth: they were like the world around them and they were taking on the characteristics of the world. So here was a real problem. These people had come to know the Lord and yet they were still engaged in their same activity, they were still taking one another to court and it was bringing shame and reproach on the name of Jesus and on their church.
Now the whole purpose of this chapter is not to give you an idea that a believer is never to go to court. There are times when a Christian needs to go to court. A child of God has every right to go to court to recover a bad debt. It’s not wrong to go to court to seek justice. So there are some situations where it is perfectly proper for a believer to go to court. In fact Paul himself virtually did that. Remember what Paul said? He said, I appeal to Caesar, and that was the highest appeal there was in the Roman Empire. So Paul himself went to court on an occasion. So this chapter is not forbidding believers under any circumstances to go to court. Neither is this chapter a denial of the legitimate place of court and government in society. The Bible teaches us that God has given government to men and that those who serve in places of public life, public officials, public officers, are the ministers of God whose purpose it is to bring about a tranquil and a reasonable society. So there is no condemnation here of courts in general. The key is found in verse 6. Not to find justice but to seek revenge. Now that’s what Paul is dealing with and Paul is incensed at the situation, Paul is outraged at what is taking place among these believers in Corinth, and so there is a very pointed word of God about the situation. With devastating logic Paul disputes, debates and disposes of the matter of lawsuits between believers.
Now what I want you to see is the reason why Paul says that believers ought not to go to court against other believers who are in the fellowship of the local church. Number one, LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS IS A DISGRACE FOR THE CHURCH. It is a disgrace for the church. Now look at verse 1, he says, Dare any of you. And the word “dare” there expresses the indignation of Paul, it shows you how incensed he is about the situation. And the word “you” there is placed in the language in an emphatic position; he is saying, How dare you, believers of all people, to go to law before the unjust and not before the saints. It is a disgrace to the church. Now it’s a DISGRACE TO THE DIGNITY OF THE CHURCH. In these openings verses Paul sets before us the wonderful dignity of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. For instance he says that the church is destined in the future to exercise roles of judgment itself. Look at verse 2, he says, Don’t you know the saints will judge the world? And the Bible teaches there is coming a day indeed where the saints of God will share with the Lord Jesus in judgment on this earth. Luke 19:17. I want to be the sheriff of walker county. One of these days in the millennial reign of Jesus, when Jesus reigns on this earth, the Bible says that believers are going to share in that authority with the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems to indicate that God may put believers in charge. So he’s saying here that the saints are going to judge the world.
And then he says in verse 3 that the saints are going to judge the angels. Now the points here is that fallen angels that are now reserved in chains will one day be under the judgment of God and this seems to indicate that God’s people are going to have a little bit to do with the judgment of the angels. All right, if believers are going to judge the world, if believers are going to judge the angels in the future then it is a disgrace for believers who have such a dignity and have such a lofty future not to be able to settle disputes among themselves. It is a disgrace when believers can’t reconcile their differences. It is a disgrace when believers have to go to court before unbelievers to settle their disputes. So, you see, what he’s basically saying is this, if you’re going to sit on the Supreme Court surely you can handle justice of the peace matters.
It is also a DISGRACE TO THE POLICY OF THE CHURCH. verse 4, Now what he’s simply saying there is there ought to be somebody in the church that can help you solve your problems and reconcile your differences so that you do not have to go out into the lost world and let them solve your problems. I don’t guess there’s anything that hinders the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to lost men like the inconsistencies on the part of God’s people. Let’s just imagine for instance that here are believers and they go to court against one another. By the way, it’s not an uncommon occurrence. In fact from time to time you’ll read in the newspaper about churches that are having disputes and factions in a church that erupt into open war in a congregation.
You know, I have heard people talk about church conferences at some churches and what an ordeal it is and what a battle it is. Bible says how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Now when believers are squabbling with one another something has affected the unity of the fellowship. So from time to time I read in the newspapers about churches where factions have erupted and they have to appear in a court of law.
Well just imagine that believers going to an unsaved judge, perhaps, and maybe before that unsaved judge all of the dirty laundry of that church is brought out, all of the animosity, all of the unforgiveness, all of the unChristlikeness is paraded before the bar of that lost judge. Then just suppose a few days later, after that church has been to court before that lost judge, just suppose that a visitor from that church goes soul winning one night and knocks on the door of that judge and says, “I am from Turmoil Baptist Church Number Two, and I’ve come down here to tell you about Jesus.” Now you just tell me what kind of testimony that would be. Tell me how difficult it would be to lead that unsaved judge to the Lord Jesus Christ when he has just witnessed in his own court believers from that fellowship who are not able to live together as Jesus tells us to live together. So when Christians go to court with one another it is a disgrace to the church.
Number two, it is also a DEFEAT TO THE CHURCH. verses 5 It was a defeat to the church of Corinth, it is a defeat today when believers go to court with one another. It’s a DEFEAT TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH. I would be confident to allow spiritual men decide spiritual matters. You see what a defeat that was to the leadership of the church? Now God has placed leaders in a local church fellowship. God calls pastors, God calls men to serve as deacons, and they are leaders in that fellowship. Now God has made a promise to the leaders of a fellowship and it is the promise that He will give wisdom. Men full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom. So spiritual leaders ought to be in touch with the Lord, they ought to be in contact with heaven, and through prayer and the seeking of the will of God local church leaders ought to find the will of God in a situation.
Now in the purest sense of the word a church is really not a democracy. Now a church is a democracy in that the church has the responsibility as a body to affirm the will of God in a particular situation, but the fact of the matter is in the purest sense a church is not a democracy it is a Christocracy, because the purpose of the church is not to get the will of the people done it is to get the will of Jesus done. And, you see, as the pastors study the Word and as they pray and seek the wisdom of God and the will of Jesus Christ in a matter, then they share that with the congregation, and the congregation affirms in their own mind and heart that this is the will of God about the matter, and then the church moves on. But when there are problems within a fellowship and the leaders cannot reconcile those problems and work out those problems it is a defeat for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’ll tell you something else; it is a defeat not only for the leadership but it’s a DEFEAT FOR THE FELLOWSHIP. verse 7. And then he raises a very interesting scenario here. He says, Well why don’t you rather take wrong? why don’t you rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? When a believer takes another believer to court it is a defeat for the fellowship of the church because that believer is not walking in love and in a spirit of forgiveness. Now it is not always true that believers can reconcile their problems. The Lord Jesus has given very specifically a procedure to follow in helping believers. I preached on that a few weeks ago (Do you remember that?) in the book of Matthew. In the 18th chapter of Matthew where Jesus said if a brother sins against you then you go to your brother, you tell him his fault, that whole thing.
See, you need one another. You don’t need to go through this world not in fellowship with one another. Other believers have so much to add to you and you rob yourself of their spiritual gifts and the ministry that God could provide for you through them if you’re not in fellowship with each other. See? But that’s what was going on here and as a result it was a failure of love.
Now what if the Lord Jesus had acted the way some Christians do? I mean what if the Lord Jesus had gotten up there to Calvary and said, “I just decided I’m not going to die; this crowd has mistreated me, they’ve been unkind to me, and they don’t deserve me dying on the cross, they’ve wronged me. I’ve been given a crooked trial and I have been deserted by my own disciples. I refuse to die.” Well sometimes that’s the way God’s children act when we refuse to forgive one another. You see, the Bible says it would be better for us to suffer wrong, it would be better for us to be defrauded rather than have a defeat for the fellowship of the church and hurt the testimony of the church. verse 8, Now what he’s basically saying here is if you can’t work out your problem with another believer then you just go ahead and take it on the chin, you just be wronged, you just go ahead and let them do you wrong and turn it over to Jesus.
I heard about a man who was owed some money by another man in the church and he couldn’t get the man to pay him. I mean the man owed him the money and yet he couldn’t get the man to pay him the money. And then one day the man who was owed the money wrote to the other man and sent him a receipt for the money owed marked “Paid in full", and the man who owed the money contacted him and he said, “I haven’t paid you that.” He said, “Oh, I know you haven’t .But, you know, I just went to Jesus about that situation and I sued you in the court of heaven and Jesus has agreed to pay me, so I just sent you the receipt, Paid in full.” And you know what the man did? He paid every dime he owed him. Now that’s the way Christians treat one another. See? I mean just go ahead and be done wrong, the Lord is going to work it out, God’s going to take care of that situation and God’s going to deal with that unbeliever. Don’t you allow the devil to pull one on you. Now the devil is very, very, very smart, and the devil knows if he can’t get you one way he’ll get you another way, and one of the ways the devil tries to get Christians is this: he will allow some other Christian to do this Christian wrong and then cause this Christian to get in a wrong attitude and spirit because another Christian has done him wrong. It is never right for you to do wrong because some other believer has done wrong to you. You are never justified in doing wrong simply because you have been done wrong.
Let me give you God’s word when people have mistreated you. Colossians 3:13. In other words he says you forgive just like Jesus forgave. Up there on that cross of Calvary we didn’t deserve it, up there on that cross we were unworthy of it, and yet Jesus died on that cross and shed His precious blood and as He died He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Friend, I want to tell you what, you’ll have a happier life if you’ll live that way, if you’ll just be willing to be wronged and to be done wrong rather than you doing others wrong in retaliation.
Going to court with unbelievers is a disgrace to the church, it’s a defeat to the church, number three, believers going to court against one another is a DEFECTION FOR THE CHURCH, it is a defection back to an old way of living, it is A DEFECTION BACK TO PAST CORRUPTION. verse 9 and 10, Ten things there that is actually a roll call of shame, and right there he just reminds them of the sewer from which they had come. Now keep in mind he’s talking to saved people, but he is talking about what they used to be, the life they used to live, what kind of people they used to be. Fornicators, some of them had been fornicators, idolaters, some of them had been idol worshippers, adulterers, some of them had been committing adultery, effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, perverts, sexual perverts and homosexuals, nor thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. That’s what they used to be. By the way, he says they’ll not inherit the kingdom of God.
You see, what he’s saying is if this is the pattern of your life, if any one of those statements characterizes your life, then he says you’re not saved. You say, Well I’m a member of a church. That has nothing to do with it. You say, I’ve been baptized. That doesn’t have a thing in the world to do with it. Jesus said by their fruits you will know them. Now it is not my job to pick out who’s saved and who’s lost but I’m going to tell you one thing: if you look at a person’s life and the consistent pattern of their life is a life of sin then you have every reason to believe that that person has never been saved. Paul said they will not inherit the kingdom of God. And by the way, friends, you’ve still got to repent of sin to be saved. There still has to be repentance. This old idea that you can just come and bring your sins along with you and you can be saved is wrong. When Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son, you remember that? and the prodigal son was down there in the hog pen, I want to remind you that when he came to himself… The most beautiful picture of repentance in the whole Bible, by the way, that’s a gorgeous picture of repentance. I mean, man, there he was down in the… How would you like to be sitting in a hog pen staring in the face of a hog? What a way to live. And yet there are folks who live like that all the time.
Spend life staring in the face of a hog. But, you see, this man came to himself, that young son came to himself, and he said, “I will arise and go to my father.” Now what did he do? Did he say, “Now come on piggy, come on now, you pigs all gather around me now.” Did he pick up several buckets of hog slop and say, “Now we’re going on back to the father’s house, and are we going to have a big time in the father’s house.” Let me tell you what, friends, I want to tell you when you get saved the Bible says you’ve got to repent of your sins, you’ve got to change your attitude about sin, you’ve got to turn your back on sin. And, brother, you don’t tell me these people are saved that still live in the hog pen. No, no, now, friend, if you’re a son, if you’re a child of God, sooner or later you’ll get out of the hog pen and you’ll go to your Father’s house. Now if you’re a pig sooner or later you’ll go to your father’s house.
Have you ever heard the story of the prodigal pig? You know the prodigal son said, “I will arise and go to my father’s house,” and, boy, he did; he took off to the father’s house. The prodigal pig said, “I’ll go with you.” So the prodigal pig went to the father’s house too. And about two or three days later the prodigal pig went to the prodigal son and said, “Hey, man, I don’t like it here.” He said, “What do you mean?” He said, “Man, I don’t like it here. All these clean sheets, I’m used to sleeping in the mud. And, man, all this food, this clean food up on tables, I’m used to getting it down where I can stomp on it and where I can grunt on it. I’m not used to all that clean food. I don’t like it up here.” And the prodigal pig said, “I will arise and go to my father,” and, brother, he tore off back to the hog pen and old mama sow saw him and said, “Oink, oink, oink,” and rolled over and the old prodigal pig hit right in the middle of the mud and was just as happy as he could be because he was a pig all along. Now, friends, if you’re saved you’ll go to your Father’s house but if you’re lost eventually you’ll go to your father’s house. Amen. That’s right. So Paul says that’s what you used to be. Don’t live like you used to live. It’s a defection from past corruption.
And it’s also a DEFECTION FROM YOUR PRESENT POSITION. verse 11. Oh, brother, there’s a shout of triumph in this verse. Oh, the gospel is in this verse. Salvation is in this verse. And such were some of you. Oh, isn’t it wonderful to know you don’t have to be that way? Brother, I want you to know you can name about every one of these sins right here, we’ve got folks sitting in this building who used to be that but praise God they’re not that any more. That’s your past. It’s over and gone. It’s under the blood of Jesus. Such were some of you. But then he says you are wash, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, by the Spirit of our God. Boy, I like that. He said you’re washed, that’s regeneration. Titus 3:5 says by the washing of regeneration. You see, friends, here sin is pictured as filth and the new birth, regeneration, washes that old filth of sin. You’re washed. You see, when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ in your sins you’re cleansed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s just as if you’ve never sinned, you’re washed. And then you’re sanctified; that pictures sin as pollution and you have now been purified and you’re set apart, you belong to the Lord, you’re sanctified. And then justified, that pictures sin as guilt, but now that guilt has been removed and you stand before God just as if you had never sinned. That’s what salvation is all about.
Now let me ask a question of every one of you in this building tonight. Which one of these verses do you fit in? Which one of these verses describes you? Do you fit in to verse 9 or do you fit in to verse 11? Well, friend, if you fit in to verse 11 you’re saved, if you fit in to verse 9 you’re lost and you need Jesus as your Savior.
