Un-Civil disputes!
Notes
Transcript
Claim of the passage - Do not disunite or embarrass the church over property or possessions, after-all Property and possessions are of little consequence to those destined to inherit the kingdom of God!
Focus of the sermon: The reputation of Jesus’ church and our future destiny means we can resolve civil issues ourselves as a church family (even if that means being wronged, or materially loosing out)
Function for the congregation: to put Jesus first, others next and ourself last when it comes to our possessions and pride.
You’ve probably heard about McDonalds being successfully sued for 3million dollars becasue their coffee was hot!
Or how about the Chinese husband who sued his wife over their ‘ugly’ baby!
Jian Feng saw his newborn daughter, who, he said, was "incredibly ugly" and did not look like either parent.
He accused his wife of cheating on him.
At that point, she admitted she had several plastic surgeries before they had met.
He sued on the grounds of false pretences,
claiming she misled him by hiding her cosmetic history.
He won the case, and his wife was made to pay him more than $120,000.
In my search for amusing civil cases to start todays sermon, behind the humour - they often also reveal something sad about us as humans. Whether it’s greed, or pride, or angre, or self entitlement.
Our passage today at one level is very simple:
Christians, do not take civil legal action against others in the church.
But at a deeper level, it calls us to reflect on how we view our rights and our possessions in the first place.
What are we living for?
What’s more valuable to you - the reputation of Jesus and his church, or your bank balance?
What do you truly live for - the kingdom of God to come, or for personal satisfaction today?
We’re going to break it down like this...
2 reasons to avoid civil disputes between church members:
2 reasons to avoid civil disputes between church members:
1 - The case of competency
1 - The case of competency
2 - The case of credibility
2 - The case of credibility
Firstly though it’s important to point out, Paul is talking about civil matters - not criminal.
Roman law in Corinth, had a similar legal understanding as we do still today in many countries.
In simple terms - civil matters are normally between 2 private individuals (or companies).
They typically are matters that if resolved properly puts back in place what should have been the case anyway.
In short - the aim is to set right an unfair situation.
At a criminal level - there is not just an interest between 2 parties - but there is interest from the state or government who want to not just put things back in order, but also punish the offender, and put in place ways to stop a repeat offence.
The more general goal is to build a stable, safe and law abiding society.
We know Paul is talking about civil matters becasue of the examples and descriptions he uses:
He says v3 it’s about “the things of this life”
v1 and 5 - a “dispute with another”
v7-8 it is involving one party accusing the other of “cheating” or fraud.
In Roman Corinth such cases involved matters like legal possession, breach of contract, damages, fraud, or injury.
This is important becasue Paul is not saying criminal behaviour is to be accept, ignored, turned a blind eye to - or kept out of legal proceedings!
He is not talking about abuse or assult and so on.
Paul is very clear in other passages how the governments of the world are in place to very much bring criminal behaviour to justice - and we as Christians should support them in that endeavour.
But, when it comes to disputes of a civil matter Paul says,
Sort yourselves out - as a church! It’s embarrassing that you can’t or don’t
I say this to shame you he says in v5!
The question is,
why?
Why is the church supposed to sort it’s own civil disputes out?
2 reasons to avoid civil disputes between church members:
2 reasons to avoid civil disputes between church members:
1 - The case of competency
1 - The case of competency
Paul’s first reason that the church ought to sort out it’s own civil disputes and arguments is that the church, the Lord’s people are more competent to make such judgements.
If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
The bible is not specific in what way we - the Lord’s people, will participate in the judgement of the the world and even of angels.
There are hints of this in the OT, in Daniel 7, and it’s picked up much more in Jewish tradition and writings
- and you also get hints of it as Jesus talks to his disciples and in in John’s great revelation of the return of Jesus.
perhaps the clearest passage (other than this one) that it will happen is in Jude where he quotes an ancient book Enoch.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Again, we don’t get detail - but we hear it will somehow happen.
The point here though is not to wonder about the details of Jesus’ return and our involvement at that point,
but rather - that we are more competent NOW to judge matters of moral dispute and personnel injustices - that those who do not belong to the Lord.
v4 gives us a clue as to why we are more competent.
Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?
The world may get much right according to God’s moral standards - but they also get much wrong!
AS Christians - we will dissapprove of much of what the world approves of. - we’ll see an example later in the passage.
Why would you therefore go to them for resolutions!?
In Corinth the mater was even more pressing than it is for us. - The Corinth courts that were open to bribery and coruption.
By all accounts the system was waited to demonstrating the power of the wealthiest - rather than any real justice.
Why would you would rather go to them for resolution.
When you, the Lord’s people have the moral code of God written on our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
And written in His word the bible.
By what standard does the world judge such things?
Ultimately worldly morals are based on the popular opinion of the people alive at the time.
It will change and move - it’s not really a moral structure, but a cultural acceptance (or not) structure.
Who can truly say one persons opinion is better or right and another not?
But the Lord’s people, have a full moral compass anchored to the only source of justice in the created order - God himself.
I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?
It’s an irony ladened rhetorical question.
His point is that the church is quite capable to helping each other in love, sort out matters of dispute - for we are anchored to the only moral rock.
We, the church, the people of God are competent - more competent - than a worldly judge to make moral calls in these matters.
It’s really important to note that Paul is not saying disputes should be ignored, or that they will never occur.
On the contrary - disputes, disagreement, misunderstandings, accidents, carelessness, even malice and greed will occur in the church and it ought to be resolved, and justice found.
The point is that the church, the Lord’s people are competent to deal with it.
So speak to your brother of sister who you feel has wronged you.
Mattew 18 lays out simple steps to resolve disputes when you are wronged.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Don’t harbour angre, or distaste, - seek resolution.
but also - don’t take them to court if it’s that serious - seek the wisdom and help of the church.
2 - The case of credibility
2 - The case of credibility
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
Paul’s view of who has won in a dispute is not based on who the judge rules in favour of
but what the attitude of the claimant is!
You’ve lost already when you take someone to civil court from your church - says Paul.
Of course if the church has expelled the person for unrepentant sin,
or failing to rectify an injustice the church agrees upon,
then in a sense they are no longer part of the church and much of this becomes a mute point.
But for to fellow believers to take another to court is already a moral failure.
2 wrongs don’t make a right!
Cheating the unity of Jesus’ church in a court battle that will have to split opinion and friendships - is worse that being cheated materially yourself!
To put your personal rights or material wealth or possessions above the church families unity and therefore the reputation of Jesus is a worse sin.
A greater defeat.
Those very actions a re an issue of credibility!
Both for your own faith
and for the credibility of the church.
Will people believe you’re a Christian if you do such a thing?
Will the world around believe our message of sacrificial love and forgiveness from Jesus for our sin - that deserves death
- if we cannot extend a smaller grace to each other!
It goes against what we say we believe - to be united in Chirst, Loveing others before ourselves.
It is, to behave in a way that seeks self - rather than Jesus First.
And Paul gives a swift reminder of the fate of those who live according to self, according to the world rather than Jesus.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Don’t do wrong to repay wrong within the family of God - that is not who we are anymore!
People who live like that will not inherit the kingdom of God!
It’s not a credible way to say we follow Jesus First but wrong another.
pause
Now, 2 note on those verse we just read.
Firstly - Paul is not saying that Christians will never sin in those ways (sexual immorality, adultery, gay/ homosexual sex, greed, drunkardness, slandering, swindlering)
No - Jesus has freed us from that judgement and that life - we may still fail and sin, but we are not now enslaved to a life that lives for such things!
We strive to live differently, and repent in humility when we fail.
But By Jesus’ grace and mercy we are free.
Unlike those who have not found, or still reject Jesus’ grace and forgiveness.
They will not inherit the Kingdom of God -
they are still living lives marked by a rejection of Jesus for they still live for and in those sort of sins.
The second note is that here is an example of why Paul is so convinced that the church is more ‘capable of judgements than the world.’
The world sees no moral issue with some of those things.
Sexual immorality, homosexual sex, drunkenness, idolatry to name a few.
And as Christians - we too will struggle to accept God’s standards because of our own experience and the influence of culture.
But that does not mean God is evil, and it does not mean that the world has it right.
So, how do we think of the act of homosexual sex for example:
Notice first, Paul say the act of sex is the issue here - not same sex attraction. He says some Christains we’re also doing these things before they were saved.
Being a Christian does not mean you are, or will be perfect.
Being a Christian means we all will need to fight against our own temptations.
I know several Christians, and Christian leaders who are homosexual orientated -and so it’s a temptaion they work against and strive never to fall into the act.
Just like a I know many who struggle with greed, or lust, or drunkenss.
We can’t just say - as is often the argument, that becasue God has made someone that way, or allowed someone to be that way - that it must be ok?
That would be a disastrous route to go down as anyone with any desire to do anything would be morally accepted!
In the end, we need to trust God’s design and standards above our own feelings, and above our culture.
The bible reserves sexual union for marriage only, between one man and one woman.
That actually creats a restriction on sex for far more than just those who are same sex attracted.
If you’re single, if you’re divorced, if you’re widowed, for example.
The other thing to say, is that your sexual orientation doesn’t make you any less loved or different from anyone else in the church!
We are to all love each other, each with our challenges that we face to live a life with Jesus first.
Some have a far harder chalenges in doing that
- those who are physically persecuted for their faith,
those who are same sex attracted,
those who live a life of disability.
If that is you, then Paul would argue elsewhere what a privilege it is to be able to suffer more that others for the sake of Jesus.
And We don’t love or treat each other any differently as if anyone else is better or worse!
And v11 makes this point clear:
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)
And that is what some of you were. (Some Christians participated in homosexual sex, some where greedy, some swindlers, protitutes, sexual immoral, adulterers - all of us in someway were living in darkness) But (v11, But) you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
We no longer cling to or behave according to the ways of this world - whether we find that hard of not.
We are washed clean of sin,
sanctified - made right before God through the death and resurection of Jesus alone - not through sinlessness, or works,
we were justified - shown to be innocent through the death of Jesus, and our acceptance of his forgiveness and love.
So.
to conclude:
to conclude:
When we face injustice or disputes or miss-understandings in the church community, let’s talk to each other and get help from the wider church when needed. All in love.
We may have to accept decisions from others we don’t like.
We may feel we have been cheated or misunderstood.
But money, possessions, material things - they are a small price to pay for the sake of being unified in love and the church of Jesus.
For we do not need or cling to those things now.
We cling to Jesus.
If we hold so tightly to material things that we are devastated, or feeling wounded,
when we or someone else looses or takes them - then we are holding too tightly!
In stead - we hold lightly to earthly things, and tightly to Jesus.
We seek justice in love and put the reputation of Jesus and the unity of his people first.
To end with the 2 questions we started with,
What’s more valuable to you - the reputation of Jesus and his church, or your bank balance?
What do you truly live for - the kingdom of God to come, or for personal satisfaction today?
Pray
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!