Church Discipline
1 Corinthians: Order in the Church • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 10 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Moving on...
We have moved passed the long section dealing with division, however we will occasionally return to that…sin is not isolated, it pops up time and again.
Now we turn our focus to chapter five, and what a chapter it is!
Things to Remember
Things to Remember
Corinth was known for its immorality
To be called a “Corinthian” was not a compliment
Usually it meant you were “morally compromised”
To be called a “Corinthian girl” was even worse!
This often was an accusation of being a prostitute
It was from this background most of the Corinthian church had been saved
What he addresses in chapter 5 is such a wicked sin, he couldn’t believe it was taking place within the church!
There are three reasons for Church discipline.
There are three reasons for Church discipline.
The first is...
For the Good of the Offender
For the Good of the Offender
The Sin Described: 1 Cor. 5:1
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
Get the sense of Paul’s words here:
Commonly = “actually”
As if he could not believe what he was hearing, but it was true.
Fornication - the root word is from which we get our word, pornography
This behavior was not only being reported in the church, but the response of the church?
They were puffed up, proud of it!
Too busy arguing over their favorite teachers to do what was needed.
Paul reminds the church what they should do”
He had already judged the offender 1 Cor 5:3
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
He was ordering the church to exercise discipline.
Verses 3-5 are one continuous sentence, read with me...
These verses have only one thought:
Be unified in the matter of church discipline.
There is something to be said of a church doing what God expects of them.
What is the result of discipline? 1 Cor. 5:5
1 Corinthians 5:5 (KJV 1900)
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
This does not mean he was being sent to hell.
He was being excommunicated from the church
(Not the way RCC excommunicates, for them there is no salvation apart from the church)
God was not taking away this man’s salvation
The purpose of discipline is for the benefit of the offender.
For the Good of The Church
For the Good of The Church
How is discipline good for the chruch?
Glorying = bragging
To this point they were bragging about the sin...
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Leaven in the OT is symbolic of sin
7 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:
They were to “purge” - cleanse entirely the leaven of sin and become a new lump.
In other words, as long as they tolerated this sin, they bringing harm to their entire church. Weakening it, dwarfing its existence.
At the time of the Passover, Israel was to remove any and all leaven from their homes (symbolic of repentance of sin).
We are reminded that Christ is our “Passover Lamb”.
His death purged us from our sins, and gave us His righteousness
In order to maintain fellowship with Him, we must purge (confess and repent) of sin as it happens, in private, as well as in public.
Paul says in verse 8, “let us keep the feast” - speaking figuratively, Paul says to keep all that is done in the church without “leaven” (sin and corruption)
Church discipline is good for the church because it helps us remember our purpose!
The purpose of the church is to give the gospel message to a dying world, and that can't be done if the church is as sinful as the world it is trying to reach.
For the good of the offender, for the good of the church, and lastly,
For the Good of the World
For the Good of the World
Did you ever stop to think that by carrying out church discipline on and offending brother would be beneficial for the world?
What is the number one excuse given for why someone doesn’t want to visit your church when you invite them?
“There’s just too many hypocrites in churches.”
We immediately go on the offensive when we hear this, but guess what, there may be some truth to this right?
Did you ever consider there are so many hypocrites in churches because the church has been neglecting to discipline its members for too long?
Paul addresses this in the closing verses.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 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.
He warned them not to “company” (mix together with) lost people.
He is not saying that we sever all relationships or dealing with them. He is warning about going where they go and doing what they do.
If a Christian does those things the world does, what hope does the world see in your faith?
Paul next encourages them not to keep company with a BROTHER who is in open sin.
11 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.
He is not talking about the lost world, but a brother in Christ who has gone off to live in sin.
Look at the list here!
They were commanded to have no fellowship with any brother who has sin in his life.
So are we!
A closing word about judgment
Judgment is not a “dirty” word.
J. Vernon McGee reminds us that we are to be “Fruit inspectors”.
There is a difference between holding a brother in Christ accountable for his actions, and having a judgmental attitude.
In other words, 1 Cor 5:12
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
Without = the world, the lost (not family members)
They are in God’s jurisdiction, He will judge them.
What about those within? 1 Cor. 5:13
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
It is our duty to judge any unrepentant believer within our local church - for the good of the local church and for the good of the world.
This is serious business, not to be taken lightly!
Take Away
Take Away
Church discipline in necessary for the following reasons:
The longer a sinning brother/sister goes without the church disciplining them the more damage it does to the church's testimony.
God takes sin seriously, so should we.
God is not a bully. The purpose in discipline is that the offender may be helped, that sin may be confessed, and that fellowship may be restored.
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.