Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Review the last two sermons.

Need - Why does the church need this teaching?

Answer -

Okay, so how should Church Discipline happen in the local church?

Main Idea: How Should a Church Practice Discipline?

By answering these two questions.

When is Church Discipline Necessary?

2. How Does a Church Practice Church Discipline?

When is Church Discipline Necessary?

When is love necessary?

ALL THE TIME!

I think there is a misnomer with the phrase “Church Discipline.”

It sounds ominous and a bit frightening.

Ron and Lynn Potgeter, when I called them up last week, were scared that I was calling them forward for Church Discipline!

Unfortunately, Church Discipline is viewed in a fearful light instead of the restorative vehicle of love it is intended to be.

My hope in this series was to take some of the negative, fearful stuff out of this Biblical teaching, and to demonstrate that this activity should be happening all the time and it should be rooted in love not condemnation.

And one definite way of demonstrating love for one another is the ability to speak truth into one another’s lives.

We are to lovingly speak truth to one another.

This is what’s behind Paul’s words in...

A godly church operates in this way.

It is part of her culture.

So it should be happening all the time at a personal level.

Brothers and sister in Christ lovingly speaking truth into one another’s lives.

This is absolutely crucial for the health and vitality of the local church.

And if we are developing these kind of loving relationships where we give one another permission to speak into each others lives (the point of church membership), “Church Discipline” becomes a nature byproduct of helping one another to not fall into sin!

As a church, this must become part of our culture.

Avoidance of fellow church members...

Being fake (not honest) at church and with church members, even at Connection Group.

Instead be open and make purposeful relationships with a few.

These steps will change the culture of our church to truly be the family of God.

Formal public discipline works best in a church culture where informal and private discipline is welcomed and practiced.

Public accountability should be an outgrowth of what’s already going on in the private lives of church members.

Formal church discipline works best when members already know how to give and receive loving correction.

They do it in their homes.

They do it over lunch.

They do it gently, carefully, and always with the good of the other person in mind.

Remember, church is not an event or an appointment on our calendar.

Church is a new people group dedicated to God together.

So, church discipline isn’t about a group of angry people who are bent on judging someone.

Church discipline is an outgrowth of gracious and loving accountability between MEMBERS of a local church.

When shall we say that church discipline is necessary?

Broadly speaking, discipline is necessary whenever a disciple departs from the way of Christ by sinning.

It’s necessary whenever a gap opens up between a Christian’s profession and life, and the so-called representative of Jesus fails to represent Jesus.Most often, discipline occurs informally and privately.

A brother or sister in Christ sins, and another brother or sister, with love, quietly addresses the matter.

Church Discipline, Leeman, 48

But, what happens when a situation arises where a person is lovingly confronted regarding their sin but they refuse to repent.

The become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

They dig in their heals and are determined to live in a way contrary to God.

This is where the process is leveled up

Formal Church Discipline...

Formal church discipline is the appropriate course of action whenever a church member’s failure to represent Jesus becomes so characteristic and habitual that the church no longer believes he or she is a Christian

Ultimately, I believe the combination of Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 suggests that churches need to arrive at one of three conclusions before determining that it’s time to act:

• When a church becomes convinced that a person is genuinely repentant, it should not proceed with any form of discipline (and I cannot think of a single exception to this principle).

• When a church becomes convinced that a person is characteristically (not temporarily) unrepentant, it should proceed with excommunication.

• When a sin is so deliberate, repugnant, and indicative of a deep double-mindedness that a congregation is left unable to give credence to a profession of repentance, at least until time has passed and trust has been re-earned, it should proceed with excommunication, determining to test for repentance after the fact.

Okay, So Church Discipline should be happening all the time at level one.

Sometimes at level two and rarely at level three.

Argumentation - How do we get a culture that is speaking into one another’s lives?

Application - You must purpose to cultivate a few relationships within the church that you can speak into their life and that they can speak into your life.

This will have a transformational impact on the local church because problems will be resolved at a lower level before they evolve into greater situations.

So, when is church discipline necessary?

ALL the TIME!

So that problems are being addressed and solved all the time!

Review - Main Idea: How Should a Church Practice Discipline?

By answering these questions...

When is Church Discipline Necessary?

2. How Does a Church Practice Church Discipline?

The reality is there will be times where someone is committed to their sinful desires more than they are the ways of the Lord.

What do we do in this situation?

Here are five general principles for the church leadership and congregation should follow...

Five Principles for Loving Church Discipline

The Process Should Involve As Few People As Possible.

Sometimes sin needs to be publically addressed (1 Cor 5, Phil 4:1-4) (e.g.

pregnancy out of wedlock)

This can teach positively about the Christian view of marriage and sexuality only within the confines of marriage.

So the leadership and church can celebrate the couple’s repentance and restoration.

So the church can celebrate the arrival of the precious little life.

Saying nothing breeds gossip, mistrust, and sanctions sin.

“What happens teaches.”

Church Leaders Should Lead The Process.

Paul has the spiritually mature lead the less mature in this process.

The older and wiser in the Lord must take the lead in solving problems biblically.

Notice I didn’t simply say, “Hand the problem over to the elders.”

Paul says the spiritually mature.

The Length Of The Process Depends On How Long It Takes To Establish Characteristic Unrepentance.

Matt 18 calls for at least three warnings before a person is removed from the congregation.

1 Corinthians 5 calls for immediate removal from the congregation.

Titus lands in between

Coming to the conclusion of repentance may take a minute or it may take a month, or three, or more.

The question of “how long” is not difficult for theoretical reasons; it’s difficult for real-life reasons.

We cannot see into people’s hearts, and we feel the burden of being tremendously careful whenever we are called upon to inspect the fruit and make a determination on a matter as important as whether the church can continue testifying that someone belongs to the kingdom of God.

Humans can sometimes fool themselves into believing that they can have both Jesus and their favorite sin.

It takes several rounds of escalating confrontations to help them realize, “No, I cannot.

It’s one or the other.”

Repentant people have a strong desire to getting rid of their sin.

A truly repentant person does WHATEVER is necessary to rid themselves of the sin that is destroying them.

They don’t coddle it.

They refuse to cultivate and grow it.

They do not justify and rationalize it.