Are you following Jesus? #31

As we the church (followers of Jesus not a building) are following Jesus and sharing life together there is one biblical aspect of out faith that we are neglecting in a big way. This aspect may even shock you as we look at it today because we have some how found ourselves in a place where we say we are not to judge. In spiritual matters this is not the case! So what is this aspect? Church discipline.



Now let me say this before we get in to this subject, church discipline is designed by God to be done out of love and concern for the wayward saint. The purpose is to bring the wayward saint to repentance and then to be restored back into the church. The wayward saint has the choice to obey or be banned from the church. Sounds harsh huh? The goal is to keep the saints of God on the purest walk with God as possible and when the saint is in gross sin we the church are to lovingly bring them back. Let's go to the scriptures to see what it says:



Matthew 18:15-17

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.



1 Corinthians 5



Immorality Defiles the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.



Immorality Must Be Judged

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”



Titus 3:10



10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,



2 Thessalonians 3:6-15



6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.



1 Timothy 5:20



20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

Romans 16:17-18



17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.





Galatians 6:1



6 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.



As you can see from scripture, church discipline is biblical and needed. Why have we forsaken it today? Could it possibly be this is why the church is so ineffective today because it allows gross outright public sin to be done by its members without shame and punishment? I think the answer is obvious!



Again the discipline is to be done in love and for restoration of the wayward saint but if practiced be prepared when sin is pointed out the first reaction generally will be to lash out at the ones coming in the name of the Lord!



Church the Lord gave us His Word for instruction, we have abandon this instruction on church discipline and as a result we are reaping the results of weak churches that have lost its purity and effectiveness as the world looks at us and sees no difference than them!



Stand church....Stand in the Word of God!



Tom