The local assembly, Fellowship — Frank Sona

Matthew 18 and the Lord’s Discipline in the Assembly

Now we're going to look at a different subject tonight, but I do want to touch. I do want to finish on what we were looking at last night a little bit because it does bear Bear going back. I hardly touched on it because we went to other portions, but let's go first of all to Matthew chapter 18 and Following this we will look at the subject of fellowship Matthew chapter 18 and we'll notice as we go down this passage here that there is initially a person and Verse 16 or verse 15 rather moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone and it also means that.

This is not something that you gossip about. It's not something you spread about the idea here is containment to keep it small and If he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more.

The one or two more added to you Now becomes the two or three that in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them Tell it unto the church but if he Also, that's the idea if he also neglects to hear the church.

Let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you whatsoever. Ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again, I say unto you that if two of you now, that's interesting. It's not two or three here. It's only the two the first group of two or three are involved in the disciplinary action. They are there as in terms of the sin the stubbornness of this man and we'll go into that but it's two or three.

Specifically there, but here it is only two. Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask. It shall be done for them of my father, which is in heaven now.

He is emphasizing family relationships. I will suggest to you this that in the context here Obviously we are he is dealing with the Lord. Jesus is dealing with assembly truth but when this individual is Disciplined put away from the assembly.

It does require a higher amount of witnesses two or three but when there's the idea of restoration and That is I believe the person has already been dealt with now. So as the passage as we go down the passage with discipline.

There is always in the heart of God and in the heart of God's people. There should be the idea of restoration and. So for the restoration of this individual and and the request for this person to be to be restored there's only needs to God will take the lower number.

The greater number will be will be sought after if there is a matter of Discipline that is involved if there's a matter of official if I can say it that way. Assembly dealings but in the matter now, it's in relation to the father and it's in two and.

So we have family relationship. The idea is that the man is a brother at this point not someone in the assembly, but a brother and. Then the Lord Jesus says for where two or three are gathered together in my name.

There am I in the midst of them. It has often been said that this is the smallest group that an assembly can dwindle down to. We hear people mentioned about the twos and the threes that are dotting the Countrysides and the twos and threes that are gathered and and the idea that the assembly can become so weak and it can dwindle down To two or three people yet.

The Lord is there. That is not the meaning of this passage. Two or three people do not make an assembly. You cannot carry this out. If you only had two or three people. Because you wouldn't be able to go to the next step.

You wouldn't be able to tell it to the church because the two or three are the back behind that. The second thing is from a very practical standpoint. I just a very obvious standpoint. I know a situation for example where there is a company that's meeting and there is one man and two women.

So if the man sins. Are the women going to enact discipline against them? Are they going to carry that out as an assembly? They can't do that it becomes absolutely unfeasible and An inability to carry out Matthew 18 verses 15 through 20 if the company is two or three people.

What the Lord Jesus is saying is that those two or three and the two or three are consistent. We don't have two different groups of two or three but two or three within the span of five or six verses is the same two or three and.

So the two this man just to run the scenario a man is commits a trespass. There's a fault something happens and another brother sees that and so he goes to this individual seeking his restoration. The individual won't hear.

Who do you think you are? I don't have to listen to you or what I'm doing is right and you're wrong and then this Friction between the two and the man is obviously wrong he will not listen now what has become a singular issue between two individuals has Escalated he is refusing to listen.

He continues in his sin and now two or three others are summoned obviously who are of reputable character they would have the confidence of the people their third testimony would be would have weight and So they go to this man and again.

It's brought before them and again He persists in his course and he refuses to listen now, and he refuses to bow and Now says if he will not hear these now, right? Just tell it to the church. But what has happened is this that when the two or three now have been summoned?

Something has become not only public but persistent and What is happening is that the individual is? Literally continuing in a course that is affecting the company because sin we we must realize that stubbornness and sinfulness Will affect the company?

We treat it because we say well, that's what we are and that's what but what has happened. Is that this event has now been ratcheted up if I can use that expression? To now where this is told to the church the man still refuses to bow and in failing to refuse to the bow to bow to that to the witnesses to the public aspect of things the sin has become different now and it requires now that because he is resisting literally the authority of God's assembly he is going against the authority of the Lord and Because he is now rebelling against the absolute sovereign authority of the Lord who is in the midst of the assembly and He has now given his authority to the two or three to pursue this matter and the man still refuses to bow.

The sin has become something different. Obviously it cannot be the same as in the very beginning because if it was the same as that in the very beginning. That's how they would have dealt with them right at the beginning.

So it is something different. It is the stubbornness. It is the rebelliousness and it is that it is the resistance against the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ Through the assembly and he has failed to bow to acknowledge that must be Absolute and it's the Word of God.

And so what we're reading here is the Word of God Enacted and so has let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican. Outside the circle of fellowship dealt with what is what is interesting to me is this even in a passage like this a passage that is unfortunately giving us a Situation a scenario that is tragic.

Has to be dealt with sin in the assembly. Yet still there is patience. There still is long-suffering. It's an interesting two or three witnesses and then the church. So that you have it's three three steps until this man is ultimately dealt with in this way.

And there are three witnesses that are called three steps three witnesses. This is not in other words The assembly is not seeking to deal with this individual now neither is the Lord Jesus Through the assembly seeking to deal with this individual harshly.

Even though the individual has harshly Rejected the authority of the assembly, but he has affected it. He is denying the authority the lordship of the one in the midst. That's why it is so critical that we recognize that the ultimate authority of the assembly is the Lord Jesus himself and That attitudes you see where did this start with?

This is interesting. We're not told what the sin was is it are we? We're not told the specifics he leaves that open but what is told to us specifically that it is the attitude of this individual that is refusing and Rejecting any aspect that they are going against the authority of Christ, and they are affecting the company.

And so the individual has dealt with in that way. It is also significant that the idea here is for restoration, too. But the possibility is that this individual may not be restored and that's found earlier in the passage.

And I don't want to go into that it's another subject altogether. But I want to I wanted to look at this for this fact that this is literally the criteria of the assembly. This is the core of the assembly the presence of the Lord in the midst of his company.

It is his company. He has brought that just as he has brought you with a price Precious blood he has brought this company. Acts chapter 20 says that in verse 28 the Apostle Paul speaking to the Ephesian elders to feed the flock.

He talks about the church. Which he has purchased with the blood of his own. So that it cost him as much the Lord Jesus. To pay for this assembly to bring it into existence to put it on redemption ground as it were testimonial ground if I can say it that way as it did to pay for your soul cost him that much and Because he paid for it He has the claims upon it He has the rights upon it.

That's what this passage is telling us now I want to look at the subject of fellowship tonight the fellowship and so let's turn it a several other passages. Let's go to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2.

It's interesting that when we as you're turning there the first two passages in the Bible. That in the New Testament that tell us about the church one tells us about Building the church up which is the body of Christ the other tells us about discipline in the church and that's Matthew chapter 18.

So it's interesting that those two passages go together and the first two passages in the book of Acts tell us the same thing. Tell us about the body of Christ that which was built and established in Acts chapter 2 and the next mention of the church is in Acts chapter 5 with the Discipline of Ananias and Sapphira.

So these two subjects really do seem to go hand-in-hand. The building up as well as the discipline action in other words God's assembly is not only a place of growth where God desires growth. But it also is a place where there must be godly order divine order.

Agreement, Activity, and Allegiance in Christian Fellowship

Now when we come to Acts chapter 2 verse 42 and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. What I want you to notice about this verse is that agreement and activity went together.

Agreement and activity go together because as you go down this passage There's more than that. But in the sphere of the fellowship that they were enjoying that the Spirit of God had brought them into you have first of all Excuse me.

They continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine. That's what molded them. That's what they that's what the fellowship was based on that was the body of truth that that Banded them. They didn't do their own thing.

They didn't have their own will they didn't go their own way that the Codebook if you will the the SOP the standard operating procedures that was given to them was in the Apostles doctrine. And so you have they agreed upon that doctrine.

But then you have the activity in that body of doctrine and so when it says here and they continued steadfastly. That's the idea of activity. They they continued. How do you continue in doctrine? How are we continuing in doctrine?

The doctrine was given to us once. The body of truth was once for all delivered to the Saints. So how do we continue well by our actions? By how we carry this out and so there's agreement and activity are brought together belief and behavior go together and Then you have their allegiance to this because you see it wasn't just a matter that all they continued and they did know they continued steadfastly.

There's their allegiance to this. They no matter what and you read through the book of Acts young people. It's an exciting book the book of Acts jail breaks Escapes Chases shipwrecks. Christians who are living their lives in light of and in spite of the opposition of a World all around them when everything was entirely new.

We've been doing this for 2 ,000 years. This was all new to them. They were stepping off and stepping out of the Hebrew background and a pagan background. And here we are where there's a church on every other corner and people say this and that and everybody knows about Christianity and not for them and.

So there was an allegiance to that doctrine. Let me ask you something. What's your royalty like to the doctrine? How loyal are you? They continued steadfastly and then there was the appearance of this fellowship that manifested itself and the appearance of the fellowship manifested itself in other words.

It appeared before men in the breaking of bread in the prayer meeting and in the fellowship itself that displayed these things. In fact doesn't the Apostle Paul say that concerning the breaking of bread that as often as you break this bread and drink this cup you do show The Lord's death you proclaim the Lord's death till he come so their appearance of the fellowship is seen in these.

So there's the agreement of the pattern. There's the activity of the pat in the pattern. There's the allegiance to the pattern and there's the appearance of the pattern here. Now we'll look at just a few more verses.

Let's go to Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 9 and verse 26 and when Saul was come to Jerusalem He assayed to join himself. To the disciples that word the Greek word here Cola is actually the word for glue.

He glued himself to the disciples. No such thing with the Apostle Paul of occasional fellowship he was Stuck to them. That's how you get attention. He was stuck to them and he was there and he was glued and Then it says here but they were all afraid of him and believe not that he was a disciple but Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way and That he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem so here's Saul of Tarsus. Joining the fellowship here of these disciples here at this company. Now, let's go on to chat first to 1st Corinthians chapter 5.

1st Corinthians 5 and verse 1 it is reported commonly that there is fornication among you in such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles. That one should have his father's wife and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned.

That he that hath done this deed might be taken away from you. They do you believe that that he might be taken away? How often you hear people say, you know, well, we don't want to lose them. Well, if we don't want to lose them.

No, we can't afford to lose them if there are individuals that are antagonistically in opposition with lifestyles to the authority of this assembly of God's assembly. And if they persist in that going back to Matthew 18.

Then it's obvious really that they should not be here. I'm making that's a very strong statement. I'm not making that statement. I'm just saying if there's a persistence of a of a rebelliousness and a sinfulness in a lifestyle.

It will lead to other things and not only that according to Matthew 18. If that person is addressed and they refuse to bow to the authority listen brother. This is not playing games these are very serious matters and I think we I speak for myself to it.

We do not handle them with the seriousness that they deserve members of the fellowship of a local assembly very serious matter and. So as we go down this passage a little more verse 3 for I verily is absent in body but president spirit of judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed in the name in The name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan.

For the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Let's go down a little further nine verse nine. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators yet.

Not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or doubters. Or then must ye needs go out of the world 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 extortioner with such a one know not to eat.

That's on the social level. That is not the Lord's Supper. There's a social level and he makes that clear from chapter 11 because when you come together This is not to eat the Lord's Supper. So this is distinct from the Lord's Supper.

This is eating. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without. Do not ye judge them that are within. Okay, let's stop. Hit the pause button. He is calling upon the assembly to act. So obviously he's saying do not ye judge them.

You are supposed to judge them that are within. So what is the within the within is the assembly? So what is the without he says the without is where this man is to be put to and Then earlier he said to deliver such a woman to Satan.

So obviously the without is Under the authority of Satan. It is a totally different sphere and while God is Sovereign we know that in a unique Special presence way which we went over last night. The local assembly gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus with the power of Christ in the midst and the authority of his name is a different sphere it is within and Every single thing that is not part of the local assembly fellowship is without.

You know what that means brethren? That is one of the clearest statements that the only thing that God Recognizes in a collective testimony in this world is a local assembly gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.

That's very clear because everything else believers as well as unbelievers Who are not part of a local assembly are in the sphere of without and so he says. But them that are without God judgeth verse 13.

Therefore Put away from among yourselves that wicked person. Let's go to chapter 10. Chapter 10 verse 14. Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from idolatry. I speak it as to wise men judgy what I say the cup of blessing which we bless.

Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread? The bread which we break. What is he talking about. Is it. Isn't it clear. Isn't it very clear that what he's talking about here is that the Lord's Supper?

But it is addressed here as the Lord's table because it is a different aspect of the same thing. I'm not going to have time to get into that. But just it's obvious from he's talking about the cup which we drink the bread which we break.

Where else do we do that? That's the Lord's Supper. And he says is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh are not they which eat of the sacrifices?

Partakers of the altar what say I then that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice the demons or devils and not to God.

And I would not that you should have Fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord. Not the cup of Christ the cup of the Lord. His Lordship is in view and the cup of devils you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of Devils.

Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy. Are we stronger than he. Chapter 14. Chapter 14. Verse 15. What is it then. I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also else when thou shalt bless with the spirit.

How shall he that occupieth the room or the place of the unlearned? Say amen. At high giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest. Let's go down to verse 23 now. If therefore the whole church become together again an indicator that the local church is distinct and different from the universal church the body of all believers if therefore the whole church become together into one place and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbelievers will they not say that you're mad, but if all prophesy and There come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all that means of all.

The ones speaking doesn't mean he's judged of every single thing. He's done. It means he's judged by the all the all that are speaking those prophets. If all prophesy right there's the all. If all prophesy verse 24 and There come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of the all.

He is judged of the all and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face. He will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Fellowship. Fellowship is a really misused word.

Fellowship is not friendship. I'm glad when we're friends with those that were in fellowship with but it's not friendship. There are I am friends with numerous people who I am NOT in fellowship with. Fellowship is a word and there's different aspects of fellowship fellowship literally means a.

Partnership a joint participation with a.

Community who is together in their agreement. It's a strong word. It was a very strong word in first century Greek and and it would be used of partners in a business. There are different types of fellowship in the Bible.

There is a Good level we'll just go into the good levels of fellowship. There's personal fellowship and personal fellowship is what you enjoy as a believer with the father and That fellowship that you enjoy personally with him is over his son.

God has one son. He loves that son very much. He delights in his son. He has joy in his son and he is inviting you to come and share in that joy that he has over his son and In the measure that you do that with the father in relation to his son.

You are enjoying personal fellowship with God. Then there's inter personal fellowship. An Interpersonal fellowship is on the same level as it were a personal fellowship because personal fellowship is in relation to My father and I when did it begin?

The moment you were saved. The moment you were saved you came into Fellowship and relationship with the God of heaven, but they are distinct. And if anybody asks me because you see we use relationship and fellowship almost as if they're synonymous.

If someone were to ask me, how's your relationship with the Lord? I would say absolutely perfect and They would look at me and say who does he think he is? And I would say I'm a Christian. That's what gives me the right to say that I have been saved my relationship never changes.

I Am a child of God just as there are children here and Nothing, you can do can make you stop being your parents child. That's your relationship. You have a father and you are their son or their daughter.

It began the day you were saved and it will never end. Then there's interpersonal fellowship and Interpersonal fellowship is the fellowship that I enjoy with other believers in the family. When did that begin same time?

The moment I was saved the moment you were saved you were brought into the family. You became my brother. You became my sister and that will too will never end. So there's personal fellowship interpersonal fellowship.

Then there's assembly fellowship and that's different assembly fellowship. Has an end it will end. It Will end when you go home. We went over a number of ways how it can end it can end by discipline it can end by people who leave the assembly.

Assembly fellowship has an ending. Personal and interpersonal fellowship never have an ending. It also has a separate and distinct beginning. That's why I read Acts chapter 9 Saul assayed to join himself to the assembly to the company to the disciples there that were in Jerusalem.

In other words there was a time when he was not Part of that company when he did not have and was in the fellowship of that company. We've also learned from 1st Corinthians 5 that individuals can be put away from that fellowship the fellowship.

Because in Acts chapter 2, there's a definite article. There's the word the before fellowship. They continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine breaking bread in the fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers.

So it's the fellowship a distinct entity. Something that you actually are joined to with other believers. And it has a distinctive beginning and a distinctive ending. The fellowship is specific. It is singular.

It is marked by a within and a without. And that shows very very clearly that there is nothing else Apart from God's assembly seen in the Word of God because listen common sense if Everything else is without and God is speaking to the assembly then only the assembly is the sphere of within and Each assembly has its sphere of within.

So that if it's the assembly in West Union if it's the assembly in stout it's the assembly in Ankeny there is a within Heightsville within and that fellowship is complete and Everything else is without and it's a different domain a different sphere.

You say well The man was said to be delivered to Satan. He was put in that sphere. Why? For two reasons. One reason is that because he was not acting in accordance with this fear with the assembly sphere.

He was rebelling against the authority he was doing something that was incompatible With this fellowship and By his behavior and sometimes it's by their belief and Paul mentions that to those who have do not have sound doctrine False doctrine so by their belief or by their behavior to be put outside the fellowship.

Because it's incompatible with the fellowship and by there now their presence in that sphere. How they respond to that? To being outside. Will determine really. Could determine even if they're safe. But it will also determine if they are willing to be subject to that fellowship and the authority of it again.

The Visible Realization of Assembly Fellowship

So let me go over just a number of things about this fellowship very quickly. I want to go over the realization of this fellowship. There's something the fellowship can be seen and there are visible displays that pertain to the fellowship.

The head covering for example of the sisters and the uncovered heads of the men that is a visible display when we come together. Expressing divine truth. The breaking of bread is A visible display with a loaf of bread and a cup of wine displaying a visible display of the fellowship.

That within and without is also seen. There are realizations to this. Now when it comes to this fellowship, we want to make it very clear. Did you read the word Lord Lord again Lord Lord Lord over and over again?

You cannot partake of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord. And if you were to go into chapter 11 You would see over and over and over again the repetition of the word Lord except it's not repetitious.

It's essential. Because what the Spirit of God is seeking to impress upon all of our hearts is that this is a place Where his lordship is acknowledged where the dignity of Christ in a world that has absolutely no use for him an entire Sphere that surrounds us that is labeled without and here we are in the midst of this sphere of satanic power and authority and the people in this fellowship are saluting Christ as Lord and We are saying this very clearly to a world that has rejected him whether it's a religious world whether it's an evangelical world.

Whether it's an immoral world, whatever kind of world it is. We are saying this we belong to the Lord and Christ is Lord and We bow to his authority and there is a dignity this company that does not characterize that cannot characterize.

You realize that brethren there is a dignity to this company that cannot Characterize the world it is impossible. So I do not understand why there are individuals that want to bring down the dignity of the company in The way we talk the way we act the way we dress.

All of that. This is uncommon. The world is common. The world cannot do what we do. There is no dignity there, but us. We are the Lord's. We're a people of the heights if you want to live in the depths.

That's your business, but you know what you'll be living inconsistently with the truth of not only the assembly but the Lord you serve. There is no group like it. No company like it. There's all different kinds of clubs all different kind of groups and if you want to give your time and your talents and your energies to those causes and those groups and those Fellowships I can tell you this you are playing second rate.

Third rate, whatever it cannot compare to what you can be part of and putting yourself into with this fellowship the Realization of it. I want to speak for a moment about the reception to it the reception to this fellowship.

Receiving Believers into the Assembly

Acts chapter 9 we see the Apostle Paul and he wants to be received to this company and Barnabas takes him and he says to the brethren how he was preaching boldly at Damascus. He's telling about the kind of the character of this man.

He's telling about the consistency of this man. He's telling them about the convictions of this man and he's saying to the brethren This is man is a he's a changed man. Remember they said they were afraid of him.

You know, that's a real thing. Salvation if it doesn't produce a change, there's no reality to salvation if the assembly is just another segment of your life. If the Lord Jesus is another just another part of your life and it's just you're all on an even plane.

That you really need to examine or am I really saved. I was discussing it today and it really it struck me. You look at it the last one of the last verses next to last verse of 1st Corinthians the epistle to the Corinthians as He sums up all this assembly truth.

You know what he says to the Christians, you know Paul writes to the Christians at the end of that book the end of that letter. He's taught them about separation. He's taught them about the reality of the assembly.

It is an assembly letter. It is Saturated with assembly truth. That's the reason it exists. He writes to them about the Lordship. He writes them about their calling. He writes to them about their behavior and their belief.

And he ends that letter with this statement. Listen if any man Love not the Lord Jesus Christ. Let him be accursed. I'm gonna let that sink in for a minute if any man and the word there for love Is not agape.

It's not even the highest form of love. It's a love of fondness if any man does not have a fondness. You remember that that was the level that it was brought down to with Peter. Do you love me? Are you fond of me Peter?

And the Lord brought it down to a lower level if any man has not fondness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Let him be accursed. You say how could he say that? It's so strong. Well, what would you think if if if I came to you today, and I said you believers us as believers.

I'll include myself. If we do not love the Lord Jesus in such a way. Why is he put that we let you that you are accursed. You would say what? Listen, what are you talking about? Wait? You know why such strong language?

Because he's gone through this whole letter. He's written to them strong things earlier. He said shall I come to you with a rod. How do you want me to come? You know what he's saying your response to what I have written.

Just like your response to what I am preaching. I'm not putting my preaching on the same level as the as the entirety of the written Word of God but I am preaching from the Word of God and Our response to divine truth and the dignity of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his people.

Really has a great bearing on indicating whether we're saved or not. How could you say a person could be accursed? You wouldn't talk about a believer Who's accursed and I wonder if Paul was actually thinking there's a number of people in Corinth.

And they just they just might not be saved. It's a real thing brethren. We live in a world That does what they want and if that spirit comes into the assembly it will destroy it. It is absolutely Countercultural to the to the culture of the assembly if I can put it that way it is absolutely an opposition to me.

So when a person is received to the fellowship of that assembly. What they are doing is they are acknowledging I Want to be part of a company that acknowledges the Lordship of Christ a person is received.

It's interesting wait. They are actually what the Apostle Paul was indicating before he was received to that fellowship is this. He was already in fellowship Before he came into the fellowship. Do you get that he was already in fellowship?