Satan's Tactics - Part 2

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts.

Morse Corner is a non -denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist

D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's Word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message.

Right, look at 1st Corinthians chapter 5 starting in verse 1. Paul says, 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. That would be scandalous even in our day.

I mean, you might expect that from the Kardashians or someone in Hollywood, but your normal, your average person does not engage in such relations.

I mean, this was bad and the Corinthian church was just like, whatever. They weren't doing anything about it.

And you know, that's true. It's always easier to do nothing, but I can almost guarantee you that some of the people in the church, some of the bishops and deacons, they were almost certainly thinking to themselves, we better hope

Paul doesn't find out about this. And guess what? Somebody told him, Paul found out.

And look at what he says in verse 2. His response is interesting. He says, and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

So what does Paul call them as a result of this? He says, you're being prideful, you're arrogant, you're puffed up.

Why? Because they were defying the Word of God. They were ignoring the commandment of Christ.

Thumbing their nose at what Jesus taught the church to do. Here's the thing, when a church, or a pastor, or a board of elders think that they know better than Jesus, that's prideful.

But here's what I find interesting. Let's say, fast forward to today, take that same situation.

Let's say a church today face the same thing, or whatever the situation is. When a church practices discipline and does the right thing and put somebody out of the church, what are they accused of?

Being arrogant or prideful. Satan just twists the truth, turns it right around.

He exchanges sweet for bitter and bitter for sweet. You know what people would say today, and this happens when there is church discipline that is exercised.

There's always someone who says, well you know, you shouldn't judge. You know, who do they think they are?

The Bible says we should never judge. Well let's read verse 3. Paul says, for I indeed am absent in body but present in spirit.

I've already, what, judged. So there goes that idea. I have already judged as though I were present.

Him who has done this deed. Yes, Jesus said judge not.

That's true. But when Jesus said that in Matthew 7, what was he talking about? Jesus was saying don't judge hypocritically.

You know, get the beam out of your own eye. Paul did not have a beam in his eye. Paul saw clearly to judge this matter.

He did not judge based on his own opinion. He did not judge the matter based on his personal bias.

Paul judged based on principles that were in the law of God and, of course, according to the commandment of Christ.

Look at verse 4. He says, 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, 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. He says, your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Paul's saying if you allow this sin to remain, if someone is sinning in a church and nothing is done about it, what kind of message does that send?

It sends a message it's okay. There's no consequences and that sin will spread.

Just a secular illustration. If people are out committing crimes and the authorities don't do anything about it, if nobody is getting arrested or if and when they do get arrested they are let right back out on the street with little to no consequences, what's the message?

Go out and do whatever you want. What's the result going to be? More crime. And then when it gets so bad and it's like, all right, now we have to do something about it.

By then it's too late. It's out of control. Now Paul makes quite a statement here.

He says, deliver such a one to Satan. What does that mean? Well being part of a local church is supposed to represent the

Lordship of Christ in your life. As part of the church you are following Christ. Well when you are put out of the church, it's like you're under the

Lordship of Satan. You are following Satan. Where at that point

God's blessing and protection is removed. So here's a general test.

If someone is put out of a church and they don't care and they just go on living their life and nothing bad happens to them, that's a pretty good indicator that they were not actually saved to begin with.

But if somebody is excommunicated, put out of the church and then almost immediately or soon after their life kind of starts going in a downward spiral, that's evidence that God has turned them over to the destruction of the flesh.

His blessing is removed. His protection is removed. And remember it's for their own good.

Church discipline is for the person's own good so that they may be saved in the day of the

Lord Jesus. Hebrews 12 verse 6 says, for whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives.

So discipline is for the person's own good. Just like discipline for a little child is for their own good.

And remember as we're reading this, this applies to Christians only. Verses 9 and 10

Paul says, I wrote to you in my epistles not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

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 leave planet earth basically. You really can't avoid it.

But what he's saying is, yeah that's the way it is out there. But someone who professes to know

Christ, who's living in open sin and serious sin, don't have anything to do with that person.

It sends a message. Look at verse 11. He says, but now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother.

And someone's thinking, well that's too harsh. We can't do that. Well maybe that's what the Corinthians were thinking.

And Paul rebukes them. Again it's always easier to do nothing.

It's always easier to do the wrong thing. So he says in verse 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 to even eat with such a person. So if somebody is disciplined by the church, you don't have them over for dinner.

If somebody's disciplined by the church, you don't start, you know, keep hanging around with them like nothing ever happened.

Number one, if you do that, you are actually doing that person a disservice. Because you're sending the message that it's no big deal.

Number two, you're defying the word of God. You are going against what

Jesus taught. And then number three, you're undermining the decision of your own church.

Verses 12 and 13, Paul writes, for what have I to do with judging those who are outside?

Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside, God judges.

Therefore, put away from yourself the evil person. And you know what many professing

Christians would say about this? Oh, this is too harsh. Or maybe some would say, I don't agree.

I don't agree with Paul. I think Paul's wrong. I think Paul is being legalistic.

A lot of people would consider this legalistic. Well, if you're tempted to say that, just remember, that's probably what the false teachers were saying.

So here's kind of the summary of the message. And the false teachers would always do this, just like false teachers today do this.

They always come down on one side or the other. False teachers were either practicing legalism or license.

They were either too rigid or too permissive. As Christians, we can be tempted to be either too permissive, practice licentiousness, or too rigid or legalistic.

We don't want to be either one. Now, think about this.

Legalism and license, both are wrong. We cannot be ignorant of his devices.

The law of God is good, but taken too far, it's legalism. The grace of God is amazing, but taken too far with the attitude that, well, because of God's grace, you can go out and do whatever you want.

Both are wrong. So don't fall into that trap. We need to be right in the middle. We need to be biblical.

So go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 2, and we'll see how

Satan was trying to extend this controversy. Remember, he'll work both sides of an issue.

If he's having success over here, he'll keep with it. If he loses that battle, he'll start fighting on the opposite end.

So in 2nd Corinthians chapter 2, what do we see? Well, Satan's extending the controversy.

Let's keep this trouble going. Originally, Satan tempted the man.

The man, with the lust of his flesh, got into this relationship. Paul demanded the church act, and eventually they did.

So problem solved, right? Wrong. Satan is now working in a different way.

So the man was disciplined. He actually did the right thing and repented. Now he wants to come back in the fellowship, and now

Satan, at first, he got the church to be too permissive. Now he's getting the church to be too rigid.

Look at verses 6 and 7. Paul says, This punishment, which was inflicted by the majority, is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

So this man paid the price. He suffered enough.

And Paul says in verse 8, Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

Paul goes on to say, I have forgiven him in the presence of Christ, and you should as well.

Don't let Satan take advantage of you through an unforgiving spirit.

So what's the takeaway? What do we watch out for? Well, remember, even the good things

Satan can lay a snare. The Christian life needs to be one of balance.

God's Word in context will give us that balance.

So a church, and you as an individual, we should not be too permissive.

We should not be too rigid. We should not practice license.

We should not be legalistic. And that is what was happening in the Corinthian church.

They had an unforgiving spirit. They were being too rigid. And this was a way or a type of legalism where you have to do this, you have to do that, and it's never good enough.

And it's just a judgmental, critical spirit. We don't want to be like that.

So don't be too permissive. Do not be too rigid. And then just to close, you know, in Matthew 18, when

Jesus did talk about church discipline, it's no coincidence in the very next verse.

You remember what the Apostle Peter said to Jesus? Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

Up to seven times? You remember what Jesus said? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven.

And Jesus didn't mean 490. He said forgive and then forgive some more.

We know how this works. We do not want to be ignorant of Satan's tactics.

We do not want to be ignorant of his devices. So do not be too permissive. Do not be too rigid.

If somebody has sinned against you, forgive them. Have that forgiving spirit.

Remember love. Remember grace. Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for this message.

And even though some of these topics are difficult, Lord, we know that your word is true and that you tell us these things.

These admonitions are written for us, for our good. And Lord, if there's anyone here who is dealing with an unforgiving spirit or maybe they're suffering because someone else won't forgive them,

I just pray that your Holy Spirit would enter into that situation and that in our lives we would have that balance that we need.

Not to be too permissive. Not to be too rigid. That we would walk just as Christ walked and that we would listen to him and his commandments.

Father, we thank you for your word and this morning where we can gather together. We pray all of this in the name of your

Son. Amen. Thanks for listening.

I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornet Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, morriscornetchurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.