Examine Yourselves

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. Look at 2 Corinthians 13, starting in verse 1, Paul writes, This will be the third time I am coming to you.

And by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established. I have told you before and foretell as if I were present the second time. And now being absent, I write to those who have sinned before and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare.

Since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. For though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Church Discipline and the Two or Three Witnesses Principle

So I'm going to break this message down into three points this morning. Point number one is the overall subject of church discipline. Because that's really what's in view here. Some of the members in the church, changes needed to be made.

Otherwise, church discipline would have been the next step. Certainly when Paul arrived. And you notice how he says, by the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every word be established. Does that remind you of anything?

Hopefully it should when Jesus spoke of this subject in Matthew 18. So we'll look at that as point number one. Point number two is Paul's apostolic authority. What is he doing here? He's turning the tables on his critics.

Who were questioning him. Oh, you want to examine me? No, you need to examine yourselves. That's what he's saying. As to whether or not you're even a believer. So his critics might have also been saying, Paul's not even in court.

Does he even have authority here? So we'll look at that question. And then point number three, self-examination. Why did they have to do this? Well, we talked about some reasons. But why did they have to do it?

How does one go about doing this? Should every Christian examine themselves? And couldn't self-examination lead to having doubts? Doubts about your salvation?

Isn't that bad?

Well, we'll look at that and how really what it should do is lead to an even greater assurance of your salvation. So starting with point number one, the subject of church discipline. Let's walk through the first few verses.

Verse one of 2 Corinthians 13. Paul mentions how this will be the third time he is visiting the church. And then he makes this comment, the testimony of two or three witnesses. Let every word be established.

So some people have taken that and they say, all right, he's visited them once, twice, and he's coming a third time. Then he says, by the mouth of two or three witnesses. So some people believe that Paul is referring to his first visit, that's one witness.

His second visit, that's another witness. And then his third visit, that is the third witness. That's not what he's referring to.

Okay.

What is he referring to? Well, that statement, two or three witnesses comes from God's law. Deuteronomy 19 verse 15 says, one witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits.

By the mouth of two or three witnesses, the matter shall be established. So a witness is a person, right? A witness is a person who can provide testimony. In a court of law, if it's your word against his, then who's to say who's telling the truth?

But if you can get two or three witnesses, that should be enough to convict. And you say, yeah, but what if people conspire and they bring together false witnesses? Then in God's system of justice, whatever penalty would be brought upon the accused party, that penalty is then imposed upon the people making the false accusations.

So if somebody, two or three people conspire and we saw this man committing murder, he should get the death penalty. If they're lying, guess who gets the death penalty? The ones making the false accusation.

I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say that our justice system could learn a few things from the scripture. If we did, false accusations would just about disappear. Frivolous lawsuits as well.

And you say, yeah, but we're not under the law. So aren't we supposed to ignore the things written in Deuteronomy? If anyone ever says that, that's a person you should not listen to. Obviously, we're not under the old covenant, but everything written in God's law, guess what?

It's still true. Some things apply. Some things don't. It's still true. And obviously, Paul is, he thinks this still applies two or three witnesses because he's going back to Deuteronomy and saying, this is the way that it is.

So someone who has observed wrongdoing, they can bear witness to what happened. And Paul tells the Corinthians, I am coming to you. And by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall be established.

So, you know, if somebody is living in sin or if they're doing things ongoing, that's creating a lot of chaos and division within a local church. It's not going to be difficult to find two or three people who can attest to that because it's all being done in the open.

So Paul is going to come and he's going to find two or three and he's going to handle it. He would rather they deal with it before he gets there, though. That's what we've been saying the past several weeks.

But he says, if I show up, we talked about this last time, you're not going to like my response. If you're still acting this way, you're not going to like my response. Look at verse two. He says, I have told you before and foretell as if I were present the second time and now being absent.

I write to those who have sinned before and to all the rest that if I come again, I will not spare.

Christ's Authority in Matthew 18 and the Meaning of Church Discipline

All right.

Let's turn to Matthew chapter 18 and see what Jesus has to say about this subject. And listen, this is a relevant topic. OK, if this does not get preached in a local church, the local church just stops talking about this, stops preaching about this.

Eventually they will stop practicing church discipline. How do I know that? Well, hey, exhibit a. The Corinthians were not doing it, which is why Paul may have to step in the Corinthians. They have the Old Testament scriptures.

They should have known. I believe they did know how to deal with these things. They just didn't want to do it because it's unpleasant. And we all understand that it's not enjoyable, but it is necessary.

What did Paul say in first Corinthians? A little leaven leavens the whole lump. And if I had to guess, I would say upwards of 50 percent of evangelical churches today, maybe even more. Simply don't practice church discipline.

There's a well-known phrase that you've been hearing these days. No justice, no peace. You've heard this. No justice, no peace. Well, I'll tell you, if there is no justice in a local church, there will be no peace in a local church.

If people can behave however they want, and abuse other church members, and take advantage of people, and lie, and cheat, and steal, and there's nothing done about it within a local church, there's going to be no peace there.

So, what's the proper way to handle this? Well, first we must ask, who's the Lord of the church, or who's the head of the church? Jesus is the head of the church. So, let's look at what Jesus has to say.

Matthew 18, starting in verse 15. Jesus says, 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. 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.

So, you can see right there, it's the same principle from the book of Deuteronomy, from God's law. Verse 17, and if he refuses to hear them, that is the two or three witnesses, then you tell it to the church.

But if he refuses to even hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. What does that mean? You are to regard them as an unbeliever, and you are to have no fellowship with them.

Someone might say, but does a church really have that right or authority to excommunicate someone, or the authority to remove people from the membership roles? Well, what does the Lord of the church say?

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven. And whatever you loose on earth, it will be loosed in heaven. This is the responsibility that Christ and the authority that Christ has given to his church.

And he goes on, verse 19, again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. So, two or three witnesses, right?

Right?

Look at verse 20, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. Some people think this is the definition of a local church. I've seen this in study Bibles. The definition of a local church is where two or three are gathered together.

I don't know who came up with that, but that's not the truth. The church is the assembly, more than two or three, okay? You and your friend in your living room are not the church, okay? And it's used in the context of church discipline.

So, that's often taken out of context. But what is Jesus' point? When a church does this, Christ himself is standing there in agreement. Now, turn to Galatians chapter 6. And lest anyone get the wrong idea, no church wants to do this.

It's obviously not enjoyable. Nobody wants to do this. But the whole purpose of this is to keep the peace. The whole purpose of this is to be corrective, not punitive. The goal is to rectify the situation.

And to bring about healing and restoration and restoring of fellowship between brothers. That's the point. Several opportunities are given. Two or three witnesses are brought forward. And why two or three witnesses?

To protect a person from being accused falsely. Have you ever been accused of something that you never did? That's an abuse. So, the witnesses, by the way, the witnesses should be people that actually witnessed it.

Not just, hey, grab two deacons and let's go. They're supposed to be witnesses. So, it's to protect a person from false accusations. And, you know, I would take it a step further. Because there are abusive church leaders.

There are cults out there. Where the people in charge are mistreating the people in the pews. So, if a church leadership is abusive and they make false accusations or discipline somebody unjustly in the congregation.

Remember the principle in God's law. Whatever was to be imposed upon that person is actually imposed upon the person bringing the false accusation. So, in that scenario, the church leaders would be regarded, at least by God, as heathens and tax collectors.

So, this is protecting people. This is a good thing.

Alright.

And let's not lose sight of Christ's love for the church. We understand that. But Paul had a great love for the church. And he writes, based on that in Galatians. Galatians 6, verses 1 and 2. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, judge him and kick him out.

No.

What does it say? 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. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

So, this is about protecting the church, protecting peace and harmony within the body of Christ. Proverbs 3, verse 12 says, For whom the Lord loves, he corrects. Just as a father, the son in whom he delights.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornickChurch .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.