what is church discipline?

The Call to Church Discipline and the Need for Scripture

Good morning. Like I said, we had intended to go straight into the Scripture. I've got a whole lot of Scripture this morning. That's why we're just going directly into the Scripture. Because it's going to be very important.

I want you to be able to absorb all that you can, to take down all that you can. If you're taking notes, you'll want to probably write these Scripture references down, because there's going to be a lot.

We're not going to be able to go into great detail in all of these passages of Scripture. Some we'll quote in passing, some we'll read through literally and physically. But this morning we're going to look at the practice and the purpose of church discipline.

And as we go into this this morning, before we go into this, I'd like for us, if we could, to go to the Lord in prayer and ask the Lord to bless this time that He's given us and to help us to be obedient to His Word, to be obedient to His Spirit, and that we show this forth in our lives.

So, I told Johnny, I was going to ask him to lead us in prayer, blessing the sermon. So, last week, would you care to do that, Johnny? Thank you. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Johnny. Thank you. So, we're going to start with a quiz.

How many of you like quizzes? It is a seven-question quiz, true-false, so you've got an even better chance of getting the questions right. Fifty-fifty. Secondly, just before we take this quiz here, I'm going to give you all the study guide.

Study guides are helpful, right? So, here's the study guide. All of the answers are true. Now, how many of you would have liked, when you were in school, when the teacher came in and said, all right, we're going to have a quiz for the teacher to tell you.

I'm going to give you the study guide and here's the study guide. And there they are. But I don't want you to answer them true just because I'm telling you that all the answers are true to the questions I'm going to ask you.

I put a lot of thought and preparation, particularly this past week, in writing up the sermon, in seeking out the Scriptures to share with the church. I've done a whole lot of praying. So, in looking at these first questions, my intent and my purpose simply is this, to kind of prepare your minds to recognize the truth of what God's Word says and how that we are to be obedient to the Word of God.

So, the first question that I'm going to ask, before each question I'm going to ask, Kenny's going to put up some Scripture here. And we're going to read through the Scripture and then I'm going to ask you the questions.

And you need to be able to answer the question based upon what the Scripture says, right? Because, John, what ought you to do? Trust who? Trust the Scripture over whose Word? Over anybody's Word, but specifically my Word.

Trust the Scripture above my Word. So, the first passage of Scripture we're going to look at is 2 Corinthians 6. We're going to read verses 14 through 18 and then the first verse of the seventh chapter.

So, 2 Corinthians 6, verses 14 through 18, the Scripture says this, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

And what accord, or unity, and what accord has Christ with Bilal? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.

As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.

I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. And the first verse of the seventh chapter says this,. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

So we read that somewhat slowly. We wanted to read that very clearly. And the question concerning, the true false question concerning this passage of Scripture is this,. Holiness and sin are complete polar opposites and completely incompatible, true or false?

Based upon the Scripture we read, right? So holiness and sin are complete polar opposites and completely incompatible. You've got that question right. Next passage of Scripture we're going to look at is Galatians chapter 6 verse 7 and 8.

Galatians chapter 6 verses 7 and 8. The Apostle Paul in writing to the church at Galatia said,. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.

But he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting. The question concerning this passage is this, true or false? Christians are held accountable for our sin.

True.

Based upon the Scripture, whatever you sow, that's what you're going to reap. Next passage of Scripture, Acts chapter 5 verse 29 through 32. Acts chapter 5 verse 29 through 32. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses.

They're saying we are God's witnesses to these things. And so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. The question, true or false, concerning this passage would be this, as a Christian, and this is directed to Christians.

By the way, when we come to church, most of the time it's Christians who are at church.

Amen?

That's what God intended. He set up His church so that His people could gather to be edified, to grow in grace and knowledge. And so based upon that passage, as a Christian, I am responsible for obeying God according to what He has said in His Word.

True or false?

True.

This side is pretty quiet. Did you all hear that question? As a Christian, I am responsible for obeying God in what He has said in His Word. True or false?

True.

So this next passage of Scripture, there's going to be two questions on it, so we're almost done. Four questions left. This next passage of Scripture, Romans chapter 6, verses 16 through 19. Romans chapter 6, verses 16 through 19.

The Scripture says, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one slave whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Paul said, I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

This is written to the Christians. And so the first question based upon the Scripture that we read is this. And it's very personal. It's very personal and it's very directly asked to you as a church. True or false?

Reformation Baptist Church was established on the creed that we desire to be a glory of God centered, Bible saturated, missions focused, Holy Spirit empowered body of believers. True or false?

True.

If you've been here any period of time, you know this. Next question is this. True or false? It's always right to follow what the Scriptures teach in matters of life outside the church as well as matters that have to deal with how the church was intended to function and operate within.

It's always right to obey the Scriptures. Even when it's not popular, even when it's uncomfortable, we're called to obey God. Outside the church and inside the church. Last passage of Scripture for the quiz.

And from now on I'll ask that you follow along in your Bibles after this passage here or this verse here. Proverbs chapter 13 verse 24. Proverbs chapter 13 verse 24. The Scripture says, He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

How many of you all have always heard that he who spares his rod spoils his child? That's one of those things that are passed along but are not true. The Scriptures teach, he who spares the rod hates his son, and he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

So I want you to notice this contrast. We see love and we see hate. Now the world says, if you love someone, that the whole mantra of today's world is, if you love someone, you'll just let them go on in what they're doing.

You won't say anything, you'll be okay with everything. That is not love. The Scriptures teach that love disciplines.

Amen?

According to the Scriptures. So the questions, two questions concerning that passage are these. True or false? It is an act of love for God's church to practice church discipline. True or false?

True.

Next question and last question in the quiz. It is required of us as stewards. Stewards means to be a manager of what God has given us. It is required of us as stewards of the Word of God to exercise church discipline.

True or false? Based upon the Scripture.

True.

So we cannot deny these things, correct? And so going on into this now, I'm going to say, again, this is a very weighty matter on my heart. It's a very weighty subject in the life of the church. It is very necessary.

It is very needful. You've heard us over the years touch on church discipline. How many of you can say that? True or false? You've heard us touch on church discipline. But we've never gone in depth to communicate to you church discipline's purpose, what it is, why we do it, why it should be practiced.

We've spoken a little bit, and we're going to go into these matters today, this morning. I want to begin with a quote. It's been said, The church must live out its faith in every area prescribed by the Scripture.

She must live it out in the most difficult and unpopular areas if she expects to be faithful to the Lord of the church and taken seriously in the battle for the souls of men. And so, first off here, if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down or to remember it if you've just got a good memory.

I want you to know this, and I want to communicate this right up front and to give you the distinction and the function of church discipline. Church discipline, I'm not saying in any way, shape, form, or fashion that church discipline is about us as individuals trying to police each other's private lives.

Right?

I'm not talking about putting up surveillance in your house and seeing how many times you cuss this week.

Right?

I'm not talking about looking for every little thing or something that really is not sin even many times, pet peeves that we find wrong with each other, things that get on each other's nerves. But when I'm talking about the need for church discipline, I'm talking about open rebellion against God and His Word, sin in the life of the believer.

Some would say it's not for the church for us to discipline one another, but that is not what the Scriptures teach. And we're going to see that today. So it's not meant for us to try to police the private lives of church members.

Its purpose is to correct the public sins of our brothers and sisters. I've said over the years repeatedly, you are responsible to each other.

Amen?

You are responsible to each other. I am responsible to you. None of us are above sin. Let's say that from the outset. None of us. I am not above sin. I am not above heinous sin. I am not above horrible sin.

Neither are you. However, as Christians, when we do sin and we choose to rebel against God and not to repent of our sins and to continue in our sin, that's when the process of church discipline begins within the body of Christ.

Why Church Discipline Addresses Open Sin and Public Rebellion

So, some causes for church discipline. One cause would be difficulty between members. If there are schisms and divisions between members, there's a cause for division. Because what happens many times when there are divisions amongst members?

Folks start backbiting each other, right? Folks start talking about each other. Folks start going this way and doing that thing. And everybody's going different ways. And we've been learning from Philippians that we are to be united in the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Amen?

That is our focus. That is our goal. That is our aim. Another reason for church discipline is this. Divisive or factious people causing divisions in the church. Another reason for church discipline is immoral conduct.

Sins of the type mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5, which we're going to look at here in a minute, such as incest, immorality, covetousness, idolatry, abusive speech, drunkenness, swindling, or idle busybodies who refuse to work and run around spreading dissension.

These are causes for church discipline. False teaching is another reason. Erroneous teaching and views which concern the fundamentals of the faith and not lesser differences of interpretation. So these are some reasons for church discipline.

So let's begin to look here. What is church discipline? In layman's terms, and I wanted to do this because I know sometimes, and I don't do it because I'm trying to sound smart, but sometimes when I say things that I'm trying to communicate theologically to you, I want to break this down in layman's terms and make it as simple as possible.

In layman's terms, church discipline is the correction of open sin in the lives of its members. It's the correction of open sin in the lives of its members. Because guess what? None of us truly can judge another's heart.

Amen?

I don't know your heart. You can say you're a Christian. You can say that you've been born again by the grace of God. And then I can say, well, I heard you cuss when you hit your thumb with that hammer.

I don't know many people that don't cuss when they hit their thumb with a hammer.

Amen?

We're all in the same boat there. I'm not talking about that type of sin. I'm talking about continued sin. Continued unrepentant sin. That's when church discipline comes into play. Jesus speaks concerning how we should handle sin within the context of our personal relationships.

So let's look at Matthew 18. As we turn there to Matthew 18, when you get there, you probably are going to find this familiar. You've heard this. You've heard us talk about this. And this, in a nutshell, is church discipline as given to us by our Lord to the disciples here.

And it's speaking concerning our relationships with one another. Matthew 18 and verse 15. So there are four steps to church discipline. Four steps. The first step in church discipline is going to the individual themselves that are continuing in unrepentant sin.

It's going to the individual. First step. Second step. And I'm just giving you the overview. You'll see it in the Scripture. Second step. If the unrepentant sinner will not hear you as an individual, take two or three witnesses with you that can testify to the truth and the validity of their open and rebellious sin toward God, which affects not only them in their relationship with God, but it affects their relationship with the entire body of Christ.

Sin affects the church. That's why it must be handled and dealt with. The third step of church discipline. If the unrepentant sinner will not hear the two or three witnesses that go to them, then it is to be brought before the church.

And the church has a responsibility to reach out to the individual as a whole, recognizing and being in unity of the fact that what is going on is open rebellion against God and it's affecting them, their relationship with God.

It's affecting their relationship with the church because we are accountable to one another. That's the third step. If the third step is to no avail, if there is no effect, if they choose to go on in their unrepentant sin, then the church has a responsibility to...

There are many terms that have been used down through the years. And I'm going to use a couple of these terms, but I want to define the terms. How many of you have ever heard the term excommunication?

Right? That's a big term right there. And here's the thing. Not one of us, myself included, nor any other preacher in the entire world, has the power or the authority to separate a sinner from the kingdom of God.

Amen? Everybody in agreement with that? And I'm going to do these check-ins as we go. And I'm intentionally trying to be as unemotional as I can in this presentation because I can be very dogmatic. And it may come across as something hateful, but I want you to know today the reason that we must know this is for love's sake.

So that we can demonstrate the love of God as God has demonstrated His love to us. And this is worked out in church discipline. So I gave you the four steps for church discipline. Now let's read the text.

The text says this, Jesus said, "'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 you, take with you one or two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

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.'". I used that word excommunication. I tried to give you a little bit of the strength of that term.

Another term that's used is disfellowship. And that's probably the term you're going to hear me use throughout time, more than anything, disfellowship. Disfellowship means this. Disfellowship. Johnny, have you ever gotten in trouble at home?

Have you ever been grounded? Have you ever been sent to your room, and your mom and dad said, I don't want to see you, I don't want to look at you, I don't want to talk to you, go to your room. Someone would say, Oh, I can't believe that's the type of people that go to that church.

It's the type of preacher that I am. Disfellowship means that a person is cut off from the fellowship of the church for the purpose of reconciliation. Do you love to go to your room and sit there for hours on end?

Nobody to talk to. Nobody to fellowship with, right? You don't even get to bug your sister. Or your sister don't get to bug you. Whichever way it goes. But there's a purpose in disfellowship, and that is to let the offending party, the sinning party know, and I'm using this term specifically because we're the church, we're not the world.

Amen.

I'm not talking about a stumble or a misstep. I'm talking about open rebellion against God in sin. And the church should never stand with that. We should always be on God's side. So disfellowship is what is prescribed if the third step of church discipline is to no avail.

Correct?

So let's move forward just a little bit. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 5. 1 Corinthians 5, beginning in verse 1, and we're going to read through verse 13. And here you're going to see, this is the apostle Paul.

Looky here, looky here.

The apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian church, and he's addressing an issue of sexual immorality within the church, and this is what he says. This is 1 Corinthians 5, verse 1 through 13. Paul said, 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.

And Paul said, And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For indeed, as absent in the body, but present in the spirit, Paul said, I have already judged, as though I were present, I've already judged him who has so done this deed.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together along with my spirit, see we see the gathering of the church, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us, for one, to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you are truly unleavened. For indeed, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Paul said, I wrote to you in my epistle, not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world. Very clear here. Or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. He's not speaking about the relationship that we as Christians have with the world.

He is speaking about the relationship that we as Christians have with one another. That we are to hold one another accountable for the lives that we live. Again, we're not trying to peek into people's private lives, but when their sin goes public, then there's a problem.

There's an issue there. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not saying private sin's okay.

Amen?

Everybody understand that? I don't care if you quote me, just don't misquote me. Private sin is just as wrong as public sin. But we cannot deal with private sin because we don't know about it. But when sin becomes public, that's where the issue comes into play.

So he goes on to say this, but now I've written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother. That relationship there. 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. Now if I came up with that and just said that, you having never read this, you would think, boy, he is cruel. It wasn't cruel what the Apostle Paul is teaching here.

It was love. It was love because the very heart of church discipline is rooted and grounded in reconciliation. It's not about being mean. It's not about being hateful. It's about letting the sinning party know that we love them and we love them enough to do what God does, separate ourselves from them when the sin is continued.

Amen?

If I get unclear, feel free to stop me. He goes on, 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 you that evil person.

And that was through verse 13. So Paul is very clear in that. And we see within this passage, the context of sexual immorality, specifically Paul is addressing incest. However, Paul uses the term sexually immoral people, which of itself puts sexual sin high on the list of reasons to not have fellowship with those who are called brother, meaning those who claim to be related in Jesus Christ.

Amen?

Listen, we have dealt privately with sin at this church. Really and truly from the pulpit, we have not ever as a body had to go to step four of church discipline. Where as a body, you are made aware of the things that are going on, and you as a body have communicated in one way, shape, form or fashion to the sinning party, and let them know that you love them, but that they need to repent of their sin and make things right, and they need to be reconciled to God first and foremost, and to be reconciled with the body here.

Amen?

If you read in the Old Testament, you will see the account of Achan. Achan in the Old Testament was part of the children of Israel, and they went in and they raided a land, and they were not supposed to take anything, but Achan thought to himself, I will take something and I will hide it in my tent.

But God knows. God knows if you are hiding something. He knows. But here is the thing about God, if you read that account in the Old Testament, God did not just punish Achan, but Achan's entire family was destroyed.

Sin kills. You have heard us say that sin kills. It will kill you and it will kill your family. And we ought to care enough for one another, to warn one another concerning sin. I will go on. What is the purpose of church discipline?

The Purpose of Church Discipline Is Reconciliation and Restoration

So there we saw what is church discipline. Now, what is the purpose of church discipline? The purpose of church discipline is simply this, it is open rebuke. After following gospel steps for church discipline, is practice with reconciliation being the main goal.

The point of church discipline, I wrote all this down and I just want to share it, the purpose of church discipline is to let the offender know that they have sinned against God, and against their brothers and sisters in Christ, and also to let them know that if they repent, we will forgive them, and their relationship with the local body of Christ will be restored.

Coming to church is a privilege. How many of you have ever heard us say that? What a privilege it is that we get to come, Pat, and be with each other Sunday to Sunday to Sunday, to fellowship with one another, to partake of the Lord's Supper.

Throughout church history, the Lord's Supper was one of the primary means of privileges that were blocked off to those who were in open rebellion against God, and who were unrepentant in their sin. The Lord's table, the communion table, would be fenced off from them, literally.

There would be men who would not allow them to take part of communion when they were living in rebellion against God and His church. Some would say, who would have the audacity? I'll say the men down through history who held to the Word of God had the audacity to do that.

Were they unpopular? Many times, yes. This is not a popular thing, church discipline. It's not popular practice to have in place, but it is necessary for us as a church to demonstrate the reality of our relationship with God.

Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said this, God's loving discipline of His people is His sovereign right and is completely in keeping with His moral character, His own holiness.

His fatherly discipline also establishes the authority and pattern for discipline in the church. I said that earlier. Correction is for the greater purpose of restoration and even the higher purpose of reflecting the holiness of God.

Our creed is that we desire to be a glory of God centered.

Amen?

Bible saturated. What glorifies God? When God's people obey Him. When God's people live according to His Word. We are not the world. There is a distinction between us and the world and that distinction is the blood of Jesus Christ.

The church is God's redeemed. The world are those who are outside of the grace of God. Proverbs chapter 27 verse 5. If you would turn there please. Proverbs chapter 27 verse 5. Proverbs chapter 27 verse 5.

The Scripture says this, Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. As a Christian we have a moral responsibility. Would you all agree with that?

We are called to live moral lives as Christians. Anybody disagree that we are not called to be moral? We are not called to be immoral. If you are saved you are called to live a moral life according to the Word of God.

Best you can. Are you going to fail? Every single day. Probably most minutes out of every single day. But we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Who pleads our case on behalf of His children before the throne of God.

That statement, love carefully concealed. The footnote in the Reformation Study Bible on that statement said this. This love, this type of love, love that is concealed, love that is kept to itself. This love, though genuine, lacks the moral strength to risk giving a rebuke.

Calling out sin is risky. What do you risk? You risk people loving you. Well, they are not going to love me no more if I call this out. But I would ask you, do you all love me? What if I never got up and read from the Scriptures and said the hard things like I am saying to you today?

Would you still love me? Some of you would say yes. But if you knew the end result of not hearing the truth, and you found out about it after having been devastated and destroyed, knowing that you could have heard the truth, you would not love me.

You would hate me. And you would say this. Why did you never tell us the truth? It's risky to tell the truth. It's risky to practice church discipline. Next, Moeller went on to say this. Protestant congregations, which, by the way, that's what we are, Protestant, means we protest the practices of the Roman Catholic Church because they do not hold to the Scriptures and the grace of God as the sole authority for man and the sole means of salvation.

So we protest those things. And anyone who holds to anything other than grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone. Moeller said Protestant congregations exercise discipline as necessary and natural ministry to the members of the church and as a means of protecting the doctrinal and moral integrity of the congregation.

Mark Deaver, he's a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. He has a, if you get a chance, look up this website, Nine Marks Ministry. And this is what Mark Deaver said this past year at Together for the Gospel, a conference that was held.

He said this, you have either church discipline or you have hypocrisy. Everybody know what hypocrisy is? How many of you ever heard somebody say, once you come to church with us, and they say church ain't nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.

It's people who say they believe one thing, but they live completely different. Mark Deaver said either a church has discipline or it has hypocrisy. And I would even go further and add to what Mark Deaver said because Mark Deaver's word ain't inspired like the Scripture, so I can add to it.

But I'll tell you what I would add to that statement there, and I wrote it down. I would add also this, that we should hold each other accountable for sin. And if we do not hold each other accountable for sin, then we need to go out there, take the screws out of that sign that says Reformation Baptist Church.

Take that sign down. And we just need to buy a sign and put this up. We're just like the world. Come on in and do what you want. Act how you like. We're not going to judge you. Boy, wouldn't that be a popular message.

Imagine, we'd have to break out more chairs in the next couple of weeks if a couple of folks saw that sign out there, right? Oh, an unjudgmental church. That's just what I've been looking for. Friend, an unjudgmental church is not a church in truth.

We're not judging the world. We're judging one another. We're to hold each other accountable. By the way, if we got a sign like that, we'd have to get one of those digital scrolling signs because that'd be an awful lot of letters to put out there on that sign.

Historian Gregory A. Wills aptly commented.

He said this,.

To an antebellum Baptist church, a church without discipline would hardly have counted as a church. Churches in the past held regular days of discipline. This is what they called days of discipline. And the church, the congregation, would gather to heal breaches of fellowship.

Remember, that's the ultimate purpose of church function, to heal the fellowship. They would heal fellowship. They would admonish wayward members as a body. They would rebuke the obstinate. Obstinate means to be stubborn or hard-headed.

And if necessary, they would excommunicate those who resisted discipline. In so doing, congregations understood themselves to be following a biblical pattern laid down by Christ and the apostles for the protection and correction of disciples.

No sphere of life was considered outside the congregation's accountability. Again, it's not about policing your private life. It's about when your private sin becomes public that the issue comes into play.

Which means this. Some might take this as to say, Well, preacher, that means you can't judge me or you can't call me out on some sin I do out in the world. Listen, if you do it out in the world and there's another set of eyeballs and ears that are witness to that, your sin is public.

And your sin not only affects you, but it affects this body of believers. And it is a reproach to the name of Christ when we live in such a way. It turns people from the God of glory. And it turns them more and more in and on themselves.

So the church is called to come out from the world and be separate. Forgiveness and reconciliation is the goal of church discipline. And the last passage of Scripture is this, Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17.