what is church discipline?

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.

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?

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.

Luke chapter 17, beginning in verse 3, and we're going to read through verse 10.

And I want you to know, as we read this passage of Scripture, the very context of this passage of

Scripture itself is forgiveness.

It is forgiveness.

We're going to read a particular verse in this chapter.

And that's going to be verse 6, which some of you will, when we read it, you'll say, well, oh, I thought this was all about the Word

of Faith, what the Word of Faith teachers say.

If you've got faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.

It has nothing to do with us doing anything of our own power.

It's about applying the power that Christ has given us to forgive and love

our brothers and sisters according to God's love.

It is beautiful when we read this.

Luke chapter 17, verse 3.

This is what the Scripture says.

Jesus said, take heed to yourselves.

If your brother sins against you, rebuke him.

You see that?

The offending party sins, we're to rebuke him.

And if he repents, what are we to do?

Forgive him.

If he repents.

Because we're called to repent, amen?

Johnny, if you get sent to your room for doing something that's wrong, and you don't turn from

doing what's wrong, guess where you're going to end up?

Back in the room.

That's exactly right.

And it's no different for us as God's people.

If we do not repent, fellowship with God is broken.

And if the fellowship with God is broken due to public sin,

if after having gone through, keep this in mind, gospel steps.

When I say gospel steps, I'm referring to that passage in Matthew.

Go to them individually.

Go to them by two or three witnesses.

If they don't hear that, the church will be made aware, and the church has a responsibility to communicate their

displeasure with their life because it's affecting the life of that church.

And if they refuse to hear the church, then they are to be disfellowshipped for the

purpose of them recognizing that the church stands unified in

glorifying God, even in the hard and the difficult issues that we come up against.

So Jesus said, If your brother sins, rebuke him.

If he repents, forgive him.

And if he sins against you, seven times in a day, and seven times in a day he returns to you

saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.

Now do you see what's happening in this text?

Jesus is telling his disciples, if your brother sins against you, and he repents, forgive

him.

Oh, they say, we can do that.

Then Jesus went on to say, Well, I'll tell you what, if he sins against you seven times in one day, and he

comes and he repents, then you ought to forgive him.

Amen?

That's what the Scripture says.

But get this, And the apostles said to the Lord,

Verse 5, Increase our faith.

What?

They were blown away.

Lord, how can we do this?

Imagine Peter, we know Peter to be the outspoken apostle, the one who ran his mouth when he should have kept it shut.

Right?

James and John, we know them, they were referred to as the sons of thunder.

My friend, you got in their way, they'd probably just knock you out.

At one point, people refused to hear the Gospel message, and they went to the Lord, James and John,

and James and John said, Lord, do you just want us to call lightning down from heaven and burn them up?

They were like that.

Imagine,.

And guess what?

There are some of you the exact same way.

We're the same exact way.

But Jesus told them this.

They said,.

Lord, increase our faith.

We can't do this on our own.

This is going to have to be something that you do within us that causes us to be able to do this.

And by the way, that is the work of sanctification, the word that you hear week in and week out.

The work of the Holy Spirit in you.

And Jesus went on to say here, So the Lord said, If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can

say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it

would obey you.

And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field,

Come at once and sit down to eat.

He says,.

If you've got a servant, and the servant is out plowing in the field,.

He said,.

You're not going to say, Come on in and quit what you're doing and sit down and eat to your servant because the servant's got a job to do.

Amen?

But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for my supper, and gird

yourself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?

Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?

I think not.

So likewise, you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded,.

Say,.

We are unprofitable servants.

We have done what was our duty to do.

It is our duty to obey the Word of God.

It is our duty to honor God.

In the things that seemingly come easy to us as Christians, as well as those that

come very much uncomfortably and staggeringly to us, we are called to do these

things.

So I want you to notice in that passage the responsibilities.

There was a responsibility of the offending party, the sinning party, to repent.

And there is the responsibility of the offended party to forgive.

So church discipline is not mean.

Church discipline is not unloving.

Church discipline is God honoring.

And we ought to do no less than to follow what the Scriptures teach us that

we ought to do as a body of believers.

In 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica, Warn

them that are unruly among you.

That's what he told them.

Warn them.

People need to be warned of their sin.

We read you that list of causes for church discipline.

Do you know that if you are a regular member of Reformation

Baptist Church, you have a responsibility to one another to do several things.

You have a responsibility to be here week in and week out.

I talked to a man at work the other day.

He's past middle age, but he was telling me about how he got mad at somebody at church because he did a job for them and

they didn't do right with their paying him.

And so he didn't go to church for two months over that.

And I said,.

Sir,.

And I was respectful, I said,.

Sir,.

I'll tell you just like I've told numerous people before.

Christian, you do not have a right to refuse to be at God's house.

You don't have a right.

Jesus Christ bought us.

He paid for us with His own blood.

And we are to glorify Him in our bodies.

And we are taught in the Scriptures to have the day set aside, one day a week.

And we're not like a lot of churches where you've got to be here Sunday night and Wednesday night.

How can we not take the time to come for two or three hours to church on Sunday

and to enjoy it at that?

To rejoice in what God has done in sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins

and to know that we are not alone in this thing, Pat.

To know, Bill, that you've got people that love you.

Not just enough to encourage you in the times when you're down or even to

rejoice with you in the times when you're up to weep with you when you're down.

And when you're wayward, we love you enough to say, you are wayward.

You need to come home.

You need to repent.

In 1561, the Belgic Confession, 1561, the Belgic

Confession, they wrote this.

The marks by which the true church is known are these.

If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached, if she maintains the pure administration of

the sacraments as instituted by Christ, so a church

is marked by pure doctrine, the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached, not

trying to add in anything extra, but trying the best we can to preach the gospel.

1561, you know how many years ago that was?

Miss Lincoln can't remember that far back.

Marks of a true church are pure gospel preached, administration of the

sacraments as instituted by Christ, that's communion and baptism, that those are practiced.

And the next mark was this, in 1561, if church discipline is exercised

in punishing of sin.

That's the mark of a true church.

That's how the old timers looked at church life.

And listen, their basis and foundation of church life was not something cooked up,

it was something scriptural.

And so they said this, In short, if all things are managed according to the pure word of God, all things

contrary thereto corrected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the head of the church, with respect

to those who are members of the church, they may be known by the marks of Christians,

namely, by faith, and when they have received Jesus Christ the only Savior, they avoid

sin.

This is a mark of being a church member.

If you're a member of Reformation Baptist Church, these are things that you need to be, this is how you need to

know you are to be identified by.

They are identified by faith in Christ, that they avoid sin, that they follow after

righteousness, that they love the true God and their neighbor, neither turn aside to the right hand or to

the left, and they crucify the flesh with the works thereof.

But this is not to be understood, as if there did not remain in them great infirmities, but they fight

against them through the Spirit all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the

blood, death, passion and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom

they have remission of sins through faith in Him.

Church discipline, church, seldom if ever goes to third and

fourth step.

But I wanted to make you aware of this, to give you this detailed account, this detailed instruction to

teach as best I can, what church discipline is, so that you are prepared that if we

as a church need to take this third and fourth step of church discipline,

we will do that,

and we will do it because it honors and glorifies the Lord.

And we will do it because, I'll be honest with you,

having experience calling out sin, years ago the church I pastored,

we stood against sin.

Open immorality, adultery within the church, and the church did nothing

but collapse, and loved the offending party so much that they accepted their sin.

They said, okay, is it still playing?

Okay, well, no, that's fine.

That's fine, because that's exactly what happened.

And I ask that for that purpose, because I'm not trying to hide.

I'm not trying to pretend.

I'm not trying to put on anything.

I'm letting you know that it's serious.

That the life and the vitality of Reformation Baptist Church is to be

found in the holiness of God.

In Him, and in Him alone, doing the things that honor and glorify His name,

even when it may seem hateful.

If we keep ourselves in check, if we discipline ourselves, and we do our best to hold to

the Scriptures, it will honor Him, and it will glorify Him.

How dissenting parties respond, I cannot tell you.

I am not a mind reader.

I cannot see into the future.

I'm not called to do those things.

None of you are called to do those things.

We are called simply to obey.

We are servants of Christ's church.

We do not need the applause of men or the approval of the world.

We answer to God.

That being said, let's pray.

Heavenly Father God, I thank You, and I praise You for the privilege and the honor of being able to stand.

Dear God, I thank You today.

For the presence of Your Holy Spirit.

God, You know that I've been nervous, dear God, and even afraid to stand on this.

But God, I am so thankful for the truth of Your Word.

I am so thankful, God, for the validity of

Your Word.

I am thankful that Your Word is just as relevant today as it has been

throughout all of eternity.

And our prayer is this, that as a body we would do that which is

pleasing, that which honors, and that which glorifies You in all things, in all ways, at all times.

And for myself, God, I pray publicly that

when I do sin, I am thankful, God, that You immediately remind me,

and You immediately cause me to recognize my sin, and that through

Your grace and by Your mercy, I'm able to repent.

Lord, so please, please, please, please, God, help me and

help this body to not be heady or to be high -minded or to think that we're

better than anybody.

For, Lord, none of us are above sin.

But we are accountable for the sin that we commit.

So help us in love and mercy for those in sin.

Look at Him. Look at Him.

And hope them in a way that's honoring unto You.

Humbly.

Lord, for those that are here today, I would pray that You would make every heart and every

mind in this place, Lord, know the serious nature

of the church's relationship to You.

And those who are unfaithful to You, that You would, if

they are Your children, God, that You would draw them with bands of love unto You, that You would

give them grace and mercy to repent of their sin, to be

faithful to You in the best way that they can,.

And demonstrate by their lives.

That is not just the words that they say when they say,.

I'm saved,.

But it's the words that they say, and their life is demonstrating that every

single day.

Lord, we love You so much.

And God, again, we thank You.

For it is in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Before we dismiss, before we leave, again, I want

to ask this.

Are there any questions that you have concerning church discipline?

Not about an instance, but just about church discipline that you have.

Anything that I said today that was confusing to you, or disoriented you in any way,

or anything that's going to cause you to go home and to think of some reason for you to become

upset with me, to think I've said something that I've not said.

I'm asking you this honestly.

Anything.

Yes.

So are you asking, how should they, what would be the correct response for them?

I would say this.

If they are a member of the church, and they are Christians, they

have a responsibility to obey the Word of God.

Yep.

And that's just, again, that's just making the Word of God the foundation.

Yep.

That's it. That's it.

And I say that because there's no gray area.

That's the thing.

There's no gray area.

Say again.

You would also go to those people?

Yes. Same procedure.

Same procedure.

Same procedure.

And that's the thing.

That's the thing about, and don't run, and here's the thing, we've always said this,

but it's something we've tried to build in, because really in most churches, first

person, when there's a problem in the church, first person that somebody goes to is one or two people.

Preacher's wife, or the preacher.

Because they think the preacher's going to be able to fix the problem.

That's not first step.

Gospel steps, you go individually.

And I will tell you this, if you know me, any amount of time you've had an issue, you've come to me and you say, oh, so -and -so's doing this,

I say, have you went to that person?

I won't talk to you.

I won't.

Best I can, I won't talk to you.

I won't ask you for the details.

I'll say, did you go to that person?

And if you didn't, then that's what you need to do.

Right?

So, we're called to be discerning.

And that's part of being mature as believers, too.

That's part of the maturity of a church.

An immature church will crumble and fall at the first sign of problems.

Or,.

They may even prosper for a time.

But guess what?

Sin just keeps piling up in a church like that.

It just compounds and compounds and compounds.

And it may not even blow up in my lifetime or your lifetime,

but if sin continues, it will devastate and it will destroy and it will dishonor Christ.

Anybody else?

I love you all.

Let me give a quick glance here.

Let me look across the room.

Hey, Donald J.,

I see you back there.

I love you all with all my heart.

I looked over at him.

Yes, sir.

Men's Bible study.

Tomorrow, 6 o 'clock.

We're studying in the book of Matthew.

We got through the hard part, all the names, week before last, unless they've got something they want to

talk about on those things.

Yes.

Yes.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

If you thought about doing this,.

We're going to meet again in two weeks.

You've still got time to get your book.

You've still got plenty of time to catch up.

Amen.

It is...

What makes you think?

We had two spots.

That's what I was going to say.

Amazon.

Yep, Amazon.

Yep.

I'm still waiting on hers,.

But hey,.

She didn't have it.

We had somebody else come,.

Didn't have it.

Hey, thank you all for coming in.

We all...

It was great.

We're good.

So, if you think you'll want to come in two weeks on the 30th,.

You need to do chapters 1, 2, and 3.

And the book I got off Amazon.

Has a study guide in the back.

That has questions to help you also.

So, April Potts House, the 30th at 10 o 'clock.

John MacArthur.

John MacArthur is the author of the book.

Can be trusted.

He can be trusted.

He's going to be...

He's going to be strong.

Just know this.

He's very strong.

His language, his approach is very strong.

It's not for the faint of heart, but the truth is good.

Anytime.

So, men's Bible study tomorrow, 6 o 'clock at Kenny Christopher's garage.

Or is the car in there still?

Because we can have it at the house if you want.

Okay.

All right.

So, Kenny Christopher, 6 o 'clock tomorrow.

Be there.

Be faithful.

Be present.

Come.

Having read, studied, we're going to look...

We're trying to get in -depth looking at Matthew.

So, anything else?

Anybody has?

I love youns.

God bless youns.

If I don't see youns again, I'll see you at home.

Oh, yes.

Shirley, come and stand by the door.

Shirley bought candy for all the fathers.

It is Father's Day.

By the way, I think some of the scriptures spoke to the love of a father.

Amen.

So, Shirley will stand right here by the door.

As you go out, if you're a father, or if you're just a man, if you're a boy,

if you're a young man, come and get a piece of candy from Shirley.

All right.

Love you all.