If the YouTube video above is not available, here are two other ways to view:

1130317PM

Q&A-33

Jesus Leaven & His Church.docxx

Jesus, Leaven & His Church:

How Are We to Apply Church Discipline

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

 

 

The Galatians 6:1 charge & attitude is for all believers.

 

 

  1. Brethren,
  2. If a man is overtaken in any trespass,
  3. You who are spiritual
  4. Restore such a one
  5. In a spirit of gentleness,
  6. Considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

 

What is the 1 Cor. 5 Leaven in the Church?

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 you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 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 truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

1 Cor. 5:1-13  to promote a healthy body, isolate those with severe infections lest they contaminate others who are healthy.

 

What is Church Discipline in Matthew 18?

Step 1: v. 15 “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.

Step 2: v. 16 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.’

Step 3: v. 17a And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.

Step 4: v. 17b But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

The actual wording:

  • Step 1: v. 15 Since we all sin, we are all to confess and forsake each sin. If we get swept away in any sin, fellow believers are to personally confront us as often as needed v. 22.
  • Step 2: v. 16 If a believer continues, Christ said, take witnesses and together seek for them to repent; and if they will not repent and seek Biblical resolution, then the leaders of the church must follow the next stage of seeking their restoration to confessing and forsaking sin.
  • Step 3: v. 17a The leaders are to announce to the church that the member of Christ’s Body is persisting in unforsaken sin, and anyone who knows them is exhorted to go and pursue them, asking them to repent. This period lasts one month while the church prays and seeks them out. If nothing changes, the church gathers to institute the final stage.
  • Step 4: v. 17b In humility and grief over the person’s unforsaken sin, the member of the Body of Christ is put out of the fellowship of the church until they repent and can be restored.

 

What are the Steps of  Church Discipline in Matthew 18?

Step 1: v. 15    Personal confrontation as needed v. 22

Step 2: v. 16       Take witnesses if they won’t repent

 

Step 3: v. 17a Announce to church to pursue them

Step 4: v. 17b  Put them out if they refuse to repent

 

Are fellow believers to treat sinning believers as if everything is okay?

  • 16:17 (Avoid them, if living contrary to doctrine.) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.
  • 2 Th. 3:14-15 (Always admonish as a brother, and then avoid.) And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

How does God chasten unrepentant believers?

I Cor. 11:29-31 defines three stages of chastening: weakness, sickness, and untimely death.

James 5:19-20 says turning from sin saves people from untimely death.

1 John 5:16-17 defines some sins as sins unto death.

Rev 2:21-23 says chastening is a warning to the church, and has the same three stages as 1 Cor. 11.

Who are true believers?

  1. Jesus said salvation is neither a prayer (Lord, Lord); nor a decision (did many things); it’s a changed life of repentance (doeth) in Mat. 7:21-23.
  1. Jesus in Luke 6:46 explains Mt. 7:21-23, by defining what “Lord, Lord” should mean: salvation means doing what the Lord says, not just saying, praying, or repeating those words.
  1. Note how Paul preached the Gospel to Gentiles (that means us in the church): Luke 24:47 & Acts 26:18-20

Discipline at Calvary Bible

Tonight, as an act of obedience to Christ as Lord of His Church, we alert you to some Leaven that is present here in this assembly.

Three of Christ’s precious sheep that He bought and paid for have persisted in un-forsaken sins. They have been lovingly confronted by individuals and then by an elder.

Tonight we initiate Christ’s call in Matthew 18, for us as a church to go and call these three to repent (step 3).

Step 1: v. 15    Personal confrontation as needed v. 22

Step 2: v. 16       Take witnesses if they won’t repent

 

Step 3: v. 17a Announce to church to pursue them

Step 4: v. 17b  Put them out if they refuse to repent

If you know any of these fellow believers, contact them and lovingly, prayerfully admonish them to forsake their deliberate and chosen sin, and seek Christ’s cleansing.

Please seek out:

  • Carol Hamminga: who persists in seeking an unbiblical divorce (1 Cor. 7:10) from her believing husband Gary;
  • John Clifford: who persists in seeking an unbiblical divorce (1 Cor. 7:10) from his believing wife Kitty;
  • Elizabeth Wang: who has committed adultery (1 Cor. 5:9-11) against her believing husband Yeidi.

Pray for them to repent, if you know them plead with them to repent. In one month if they have not repented we will place them outside of Calvary Bible Church’s care and into God’s hands for disciplinary chastisement, awaiting their restoration as soon as they repent.