Slides:
Slide: Humility mourns sin, but pride tolerates it.
Slide: Tolerance for sin in the church is a breeding ground for division.
Slide: Lev. 18:30 'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'"
Slide: Prov. 6:16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness [who] utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.
Slide: Did they practice church discipline “the right way?”
Slide: Matt. 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen [to you,] take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Slide: Authentic discipleship constantly challenges us.
Slide: A delivery to Satan?
1 Tim. 1:20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
Slide: A delivery to Satan?
* Into the enemy’s domain
* Out of the “the circle of blessing”
Slide: Job 1:10 "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded [permission] to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Slide: For the destruction of the flesh?
* Not “body”, but the sensual nature of man.
* Show the flesh no quarter, it’ll cost you!
Slide: Rom. 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to [its] lusts.
Slide: So that his spirit may be saved!
* In discipline there is GRACE.
* The goal of discipline is reconciliation.
* If we err in our judgments, we err on the side of grace.
Slide: 2 Thess. 3:14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15 [Yet] do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Slide: Matt. 18:12 "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 "So it is not [the] will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. ... 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
Slide: Church discipline is not a group of pious policeman out to catch a criminal. Rather, it is a group of broken-hearted brothers and sisters seeking to restore an erring member of the family.” Warren Weirsbe
Slide: Commercial Christianity doesn’t leave room for a biblical theology of suffering.
* Paul’s thorn in the flesh resulted in Christ’s power perfected in man’s weakness.
* Job’s trials resulted in better vision of and dedication to God.
* Peter’s “sifting” resulted in stronger faith, better ability to encourage the brethren.
* The suffering and death of the saints at Smyrna ended with the crown of life!
Slide: Don’t ever forget that there is a purpose to God’s process!
