On Thursday, December 18, 2008 Fox News ran this headline A 49-year-old Florida woman says her former church is threatening to reveal her sins to its congregation after learning that she is in a “sexually immoral relationship.” http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,469928,00.html
How are we to think about this? The Bible makes it clear the a church is suppose to confront those in the church about their sin so that they return to a right relationship with God. One of those passages is…
Gal. 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
A word to the church seeking to restore those in sin.
The church is responsible for seeking the restoration of those in sin. v1-2
- James 5:19-20 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The church is not like police.
- You don’t go around to see who you can catch doing something wrong.
- You don’t jump on people for every little sin. And definitely not those of personal conviction.
- The 1 Cor. 6:9-10 sins are especially the sin that should be addressed.
The church is not to be like the prodigal sons brother.
- He did not seek to restore him
- He got angry when he came back. Luke 15:28
Christian remember you can fall at any time. v1
What is the process?
- go once, go twice, tell the church Matt. 18:15-20
- go once, go twice, cut off interaction
- Titus 3:10-11 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
A word to those caught in sin.
Your sin is against God.
- Those in sin sometimes need the straight truth.
- Something like this… “So your real problem is you heart. It is a test and you are failing. Faith seems absent. Jesus was wound and beat and despised. Thorns sunk into his head all the way to his skull. A spear was shoved into his side between his ribs piercing his heart, so that blood and water gushed out as he was in more pain than any person ever caused you or ever will cause you. Nails where driven though his hands and feet which he did to paint a picture of his love for you. But you are using your hand and feet to worship other things. That is the real problem you are showing with you actions that you worship what put Jesus on the Cross instead of Jesus.
Your sin effects your church family.
- Our church constitution says, “Should a member become an offense to the Church and to the Church’s good name by reason of immoral or unchristian conduct or by persistent breach of his or her covenant vows, the church may terminate his or her membership, but only after due notice and hearing, and after faithful efforts have been made to bring such a member to repentance and amendment.”
- The matter of church discipline says you can not live any way you want to and remain a member of this church. If it is your intent is to live with your boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage, fornicate, commit adultery, live the drunken party live style and be a member of this church, someone will confront you. You will be given time to repent and hopefully you do. But if you do not you will not be allowed to remain a member of this church.
Your sin effects the lost.
- When you live in sin and claim to be a Christian you tell you friends and family who are not Christians that what you are doing is normal Christian practice.
- When you live in sin you are saying that living is sin before your non-Christian friends, relatives, and neighbors is that your sin is more important than your witness so that they might be saved. You love your sin more than God and more than whether people go to heaven or hell.
Common objections to Church Discipline.
What about love?
- It is not love to ignore people. It is not love to let people assume everything is okay when it is not.
- It should only be done in love.
We don’t want to make people mad.
- I would rather make people mad than not obey God.
- We should not sacrifice what the Bible say in order to satisfy people. It is our fear of people that has often lead us to undermine the gospel.
- How can we grow the church if people get mad and leave? We can’t but if we don’t do what the Bible says then we are not a church by biblical definition. Are main goal is not to grow a big church, but to honor and worship God.
Can’t we just let this pass.
- Is letting it pass obeying the word of God?
