The 2^nd problem – Lack of discipline in the church

• Sin in the chruch… (5 things) vs. 1-8

• 1^st – Sexual immorality… vs. 1
  • It was commonly known – that a man from the church was living in sexual immorality…
    • Sexual immorality – pornia – any sexual relationship outside of marriage… 
    • Rumors had quickly spread about this member of the church in Corinth…
    • It does seem rumors of the bad things spread much more quickly than the good…
    • Turn on the news – bad news is far more popular than good news!
    • It is unfortunate when a church is known for sin – rather than for righteousness…
    • Rather than being an example to the world – the church becomes a joke to the world
  • The sin was so serious – even non-believers would be ashamed…
    • Keep in mind the incredibly immoral nature of the city of Corinth…
    • Known for the 1000 temple prostitutes that came down each night into the city…
    • Yet even these pagans were ashamed to mention this particular sin…
    • The world is morally loose – but they do have standards – sin even they reject…
    • Men who abuse kids – kept in special cells in prison – their lives are in danger…
    • God indents for His church to set a standard of righteousness – godly living…
    • How sad when the church is not even as righteous as godless unbelievers…
  • A man had his father’s wife…
    • The wording would suggest it was not his mother – but his stepmother…
    • Leviticus 18:8 – The Law forbid a man from marrying his stepmother…
    • The penalty according to the Law was death – Leviticus 20:11…
    • This man showed by his actions he had no respect for the Law of God…
    • He openly lived in sin – perhaps even coming to church with his wife/mother…
• 2^nd – Unrepentant sin… vs. 2-4
  • Rather than confront this man and his sin – the church was arrogant about it…
    • They thought it was to their credit they gave this man ‘grace’…
    • They used the grace of God – as a license to be able to live a lifestyle of sin!
    • If someone gave you 200P to buy food for your family – but you gambled it away…
    • How happy would that person be with you – you misused their gift to you…
    • * Roman 6:1-2 – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
    • God has given us the AMAZING gift of His grace – all of our sins forgiven in Jesus…
    • But that Grace is not a permit to live our life anyway we want – live in sin…
    • The Grace of God is the power ‘not to sin’ – free to live our life for Jesus!
    • Continuing in a lifestyle of sin – using ‘grace’ as an excuse – is abusing God’s gift!
    • This is not talking about an occasional mistake – but a lifestyle of constant willful sin!
  • Even though Paul was not there – he had already judged this man…

• When the church gathered together – in the name and power of Jesus…
• They were to remove this man from the fellowship of the church!
• Jesus gave 4 steps to dealing with sin in the church in Matthew 18:15-20
• 1^st ~ Go (Present/Active/Imperative) to your brother alone…
  • We might have misunderstood something that was done or said…
  • Simply taking the time to talk to the person resolves the problem…
  • Or if there is sin and they repent – then their is forgiveness – I John 1:9
• 2^nd ~ Take (Aorist/Active/Imperative) 1 or 2 others with you…
  • If your brother will not hear you – then bring a mediator
  • The opportunity is to have a mediator(s) – someone who is impartial
  • If it is a misunderstanding – then they can help clarify to both parties
  • If it is a matter of unrepentant sin – verified by more than 1 person
• 3^rd ~ Tell (Aorist/Active/Imperative) the church…
  • If they still refuse to hear – are unwilling to admit any wrong– or seek restoration
  • Now the command is to bring the person (and the sin) before the local church…
  • The desire is to impress the severity of sin – don’t just pass it over…
  • It is far to easy to ‘wink’ at sin – just let it go on in the church…
  • By confronting sin as the church – the church is kept from sin & compromise
• 4^th ~ Let (Present/Imperative) them be to you as an like an unbeliever…
  • If they still refuse to hear – treat them as an unbeliever…
  • No matter what words are said – the fruit of their life does not show salvation…
  • * I John 3:9 – “Whoever has been born of God does not [continue to] sin…”
  • We cannot say we are saved and continue to live in unrepentant sin…
  • So the most loving thing to do is to treat them as if they are not saved…
  • Then we can give them the greatest need they have – the Gospel

‘Believers’ who are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit – do not fellowship with them!

3^rd – Remove him – for the salvation of the man… vs. 5

For the destruction of his flesh – that his spirit might be saved…

Better to face consequences now – and learn not to sin…

Than to live in sin – never have anyone correct us – then end up in hell…

By turning the man in the church over – he was broken and eventually restored…

* II Corinthians 2:6-8 – “This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.”

We learned as a child not to touch a flame because when we did we got burned…

It is the consequences of our actions that teach us…

By facing the consequences of our sin we learn not to sin!

We confront sin that those who are sinning learn to live a righteous life!

4^th – Remove him – for the sake of the church… vs. 6-8

Your glorying is not good… vs. 6

The church thought this ‘one sin’ was nothing to be concerned about…

The power of example is amazing – people tend to follow – good or bad…

Stand outside and look up – see how long it takes for others to look up with you…

Don’t you know that a little leaven – leavens the whole lump…

It only takes a ‘little’ mud to make a glass of water dirty…

The church thought they were being ‘loving’ by not confronting the sin…

But in reality they were allowing sin into the church – endangering them all…

When sin goes unchecked it encourages others to sin…

Just as a ‘little’ mud can quickly contaminate – make all the water unclean…

A little sin can quickly spread out and infect a whole family or church!

Therefore get all of the sin out of the church immediately… vs. 7-8

In Acts 5 – the Holy Spirit for lying killed Ananias and Sapphira – for lying!

It only takes a ‘little’ cancer before a person’s life is in peril…

A little sin in the church – can quickly grow to be a HUGE problem…

The longer the sin goes ‘untreated’ – the more dangerous it becomes…

The only solution – cut out the cancer – remove the problem!

5^th – Just as Christ – our Passover – was sacrificed for us…

Be a new lump of bread – unleavened – without any more sin in the church…

Paul draws am example from the feast of Passover in Exodus 12:15-20…

A week before the feast the Jews were to remove all leaven from their homes…

Then starting with the Passover feast – they could not eat leaven for 7 days…

Leven is a picture of sin in the Bible – I Corinthians 5:7 / Galatians 5:9

The feast of Passover was a picture of how God would remove our sin!

Jews call this unleavened bread – Matzah – it was always pierced and stripped…

Jesus Christ – without leaven – without sin – Pierced and Striped for our sin…

Jesus was broken for our sins (the cross) and died that we might have new life…

Luke 22:19 – “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Therefore don’t be full of wickedness and evil / instead be full of purity and truth…

If we are still acting like (or worse) than the world around us – where is Jesus…

Instead be pure – heilikrineia – to be judged under the light of the sun…

If you are wondering where your walk with the Lord is – examine yourself…

Stand in the light of Christ and be honest about the sin in your life…

* I John 1:7 – “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Not that we are perfect – we won’t be till the day we get to heaven…

But do we live in willful sin – ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives…

Or are we forgiven by grace – not living for sin – but living our lives for Jesus!

Do not have fellowship with an unrepentant believer… vs. 9-13

Paul had already written to the church…

Apparently there was an earlier ‘epistle’ from Paul – one that was lost to us…

In that 1^st letter – Paul told the church to not ‘hang around’ sexually immoral people!

Paul was not talking about people who don’t know Jesus…

People who are outside of the church – they are going to be full of sin…

The covetous – greedy / those who are never content / always want more…

The thieves – those who rob and steal from others…

The idolaters – those who worship and follow false gods…

In order to avoid them – you would have to leave this world!

We need to be interacting with those who do not know Jesus…

If we are not out in the world – we cannot show the world the hope of Jesus!

But though we are in the world – we should not be like the world – John 17:15

But for those in the church – brother/sisters in the Lord…

Do not get mixed up – build a friendship – with those who…

Sexually immoral – having an sexual relationship outside of marriage…

Covetous / Idolater / Thief / Reviler – one who is always getting into trouble…

Drunkard – one who has a continual habit of getting drunk – Ephesians 5:18

Do not even share a meal with such a person!

We are to avoid those who say they are Christians – but live like the world…

Because we know not to follow the example of the world – they are lost…

But we might be tempted to follow the bad example of a ‘brother’ in the Lord…

* II Thessalonians 3:6 – “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”

God will judge the world – but we are to judge within the church…

Not that we can judge why someone does something – what their motive is…

Only God knows the motive of the heart – only He can judge – Psalm 44:21

Though we are not called to Judge men’s motives – we can judge fruit…

Matthew 12:33 – “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”

Words are easy – but you cannot hide your fruit – it’s from the heart…

I can tell you I am a Christian – but what kind of ‘fruit’ comes from my life…

People will either draw you closer to – or father away from Jesus…

I Corinthians 15:33 – “…bad company corrupts good character.”

Surround yourself with godly men – those who encourage your walk in the Lord…