No pain, no growth!

Church Discipline  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Discipline in the church, who applies it, and what requires.

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Usually refers in the Bible to moral training, which includes the positive aspect of instruction and the negative aspect of correction, sometimes punitive

What is Discipline?

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One of the saddest periods of Israel’s history is that of the Judges. For about 400 years, the Israelites lived without discipline from their leaders. Those years can be expressed by the key verse of that book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” ().
As in those years, when the church does not apply discipline to its members, God brings more painful discipline over the Body of Christ.
I do not want to suffer the consequences for someone else’s sin. Do you?
This generation lives like that; most are living “Christianity in their own way”, not wanting to be rebuked, corrected, or disciplined.

What is Discipline?

Usually refers in the Bible to moral training, which includes the positive aspect of instruction and the negative aspect of correction, sometimes punitive.

Usually refers in the Bible to moral training, which includes the positive aspect of instruction and the negative aspect of correction, sometimes punitive.

Moral training implies that the goal is that man do what is morally right, what is pleasant to God, to obey His moral absolutes or commandments.
Moral training implies that the goal is that man do what is morally right, what is pleasant to God, to obey His moral absolutes or commandments.
We all need discipline because we have not reached perfection, we all need to grow and mature. Nurture, correction, rebuking, and punishment are things that every child needs to become responsible children who bring honor to the family.
Smart men learn from the instruction (the positive aspect); that’s why the sound preaching and teaching is necessary in the church. But rebellious and hardheaded men seem to prefer learning from the corrective action or punishment; that’s why punitive discipline must be also present in the church. Both are necessary!
If we do not instruct them, how can we expect them to obey? If we do not correct them, then the instruction means nothing.

What is Ecclesiastical Discipline?

Discipline applied by the Membership.

Most people think that discipline or corrective action is applied by the pastor, and that why disciplined members get upset with him. I have never seen a member getting upset with the elders or deacons for being disciplined.
If we notice on this verses, it is neither Paul nor the pastor of the church applying it. He is instructing the church to do it (, , ).
Ignorance of this truth has led people to think that they should inform the pastor about that brother in sin, so he may correct him. No! According to these verses, it is your job as members of the church. If you see him, you correct him!

Discipline applied for the welfare of the member.

The main beneficiary of discipline is the member. As parents want the best for their children, and establish rules for them; likewise, the church establish rules for the members according to their understanding of God’s rules and commandments. All means of discipline, painful or not, are to benefit God’s children who are not living according to the rules.
No one places a stake on a young tree to hurt the tree or to make it grow crooked, but to help it to grow straight.
I have heard many testimonies from adults thanking their parent for they disciplined them.
Illust. TV commercial: It is for your good!

Discipline applied to keep the purity of the Church.

The second beneficiary of discipline is the Church.
Discipline is a protective action! We must protect the Body from being infected by sin.
Paul is using yeast as a symbol of sin () Yeast, as sin, has a corruption power that ruin the dough. It is like a bacteria that, if enters the body, makes the whole body sick. If you do not get rid of it, it will kill you.
No consientas el pecado, porque el pecado no te va a consentir. Mátalo antes que te mate.
Do not spare sin, for it will not spare you. Kill it before it kills you.
Discipline is the powerful antibiotic that will kill it; not the sinner, but the bacteria and will avoid contagion.
God wants His church to be new dough, without yeast, pure, uncontaminated, and uncorrupted.

Discipline may require separation.

Our Lord prayed for the Church saying,
John 17 LBLA
Estas cosas habló Jesús, y alzando los ojos al cielo, dijo: Padre, la hora ha llegado; glorifica a tu Hijo, para que el Hijo te glorifique a ti, por cuanto le diste autoridad sobre todo ser humano para que dé vida eterna a todos los que tú le has dado. Y esta es la vida eterna: que te conozcan a ti, el único Dios verdadero, y a Jesucristo, a quien has enviado. Yo te glorifiqué en la tierra, habiendo terminado la obra que me diste que hiciera. Y ahora, glorifícame tú, Padre, junto a ti, con la gloria que tenía contigo antes que el mundo existiera. He manifestado tu nombre a los hombres que del mundo me diste; eran tuyos y me los diste, y han guardado tu palabra. Ahora han conocido que todo lo que me has dado viene de ti; porque yo les he dado las palabras que me diste; y las recibieron, y entendieron que en verdad salí de ti, y creyeron que tú me enviaste. Yo ruego por ellos; no ruego por el mundo, sino por los que me has dado; porque son tuyos; y todo lo mío es tuyo, y lo tuyo, mío; y he sido glorificado en ellos. Ya no estoy en el mundo, pero ellos sí están en el mundo, y yo voy a ti. Padre santo, guárdalos en tu nombre, el nombre que me has dado, para que sean uno, así como nosotros. Cuando estaba con ellos, los guardaba en tu nombre, el nombre que me diste; y los guardé y ninguno se perdió, excepto el hijo de perdición, para que la Escritura se cumpliera. Pero ahora voy a ti; y hablo esto en el mundo para que tengan mi gozo completo en sí mismos. Yo les he dado tu palabra y el mundo los ha odiado, porque no son del mundo, como tampoco yo soy del mundo. No te ruego que los saques del mundo, sino que los guardes del maligno. Ellos no son del mundo, como tampoco yo soy del mundo. Santifícalos en la verdad; tu palabra es verdad. Como tú me enviaste al mundo, yo también los he enviado al mundo. Y por ellos yo me santifico, para que ellos también sean santificados en la verdad. Mas no ruego sólo por éstos, sino también por los que han de creer en mí por la palabra de ellos, para que todos sean uno. Como tú, oh Padre, estás en mí y yo en ti, que también ellos estén en nosotros, para que el mundo crea que tú me enviaste. La gloria que me diste les he dado, para que sean uno, así como nosotros somos uno: yo en ellos, y tú en mí, para que sean perfeccionados en unidad, para que el mundo sepa que tú me enviaste, y que los amaste tal como me has amado a mí. Padre, quiero que los que me has dado, estén también conmigo donde yo estoy, para que vean mi gloria, la gloria que me has dado; porque me has amado desde antes de la fundación del mundo. Oh Padre justo, aunque el mundo no te ha conocido, yo te he conocido, y éstos han conocido que tú me enviaste. Yo les he dado a conocer tu nombre, y lo daré a conocer, para que el amor con que me amaste esté en ellos y yo en ellos.
John 17:15 LBLA
No te ruego que los saques del mundo, sino que los guardes del maligno.
Paul is not advocating for separation from unbelievers. Why? Because our mission is to reach the world, unbelievers, with the gospel.
John 17:15–16 LBLA
No te ruego que los saques del mundo, sino que los guardes del maligno. Ellos no son del mundo, como tampoco yo soy del mundo.
John 17:15–16 LBLA
No te ruego que los saques del mundo, sino que los guardes del maligno. Ellos no son del mundo, como tampoco yo soy del mundo.
John 17:15–16 LBLA
No te ruego que los saques del mundo, sino que los guardes del maligno. Ellos no son del mundo, como tampoco yo soy del mundo.
We have not been called to judge outsiders. God does it! But we have the responsibility to rebuke insiders, those who carry or claim the title “Christian”.

Disassociating from Christians in sin.

Jesus teaches us to confront believers in sin () and, if necessary, to rebuke them publicly.
What is going on with you? Do you believe it? If you do, why don’t you do it?

Disassociating from Christians in sin.

You, as a member, and the church as a whole must have a good testimony before this world. When we continue associating with people in sin, we are communicating to this world that there is nothing wrong in doing those things.
When the believer does not respond to the process of confrontation, it becomes necessary to disassociate from him. Hopefully the loneliness will make him react, like the prodigal who came to his senses when he had no means or friends who would help him.
Paul list the type of Christians in sin that we must disassociate from: immoral (pornos), covetous (stingy), that’s why I insist that believers give the tithe to God…; idol worshippers…, slanderous people… Would you like it if I associate with people that defames you? Why do you associate with people that defames me or others?; drunkards, or swindlers.
To what extent should we separate from them? To the point of not even eating with them.
Discipline loses power when believers insist on spending time with those in sin. The sinner do not loses the fellowship with others; therefore he does not see the need to repent, to correct his life.

Expulsion of unrepentant Christians.

Expulsion, the removal from the assembly, is the last step in the discipline process.
Expelling someone is very painful. That pain could have been avoided if believers were willing to apply the less painful steps.
Only those who are stubborn in their sin reach this point. It is even possible that is not a true believer. If is not a believer should not have a place in the congregation.
The congregation must be formed by those who have submitted under the Lord, under the leadership of the church, and under his brethren in Christ. Those who bring glory to Christ. If not, they must be removed if they are already in or not allowed to enter if they are out.
If not, they must be removed if they are already in or not allowed to enter if they out.
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