Sermon Tone Analysis

*/Scripture passage from 1 Cor 5: /*

!!!!!  

!!!!!  

!!!!! Expel the Immoral Brother! 

/ 1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife.

2And you are proud!

Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?

3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit.

And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature[a] may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

/

/ 6Your boasting is not good.

Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are.

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

/

/ 9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.

In that case you would have to leave this world.

11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.

With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

Are you not to judge those inside?

13God will judge those outside.

"Expel the wicked man from among you."/

\\ * *

* *

*CHURCH  AND DISCIPLINE *

*Scripture Text: 1 Cor 5:1-12*

* *

*Outline*

* *

*1.               **Introduction WSJ article dated 18th January*

* *

*2.               **What is church discipline?*

*a.   **Formative*

*b.   **Corrective*

* *

*3.               **PCS Constitution Article 12*

* *

*4.               **Conduct deserving of church discipline*

* *

*5.               **Purpose of Church Discipline~/Restoration*

* *

*6.               **/Scripture passage from 1 Cor 5: /*

*a.   **The Situation in Corinth *

*b.   **Ignorance and Pride reason for sin in church *

*c.    **No repentance and grieving over sin*

*d.   **Get rid of the old yeast*

*e.    **Excommunication only as a last resort *

*f.      **Discipline is restorative*

 

*7.

Conclusion*

* *

\\ * *

*CHURCH AND DISCIPLINE*

* *

*1.

Introduction =see WSJ article dated Jan 18 2008 below*

 

 

!

Banned From Church

*Reviving an ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won't repent.*

*By ALEXANDRA ALTER \\ January 18, 2008; Page W1*

“On a quiet Sunday morning in June, as worshippers settled into the pews at Allen Baptist Church in southwestern Michigan, Pastor Jason Burrick grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911.

When a dispatcher answered, the preacher said a former congregant was in the sanctuary.

"And we need to, um, have her out A.S.A.P."

Half an hour later, 71-year-old Karolyn Caskey, a church member for nearly 50 years who had taught Sunday school and regularly donated 10% of her pension, was led out by a state trooper and a county sheriff's officer.

One held her purse and Bible.

The other put her in handcuffs.

“

The above story in the Wall Street Journal dated January 18th 2008.

The episode caused Allen  Baptist church to be divided.

25 members moved to another church and 70 who sided with the pastor remained.

On a positive note,  Allen Baptist Church tried to exercise  church discipline, unlike most churches who do not.

But was it done biblically?

I will be coming back to the Wall Street Journal report later at the end of the sermon.

*2.

What is church discipline?*

Before we go  deeper, lets start with a PRAYER.

*PRAYER* – Father God, you are the loving father who disciplines us because you care for us as your children.

You desire our good .

We pray that  your church would be pure and unblemished because you are a Holy God.

Help us to treasure accountability  to one another so that the Church of Jesus Christ would be holy and pure.

In Jesus name.

Amen.

*What is church discipline*?

In its broadest sense, it involves everything from the most basic instruction that the new Christian receives—from the time of his conversion onward, all the way to the radical “excommunication”  sometimes required in the withholding of fellowship from impenitent apostates.

It takes 2 forms :-

 

*Formative church discipline *is that form of discipline which is preventative .

Cell Group, Sunday School, Continuing Christian Education, Communicant Classes , pulpit sermon etc shape the congregation's beliefs and values so that members are less likely to fall into serious sin that calls for corrective action.

*Corrective church discipline*, refers to the right and duty of church leadership, for the edification of the church and the honor of Christ's name, to admonish church members, and to control membership and access to the sacraments.

Corrective church discipline  is normally imposed against more severe offenders.

* *

 

*3.Presbyterian church of Singapore Constitution *

*Section 12 Regulations concerning transfer, cancellation and restoration of membership.*

(viii) Any member who in his behavior *rebels against the holy teachings* and *brings dishonor to the Lord’s name,* the church, according to the seriousness of the offence, must decide whether to deal with him *by warning* or *by suspending him from Communion.*

If exhortation proves fruitless, and he continues in his heresy and disobedience, *and if there is no hope of bringing him back, then the session must request the permission of the Presbytery to excommunicate him* for the sake of preserving the purity of the church.

The Synod Constitution acknowledges the principle of restoration and  that wisdom is needed towards the restoration of the member.

The Constitution mentions warning, withholding communion and finally removal from membership.

Some lesser sins may require simple rebuke and not excommunication.

*4.

**Conduct Deserving of Church Discipline*

* *

Church leaders need wisdom to discern the truth and circumstances before discipline is exercised.

Discipline is only for professing Christians.

It is not applicable to a non-christian who is living in adultery with his girlfriend who visits the church or a cell group.

When a member disrupts the worship service and the reason is not rebellion but mental disorder, then the solution is not discipline but medical treatment.

In the meanwhile, privileges can be withheld until the patient agree to medical treatment.

When a drunkard becomes a Christian, and he is making improvement in his spiritual growth, encouragement and teaching is needed rather than discipline as God may not be focusing on this sin at this stage of his Christian growth.

What sort of attitude or conduct in a Christian  warrants discipline?.

 

a.

A brother who has sinned against another, but who refuses to repent of his transgression,  (Mt.

18:15-17).

b.

Those who cause divisions and put obstacles that are contrary to biblical teachings (Rom.

16:17; ).

 

c.

A divisive person ( Titus 3: 10 )

 

d.

Those who are sexually immoral , greedy , an idolator or a swindler  , a drunkard or a  swindlers (1 Cor.

5:11).

Gordon MacDonald is an example for us.

This well known pastor committed the tragic sin of adultery.

Immediately, he confessed this to his wife, then to his entire congregation.

He resigned his pulpit, and entered into years of counseling and accountability.

Over time, another church called him as their pastor; then several years later, his original church invited him back as their pastor again.

He serves there today, and has a national ministry to hurting souls and broken lives.