A Disciplined Church
The Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Usefulness of Diet and Exercise…yuck?
Usefulness of Diet and Exercise…yuck?
Overall health - full body system approach
Gotta talk about the less-than-fun stuff, sorry!
Healthy Body - Important to some, to others, smh....
Usefulness of Healthy Church
Usefulness of Healthy Church
Make disciples, grow the Kingdom, Evangelize, Edify
Necessities for Healthy Church - Functionally-speaking
Necessities for Healthy Church - Functionally-speaking
Truth, Prayer, Teaching, Breaking Bread, Fellowship - Acts 2:42
Fellowship implies properly managing conflicts
Conflicts ignored - mowing the weeds
TODAY: Specific to conflicts in the church (not family, not work, not friends, although principles apply)
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
- worship depends on proper conflict resolution!
No “going through the motions”
Healthy Church - Important to some, to others, smh...
When a “Brother” Sins: (against you…)
When a “Brother” Sins: (against you…)
1) Can Love cover it?
1) Can Love cover it?
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Maybe 24-hour rule? Maybe longer?
A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
99% of conflict could probably be resolved with this humility and togetherness
2) Process of Resolving Sinful Conflict
2) Process of Resolving Sinful Conflict
Matthew 18:15-20
Importance
Importance
A - This passage is absolutely useless without it - discipline
It takes a sincere believer to be willing to follow God’s will - and understanding of Scripture helps
B - Sincere worship depends on this - Matthew 5:23-24
FOR SO MANY - the church’s health is not important enough to follow these principles
We want to do the other things that churches do, more fun, but don’t discuss or do these - unhealthy, ineffective
ASIDE: Humility is a necessary piece to any conflict, Motives are crucial, Patience is assumed in the believer
Doing the “right thing” - THAT is God’s will!
IDEAL: You sin, go to the one you sinned against
Meanwhile, that person is coming to you to ask you to repent
MEET IN THE MIDDLE!
3) Everyday Practice
3) Everyday Practice
24-hour rule
It says a lot when you can go to someone and make sure there was no offense
When it’s over, it’s over (if thoughts linger, then there is an issue)
Time frame for steps is variable
Realize that what offends you might not offend another, and vice versa
These principles, at least the first step, are useful even with non-believers
When gossip stops with you, people notice, for instance
Big Picture
Big Picture
Patience, Acceptance of failure, grudges, etc.
God is patient with us, we were at conflict with Him
Romans 8:1-9 and following
POINT: The lost are in conflict with God - that’s not a good place to end up
He went to them, in the person of Jesus
Some repent - done, over, in Christ!
Most refuse - and God (through the church) keeps going to them
He still desires to use the church, trying to reconcile people to Him
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
CLOSE/SUMMARY
CLOSE/SUMMARY
Spent some time talking about church, healthy membership
Goal is not:
Numbers or money
What YOU can get (such as, what is the benefit to ME to join?)
Goal is:
The most spiritually healthy church we can be
Understand the mission of the church
If you do not, then I’m happy to explain
Set self-interests aside, for big picture
Know that being a member of a healthy church benefits you, SPIRITUALLY
Know that it is a sign of a mature or maturing believer to connect him/herself to a local body of believers