Introduction:
A. We all know that God is at work in the world, and that Satan is busy trying to destroy and work against everything that God is doing.
B. For instance:
1. And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so humankind could live long and healthy lives.
a. What did Satan do? He invented Ranch and Blue Cheese Salad dressing to pour over those vegetables, and French Onion dip to dip the veggies in.
2. So God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrients.
a. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and strips and deep-fried them.
3. Humankind gained weight and their bad cholesterol went through the roof.
4. So God brought forth running shoes and humankind resolved to exercise.
a. But Satan brought forth cable TV with remote control so humankind would not have to toil to change channels.
5. Sadly, humankind sat there watching TV, eating potato chips dipped in French onion dip, and began to have heart attacks, so God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.
a. To counter that, Satan created HMOs.
C. Satan’s real work in the world is not quite that funny.
1. At the end of the Scripture section we are studying today, Paul declared: “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Cor. 2:11)
2. One of the best ways to be prepared for battle is to study the enemy and become familiar with the enemies tendencies and weaknesses.
3. We must do the same as we prepare for the spiritual battle.
4. In today’s text, Paul discusses one of Satan’s schemes for destroying the fellowship.
5. Let’s see how Satan was attempting to use this scheme to destroy the church at Corinth and their relationship with Paul.
6. And then let’s see how to apply the lessons learned to our own lives.
I. The Painful Visit and the Painful Letter (1:23-2:4)
A. Let’s begin by recapping the situation that has occurred between Paul and the Corinthians.
1. The situation in Corinth had gone from bad to worse.
2. The congregation was torn into several rival groups, with some denying Paul’s authority.
3. Seeking to mend matters, Paul made a quick and unannounced visit.
4. Unfortunately, far from mending things, that visit had only served to make matters worse and had nearly broken his heart.
5. In response, Paul had written them a very severe letter of rebuke. It was written with a sore heart and with many tears.
6. For that reason, he had not fulfilled his promise to visit them again, because of the way things were, the visit would only have hurt him and them further.
B. Look again at the verses from this first section: I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
1So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
C. In these verses we see the very heart of Paul, and we see what he felt when he had to deal severely with those he loved.
1. We see that Paul used severity and rebuke very carefully and sparingly.
a. He used them only when there was nothing else left to do.
b. There are some people who are always looking for the faults and shortcomings of others.
c. They have their tongues ready to criticize and the tone of their voice always carries an edge.
d. Paul was not like that, and in that way he was wise.
e. If we are constantly critical and harsh, if we rebuke more than we praise, then the effectiveness of our correction is lost.
f. It is discounted because it is so constant.
g. The more seldom a man rebukes, the more effective it is when he does.
h. The wise and healthy follower of Christ searches for ways to build people up and praise them, rather than focuses on things to condemn.
2. A second thing we notice about Paul is that when he did rebuke, he did it in love.
a. He never spoke merely to hurt – there can be a sadistic pleasure in seeing someone wince at a sharp and cruel word.
b. Paul was not like that. He never rebuked to just cause pain; he always rebuked to restore joy.
c. The effective rebuke is the one that is given with the arm of love around the other person.
d. The rebuke of blazing anger may hurt and even terrify, but the rebuke offered from a truly saddened heart can have great impact.
3. A third thing we notice, is that when Paul rebuked, the last thing he was trying to be was domineering.
a. We live in a world that has known both violent revolutions and cruel tyrannies, and this can cause us to grow cynical about all power and the people who wield it.
b. When someone says, “I’m doing this for your own good,” we wonder if they are manipulating us and twisting our arm to make us do something for their own good rather than ours.
c. Paul’s point throughout 2 Corinthians is that this is not the kind of power he has, or wants to have.
d. He has no intention of playing the “high-and-mighty” lord and master of their faith.
e. Rather, as a servant of the Lord on their behalf, he has a responsibility to work together with them on their behalf, and he does so because he loves them.
f. Paul knew that a spiritual leader must never dominate, even though he must discipline and guide.
D. So Paul had made the painful visit and sent the painful letter, and it appears to have worked.
1. The Corinthian church, for the most part, responded to the love and the truth of Paul’s rebuke, and they repented.
2. When repentance takes place, forgiveness and reconciliation should follow.
3. Which leads to the next paragraph in this section.
II. The Time to Forgive (2 Cor. 2:5-11)
A. Let’s read the verses again: 5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
B. The person in question here may be the same person Paul denounced in 1 Corinthians 5 – the man who had been living with his father’s wife.
1. Paul had instructed the Corinthians to dismiss this man from the Christian fellowship – this is what we call Church discipline or disfellowship.
2. The action is intended to help a person realize the error of their ways and then repent.
3. We are left to fill in the gaps between 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians.
4. Perhaps the church had initially refused to discipline the man, and stood up to Paul when he made his short and painful visit.
5. But then, perhaps after receiving the painful letter, the church went ahead and disciplined the man.
6. We don’t really know who the man is in question or what has happened.
7. What we do know is that, in response to one of Paul’s appeals, the church did put someone under severe discipline, and that the man repented.
8. The problem now is that the church is not doing enough to make the man feel welcome back in the church.
9. It is amazing how we can end up with such extremes.
a. We can be so forgiving and so afraid of disciplining people that we never do it.
b. Or we can be so harsh with our discipline that we don’t know how to restore and welcome back the person who repents.
C. Since the man had repented, Paul instructed them to comfort the man and reaffirm their love for him.
1. Some of the most profound and powerful experiences I have seen have been those moments when someone whom we have disciplined has repented and been restored to the Lord and the fellowship.
2. God is present in those moments in such a special way.
3. How important it is for us to follow through at that point and to truly make that person feel welcomed and restored.
D. Paul explains that if we don’t get that part of the process right, then Satan outwits us.
1. Satan’s schemes not only involve drawing God’s people away into sin.
2. His schemes involve keeping the church from disciplining such individuals.
3. And even when the church is faithful to discipline erring members, Satan’s scheme involves keeping the disciplined person from repenting.
4. And if that doesn’t work, and the person repents, then his scheme is to keep the church from genuinely welcoming the person back into the fellowship – so the person abandons hope and just gives up.
5. We don’t want to allow Satan to outwit us – we know what he is up to, we know what his schemes are.
E. So we notice from all this that Paul always had the right motive for the exercise of discipline.
1. Paul never encouraged discipline as punishment or vengeance, but as correction.
2. His goal was not to just knock a person down, but to help them get up.
3. The goal of church discipline was not to push people away, but to draw them back.
4. And when they come back to truly welcome them back into the fold.
Conclusion:
A. As we conclude this sermon, there are several lessons that we need to emphasize.
B. First, let me stress the importance of church discipline – both on the minor scale and the major one.
1. As Christians, we are called to live by a very high standard.
a. Paul wrote: I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Eph. 4:1-2)
b. Paul wrote: Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love…But among you there must not be even a hit of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Eph. 5:1-3)
2. These are just a couple of examples of the high calling to which we are called.
a. We are called to be like God and to live like God in all holiness, and love.
3. Because none of us are perfect, we are going to fall short of our calling.
a. When we fall short in a major way, then there is need for major church discipline.
b. When we fall short in a minor way, then there is need for minor discipline.
c. Major discipline may include public rebuke and disfellowship.
d. Minor discipline involves private correction and exhortation and accountability.
4. When we notice things in each others lives - when we sense attitudes, hear words, and see actions and choices that are not in line with our calling, then we should bring them up with each other.
a. As I’ve said in many other sermons, the wise person will welcome correction, because we need each other’s help.
b. We don’t always see ourselves clearly, and we can easily deceive ourselves.
5. So we need brothers and sisters who are willing and able to say, “I love you and I want the best for you, but I’m concerned about this…or that.”
a. We might say, “I notice you are missing church gatherings and activities very often, what is going on with you?”
b. “I notice that you seem to be very hostile and short with people.”
c. “It seems that most of what I’ve heard you say lately is a complaint or a put down of others – what does this mean?”
6. When it becomes obvious that a brother or sister is not responding to private correction and exhortation, or that it becomes obvious that the sin in their life has become habitual, then it may be time for public rebuke and eventual disfellowship if there is no repentance.
7. Unfortunately, our culture has become so individualistic, and tolerant, and litigious that we are afraid of any confrontation and discipline.
8. But as a church, we cannot afford to allow these things to inhibit us.
9. To be faithful to God, we must be faithful to each other, and that includes looking out for each other and being willing to hold each other to God’s high and holy standards.
C. A second important lesson that I want to emphasize is the importance of plural, servant leadership.
1. One of the major problems facing many churches today is the tendency to misunderstand the nature of authority and leadership in the church.
a. In the church, there is to be no single, ultimate boss, other than God himself.
b. God doesn’t intend for there to be an earthly boss who reigns over all churches.
c. Nor does God intend for there to be a single, earthly boss in each church.
2. Churches are supposed to be served and led by a plurality of elders, not a single elder or pastor.
3. And even though this plurality of elders is going to be held accountable to God for the flock, they are not to lord it over the flock.
4. The apostle Peter said it well in 1 Peter 5, when he wrote: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. (1 Pet. 5:2-3)
5. So God’s command for leaders includes not lording it over the flock, but being eager to serve and to be an example.
6. At the same time, look at this command from God’s word for church members: Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb. 13:17)
7. Spiritual leaders have an important role to play, and those they lead should try to cooperate with them and make their work a joy not a burden.
8. But all of this is a far cry from leaders who dominant and are self-serving, and followers who are rebellious, independent and self-centered.
9. Here’s an important equation: GL + GF = HC. Godly leadership plus godly followership equals a healthy church.
D. Finally, let me emphasize the importance of receiving forgiveness and restoring the fallen.
1. One of the best-known and greatest parables Jesus told is the parable of the prodigal son (from Luke 15).
2. Most of us can tell the story from memory.
a. A father has two sons and the younger asks to receive his inheritance before his father’s death.
b. His father grants his request and the boy takes his money and runs.
c. He goes to the far country and squanders the money in foolish and sinful living.
d. After the money runs out, his friends abandon him, and the economy crashes.
e. The only job he can find is taking care of pigs, and the young man is so hungry he considers eating some of the slop the pigs are eating.
f. That’s when he remembers that his father’s servants have it better than he does, and so he determines he will go home and work as a servant for his father.
g. Well, you know what happens next, the father who had allowed his son to leave and make these terrible mistakes, is the same father who longs for his son to return.
h. He sits on the hill each day watching for his son to return.
i. And when the father sees the son coming, he runs and embraces his son.
j. He refuses to hear any talk of being a servant – he throws the boy a party and kills the fattened calf.
k. And who is it that was not happy about the boys return? The fattened calf!
l. No, it is the older brother who is angry that the father has allowed the boy to return, and has treated him with such mercy, grace and extravagance.
3. There are three important lessons to take to heart from the story:
a. First, no matter how far we have wandered from God, it is never too late to return to God and start over.
b. Second, Our God is the kind of loving, forgiving father who welcomes us back – no matter what we have done.
c. Third, brothers and sisters must be ready to rejoice and welcome back those who have gone astray, but have repented.
- We must be ready to forgive as we have been forgiven; to extend the grace we received.
E. Who are you today?
1. Are you the person who has wandered away and needs to come home?
2. Are you the person who has come home, but doesn’t feel welcomed?
3. Are you the person who never wandered away, and is unwelcoming to those who have repented and returned?
4. God meets us and helps us where we are.
F. Let’s be sure we don’t let Satan out wit us with any of his schemes!
Resources:
Paul for Everyone, 2 Corinthians, Tom Wright, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003
2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary, Scott J. Hafemann, Zondervan, 2000
2 Corinthians, John MacArthur, Nelson Impact, 2007
The Letters to the Corinthians, William Barclay, The Westminster Press, 1975
Be Encouraged, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989
“When You Are Misunderstood,” Sermon by Ray C. Stedman, SermonCentral.com
