For this series, we've relied heavily on the books Shepherdology by Pastor John MacArthur (M) and Handbook of Church Discipline by Jay Adams (A)
A new believer was invited to attend a "Young Adult Fellowship". When he arrived at the home of one of the young adults at the church he attended he proceeded down into the cellar where the fellowship was being held.
It was much different then he expected. The music was the same kind he listened to before becoming a Christian. The language they used at the party was certainly different than what they were using just a few days earlier in church. The guys were eyeballing the girls and the girls were checking out the guys.
This was called a “Young Adult Fellowship” but it was the same old stuff. This new believer was discouraged. He thought that this was going to be different-- He was trying to get away from the very thing that the Lord saved him from.
That young man was me about 25 years ago and I have since discovered that this “Young Adult Fellowship” was indicative of what was going on at the church on a much larger scale. People were going to church on Sunday but living no different from the world the other days of the week. It was a church out of control, morally speaking.
It is a sad case for the church in that what was done behind closed doors 25 years ago is today paraded in the streets.
* Pastors who have “loved children” are still openly admired and respected by their followers.
Pastors who commit multiple adulteries have only to say they are sorry in order to continue shepherding their flocks.
* Church leaders who are openly flaunting their homosexuality are allowed to stay in the ministry.
* Church leaders are using their trusted positions to rape children.
It is interesting to me that many of the sins that are practiced by church folk were many of the same sins that believers in the early church (and today) were called out of.
(1 Cor 6:9 NKJV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
(1 Cor 6:10 NKJV) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
(1 Cor 6:11 NKJV) And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
It is God’s will that His church be pure. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that Jesus will one day “present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless".
Someone might be thinking, “That will occur sometime in the future. We will be changed and become like Christ but what about now?”
Yes, one day we will be changed and put off this old robe of sinful flesh but God has also left us with two ways or methods of keeping His church pure:
1.) Teach and preach the Word of God.
(Psa 119:9 NKJV) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
(Psa 119:11 NKJV) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
(2 Tim 3:16 NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
(2 Tim 3:17 NKJV) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
(2 Tim 4:2 NKJV) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
But preaching and teaching holiness will not bring about purity in the church if there is an indifference to how people respond. Matthew 18, Acts 5, 1 Corinthians 5, and 2 Thessalonians 3 make it especially clear that the church is to enforce a biblical standard of holiness.
2.) Enforce the Word of God
Sin has to be dealt with. It isn't enough to make announcements or post rules. Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”
As a father must discipline to correct his children, so the Lord must discipline His children. Rules have to be enforced. You just don’t tell Johnny not to do something without communicating the consequences. And you just don’t communicate the consequences without following through when the law is broken.
The combined practices of Teaching the Word of God and Enforcing the Word of God is what is called church discipline.
Church discipline is not solely church punishment although it includes punishment. If instituted biblically, church discipline can be viewed as church maintenance or preventive discipline.
Jay Adams in his book, Handbook of Church Discipline, writes that discipline is a two-edged sword that has a preventive side and a corrective side. Preventive discipline involves teaching truth in such a way that it promotes godliness. He further writes, “When Christians are fed a regular diet of truth from the Scripture in such a way that they grow by it, there will be far less need for remedial or corrective discipline in a church.”
In other words, when Christians are constantly “examining themselves” in light of scriptural truths and principals, and being held accountable for their conduct by other believers in the local assembly, then the need for the formal, more strict measures of church discipline won’t be necessary.
I. Elements of Church Discipline - Part One
A. The Place of Discipline
The place of discipline is the assembly of believers-- the church (Mat. 18:17).
Mat 18:15 "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
Mat 18:16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
Mat 18:17 "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.
Mat 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst."
Mat 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
Mat 18:22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
There are several scriptural passages, which give us instruction on the subject of church discipline.
In Matthew 18, Jesus explained to His disciples how they were to respond when a fellow believer sinned against them. We will learn in Matthew 18 how the response to an unrepentant sinning member may progress until it ultimately includes the entire assembly of believers seeking the restoration of the sinning member.
In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul comes down hard on the Corinthian believers for suing each other:
6:1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?
4 If then you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
Paul was saying in effect “Why are you going to an inferior court of unregenerate men to settle the affairs of the church when you yourselves are going to judge the world?” What he was saying was that the church is ultimately the highest court there is. The principal Paul is laying down is that church discipline is to occur within the community of believing people.
There is no exterior court of higher authority for the issue of discipline. We don't need to establish a national church court or a church court consisting of people unrelated to the local assembly of believers to carry out discipline. Church discipline is not electing a tribunal of men and women to judge certain problems and to issue a verdict.
Church discipline is like a garment made of fine woven thread. Each piece of thread interlocks with others to form a pattern of cloth. Pull out any piece of thread and the beauty and the strength of the cloth is jeopardized. Church discipline is like that cloth. Each person plays a part. Each believer in the local assembly is responsible for disciplining his or herself and for holding others accountable to walking according to the Word.
So the place of discipline is the church, the community of believing people.
B. The Purpose of Discipline
1.) Prevention – The fear of sinning
There was a church where church discipline wasn't being taught. People were not being held accountable for putting into practice the things that they were being taught.
* They were being taught that fornication was wrong but the leaders refused to discipline those who were fornicating
* They were being taught that ministries should be run to the glory of God but the elders refused to discipline leaders who were slothful when it came to serving.
* The membership was being taught to “speak the truth” but the leaders would not confront the pastor who was misleading people as he told them that he had been divorced once when he had actually been divorced twice.
* They were being taught to bring their children up in the fear of the Lord but the leaders wouldn’t confront the parents who were letting their children live like the world.
* They were being taught that Christians should not “forsake the assembly with other believers” but the elders would not confront those who had attendance problems.
One reason the elders gave for not practicing church discipline was that they didn’t believe that they were called by God to be "junior holy spirits". They had missed the whole point of what the Scriptures teach is the purpose for church discipline.
The goal of church discipline is not to throw people out, embarrass them, be self-righteous, play God, or exercise authority and power in some unbiblical manner. The purpose of discipline is to bring people back into a pure relationship within the assembly. (M)
This is precisely what Paul teaches as one of the reasons for the Word of God:
(2 Tim 3:16 NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Doctrine/teaching – What the road is
Reproof – When you get off the road
Correction – How to get back on the road
Instruction – How to stay on the road
(2 Tim 3:17 NKJV) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God gives us His Word to provide us with direction - Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
God gave us His Word to keep us from sinning - Psalm 119:11 – “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”
God gives us His Word to revive and refresh us - Psalm 119:25 – “My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.”
God gave the process of discipline to the church for a similar purpose. Church discipline is for the purpose of prevention -- preventing sin from occurring in the life of a believer.
In Acts 4:33-5:11, church discipline was carried out by the Apostles.
(Acts 4:33 NKJV) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
(Acts 4:34 NKJV) Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
(Acts 4:35 NKJV) and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
(Acts 4:36 NKJV) And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,
(Acts 4:37 NKJV) having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
(Acts 5:1 NKJV) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
(Acts 5:2 NKJV) And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
(Acts 5:3 NKJV) But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
(Acts 5:4 NKJV) "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
(Acts 5:5 NKJV) Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
(Acts 5:6 NKJV) And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
(Acts 5:7 NKJV) Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
(Acts 5:8 NKJV) And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."
(Acts 5:9 NKJV) Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
(Acts 5:10 NKJV) Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
(Acts 5:11 NKJV) So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
Notice the reoccurring theme in verse 5 and 11: “Fear came upon all the church who heard these things.” What kind of fear? I believe it was the fear of sinning. I believe that as a result of the discipline of this husband and wife, the people became afraid to sin.
Today in our churches and in our lives, we've lost the "fear of the Lord".
The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to discipline a sinning elder and the result would prevent the rest of the assembly, especially the other elders from sinning.
1 Tim 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
1 Tim 5:20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning.
2.) The other purpose for church discipline is restoration.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass [Gk., paraptoma, "a fall into sin"], you who are spiritual, restore such a one.
James 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back [restore],
James 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.
Mat 18:15 "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
Notice in verse 15 the word "gained/won." The Greek term spoke of accumulating wealth in the sense of money commodities. That pictures the sinning brother as a loss of valuable treasure.(M)
When a brother or sister in Christ sins it is like losing valuable treasure. Each soul is a treasure to God. He gave His only Son so that that person would be saved. The church needs to have that same sense of concern for a brother in sin.
You may have seen on TV how an entire community rises up to search for a child who has been abducted. This is the kind of response a congregation should have when one of its own falls in sin. We need to go after that person to win that person back from the clutches of the devil.
In the Galatians 6:1 passage, which says “You who are spiritual restore such a one...”, the word restore comes from the Greek word katartizo and it conveys the idea of repairing something to bring it back to its original condition. The Greek word is used in reference to mending fractured bones, putting dislocated bones in place and mending fishing nets.
The restorative aspect of church discipline is to bring a sinning believer back to spiritual health and vitality. One doesn’t view a doctor as an enemy. We normally view a doctor as one who is looking after our best interests. Church discipline keeps the body of Christ healthy and holy.
In Hebrew 10:24, the writer exhorts the believer to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” The KJV uses the word “provoke”; another word that is used is “irritate”. The picture here is a rider on a horse in a race using his spurs, digging them into the side of his horse to make it run faster. We need to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Church discipline helps to accomplish this.
We’ve looked at the Place of Discipline and the Purpose of Discipline.
C. The Person of Discipline
Mat 18:15 "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
We have already found that church discipline isn’t left to a court or a committee. The believer in the local assembly is the one who is commanded to practice it. Discipline is not just for church officials; it’s for everyone, including those who lead in the church.
In fact Galatians 6:1 tells us exactly who should do it: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual restore such an one.”
Those who are walking in the Spirit, who are obeying the Word, and who are in fellowship should restore the fallen brother or sister.
One reason why many don’t want to practice this level of accountability is that they are not walking in the Spirit. They are not obeying the Word and they are not in fellowship.
A Christian should only attempt to rescue his brother or sister from sin with his spiritual armor on—he needs to be prepared—he needs to be spiritual.
How should church discipline be done? “In the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Paul tells us that one should have the proper attitude. We need to humble ourselves realizing that it could be you or me in the same mess. Pride comes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before a fall. A prideful attitude could land you in the same sinful pit as your brother or sister.
The purity of the church is every Christian’s concern. We all need to humbly and lovingly confront that which makes it impure when we become aware of it.
You may come across so-and-so in his or her sinful activity.
You may hear about a brother; an offended party may come and confide in you—check it out first person.
You may not see a sister in church for a few weeks—investigate.
Don’t just say, “Well, we’re praying for so-and-so that he’ll see the light.” That may not be enough. You’ve got the light-- take it and shine it in his eyes! (M)
I don’t know about you but I need the accountability. I need to know that not only are people praying for me but that they love me enough to seek my spiritual welfare.
I need to know that people care about me enough to ask me those hard questions about my walk with Christ.
“How’s your thought life?”
“How’s your prayer life?”
“What are you studying from the Scriptures?”
“How are you and your wife doing?’
“Are you spending enough time with your family?”
“When was the last time you talked to someone about Jesus?”
I want people to hold me accountable for living a holy life.
I want people to take me aside when it’s necessary and reprove me in private about something that is in my life that doesn’t honor Christ.
The persons of discipline are those who are walking in the Spirit, who are obeying the Word, and who are in fellowship—these are the one who God has called to restore the fallen brother or sister.
D. The Provocation of Discipline
When does discipline start?
It starts every day as one goes before the Lord in prayer and during the study of the Scriptures.
If you are a Christian you are first responsible for disciplining yourself.
2 Corinthians 13:5 says “Examine (test) yourselves to see if you are in the faith.”
The apostle Paul was writing to the believers in this church about the sins that some of them had been warned about in the past. They were still doing the same things (vs 12:20-21)
(2 Cor 12:20 NKJV) For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;
(2 Cor 12:21 NKJV) lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.
Paul warns the Corinthian church that there would be a strict judgment if he visited the church and found the sin to be continuing. He warned his readers to examine themselves to see if they are really Christians ( 2 Cor. 13:5), because a true believer doesn’t habitually practice sin (1 John 3:9).
He is letting them know that they better get their houses in order so that he doesn’t have to judge and purge what they should have judged and purged themselves.
God takes sin seriously. Listen to Peter’s remarks on this subject:
(1 Pet 4:15 NKJV) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
(1 Pet 4:16 NKJV) Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
(1 Pet 4:17 NKJV) For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
(1 Pet 4:18 NKJV) Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
God takes holiness and abstention from sin so seriously that he has a scheduled time that we should purposely reflect on our walk before Him and get right with Him if need be. We call this time Communion.
1 Corinthians 11:28 teaches us that we should examine ourselves before we come to the communion table. We need to make sure our hearts are clean with the Lord and with each other.
When we come to the Communion table with unconfessed sin the Bible says that we come in an unworthy manner. When we come unworthy we are placing ourselves under the judgment of God.
(1 Cor 11:29 NKJV) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
(1 Cor 11:30 NKJV) For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
(1 Cor 11:31 NKJV) For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
(1 Cor 11:32 NKJV) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
When does discipline start?
It starts every day as one goes before the Lord in prayer and during the study of the Scriptures. Discipline starts as we discipline ourselves.
2.) Discipline also starts when we sin against a brother or sister or a brother or sister sins against us.
Mat 18:15 "And if your brother sins [Gk., hamartano, “to sin”], go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
Notice that Jesus doesn't mention any specific sin.
The basic New Testament word for sin is used here. The context tells us that this sin is a sin “against you.” There are two ways a fellow believer’s sin can affect you:
Directly.
If someone punched you in the nose because he was angry with you or if he stole from you, deceived you, lied to you, abused you, slandered you, committed a crime of immorality against you, those would be sins against you.
Matthew 18 instructs that if a Christian directly sins against you, you need to point out that what he has done is sin and encourage him to confess and repent of it. Such a gracious response would shock a person waiting for your retaliation, because the tendency is to hold a grudge against someone who directly sins against us. (M)
Notice you don’t go to anyone else, you go to the person who has sinned against you. Some of us have a habit of going to someone else with a “prayer request” or to get “advice”. Someone told me several years ago that if you are going to someone “who is not part of the problem or part of the solution” then it is gossip or slander. We need to go straight to the person who has sinned against us.
Have you noticed that when someone sins against you it is easier to hold a grudge against that person than to go to him? It is easier to avoid that person and refuse to speak to that person than to confront her?
When you respond in this way it is like sweeping dirt under the carpet-- every now and then you or someone else will trip over the lump until you get rid of it. Confronting the person who sinned against you allows you to get rid of your bitterness and allows the person to grow and the assembly becomes purified.
Ephesians 4:32 says we should be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven us.” Who are we to hold a grudge when God has forgiven us so much? (M)
There are two ways a fellow believer’s sin can affect you. We looked at the first—directly.
Indirectly.
As a result of the Catholic Priest Scandal the Catholic Church has suffered immensely. Folk are leaving their churches. Contributions are dropping. People are withdrawing their children from their schools and the overall reputation of the Catholic Church has been negatively impacted.
Not only has the Catholic Church suffered from the misconduct of its priests, the protestant church has suffered as well because most people do not distinguish the Catholic Church from the protestant church—it's all “the church” even though most Catholics are not Christians because they have not trusted Christ by grace through faith alone.
Not all sins against us are direct.
Any sin that brings reproach on the assembly of God’s people stains us all.
When a professing Christian is contentious or jealous or displays outbursts of anger or demonstrates selfish ambitions, backbites or gossips the assembly of God’s people is affected—the Body of Christ is affected—Christianity is affected. Remember the PTL Scandal?
When our brothers and sisters sin, they are in danger of being lost to our fellowship-- a loss that affects us all.
Over this weekend I’ve been trying to minister to a family where the husband has been cheating on his wife. This family was once a reputable member of their church. The husband was an encouragement to the church as worship leader. The church has experienced a great loss.
Furthermore when any believer is living a disobedient life, he brings reproach on Christ. Because we are Christ’s representatives, any sin is indirectly against us, because we bear His reproach.
If you are a Christian you are offended when Christ’s Name is reproached. It is as if someone used the name of Jesus in vain or blasphemed it, you are both offended and hurt. When a Christian makes Jesus look bad because of his or her moral failures it is as if you and I are being reproached as well.
Another thing, if you and I restrict discipline to only those who sin against members of the church, then Christians could be sinning against people who aren’t a part of the church and there would be no one to confront them. For example, if you know of a situation where a brother or sister has sinned against their employer or someone outside of the church—you still have an obligation to confront that person.
Any sin-- whether direct or indirect-- is a sin that stains the fellowship. As the apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:9, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (cf. 1 Cor. 5:6). Therefore if you know about sin in a fellow believer’s life, you need to go to that brother or sister and lovingly confront him or her.
Be reminded that one doesn’t go snooping around to find sin. It will happen and will find about it, or sooner or later one will most definitely sin against you. Make sure your attitude is in check.
Think of how you might feel if a son or daughter began experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Just think of the emotional turmoil you would experience as you saw the way his or her life was being torn apart by their addiction.
If they have a family, try to imagine the impact on their spouse and children. Your heart would bleed for your child. You would have sleepless nights. You would be in constant prayer and there would be times of pleading with your child to stop this king of devastating behavior.
One should have a similar attitude towards a brother or sister in Christ who is in sin.
In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, the Apostle Paul was admonishing the Corinthian believers for their attitude concerning the sin of incest in their assembly. They were arrogant-- bragging about the sin, rather than mourning about it and dealing with it.
There are those who have participated in various stages of church discipline (which we will discuss in part 2) from personally confronting a believer, to putting a person out of the church and have found that it is nothing to brag about.
They have seen how sin tears families apart.
They have felt the pain of those who have been sinned against and sometimes have been the victim themselves.
They have seen how the sin has the potential of dividing the church. It really has made them mourn.
During the disciplinary process, elders have had to tell the members the results of their final confrontation with an unrepentant brother or sister before they (by the commandment of the Lord and His Word) put them out of the church. The process has caused them to shed many a tear.
If one day you have to confront a person about his sin, you need to go to the person in true humility.
You need to go, sensing some of what Jesus Himself is feeling when one of His little ones is out of fellowship with Him.
Jesus died to take away our sin-- why should we continue to allow it to persist in the local assembly and then brag about it.
