SERIES: “OVERCOMING OBSTACLES THAT OBSTRUCT OBEDIENCE”
TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-13
TITLE: “DARE TO DISCIPLINE”
INTRODUCTION: A. Preacher Jerry Shirley says that there are three things that have been elevated to the
status of “god” in our society over the last 40 years:
1. Open-mindedness
a. If you hold traditional Biblical values, you’re considered by society as being
either “narrow-minded” or “close-minded”
b. Truth is considered relative and circumstantial
--The slogan for open-mindedness: “What’s true for you may not be true for
me.”
2. Total acceptance
a. The cry of our society is for “tolerance”
--If you’re not considered tolerant, you’re considered a bigot and a hate-monger
b. The slogan for total acceptance: “Don’t judge me.”
3. Privacy
a. Privacy has been raised to the status of a constitutional right
--When nominees are considered for the US Supreme Court, one of the big
questions is usually: “What is their stance on individual privacy?”
b. The slogan for privacy: “What I do in private is none of your business.”
B. Sadly, those concepts have entered the church
1. Many churches practice those three principles as if there was biblical authority for
their practice in the church
a. Reported in the most recent issue of The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing from Focus
on the Family:
There’s an effort aimed for the next general assembly of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) that would allow individual presbyteries to decide whether to ordain
homosexuals to the clergy.
At least one presbytery has already ordained an openly gay minister. Rev. Joseph
Gilmore, who presided at the ordination of openly gay Raymond Bagnuolo, said
the members of South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., are feeling
enormous pride. Gilmore told Family News in Focus radio that what the Bible
may have to say about such ordinations no longer applies. “When the writers of
the original sacred text — the Bible — wrote all those years ago, they thought
the earth was flat. Am I obliged to think the earth is flat?” he asked. “They also
thought that there was only one sexuality and that was heterosexuality.”
--(a side note: The Bible teaches that the earth is round. Columbus got his idea
about the earth being round from the Bible.)
b. I also need to state that not everyone in the Presbyterian Church (USA) holds to
that particular view. The PWB also included this information:
Earl Tilford, a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, a PCUSA
school, called it another step in a long march to apostasy. “It started in 1967
when the Presbyterian Church decided that the Bible was not the Word of God,
but that it contains the Word of God — along with a lot of nice suggestions,” he
said.
Rather than a contentious split, Tilford suspects the erosion of Bible-based
teaching will bring slow death to the denomination. He estimates that even at the
current rate of decline in membership, the denomination will be gone in 35
years. “It’s hemorrhaging its membership,” he said. “If gay ordination and/or gay
marriage ever becomes the law of the church, you will see half the members
leave.”
2. If those three principles of open-mindedness, total acceptance, and privacy aren’t
official principles in other churches, many church members practice them in their
own lives in regards to their personal behavior
--When confronted with their behavior, they become upset that church leadership
doesn’t practice these principles in regards to their behavior
C. Because of the arrogant behavior of church members, church discipline has been a
subject that has largely been avoided in the modern church
1. When confronted with ungodly behavior, some people conveniently quote Jesus
from Mt. 7:1 – “Do not judge or you too will be judged.”
--When you do that, you take that quote out of context
2. Listen to the rest of what Jesus had to say on this subject in Mt. 7:1-5 – “Do not
judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be
judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look
at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of
your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first
take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother’s eye.”
3. Jesus is addressing hypocrisy in this passage
--He’s saying that before you attempt to help someone else with a problem, you
need to make sure there are no glaring problems in your own life.
D. Two reasons why church discipline is still a necessary part of Christ’s church:
1. It’s biblical
a. The Old Testament, the teaching of Jesus, and the writings of the apostles all
discuss disciplinary procedures for those who are supposed to be living as God’s
people but are living blatantly as people of the world.
b. Mt. 18:15-17 best summarizes this procedure: “If your brother sins against
you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you,
you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others
along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three
witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses
to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
2. It’s beneficial
a. Beneficial to the church
--it preserves our role as salt and light
b. Beneficial to the erring members
--The goal is that they might see the error of their ways and be restored
E. Just as in any other endeavor, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about the
procedure of church discipline
--Paul gives us the right way
I. RIGHT ATTITUDE
--1 Cor. 5:1-2 – “It 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. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been
filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?”
A. The wrong attitude is pride
1. Many of the members of the Corinthian congregation were proud of their open-mindedness, tolerance,
and regard for a person’s right to privacy.
2. They were thinking: “Isn’t it great that we’re so permissive toward this member’s immoral behavior?
Why, we’re thrilled to allow this person to continue along the line of his personal choices. We’re so
inclusive, diverse, and tolerant!”
a. That kind of pride is wrong!
b. There was a strange article in a newsmagazine from the week of July 22, 2005, from Berlin,
Germany. A grandmother, Renate Dolle, 63, announced her retirement after 49 years as a
streetwalking prostitute. Dolle said she was still attracting four or five clients a night, but wanted to
quit so she could spend more time with her husband and granddaughter. What kind of family is
that? What husband would put up with that?
--You have to ask the same thing about the church at Corinth and its leadership
3. Another kind of pride that’s wrong
--It’s the kind of pride Jesus describes in Luke 18
a. There was a Pharisee and a tax collector praying at the temple
--The Pharisee thanked God that he was not like other men – especially the tax collector. The tax
collector humbly and sorrowfully asked God for forgiveness for his sins.
b. This is the kind of pride that allows you to see yourself as better than others
--It’s a pride that makes you hypocritical
B. Grief is the right attitude
1. The word the NIV translates as “grief” means to “mourn over the dead”
--it is an acknowledgement that sin hurts – just like the loss of a loved one
2. Paul says that when someone in the church behaves in a way that shames the church, we need to
acknowledge the hurt
--Notice that Paul clearly points out that even the pagans recognize this man’s behavior as shameful!
3. He’s also saying that we need to grieve over the damage to that person’s spiritual life.
II. RIGHT AUTHORITY
--1 Cor. 5:3-5 – “Even 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. When 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, hand this man
over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.”
A. Human authority is not sufficient
1. Our methods of judgment are imperfect
a. We think we know the facts but end up making the wrong decision
b. We either lack the correct facts or we lack the ability to process the facts
2. One of two things is needed to attempt any practice in the church
a. An actual, “Thus saith the Lord….”
b. Precedent of scriptural practice
c. We have both in support of church discipline
3. The church acts on behalf of the Lord in carrying out discipline.
a. That is why the Lord’s presence is promised in discipline.
b. That is also why Paul speaks of acting “in the name of the Lord Jesus” and in “the power of the
Lord Jesus”
C. It’s only under the authority of Jesus Christ that this action should be taken
1. Paul references back to Jesus’ teaching on this subject in Mt. 18
--He echoes the purpose of such action: the salvation of the one in sin
2. Remember that the apostle Paul writes the Corinthian congregation after a number of church members
came to him to talk about their concerns for the congregation
3. It’s obvious from what we read that someone has already taken the first steps prescribed by Jesus but
no one is listening.
4. Paul says that they have to use the authority of Christ as Christ’s body
--the church and it’s leadership were to handle this situation correctly
III. RIGHT ACTION
--1 Cor. 5:6-9 – “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole
batch of dough? Get 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. Therefore 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.
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—”
A. What is the right action is this situation?
1. Paul says that the wrong attitude has led to the wrong action
--their pride in being open-minded and tolerant has led to endorsement of sinful behavior
2. When we get the right attitude, we search out what Christ wants, and that leads us to the right action
B. Paul clearly states that the right action for this person’s circumstances and for the church at Corinth is
for him to be disciplined
1. He has blatantly and unashamedly behaved in a way that dishonors Christ and brings shame to His
Body
2. Paul uses the illustration of leaven
--just as a little bit of yeast influences the whole batch of dough, the attitudes and actions of one
person can influence the whole congregation
a. In many instances in the Bible, yeast is used as a representative of sin
b. In the guidelines given by God to the Jewish people for the observance of Passover, they were to
clean out every bit of yeast in their households a full week before the holy day was observed.
c. However, the Bible also uses yeast to represent a good thing
1). Lk. 13:20-21 – Jesus asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a
woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’”
2). Paul says that the yeast which is comprised of malice and wickedness is detrimental to the
whole church
--However, the bread comprised of sincerity and truth glorifies God
IV. RIGHT AIM
--1 Cor. 5:9-13 – “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not 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. But 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. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the
church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from
among you.’”
A. “Right aim” means having the right purpose or intention
1. There are lots of things we can do in the church that are right and proper in most circumstances
2. However, there are lots of things we can do in the church that are wrong and improper in any
circumstance where we have wrong intentions and misguided purposes
B. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” – is used at least five times in Deuteronomy in reference to
those who worship false gods, who lie in court as a witness, for a rebellious child, in regard to sexual
immorality, and for a kidnapper.
1. The seriousness of church discipline is reflected in the quote from the Old Testament: in each of
those five instances, it was used in reference to capital punishment – being stoned to death.
2. However, our aim is not to kill the person but to bring them back to life.
C. The right aim – right purpose or intention – in church discipline is to bring that person to repentance and
restore their relationship with Christ and His Body
1. Listen to the parable Jesus told preceding His passage on church discipline in Mt. 18
--Mt. 18:12-14 – “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away,
will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he
finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not
wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should
be lost.”
2. Peter shares that God’s intention for all of us is not eternal punishment but repentance
--2 Pet. 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is
patent with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
D. Please notice that the apostle Paul gives a boundary line in the area of church discipline
1. Only those within the body of Christ, who call themselves members of the family, are to be
disciplined
a. Church leadership does not judge their eternal destiny
b. Church leadership is called to discipline those who claim relationship with Jesus Christ and
fellowship with His bride yet flagrantly live as if Christ was neither their Lord nor their Savior
2. Those who are outside the body of Christ are to be left to God’s judgment
CONCLUSION: A. In the very next chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds the Corinthian congregation that
before they came to Christ, they were just as corrupt and sinful as anyone else
--1 Cor. 6:9-11 – “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you
were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1. Everyone of us needs to understand that we’re all susceptible to sin
2. Everyone of us also needs to know that there is hope if we sin – we can be restored.
B. There was a flock of wild ducks headed south for the winter. One of the ducks looks
down and sees domesticated ducks in a barnyard and the easy life that they have. He
decides to leave the wild ducks to spend some time with the domesticated ducks figuring
that he would join back up with the wild ducks when they flew north again in the spring.
Over the next several months, the wild duck enjoyed his time in the barnyard eating
cracked corn and Duck Chow but he began to look forward to the time when he could
rejoin his old friends. Sure enough, right on schedule, overhead they flew – the wild
ducks headed north.
The wild duck in the barnyard began to flap his wings but all of the cracked corn,
Duck Chow, and the lack of exercise made him too heavy to fly. The only thing he could
manage to do was to get off the ground, cruise at a low altitude, and then crash into the
barn.
He was embarrassed and ashamed of his lack of ability to fly with his fellow wild
ducks. So, he made plans. He decided to lose some weight and exercise his wings that
that the next time the wild ducks flew over, he’d be ready to take his rightful place.
Every winter and spring, the wild ducks flew overhead and the wild duck in the
barnyard never could get off the ground. Eventually, he no longer paid any attention tot
he wild ducks flying over head. He hardly even noticed them. After all, he had become a
barnyard duck.
1. The danger of allowing someone to remain in their sinful behavior is that they begin to
get comfortable with it and then never have the desire to leave it behind.
2. Is there anything in your life this evening that’s keeping you grounded?
