DISCIPLINE IN GOD'S HOUSE (14 OF 53)
by Mike Stone
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1-11
This content is part of a series.
Discipline in God's House (14 of 53)
Series: Straight Up Truth for a Messed Up Church
Mike Stone
1 Corinthians 5:1-11
In 1 Corinthians 5 we are brought face to face with one of the most confrontational passages in the Bible. Today's message will be very, very uncomfortable for several reasons.
First, it deals with sexual immorality which is always a sensitive subject. Today's message will be rated G, so relax. Second, it addresses a form of incest and gross family dysfunction, also a very sensitive topic.
Third, this text describes how the church is to respond when members live this kind of open, unrepentant, lifestyle. Finally, it does it in a way that hardly any church I know of, including ours, fully and faithfully obeys.
Our church covenant envisions the truth we will study today. Our church covenant states, ''We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit...to sustain its...discipline.''
Church discipline is one of the most neglected, misunderstood, abused, and difficult assignments in the life of the church.
Some in our day wish to overemphasize this doctrine. Reacting perhaps to the easy-believism that has filled our church rolls with members who show no signs of repentance, they now believe it's a badge of honor to excommunicate someone. They now boast in the fact that they have removed people from their churches.
Others in our day wish to overlook this doctrine. Even among churches who claim to believe the Bible, it is extremely rare these days to hear about a church exercising discipline with a member.
A few years ago, I was a guest presenter at a pastor's conference in a foreign country. About 2 dozen pastors were present. One pastor asked, ''How many members do you have?'' I said 1700. Then he asked about excommunication. When I told him we'd NEVER done that, he was amazed...he assumed all of our members were walking in fellowship with Jesus.
Get that: he assumed that since I was a Bible-believing pastor of 1700 member ...
Series: Straight Up Truth for a Messed Up Church
Mike Stone
1 Corinthians 5:1-11
In 1 Corinthians 5 we are brought face to face with one of the most confrontational passages in the Bible. Today's message will be very, very uncomfortable for several reasons.
First, it deals with sexual immorality which is always a sensitive subject. Today's message will be rated G, so relax. Second, it addresses a form of incest and gross family dysfunction, also a very sensitive topic.
Third, this text describes how the church is to respond when members live this kind of open, unrepentant, lifestyle. Finally, it does it in a way that hardly any church I know of, including ours, fully and faithfully obeys.
Our church covenant envisions the truth we will study today. Our church covenant states, ''We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit...to sustain its...discipline.''
Church discipline is one of the most neglected, misunderstood, abused, and difficult assignments in the life of the church.
Some in our day wish to overemphasize this doctrine. Reacting perhaps to the easy-believism that has filled our church rolls with members who show no signs of repentance, they now believe it's a badge of honor to excommunicate someone. They now boast in the fact that they have removed people from their churches.
Others in our day wish to overlook this doctrine. Even among churches who claim to believe the Bible, it is extremely rare these days to hear about a church exercising discipline with a member.
A few years ago, I was a guest presenter at a pastor's conference in a foreign country. About 2 dozen pastors were present. One pastor asked, ''How many members do you have?'' I said 1700. Then he asked about excommunication. When I told him we'd NEVER done that, he was amazed...he assumed all of our members were walking in fellowship with Jesus.
Get that: he assumed that since I was a Bible-believing pastor of 1700 member ...
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