MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PROFESS TO LOVE JESUS CHRIST, BUT IN REALITY THEY MAY PROVE THEY DON'T WHEN THEY STAND AGAINST GOD'S WILL FOR PERSONAL & CONGREGATIONAL DISCIPLINE.

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the "Death of Discipline."

…Now today I’m going to center my talk on the life and living, of all those who follow the faith of Christianity. What one thing should characterize every believer around the world regardless of their ethic or national origins? The answer is ¾ "conformity" to the Word and will of God who we worship. Yes, it matters not how particularly you work that out in unison of thought and practice, but it does matter how you walk with God in obedience to His Word. However, this is often the place where Christians depart company. 

You see, when a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, no matter who they are, the individual as the Bible says is, "BORN AGAIN." This describes an inner transformation that takes place when we surrender our hearts to love the one true God, Jesus Christ. Before this spiritual conversion occurs, the unsaved sinner's primary concern is to please himself. After turning to Christ, every true believer becomes predominantly interested in pleasing God! It is in the process of this transformation of life, where all of us have varying problems.

Inasmuch as the world of Christianity is ethnically composed of people from all areas of life, they will often see things differently, as to how to work out their personal salvation experience of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason I want to comment on the spiritual work of “discipline,” a term that denotes a training that develops self-control, character, orderliness, efficiency and often unity of purpose. However, this word discipline carries with it a powerhouse of negative responses when it is mentioned or aptly applied. So today let's look at the question – “ Whatever happened to discipline in the Church?” But first another moment of music…

… Today when people hear the word "discipline," many shiver, become resistive and even angry at even the use of word itself.  We live in a society today that has come to believe that we are all free to do as we please, and that no one should have the right to tell us what to do. This common human thinking unfortunately has permeated even the Church of Jesus Christ. So today, let's talk about discipline in the Church, from a Christian's perspective and God's revealed Word.

Basically, there are three types of discipline mentioned in Scripture for every believer to honor and practice in their Christian life. First there is…

1. Self discipline 

This is the ongoing personal process of “reworking” yourself into the image of Jesus Christ, as He has revealed Himself to us in the Gospel and Epistles of the New Testament. Thus, every Christian is to work towards being conformed to or better yet, "transformed," into a Christ likeness God reveals in Scripture. To do this, requires much self-examination, confession and repentance. In 1 Corinthians 11:28-32, Paul pointed out that dealing with sin in our lives starts with self-judgment.

1 Cor 11:28-32 (NLT)  "That is why you should examine yourself …. 31 if we examine ourselves, we will not be examined by God and judged in this way. 32 But when we are judged and disciplined by the Lord, we will not be condemned with the world."

Self-discipline is an important work for everyone who is born again, to be certain their lives are progressing and moving forward towards aligning oneself with God's will as revealed through His Word the Bible. However, in addition to self discipline there is also the need for,

2. Preventative discipline 

This is another term to describe the process of true Christian discipleship. Through Christian fellowship, personal modeling, teaching and preaching, the truths of God are pre­sented with a view to keeping God's people from sin and from sin's damaging effects.   Preventative discipline serves to equip and encourage believers to practice self-discipline, so that corrective discipline never becomes necessary.
Yes, along the way of the Christian life, every believer finds out that there are certain things in the world that he or she cannot and should not practice or be engaged in. Therefore, certain steps are taken to avoid falling into the "consequences" such things will bring in the light of living in God's holiness and presence. Therefore, every believer is to be actively engaged in self-control, character modeling, and a striving for orderliness and efficiency, with a goal toward purity and unity with the body of Christ.  Now in addition to these two disciplines of the Christian life, we discover a third discipline God expects all believers to follow. However, here is the most problematic of all of them. It is,

3. Corrective discipline  

This is the function of steering a believer towards righteous­ness when he is disobedient and practicing sin. This is a specific ministry of the local gathered assembly called the Church, and is accomplished through teaching, rebuke, and in the extreme, through a divinely sanctioned act called  "Ex-communication." Sadly, this last biblical discipline is the area where the death of it seems paramount in our 21^st century church these days. Admittedly, the church does a much better job with preventative discipline than it does with corrective discipline, but both are essential aspects for every believer of New Testament Christianity.

Now I want to zero in on this last form of discipline for exactly that reason. Corrective discipline is vital to the ongoing blessing of God in individual lives and the churches of our nation and the world. However, how sad it is that it has become almost non-existent, and where may exist, often it is carried out in unbiblical ways. So then, let's "cut to the chase" as the hunter would say and get down to business. First of all, let's ask, what is the basis of any use of "CORRECTIVE CHURCH DISCIPLINE?" The answer is three-fold,

1. THE CHURCH IS TO PRESERVE THE HOLINESS OF GOD

Heb 12:10 (NIV)  “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

In other passages of Scripture, we are reminded that believers bodies are the temple of God, the place of holiness for His Spirit’s dwelling (1 Cor. 3:16 -17;Ps. 93:5). Therefore God expects those who are born again and gathered together in His Name, to maintain a personal difference from the world about them that is lost in sin and rebellion. This is clearly brought out in the first epistle of Peter, where we are told: "Be holy for I am holy."(1 Pet. 1:16).  So when a believer fails to maintain holiness of life and continues to fellowship with the saints in a local church, they are living a hypocritical life that actually causes spiritual damage to the Body of Christ gathered there. God demands that action be taken to correct this. Now a second reason for every congregation of believers to exercise corrective discipline in its midst is,

2. THE CHURCH IS GOD'S "WITNESS" TO THE WORLD

As Christians, we are to continuously reflect the light of Christ and His righteousness to the world we live in, that strongly rejects Him. (1 Pet. 2:11-12). What the unsaved world sees in us formulates for them a picture of our God. Thus, sin and indiscipline in the Church is like a mirror that has mud, and filth on it or like vulgar graffiti on a wall. Thus it is important that our personal image of Christ must be His image in all its purity, holiness, and beauty. It is the obligation of every gathered local assembly to keep their mirrors clean, sparkling and beautiful as God intends, so the lost sinner can see the beauty and perfection of God in and through us. Consistent failure here of a believer to exercise self discipline and preventive discipline in their life, should cause the Church family to step in. Now in addition to these two reasons for every church family to exercise discipline is a third…

3. THE CHURCH IS TO EXERCISE DISCIPLINE WHEN REBUKE IS FLAUNTED.

Mat 18:15-20 (NLT)  “”If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won’t accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. 18 I tell you this: Whatever you prohibit on earth is prohibited in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven. 19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.””

Jesus Christ’s command for the Church to deal with unrestrained disobedience to the divinely revealed will of God, is further brought out in various other Scriptures (Romans 16:16, 17; 1 Cor­inthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; Titus 3:10, 11; Revelation 2:20). Yet today, in spite of the numerous teachings of God's Word for the church to "preserve" itself and its image before the world, vast majorities of local assemblies refuse to honor God's command to exercise discipline within its ranks upon those who flaunt their sins before them and the world. But now let's ask, what "sins" really call for a church to act upon the aberrant lifestyle of an individual Christian? Well here in a nutshell is a list taken from the Bible,

¾ WHAT SINS CALL FOR CONGREGATIONAL DISCIPLINE? ¾

First, it must be understood that Con­gregational Discipline is never to be viewed as an attempt to remove all sin from the congregation. There will never be a sinless church until the Lord comes! But there are specific cases where disci­plinary action is prescribed.

1.        A member who refuses to settle an interpersonal dispute (Matthew 18:15 -17; 1 Corinthians 5:5,6).

2.        A member who is in bondage to continual known sexual sin from which he will not repent (1 Corinthians 5:1-5).

3.        A member who continues to be fac­tious and will not change (Romans 16:17 ; Titus 3:10 ,11; Jude 15-19).

4.        A member who openly confesses that he will continue to disobey truth when he knows it is truth (2 Thessalonians 3:14 ,15).

5.        A member who refuses to work for PERSONAL support when he is able to work and em­ployment is available (2 Thessalonians 3:15 ,16).

6.        A member who involves himself in doctrinal error and false teaching and will not turn from it (1 Timothy 1:20 ; 2 Timothy 2:17 ,18; Revelation 2:14 -16).

These are six basic areas every church that names the name of Christ, regardless of what city, or nation it resides in, is commanded by God to deal with such rebellion to His clear commands against such disobedience. Now what are the procedures every church and individual should follow when such sin and disorder is manifested in a local assembly of the saints? Again, here is a simple outline of,

WHAT PROCEDURES ARE TO BE FOLLOWED IN 
CARRYING OUT CHURCH DISCIPLINE

There are four disciplinary steps given in Mat­thew 18:15-17.

1. private reproof (v.15).

The evangelist Charles Finney said that, "if you see your neighbor sin, and you pass by and neglect to reprove him, it is just as cruel as if you should see his house on fire and pass by and not warn him of it."  Notice first, "a brother" is in view here.  We have specific responsibilities toward our "fellow Christians," that we don't have towards those who are outside of Christ. If the brother or sister listens to your rebuke, and confesses their sin, you have gained him or her back to fellowship with God and others.

Mat 18:15 (NIV)  “”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.”

2. private conference (v.16)

Bible scholars conclude that the purpose of sending other witnesses here is not that they “witness” or establish the original charge, but that they strengthen the re­proof by representing now the actual church body. As the church developed, the spiritual leaders were charged to fulfill this obligation (Galatians 6:1). The goals are the same as they were in verse 15:  "to gain the brother and to persuade him of the error of his ways so he will turn from them."

Mat 18:16 (NIV)  “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.’”

3. public announcement (v. 17a). 

You see, if the sinning brother rejects the individual and other representatives who have come to him or her about their habitual sins, the spiritual leaders of the Church (elders, pastors) are to inform the entire church family of their sins and their unre­pentant attitude toward it. In 1 Corinthi­ans 12:14-20 we are reminded that be­lievers are members of one Body, Christ’s, and that all members have a responsibility to care for one another. Thus, true loving care at times takes the form of this public discipline. Now, it is important to remember that at each stage of church discipline, the offender must be given time and opportunity to repent.

Mat 18:17 (NIV)  “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church…

4. public exclusion (v. 17b).

When the church leaders and the congregation have prayed and made every effort to bring the offender to re­pentance, yet without results, they must tangibly remove the offender from their fellow­ship, for God clearly instructs this!

Mat 18:17 (NIV)  “… and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

1 Cor 5:11 (NIV)  “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.”

Titus 3:10-11 (NIV)  “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

God's Word tells us that the sinning brother or sister who refuses to repent of their sin must be removed from the circle of fellowship with God's holy people. We commonly refer to this as “Ex-commu­nication.”   Excommunication involves cutting a person off from membership, fellowship, and communion. No longer is the unrepentant brother or sister  (if they are truly a believer) to share in the activities and privileges of the congregation. In short, the unrepentant believer is to be treated like a non-believer because of his refusal to walk like a believer. As strong as this measure may seem, it's designed to bring an erring sinning saint to full repentance and restoration, provided the congregation obeys and follows this together.

Yet, here we are in the 21^st century what do we see? We see the church in America is almost void of any form of congregational disciplines, not to mention personal disciplines as well. Why is that? The answer is, we have fallen far from the holy standard God has set for His people to live, walk and worship by.

Often today when godly leadership moves to set up disciplined goals for growth in holiness and purpose in Christ, strong reaction and resistance can often be seen. What's worse when sin breaks out among God's people in a local church, many within the congregation will rebel against the leadership that tries to deal with the sins, as I've outline before you. Ironically, such people would rather swiftly deal with the leadership for bringing about any "church discipline" of a sinning brother, than deal with sin in the midst. How sad, and how grieved God must be.

Yet there you have it my friend, God's principles for handling sin, disobedience and rebellion in the Church of Jesus Christ. Now it would be poor of me to leave you without at least giving you the positive reasons for discipline among God's people, for the Bible tells us its goal is always POSITIVE! Here then are the Biblical goals of all such discipline among God's people,

THE POSITIVE GOALS OF CONGREGATIONAL DISCIPLINE

The goal of church discipline concerning the offender must always be his restoration (Galatians 6:1); But, to be restored from the place of sin always requires repen­tance.   Repentance is a change of mind and action, a 180 degree turn about. To this end, the church must constantly strive. While church discipline is often cast in a negative light, the results for the disciplining church are intensely positive. For when exercised biblically,

1.      Loving discipline unites the family ¾ Sin that is ignored or tolerated will quench the Spirit and eventually lead to division.  Righteousness brings people together. Indiscipline corrupts and divides.

2.      Discipline strengthens and reinforces the authority of the Word of God. 

3.      Discipline honors Christ and brings renewed blessing.

4.      Loving discipline challenges the church to new levels of spiritual experi­ence and growth.

5.      Discipline strengthens and purifies the testimony of God's people in a given lo­cality.

6.      Discipline also allows the church to continue in its ministry to watch and care for others in the future. If discipline breaks down, any future authority to exercise it is lost.

In the final analysis, the practice of God's holiness and the manner of God's loving chastisement must be the model we all follow.  But, when the offender repents, our forgiveness and willingness to restore must be God-like too.

Well, all this leads us to one thing. God is interested in keeping us holy and where that fails, by rescuing fallen sinners and saints! This begins with the greatest sin of all, the sin of not crowning Jesus Christ one's God and Savior. You see, friend, the Bible makes it clear the whole world is born in a state of personal rebellion to God's Word and will.

Eccl 7:20 (NIV)  “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

Rom 3:23 (NIV)  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

As such, God has decreed the death penalty for all who have broken His law. This leaves out none! But herein is the love and mercy of God. God doesn’t want to punish anyone, His love is so great that He devised a plan to save all who will hear it and implement it in their lives.

You see the main message of the Bible is that the sin payment of eternal death decreed by God upon all sinning creatures has been paid in full! Yes, no one need go to Hell and suffer for all eternity for their sins. But the only way anyone can receive this forgiveness and pardon of their sin penalty is to turn to Jesus Christ, surrender your rebellious will, and crown Jesus Christ, your God and Savior. Why?

Because the Bible reveals He is just that. All who receive Christ into their heart's by faith believing in His Person, work and name ¾ are saved forever from their sins and born again into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Oh friend, if you are struggling today with rebellion, disobedience, and an undisciplined life enslaved to sins - Christ can free you. Come to Him right now. Call upon Him to save you, and God's love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and pardon is yours! May it be so for Jesus sake, Amen.

_______________________

A portion of this message was taken directly from the clearly presented truths in:

• THE IFCA INTERNATIONAL "CHURCH & MINISTER'S HANDBOOK." You can personally obtain a loose leaf copy of this extensive non-denominational church manual very inexpensively by writing to the: IFCA International, PO Box 810 , Grandville , Michigan , 49468 USA . Or visiting our website at: http://www.ifca.org.

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·         Radio talk #3905

·         Broadcast date: Sept 25, 2005

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 24 years, and serves as General Director.

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