June 22 Hard Questions Notes
Church Discipline
INTRODUCTION
Usually, our first thoughts when we hear the words “church discipline” are words like: scary, legalistic, abusive, judgmental, grace-less, control, mean, unfair, and unloving.
In reality, we should think: love, restoration, redemption, holiness, witness, protection, care. There are many reasons people don’t want to exercise church discipline:
- Pride
- Concern for "over-reach"
- A misunderstanding of grace and God's love
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of being found out (hiding their own sin, "who am I")
If you have ever seen it done well, you are blessed, if you have seen it handled poorly, I understand.
A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
God’s discipline of His children
Proverbs 3:11 (NASB95) My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof,
Proverbs 10:13 (NASB95) On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
Proverbs 13:24 (NASB95) He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 19:29 (NASB95) Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools.
Proverbs 22:15 (NASB95) Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13 (NASB95) Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
Hebrews 12:1–10 (NASB95) Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
“Broadly speaking, discipline is everything the church does to help its members pursue holiness and fight sin. Preaching, teaching, prayer, reading, memorizing the Bible, corporate worship, accountability relationships, and godly oversight by pastors and elders are all forms of discipline. Theologians call this kind of discipline “formative discipline” because it forms our character to be more like Christ.
In a narrower sense, discipline is when we point out fellow church members’ sin and encourage them to repent and pursue holiness by God’s grace. Theologians often call this kind of discipline “corrective discipline.” 1
A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH (Ecclesiology)
In order to understand the importance of church discipline, it is important to see the biblical evidence for and necessity of church membership.
Anyone who loves Jesus, will love what Jesus loves. Jesus loves the church.
“the local church is God’s plan for displaying his glory to the nations.” 2
People don't understand church discipline because they have never truly experienced Christian community as God intended!
Question: Do you have anyone in your life that will tell you the truth? Even if it risks the relationship?
A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE
Bob Pitman said, “When church discipline becomes fun, you are in trouble.”
“Biblical church discipline flows directly out of a biblical understanding of church membership. Membership draws a boundary line around the church, marking the church off from the world. Discipline helps the church that lives inside the boundary line stay true to the very things that are cause for drawing the line in the first place. It gives meaning to being a member of the church and is another mark of a healthy church.” 3
Titus 3:9–11 (NASB95) But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
Galatians 6:1 (NASB95) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
2 Thessalonians 3:13–15 (NASB95) But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Romans 16:17–18 (NASB95) Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
James 5:19–20 (NASB95) My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 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.
1 Timothy 5:19–20 (NASB95) Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.
2 John 9–10 (NASB95) Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting.
MODEL
Jesus (Matthew 18:15-20)
Matthew 18:15–20 (NASB95) “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “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. “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 collector. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. “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. “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
Jesus begins Matthew 18 with a child in His arms. Often, believers are looked upon like a “child.” Children need care, love, and discipline.
- We enter the Kingdom as a little child (18:3-4)
- We are protected like a child (18:5-9)
- We are cared for like a child (18:10-14)
- We are disciplined like a child (18:15-20)
I think there are many who walk away because of our hypocrisy, not because we sin. It’s because of how we respond to our sin.
The steps of discipline:
- Private correction (informal)
- Small group clarification
- Church admonition (church leadership) (formal)
- Church exclusion – a person is removed from membership due to willful and defiant refusal to repent of rebellion against God’s clearly defined teaching in His Word, welcome to attend worship
New Testament Church (1 Corinthians 5)
1 Corinthians 5 (NASB95) It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
Important points to remember:
- The primary goal of discipline is redemption/restoration, holiness, and God’s glory.
- Discipline is an important part of our relationship with God
- Discipline is an important part of our relationship with God’s people.
- Discipline is ongoing, it’s corrective, growth, process.
- Church discipline (public) only occurs after everything has been possibly done!
- Live in biblical community, start with membership, grow in groups
- Recognize the value of personal and congregational accountability
5 Positive reasons for practicing corrective church discipline. It shows love for:
- The good of the disciplined person
- Other Christians as they see the danger of sin
- The health of the church as a whole
- The corporate witness of the church and, therefore, non-Christians in the community
- The glory of God4
CONCLUSION
Does this really work? Won’t it drive people away? These aren’t really the questions to ask, the real question is…
Does God expect us to follow His Word in helping one another grow in grace and holiness?
Foot Notes
- Guarding One Another, 17.
- Guarding One Another – 9 Marks
- Guarding One Another, p. 11
- Guarding One Another, 15