WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.600 Good morning. Today I get to joyfully share God's word with you. 00:00:07.600 --> 00:00:13.759 ! I want to begin with a passage, Hebrews chapter 12. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:15.839 ! 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:38.719 Verses 7 through 11. We'll move around a bit, but I do want to begin with this passage. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:39.719 The writer says, 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:45.600 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:50.219 For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 00:00:50.219 --> 00:00:56.060 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate 00:00:56.060 --> 00:00:59.060 children and not sons. 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:04.060 Besides this, we've had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. 00:01:04.060 --> 00:01:08.540 Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live? 00:01:08.540 --> 00:01:13.280 For they disciplined us for a short time, as it seemed best to them. 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:20.500 But he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 00:01:20.500 --> 00:01:25.240 For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:32.239 But later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.239 Let's pray. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:40.239 Heavenly Father, I pray now that we would look into this concept of discipline, the way that 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:47.239 you discipline, the way that you outline for us as a church to discipline. 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.239 And Father, we thank you for it. 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:52.719 We know that you love us when we are disciplined. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:54.879 It is for our good. 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:55.879 And we trust that. 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:58.239 And Lord, I pray now that you would bless our study. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:03.239 As we look into these things, that you would open the eyes of our hearts and we would understand 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:05.239 you and see more clearly. 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:06.239 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:07.239 Amen. 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:08.240 Thank you. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:09.240 Thank you. 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:15.240 Well, today I want to talk about, first I want to open with this idea of discipline. 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:27.240 And discipline, so in my life, when I was starting out, my parents disciplined me. 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:29.240 My teachers disciplined me. 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:31.240 God disciplined me. 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:36.240 And in 1995, San Diego County took a turn at me. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:40.240 And so discipline is something that we walk through. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:49.240 I've had a lot of great conversations with men in this community of believers that God 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:52.240 used in disciplined ways. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:58.240 This is something that is important to us in the Christian walk. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:03.240 And as we are sanctified, as the Lord teaches us, discipline is a part of it. 00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:07.240 J.C. Ryle, he's talking about parenting and discipline. 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:08.240 He says, 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:16.240 A parent always yielding and a child always having its own way are a most painful sight. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:23.240 Because I feel sure the consequence to that child's character in the end will be self-will, 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:25.240 pride, and self-conceitance. 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:34.240 So where there's not discipline and a heavenly father that parents and guides and teaches us, 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:39.240 a whole host of problems will exist and show up. 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:45.240 Godly discipline brings about holiness in those verses we just read from Hebrews. 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:46.240 We can count on that. 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:48.240 Discipline does not ruin our lives. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:51.240 It produces healthy boundaries. 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:53.240 Just like with our children. 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:57.240 When you set the boundaries, that's healthy for them. 00:03:57.240 --> 00:03:58.240 And they need those. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:05.240 They need to know where the lines are and what not to cross and what happens when they do. 00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:06.240 It's very important. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:10.240 Discipline is not a confining sort of downer. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:18.240 And this is the framework that I want to remember as we talk about our topic here in just a second of church discipline. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:22.240 Discipline is not a downer sort of thing. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:29.240 It is a method that's used to grow closer to being like Christ. 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:30.240 And that's how God uses it. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:31.240 Spurgeon says, 00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:33.240 Discipline is not the enemy of freedom. 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:35.240 It is the friend of it. 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:38.240 There's a freedom to discipline. 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.240 Discipline escalates though. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:42.240 As we escalate. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:49.240 And that is an important piece to this. 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:56.240 That we understand that discipline matches the infraction. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.240 Right? 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:00.240 And that is an important part of it. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:03.240 And important that we understand this framework. 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:07.240 As I said, I want to talk about church discipline. 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:18.240 And I will say this is something that maybe in the course of your church life or where you've been and what you've seen, you may not have seen a lot of this. 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.240 You may not have seen a lot of church discipline. 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:29.240 But that does not take away from what God says and the importance of it. 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:30.240 And so today we're going to look at that. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.240 We're going to look at why it is important. 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:36.240 Why it's a part of our church. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:44.240 At least in terms of the statement of faith and what we will use if needed. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.240 Because God tells us to do that. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:48.240 So it's very, very important. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:55.240 Let me tell you, I sort of condensed the idea of church discipline into a thesis statement, if you will. 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.240 Because I'm a nerd like that. 00:05:57.240 --> 00:05:59.240 That's kind of how I operate. 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:00.240 So listen to this. 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:02.240 Listen to this statement, all right? 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.240 Serious, unrepentant sin. 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:06.240 And this is church discipline. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:26.240 Serious, unrepentant sin that threatens the sinner or the church must be confronted using God's biblical process in order to bring glory to God, glory to his church, and prayerfully freedom to the heart of a sinner. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:33.240 So the important piece here is glory to God and glory to his church. 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:36.240 And that's why we follow it. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.240 Because he says, and it brings him glory when we're obedient. 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.240 We'll talk more about that in a second. 00:06:41.240 --> 00:06:54.240 But the first thing I want to do to unpack this idea of church discipline is the thing that unfortunately underpins the whole purpose of it. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:56.240 And that's sin. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:02.240 So let's consider what sin is. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:07.240 And we'll spend a little time here because this is the core. 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:09.240 This is the core of church discipline. 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:11.240 If we weren't sinners, we wouldn't need it. 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:12.240 Right? 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.240 So sin is the issue here. 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:19.240 Our rebellious heart basically is what sin is. 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.240 It's where all discipline starts. 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:23.240 Sin is a transgression. 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:24.240 It's a broken law. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:28.240 It's a broken God's law is what is broken. 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:30.240 Romans 3 23 says, 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:36.240 For all have sinned, all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:41.240 So sin is the issue that separates me from God. 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:46.240 That is the fundamental problem. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:51.240 From the time I was born, sin is what stood between the Lord and I. 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:54.240 And something had to be done. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:55.240 Romans 6 23, 00:07:55.240 --> 00:08:03.240 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:05.240 1 John 1 8 says, 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:11.240 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:14.240 And the truth is not in us. 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.240 So sin is our problem. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.240 Sin leads to death. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:21.240 And it falls short of God's glory. 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:26.240 And we're in deception if we say that we don't have sin. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:31.240 We're in deception if we say this little bit is okay. 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:38.240 We're in deception if we continue on repeat sinning unrepentantly. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:44.240 We're in deception that we're going against God in that way, 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:48.240 not going against God in that way when we behave that way. 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.240 So what does it look like? 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:51.240 R.C. Sproul says, 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:53.240 Sin is cosmic treason. 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:58.240 Sin is treason against a perfectly pure sovereign. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:05.240 It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the one to whom we owe everything. 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.240 To the one who has given us life itself. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:12.240 Piper, John Piper says, 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:17.240 What makes sin, sin is not first that it hurts people. 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:19.240 On this level. 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:21.240 On the horizontal level. 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:26.240 What makes sin, sin is not that first that it hurts people, 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:29.240 but that it blasphemes God. 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:35.240 This is the ultimate evil and the ultimate outrage in the universe. 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.240 God who created us. 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:38.240 God who put us here. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:39.240 Who gives us breath. 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:41.240 And then we oppose him. 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:44.240 And we argue and go against him. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.240 The ultimate outrage. 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:55.240 There's another analogy in scripture where the clay fights back against the potter. 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:56.240 How is that? 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.240 How do we even think we can do that? 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:08.240 We're a lump of clay going against the potter who makes us and builds us. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:15.240 So what we have to have is a right view of the seriousness of sin. 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:15.240 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:17.240 We have to have that individually. 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:20.240 Each of us individually. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:29.240 Because before salvation can happen, a right view of sin has to be understood to even know why Jesus went to the cross. 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.240 Why did my sin have to be nailed to the cross? 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.240 Because it's serious. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:39.240 And it separates. 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:46.240 When I was younger, my mom would say something like, when I would get in trouble, 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.240 because I did mention that I sometimes had to be disappointed. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:55.240 But she would say something like, you're making Jesus sad. 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:57.240 You're making Jesus sad. 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:01.240 I guess to sort of play on something in my heart. 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:06.240 But I'm going to tell you, sin doesn't make Jesus sad. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:08.240 It makes God angry. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:13.240 Psalm 5-4 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:19.240 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness. 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:22.240 Evil may not dwell with you. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:23.240 Romans 1-8 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:31.240 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:34.240 who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:38.240 The wrath of God is against sin. 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:40.240 Are you feeling the weight? 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.240 Are you feeling the importance of how God looks at it? 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.240 Isaiah 66, 15-16 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:57.240 For behold, the Lord will come in fire and his chariots like the whirlwind to render his anger in fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. 00:11:57.240 --> 00:12:04.240 For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment and by his sword with all flesh. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.240 And those slain by the Lord shall be many. 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:12.240 There's a weight. 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:17.240 There is something that we have to look at and we have to hold it rightly. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.240 And that's our sin. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.240 Your sin, my sin. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:27.240 So what do we do? 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:29.240 Where does it begin? 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.240 How do we start to deal with this sin? 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:38.240 Well, thankfully, the Lord has a plan. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.240 A plan. 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:45.240 It begins with a godly sorrow. 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:49.240 With the Spirit working in our lives and a godly sorrow. 00:12:49.240 --> 00:12:54.240 Blessed are those who mourn over their sin. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:57.240 Blessed are those who mourn over their sin. 00:12:57.240 --> 00:12:59.240 Who understand the weight of it. 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:01.240 Who understand the gravity of it. 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:07.240 And then mourn that that's existing between them and God. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:12.240 There's a heart realization for those who are sorrowful over their sin. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:15.240 I am opposing my Father in heaven. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:24.240 In relationships, what happens when you hurt somebody that you love? 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:27.240 If you're married or in families. 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.240 We do this from time to time, unfortunately. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.240 We hurt somebody we love, don't we? 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:37.240 Well, maybe when you do that and you realize it. 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.240 I happen to be sort of a avoider type. 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:47.240 And sometimes I avoid when I hurt Stacy, for example. 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.240 And I sort of hide from that a little bit. 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:57.240 But the thing is, you know, covering up or ignoring the fact of what you did. 00:13:57.240 --> 00:14:08.240 But at some point, you have to realize that what you said or did is actually very troubling to another person. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:15.240 When you hurt somebody else, it's very troubling to another person, isn't it? 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:19.240 And so when you realize that, sometimes you pick up on it quickly. 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.240 Sometimes it takes a little bit. 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:26.240 But when you do realize it, your heart goes out to that other person. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.240 And there's a sorrow over what you've done. 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:33.240 Now that's the horizontal level, isn't it? 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:36.240 That's between us in relationships. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:39.240 But that's what a relationship is. 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:56.240 If Jesus is my Savior and my brother, and I oppose him and go against him, my sin brings about a godly sorrow as I'm convicted of that sin. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:15:01.240 And I understand that something must be done about that. 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.240 I must confess it and then repent from it. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:06.240 Pretty straightforward, right? 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:15.240 If I treat somebody else, my wife or a friend or something, if I treat somebody else that way, that's what I would do. 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:22.240 Is somehow I would confess that and ask for their forgiveness and repent from doing that. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.240 This is love. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:33.240 This understanding and love for the other person draws us to want to mend that and make things right. 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:41.240 Our Heavenly Father, we understand that the sin that stands between us, the sin that shows up, even as believers, we don't stop sinning. 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:43.240 And that is a problem. 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.240 That is a problem in our relationship with the Lord. 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:49.240 It stands in the way. 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:57.240 It gets in the way of things that he wants to do and how he wants to use you. 00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:59.240 And so, you confess it. 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:00.240 Godly sorrow. 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:01.240 What is it? 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:03.240 2 Corinthians 7.10 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:08.240 For godly grief produces a repentance. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:13.240 Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret. 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:14.240 Godly grief produces a repentance. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:18.240 Godly grief produces death. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:23.240 Worldly grief is, I got caught and this is no good. 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:27.240 And yeah, I'm sorry for doing this and so or whatever. 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:38.240 But there is a godly grief that produces repentance where you go to God in sorrow for your sin. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:43.240 Because it's against a holy God that loves you. 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.240 Thomas Watson, this is a paraphrase. 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:51.240 Watson writes that godly sorrow is chiefly for the trespass against God. 00:16:51.240 --> 00:17:01.240 Explaining that a truly penitent soul would grieve over sin, even if there were no conscience to strike, no devil to accuse, no help to punish. 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:08.240 The grief comes from the wrong done to God himself, not fear of what sin might cost. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:12.240 We look at God and we love him. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:19.240 And then we confess that and repent and there's godly sorrow for fighting him and going against him. 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:27.240 Well, that godly grief and sorrow produces repentance. 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:36.240 Going to God, confessing the sin, repenting from it, returning from it is repenting, leaving the sin, crucifying the flesh. 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:43.240 All those things are when we go to God, coming to him in humility and thankfulness. 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:45.240 Because there's no regretting. 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:48.240 There's no futility in repentance. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:51.240 That's what that verse said in 2 Corinthians. 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:56.240 He says, for godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.240 There is no regret. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:05.240 There's no futility in going to him and being honest and confessing all your sins to him. 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:07.240 Because that's salvation. 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:14.240 Confessing that equals life. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.240 It equals life. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:21.240 So there's grace and forgiveness that he gives. 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:22.240 Ephesians 2.8 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:25.240 By grace you are saved, not of yourself. 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:26.240 1 John 1.9 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.240 Confess your sins. 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:31.240 He's faithful and just to forgive you of all your sins. 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:33.240 Again, that's why Jesus went to the cross. 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:43.240 All the sins that we've committed ever, past, present, future, were nailed to the cross. 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:53.240 God thought our sin was that big of a deal to put his son on the cross by our sin. 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:54.240 Our sin. 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:56.240 It's weighty. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.240 It has gravity. 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:03.240 It's not something to simplify or make small. 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:06.240 Our sin is a problem. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.240 A huge problem. 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:11.240 The good news. 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.240 Yes, we've sinned against God. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:20.240 Yes, he has a wrath stored up for those who do not repent of their sin. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.240 Yes, he offers a full pardon to those who believe. 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:30.240 He offers a full pardon to those who believe in him. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.240 Confess your sins against him. 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:35.240 Confess him to him. 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:37.240 Confess him to him. 00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:46.240 Repent from your sin that continues to oppose your heavenly father because you cannot cleanse yourself. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:47.240 You can't. 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:48.240 He has a law. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:49.240 He has a law. 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:58.240 It was brought out earlier, right before our time of communion. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:01.240 And that law is broken. 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:05.240 That law is something we cannot fix. 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:07.240 We can't cleanse ourself. 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:09.240 We can't be good enough. 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:12.240 We can't be righteous enough or any of that. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:19.240 So, we take that right view of sin and how to deal with it and that salvation. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:31.240 Which many in this room, if not all of us, have prayerfully have at some point come to the Lord and given that sin, confessed it to him and let him take it. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.240 And then he gives us his righteousness. 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:34.240 Not our own. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.240 It's not our own. 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:39.240 God saves through Jesus. 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:44.240 He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:49.240 So, let me talk a little bit about the next problems that occur. 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:51.240 So, the sin exists. 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:52.240 It's there. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:53.240 We understand. 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:58.240 And hopefully, there's a bit of gravity that we're holding now to it. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:04.240 Well, Romans 6, 1 and 2, Paul asks a rhetorical question. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.240 He's talking about grace. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:12.240 And if grace is present, and the more we sin, the grace meets that sin. 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.240 And then he says, should I sin all the more so grace is more? 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:16.240 Well, the answer is no. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.240 We don't sin more just so there's more grace. 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:26.240 But the thing is, as believers, we have died to sin. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:27.240 We've died to this. 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:32.240 So, this is not a part of the believer's life anymore. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:35.240 To continue in that walk of sin. 00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:37.240 It's not that we don't sin. 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:38.240 We do. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.240 But it's not a feature of the believer's life. 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:48.240 There's repentance and confession and those things that we just talked about that must happen when we're opposing God. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.240 So, but it does not rule us anymore. 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:54.240 Sin does not rule us anymore. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.240 We are free. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:00.240 But where it shows up, it must be dealt with. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:09.240 And I'm going to say, this is I think what maybe culturally, even how it has gotten to the church, 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:14.240 is that there are certain pet sins and there are certain things that are allowed in our mind. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:33.240 So, in other words, what has happened is the gravity and the weight of the way that God looks at transgressions has gone out and been replaced with a freedom to pick and choose what God says or doesn't say. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:37.240 Or what I like or what I don't like in his word. 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:39.240 And we can't do that. 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:43.240 That his word is truth. 00:22:43.240 --> 00:22:44.240 It is the law. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:48.240 That is what constitutes sin. 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:50.240 What he says constitutes sin. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:53.240 Not what we say or don't say. 00:22:53.240 --> 00:23:00.240 And so what has happened there is there's been sort of a watering down of this problem of sin. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:04.240 Now it's not, it doesn't hold quite the weight that it used to. 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:09.240 What happens then? 00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:11.240 People turn a blind eye. 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:22.240 The culture allows or ignores or provides for sin of all types and continues without being confronted on it. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:33.240 Well, over time, I think most of us can say, oh yeah, I've seen even other churches that have sort of moved away from what God says. 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:37.240 I think we could, we would all say that, right? 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:39.240 Um, why did they move away? 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:47.240 Because they decided that the, the sin wasn't important enough to call sin. 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:49.240 And so now we're going to just kind of go our way. 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:53.240 And we just slowly move from what God says. 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.240 And everything gets watered down. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.240 A low view of the weight of sin leads to death. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:07.240 A low view of this problem of sin leads to death. 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:12.240 True repentance sees sin as a problem. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:25.240 One who doesn't see sin as separating them from God will never be reconciled to God. 00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:28.240 Or be able to have a relationship with him. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:38.240 If, if there, the, the thing that separates us, if we don't look at that and truthfully say, that's what stands in my way. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:45.240 If I never acknowledge that, then death is the result. 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:56.240 Um, unfortunately, this low view of sin can, and as I mentioned, has crept into the church, into churches. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:01.240 Um, and, uh, so what do you do? 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:03.240 What, what do we do? 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:06.240 Um, about a year and a half ago, I had skin cancer. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.240 And, uh, many of you remember when I had that. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:15.240 It was on my ear up here and I had a big thing on my ear and on my back. 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:17.240 Um, but it was melanoma. 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:21.240 Um, which is not the one you want, by the way. 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:23.240 If you end up having skin cancer, that's not the one. 00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:26.240 It's the one that spreads more easily. 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:27.240 Right. 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:34.240 Um, so they did their work and they cut those pieces out and everything, uh, they said was good after that. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:44.240 Well, what if when I sat there in the office and he's looking at it and he says, uh, the dermatologist, he says, Hey, I think this is skin cancer. 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:47.240 And I said, Hey, you know what? 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:49.240 I'm not going to worry about that. 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:52.240 I'm not going to worry about, uh, uh, what's going on. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.240 Uh, what's going on on my ear or what you're looking at. 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:59.240 Um, I'm, um, that's not going to, uh, uh, bother me. 00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:03.240 It's kind of like a freckle or a mole, which I do have a few of those. 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:08.240 Um, but, uh, I'm just going to treat it like that and not worry about it. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:13.240 What's going to happen with a melanoma in particular? 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:14.240 It's going to spread. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:15.240 It's going to spread. 00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:16.240 It's going to spread. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.240 It's going to spread. 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:30.240 And to the point to where probably death would, if I let it go, it would, uh, it would kill me, you know? 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:33.240 Well, sin doesn't belong. 00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:38.240 It doesn't belong in our hearts, in our lives. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:43.240 And sin doesn't belong in the bride of Christ, our church. 00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:45.240 It doesn't belong. 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:49.240 There, there is a cancerous aspect to it. 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:56.240 When left unchecked, when left, uh, to its own, uh, devices, what's going to happen? 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:57.240 Death. 00:26:57.240 --> 00:26:59.240 Death is going to resolve. 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:04.240 Well, let's look at the process. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:06.240 Let's look at the process. 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:12.240 So that, that's what I want to build on is the, the foundation of understanding the weight of sin. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:19.240 We must remember that to look through the rest of the, of what God asks us to do about it. 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:20.240 Right? 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.240 Okay. 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:28.240 So the process, um, a couple of notes on that. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:34.240 God gives this process of church discipline and we'll, we'll unpack this. 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:40.240 Um, but, uh, basically it starts from a simple conversation. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:54.240 Step one, but it can escalate if needed, but it's, it's the type of thing that, um, uh, really we should engage with what he says in Matthew 18. 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:59.240 We should engage with it frequently because do I ever sin against you? 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:01.240 Do you ever sin against me? 00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:03.240 Yes, it happens. 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:05.240 What do we do? 00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:08.240 We should speak in love to one another about it. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.240 We should talk to one another about it. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:15.240 We should gain a brother when we bring it up and we speak of it. 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:24.240 So at it's at that level, uh, it's, it's, uh, important to use, but we must lovingly confront our brothers and sisters. 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:31.240 We must speak the truth in love and we must desire relationships that are based on Christ. 00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:37.240 Um, there, there's the foundation for how any of this would get implemented. 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:43.240 Um, and we must not let sin get a foothold and grow in our lives. 00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:47.240 And we do this together in, in church discipline. 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:48.240 It's done together. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:54.240 Um, and in our church, it's done many, much of this is done together to begin with. 00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:58.240 Uh, which is a good, a good place. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:00.240 So what types of sin are we talking about? 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:03.240 Who, who goes into this process? 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:07.240 Who's, who's going to get, uh, go through church discipline, you know? 00:29:07.240 --> 00:29:11.240 Um, well, all sin is opposition of God. 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:21.240 There, there's not a sin is there's not, uh, uh, any, any, uh, uh, anything that God says is a sin that is not in opposition of him. 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:26.240 So, uh, but not all sin is treated the same way. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.240 Not all sin do we, do we deal with the same way. 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:33.240 So for example, there are sins that should be lovingly overlooked. 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.240 Love covers a multitude of sins, right? 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:38.240 Right? 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:50.240 So when someone says something to me or my, my, uh, family member or something gives, has a word for me that I lack, uh, for some reason, you know what? 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:53.240 Love can really cover that. 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:58.240 It can, it can send that out and be gone. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.240 So there's those types of sins. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:06.240 There's ordinary struggles where repentance is a part of the process and evident. 00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:10.240 So there's, there's the things that we all sin every day. 00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:14.240 This is all, uh, who we are humans. 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:16.240 We go against each other. 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:21.240 We, uh, whatever the sin is, um, this happens every day. 00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:26.240 Now in a believer's life, what do we do as those sins happen? 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:34.240 As we recognize those things, there is a spirit of love and confession and repentance. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:38.240 And, and, and those things work themselves out on a regular basis. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:41.240 Um, so there's those type. 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:54.240 Now there's also, as I mentioned in the very beginning, there's the serious ongoing outward unrepentant sin that threatens the sinner or the church. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:55.240 Um, those are different. 00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:56.240 Those are different. 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:09.240 There's, there's things that are more like that melanoma as it, as it starts to get involved with the church and then, uh, move and become something that it shouldn't. 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:16.240 Um, so there's, that's more of the danger that would be in the church or the serious types of sin. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:28.240 Um, but really what, when, when, uh, church discipline is involved, even from the very beginning, the question is not what type of sins are we looking at? 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:31.240 What fits into the category of this or that or the other? 00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:36.240 It's how we deal with our sin that really makes the difference. 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:38.240 Are we confessing it? 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:40.240 Are we tenderhearted? 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:41.240 Are we repentant? 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:48.240 Or are we fighting and going against and choosing our own way? 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:52.240 So it's how we deal with the sins there. 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:54.240 So turn to Matthew 18 with me. 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:55.240 Turn to Matthew 18. 00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:58.240 Let me get there. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:10.240 And we'll start with, uh, verses 15. 00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:25.240 Um, really it's just, there's a lot of good stuff, 15 through 20, but we're just going to read 15, 16, 17, just to look at, at, uh, this kind of process. 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:35.240 This, this, um, where we get a lot of the, uh, idea of, this is not the only place, but this is kind of what the main text. 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:37.240 Uh, so the first thing, let's read that. 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:42.240 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:46.240 If he listens to you, you've gained your brother. 00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:55.240 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:59.240 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:06.240 And if he refuses to listen, even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:10.240 So the first thing, go and tell him. 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:11.240 Go and tell him. 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:14.240 This is the part that I'm saying, this is something we should be living. 00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:16.240 We should be walking this out. 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:19.240 If, if someone sends a gift, go tell him, talk to them. 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:21.240 Uh, it's, it's important. 00:33:21.240 --> 00:33:27.240 Um, or maybe something happens, but you could move past in love. 00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:29.240 And that's, that's fine too. 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:38.240 But if you can't, and you find yourself needing to discuss that and, and, uh, uh, be open with another, then go talk to him. 00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:40.240 Uh, it's important that that happens. 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:46.240 It's just between the two of you says no need to broadcast the other person's sin, right? 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:47.240 Right. 00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:53.240 This isn't something that, that we're sharing with everybody and all these other people and whatever. 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:58.240 I'm going to him and we're talking about what he did to me. 00:33:58.240 --> 00:33:59.240 Right. 00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:09.239 Now, if he wants to talk about it, say in his MC or with the guys or whatever, and he wants to confess or something like that, go for it. 00:34:09.239 --> 00:34:10.239 That's great. 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:14.239 Be, be, uh, uh, you know, come, come, conversate about that. 00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:15.239 Be open about that. 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:19.239 But from my standpoint, I don't go talk to everybody else. 00:34:19.239 --> 00:34:23.239 I don't talk to the, my MC about him. 00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:28.239 You know, I talked to him and just together. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:34.239 Um, if he listens, if he softens his heart, if he repents, what does it say? 00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:36.239 You gained your brother. 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:40.239 Man, in that awesome, uh, verse right there. 00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:43.239 Um, this is what we hope for this. 00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:45.239 This, this is what you long for. 00:34:45.239 --> 00:34:52.239 Like if, if someone does something and you go to them and you share that and, uh, and immediately I did. 00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:53.239 I'm sorry. 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:54.239 I confess that to you. 00:34:54.239 --> 00:35:00.239 Uh, and, and is that, is that a soft way with you? 00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:04.239 Man, you guys have just gotten that much closer, didn't you? 00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:05.239 Um, it's a beautiful thing. 00:35:05.239 --> 00:35:06.239 Okay. 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:22.239 But verse 16, but if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:34.239 So if he doesn't listen, if he's not repentant, not tenderhearted and, and, uh, and one thing you probably hear, not even tenderhearted toward God, because really the sin is against God. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:35.239 Right. 00:35:35.239 --> 00:35:36.239 Right. 00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:40.239 And if he's not tenderhearted toward the things of God, um, then what's next? 00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:53.239 Um, uh, then, uh, you bring witnesses, bring two, three witnesses, and, uh, then they will share the truth. 00:35:53.239 --> 00:36:04.239 Then they will encourage, then they will speak the truth in love with you to, to gain your brother, which is still what you want. 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:07.239 That's still what you want to see happen there. 00:36:07.239 --> 00:36:20.239 Um, if, if, if you have to go that far, the next one, verse 17, if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:35.159 If he continues to refuse to listen, holding sinful ground, having a sinful, uh, argumentative position that does not take into account the things of God. 00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:48.619 Unfortunately, um, if that's his place, unrepentant, unloving, un-Christlike, the weight of sin has been substantiated by witnesses, and now the church speaks into it. 00:36:48.619 --> 00:36:56.619 And then the church meets with that person, talks to that person, shares the same truth in love with that person. 00:37:00.619 --> 00:37:01.699 To gain a brother. 00:37:01.699 --> 00:37:04.619 You want to gain that brother back. 00:37:04.619 --> 00:37:09.619 Second part of 17. 00:37:09.619 --> 00:37:19.619 And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 00:37:19.619 --> 00:37:26.339 So once you tell the church, and then the church speaks into it, along with everybody else. 00:37:26.339 --> 00:37:28.900 Uh, elders are involved. 00:37:28.900 --> 00:37:32.259 Um, the, the brothers are involved. 00:37:32.859 --> 00:37:35.099 Like, it, it, it's, it's intentional. 00:37:35.539 --> 00:37:37.319 It's a very intentional thing. 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:45.239 Um, but if he refused to listen to the church, and look at the, what he says there. 00:37:45.239 --> 00:37:48.479 There's one word that's added that's really interesting. 00:37:49.079 --> 00:38:01.359 And if he refuses to listen even to the church, the whole group, it, it speaks to a, uh, he's out there. 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:03.119 He's out there a ways. 00:38:03.559 --> 00:38:09.079 Even when the whole body says come back, he doesn't. 00:38:09.719 --> 00:38:10.939 Even to the church. 00:38:10.940 --> 00:38:21.940 Um, well, this, this is all, uh, that a church can do to present itself holy. 00:38:22.340 --> 00:38:29.659 At that point, he is, uh, becomes like, uh, a Gentile or a tax collector. 00:38:30.059 --> 00:38:36.119 Basically what he's saying is, uh, um, he's not a part of the body. 00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:41.920 The body that just said come back to the things of God. 00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.559 Which is why we're here as a body. 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:46.159 We are the bride of Christ. 00:38:46.299 --> 00:38:48.139 And they all said come back. 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:51.839 And he said, no, I'm not. 00:38:52.960 --> 00:39:00.679 Then that's when it results in, okay, then he has made his decision at that point. 00:39:01.659 --> 00:39:02.259 Unfortunately. 00:39:02.260 --> 00:39:07.860 Why would a church member go this far? 00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:10.180 Why would somebody go that far? 00:39:12.300 --> 00:39:13.920 It's really a very good question. 00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:14.860 Number one. 00:39:15.080 --> 00:39:16.400 It's a lot of different things. 00:39:17.220 --> 00:39:19.400 Um, I'll share just a couple of ideas. 00:39:19.700 --> 00:39:23.080 Number one, they love their sin and the world. 00:39:23.740 --> 00:39:26.120 First John 2, 15 through 17. 00:39:27.040 --> 00:39:29.940 Um, and the love of the father is not in him. 00:39:29.940 --> 00:39:33.179 That would be one possibility. 00:39:33.500 --> 00:39:36.019 The, the world is more important. 00:39:36.900 --> 00:39:43.019 The things of the world, the, the, not, not what the father has for him. 00:39:43.579 --> 00:39:46.480 Another one is a completely wrong view of sin. 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:50.440 In other words, what we discussed earlier, there's no weight to it. 00:39:51.240 --> 00:39:53.079 He doesn't see it as wrong. 00:39:53.200 --> 00:39:54.700 The brother doesn't see it as wrong. 00:39:54.699 --> 00:39:59.579 Or, uh, if he does, not offensive to God. 00:40:00.799 --> 00:40:07.500 So that weight of what actually is offensive to God is not treated in that way. 00:40:08.419 --> 00:40:10.819 And so, unrepent, it can continue. 00:40:10.820 --> 00:40:15.580 Um, three, there's no belief in consequences. 00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:18.500 In other words, God's wrath on sin. 00:40:19.340 --> 00:40:24.280 If you don't believe in a heaven and a hell, if you don't believe that God is a wrathful God 00:40:24.280 --> 00:40:26.539 and says, I'm not going to live with sin. 00:40:27.059 --> 00:40:32.280 If you don't believe that, then kind of go back to the world 00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:36.220 and do things the way that you choose to do things. 00:40:38.560 --> 00:40:46.760 Another one is, uh, maybe, uh, there's deep demonic sort of deception that's blinding the heart. 00:40:47.420 --> 00:40:53.640 And, uh, a person falls into a place and, and is just blinded to the things of God. 00:40:56.140 --> 00:40:58.460 Well, ultimately, there's, there's probably other things. 00:40:58.460 --> 00:41:03.740 There's just a few things that could possibly be going on there, but it could be as different as people. 00:41:04.539 --> 00:41:12.300 Um, but in general, ultimately, these potentials with a person who has gone through all these steps, 00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:15.820 it brings about questions in our minds. 00:41:16.579 --> 00:41:24.480 Um, and so ultimately, these potentials point to, at a minimum, a very disrupted relationship with God. 00:41:25.179 --> 00:41:26.440 Very disrupted. 00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:33.880 Um, and of course, at worst, it would be a person who does not know Jesus at all. 00:41:34.700 --> 00:41:44.639 And so then that same church, that same group who said, listen, uh, you need to be outside of the body 00:41:44.639 --> 00:41:48.039 is the ones that preach the gospel. 00:41:48.579 --> 00:41:51.019 So, well, how do we do that? 00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:51.679 What do we do? 00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:52.879 Doug Wilson, he says, 00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:59.699 The offender must not be denied kindness, courtesy, opportunity to hear the word preached, 00:42:00.119 --> 00:42:07.519 the practical duties owed to him by others, or anything else due him, according to the law of love. 00:42:08.099 --> 00:42:10.819 Fundamentally, he is being denied only one thing. 00:42:10.820 --> 00:42:17.160 The right to define the authority of Christian faith for himself. 00:42:17.159 --> 00:42:22.500 In other words, the sinner cannot say what is right and wrong. 00:42:23.159 --> 00:42:24.639 God says what's right and wrong. 00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:26.980 We love the sinner. 00:42:27.099 --> 00:42:30.279 We love the person who is, who's struggling. 00:42:30.280 --> 00:42:37.900 We go all the way through this, this process and love them all the way. 00:42:38.300 --> 00:42:44.820 And then even, even if it reaches that last point, then we love them in that way. 00:42:45.140 --> 00:42:49.180 But we keep saying, you cannot choose what is right and wrong. 00:42:49.179 --> 00:42:51.359 God chooses. 00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:54.899 He is the one that tells us what is sin, what is it. 00:42:56.679 --> 00:42:57.539 We share the gospel. 00:42:58.259 --> 00:42:59.079 We share the gospel. 00:43:01.899 --> 00:43:09.279 We preach to them and treat them like a person outside the church, the Gentile and the tax collector. 00:43:10.279 --> 00:43:11.919 And love them. 00:43:11.920 --> 00:43:18.380 So that's the process. 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:19.960 That's the process. 00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:24.960 A couple of thoughts here. 00:43:26.639 --> 00:43:27.980 So, why? 00:43:28.519 --> 00:43:30.220 Why do we do this process? 00:43:30.700 --> 00:43:31.820 Why is this important? 00:43:32.300 --> 00:43:35.039 Number one, to bring God glory. 00:43:35.980 --> 00:43:37.180 To bring God glory. 00:43:37.179 --> 00:43:42.679 Our obedience and discipline and following his word brings God glory. 00:43:43.480 --> 00:43:44.480 And that's why we're here. 00:43:45.239 --> 00:43:46.599 And that's why we do this. 00:43:48.059 --> 00:43:50.639 It's not in our name that we discipline. 00:43:50.879 --> 00:43:55.899 It's not in what we think and those kind of things. 00:43:56.319 --> 00:43:59.980 Now, granted, we do imperfectly carry out the discipline. 00:44:00.299 --> 00:44:01.639 Is this ever going to be right? 00:44:01.879 --> 00:44:03.599 Is it ever going to be exactly perfect? 00:44:03.980 --> 00:44:05.559 No, because we are not. 00:44:05.559 --> 00:44:07.519 We are not perfect. 00:44:09.179 --> 00:44:16.599 But we follow and we listen to the Holy Spirit and the Spirit works between us. 00:44:17.079 --> 00:44:19.480 And we carry this out for God's glory. 00:44:19.860 --> 00:44:24.480 The second thing is the glory of his church and presenting it as holy. 00:44:25.159 --> 00:44:27.779 We, as the church, are the bride of Christ. 00:44:27.780 --> 00:44:37.720 A couple of weeks ago, Seth mentioned God has chosen the church as the essential vehicle for sanctification. 00:44:38.680 --> 00:44:43.140 This is one of the tools that we use for sanctification. 00:44:43.139 --> 00:44:58.639 This is incumbent on the church to follow through with this for the benefit and the care of people who are struggling and finding themselves at an unrepentant place. 00:44:58.639 --> 00:45:04.819 God himself disciplines us on a regular basis because he loves us. 00:45:04.819 --> 00:45:10.759 The process of church discipline gives us the framework for dealing with discipline that goes further. 00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:14.760 God uses the church intentionally. 00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:18.100 God uses the church intentionally to carry this out. 00:45:19.600 --> 00:45:26.840 We become a part of it and grow in reverence and respect for God. 00:45:26.840 --> 00:45:37.800 Another important point on the church and its holiness is that we, as a church, do not identify with sin. 00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:54.120 If there is sin that is going on in the church and we know it and we turn that blind eye and the weight of sinfulness is something that we push off to the side and we ignore it, pretend like it's not going on, 00:45:54.539 --> 00:45:58.060 we have identified with sin and allowed it. 00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:00.360 And the church doesn't do that. 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:04.120 This is the spotless bride of Christ. 00:46:05.260 --> 00:46:06.560 We don't allow that. 00:46:06.559 --> 00:46:08.799 We don't identify with sin. 00:46:09.099 --> 00:46:12.840 This isn't a place where you come in and say, hey, anything goes. 00:46:13.480 --> 00:46:14.239 That's not right. 00:46:15.279 --> 00:46:16.599 That's not our identity. 00:46:16.779 --> 00:46:17.759 It's not who we are. 00:46:20.940 --> 00:46:26.440 If unrepentant serious sin is in the church and we do nothing, we're wrong. 00:46:26.980 --> 00:46:27.960 We are wrong. 00:46:29.380 --> 00:46:36.460 We have a choice to either distance from the sin or address it. 00:46:36.559 --> 00:46:37.900 And not allow it. 00:46:37.900 --> 00:46:37.900 00:46:39.559 --> 00:46:46.980 Prayerfully, the glory of God in a sinner's heart is what we see. 00:46:46.980 --> 00:46:49.840 That's what we want to see. 00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:52.300 Restoration of the sinner. 00:46:52.740 --> 00:46:53.619 That's our prayer. 00:46:54.219 --> 00:46:55.400 That's the church's prayer. 00:46:55.760 --> 00:46:57.380 It's restoration of that sinner. 00:46:57.380 --> 00:47:00.940 And we lovingly and earnestly pray for this. 00:47:00.940 --> 00:47:05.619 We meet the individual where they're at, preach the gospel to them, care for them in that way. 00:47:06.360 --> 00:47:12.119 And the sinner should find comfort in discipline, care in love. 00:47:12.119 --> 00:47:12.519 Love. 00:47:12.519 --> 00:47:12.759 Love. 00:47:12.759 --> 00:47:13.559 Love. 00:47:13.559 --> 00:47:20.139 Not judgment and anger or repulsion, but love. 00:47:20.659 --> 00:47:20.880 Okay. 00:47:21.339 --> 00:47:24.299 I'm going to preach God's word to you because I love you. 00:47:24.799 --> 00:47:26.299 So I'm going to continue that. 00:47:26.300 --> 00:47:35.120 So the last thing is the person who has been expelled. 00:47:36.300 --> 00:47:38.460 So here's the important piece. 00:47:39.460 --> 00:47:44.980 We cannot, outcomes are not the indicator of success. 00:47:44.980 --> 00:48:00.679 Success is not a person who has gone through the whole process and been asked to leave the church, been sent out of the church, and then they repent and come back. 00:48:01.559 --> 00:48:02.440 Now that would be awesome. 00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:03.400 That's beautiful. 00:48:03.400 --> 00:48:11.880 But by the same, if that person didn't come back, both are success. 00:48:12.599 --> 00:48:20.740 Both are success when we follow God and bring him glory by looking at his word and following what he says. 00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:22.320 That's success. 00:48:23.240 --> 00:48:24.420 He's the one. 00:48:24.780 --> 00:48:27.559 He's the one that draws the sinner. 00:48:27.559 --> 00:48:34.599 He's the one that the spirit quickens and brings that person back. 00:48:35.119 --> 00:48:38.299 We water and follow and are obedient. 00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:41.599 So what is success? 00:48:41.739 --> 00:48:42.480 Following God. 00:48:42.779 --> 00:48:43.840 We trust in his word. 00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:45.460 We trust in what he says. 00:48:45.820 --> 00:48:46.860 Is some of this difficult? 00:48:47.139 --> 00:48:48.599 Absolutely it's difficult. 00:48:48.880 --> 00:48:52.340 Especially when we're in those step three and four. 00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:56.619 It's super difficult because we love this person. 00:48:57.559 --> 00:49:00.860 What is success? 00:49:01.019 --> 00:49:01.900 Confronting sin. 00:49:02.019 --> 00:49:05.659 Not identifying with sin, but distancing from it. 00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:11.639 If this is sin right here, we want to go that way and distance ourselves from it. 00:49:12.619 --> 00:49:18.159 Success is loving people, speaking truth and gospel good news to those who need it. 00:49:19.599 --> 00:49:25.639 Success is bringing God glory, being obedient, disciplining, and loving in his name. 00:49:25.639 --> 00:49:32.659 Success is presenting a spotless bride, protecting the church as the bride of Christ. 00:49:32.659 --> 00:49:37.619 So I want to close with a couple of thoughts here. 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:44.599 And I find this is very, very important for each of us in the moment. 00:49:44.599 --> 00:49:55.159 Number one, if you are left after this discussion with the idea, why does it have to be church discipline though? 00:49:55.559 --> 00:50:00.299 That's so harsh and judgmental and it's awful. 00:50:00.300 --> 00:50:09.660 If that is your thought, your view of a holy God is low. 00:50:11.100 --> 00:50:20.940 If that is your thought, you don't hold sin as being a weight that must be dealt with. 00:50:20.940 --> 00:50:27.019 If you look at this process and you say, why does it have to be, it doesn't have to be, that's so judgmental, that's a fool. 00:50:27.519 --> 00:50:31.780 Then you're not looking at what God intends to do with sinners. 00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:35.780 Here's the second part of that. 00:50:35.940 --> 00:50:35.940 00:50:35.940 --> 00:50:50.060 If that is you and you don't see the need for a repentant church, I would surmise that you don't see that need in your own life. 00:50:50.059 --> 00:50:54.380 and that's 00:50:54.380 --> 00:51:02.219 I would encourage you 00:51:02.219 --> 00:51:04.099 to confess 00:51:04.099 --> 00:51:07.340 if you don't feel the weight of sin 00:51:07.340 --> 00:51:08.380 in your life 00:51:08.380 --> 00:51:11.299 you must confess 00:51:11.299 --> 00:51:16.659 it's against God 00:51:16.659 --> 00:51:19.199 if we can 00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:22.119 if we can look at the church 00:51:22.119 --> 00:51:24.379 as not being worth 00:51:24.379 --> 00:51:26.980 eradicating 00:51:26.980 --> 00:51:29.019 unrepentant sin 00:51:29.019 --> 00:51:31.859 I dare say it's 00:51:31.859 --> 00:51:33.699 in your life too 00:51:33.699 --> 00:51:35.899 why don't you stay with me