2024-12-08 Sermon Notes
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
This is the third time I am coming to you. "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you.
See Also
- Heidelberg Catechism Q. 84, 85
Points
- the 3 marks of the true church?
- Christian discipline
- 2 keys to Christian discipline
- Pastoral censure
- This is what people usually think of when they think of church discipline
- Faithfully keeping God's word
- We must not forget that this is a necessary and good part of discipline in the church.
- Pastoral censure
- the proper way to exercise Christian discipline
- "two or three witnesses":
- Principle: We should not simply stoop to he said, she said, hearsay, misinformation. Instead, when one makes an accusation against another, there ought to be multiple witnesses corroborating the accusation. This way we mitigate against man's sinful ability to make up false accusations.
- "two or three witnesses":
- God is a God of order:
- in employment:
- He tells employers how they ought to treat workers, and how workers ought to treat employers and fellow employees
- in the family:
- How parents ought to treat their children and vice versa
- in the Government:
- How rulers ought to treat citizens and vice versa
- The ruler's role is to punish evildoers.
- The goal is to keep alive the knowledge of God and fulfill the moral law of God.
- in the Church:
- God establishes offices: ministers, apostles, pastors, elders etc.
- God delegates some of his authority to ministers in the Church
- The role of leaders in the church is to be medicine and reform the believer.
- The goal is to maintain the purity and sanctification of the whole church.
- This is a more direct way than the civil govt.
- We rejoice and weep with our fellow believers in the church. It is a family of God's people.
- Discipline in the Church Must follow the order established by God in scripture:
- Matthew 18:15-20
- We should not bring our grievances directly to the church first. Instead we ought to confront our brother directly first in love (Galatians 6:1), faithfulness, and compassion. Under the authority of Christ and His Word. Matthew 18:15
- This should be done face to face. Not in a letter, or public gossip.
- We should be humble, Godly and show concern for our brother, as a friend, seeking their best welfare. Proverbs 27:6
- We should lovingly state "I'm not better or different from you."
- Case study: Isaiah 22:19: God charged Shebna because he was showing corrupt partiality. So God took Shebna's power and gave it to David's house.
- in employment:
- keys in the Bible:
- 2 big keys in the Church that open and shut the gates of Heaven
- the key of preaching
- This is primarily positive. It is discipline that instructs and exhorts.
- Preaching is God's key of authority, which opens and shuts the gates of Heaven.
- It is God's "thus says the LORD"
- It is also exclusionary, discriminatory:
- It separates the sheep from the goats.
- It corrects and reproves us. It separates sinners and hypocrites from the church.
- Matthew 18:18: "whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven."
- release on earth: the preacher proclaims that the sinner will be saved if they repent.
- bind on earth: the preacher proclaims that the sinner will remain damned if they refuse to repent.
- Preaching should allow a person to understand if they are or are not a true believer.
- the key of exercising of Church discipline :
- ⭐: ❓ If preaching does all these things, why then do we still need Church discipline? A: Because we live in a sinful, fallen world.
- But God wants to keep His Church pure.
- We are called not be conformed to this world. To be separated, holy. We ought to break from every known sin in our lives.
- ⭐ If you are struggling with addiction to sin, go to your minister and get help to turn to Christ.
- You cannot live with sin and prosper spiritually. You are destroying yourself.
- The Honor of God is at stake:
- If the Church is hypocritical, it reflects poorly on God
- Two problems that ought to be solved with Church discipline:
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- false heretical doctrine:
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- persistent unrepentant sinful lifestyle:
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- Church discipline is a blessing:
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- It aims for the restoration of the sinner. Healing
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- It brings glory to God.
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- But God wants to keep His Church pure.
- ⭐: ❓ If preaching does all these things, why then do we still need Church discipline? A: Because we live in a sinful, fallen world.
- the key of preaching
- 2 big keys in the Church that open and shut the gates of Heaven
- hypocrites in the church: appear to be righteous but it is just an act, a mask
- They do not:
- grieve of their sins, admit their wrongs
- repent and change their ways
- They do not:
Application
- ⭐ If you are struggling with addiction to sin, go to your minister and get help to turn to Christ.
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions
- Why do we need Church discipline? Why not just have preaching?
2024-12-08 Sermon Notes
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On this page
💡Big Idea
Takeaways and Next Steps
📖Bible Passage
See Also
Points
Application
Further Study
💬Discussion Questions