I. THE PURPOSE OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE – BRINGING THEM BACK (Galatians 6:1) I hope we understand that discipline is not necessarily negative – at least does not necessarily lead to negative ends. Since none of us is perfect, we need reminders and mid-course corrections along the way. Discipline is corrective, but also directive, pointing us in the right way. In fact, even our studies together are a form of discipline. We say we believe in discipleship. Discipline is present there. As we accept the discipline of learning truth, we are being equipped to stand firm, rather than to be tossed around by every wind of doctrine and the foolish scheming of unscrupulous teachers who choose to give only what itching ears want to hear, and that, often only for their own gain. Of the many truths this passage teaches, I share two matters about the purpose of discipline as ultimately restoration.
A.It is a common thing to wander from the way. Surely this is not a revelation to us. The hymn writer was exactly on target when he wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” If it was not a common thing for us to wander for the truth and wander into the paths of unrighteousness, there would not be all of the challenges to take heed lest we fall, to resist temptation, to flee from evil, and so on a hundred times over. Like an immature child who is prone to wander into a busy street having no sense of the danger of the on-coming traffic, so we are prone to venture out into the unrestrained godlessness of this present world without fear. We are astonishingly naïve. Much of the ministry of the church is to equip, to feed and lead and to watch and warn – all matters of discipline – so that we will be les likely to wander from the way. But when this does happen, the body of Christ must be prepared to bring the wandering one back. Note James 5:19-20.
B.It is a spiritual thing to restore to the fellowship. When someone falls and lays bruised and bloodied by sin, our general response is to talk about it to others, perhaps pointing out the awfulness of the fall, but not being very willing or quick to make an effort to pick that one up. Again, remember that the goal is not to judge or write off or necessarily use as an example of what happens when we sin. Rather, it is to restore that person again. The word was used of setting a broken bone or putting back into place a dislocated limb. Gentleness is the character of the restoration. That does not mean that we excuse sin or tolerate its continuance. It does mean that we do not kick the person when he is down, but seek to help him up, all the while understanding our own weakness and propensity to fall.
 

II. THE PATTERN OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE - MAKING THINGS RIGHT (Selected passages) I intend only to read these texts and make some general comments. Perhaps another time we can look at these a little more in depth.
A.Hebrews 12:1-14 – It is a testimony of love. The AH draws his illustration from the discipline of a father in a family and compares and contrasts that with God’s discipline. The reason we discipline our kids is because we love our kids. We wouldn’t discipline them if we did not love them. Sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we discipline the wrong one, or we are too lenient or too harsh. The discipline often is painful, but it is designed to make the person better, to bear good fruit later on. God’s discipline is right and will produce the desired effect. But such discipline is often mediated through God’s people. Let’s consider the next text.
B.Matthew 18:15-17 – It is an orderly process. As a general principle, if someone offends us, sins against us, what are we to do? That is pretty simple, don’t you think? But what do we normally do? If we go to them and we get everything sorted out and restoration happens, the process is over. Forgiveness is extended and the offense is buried, and it is not to be dug up again! But if the person refuses, we bring two or three witnesses with us. This is mostly to prove the meeting and to bear witness to the response. Hopefully this added pressure of accountability will result in reconciliation. If so, the matter is done. But if there remains an unrepentant heart, the call is to “tell it to the church.” The benefits of the fellowship are no longer available and the person is treated as an unbeliever. Whenever the members of the fellowship see this individual, there is a call to repentance. So, this amounts to a consistent pressure and reminder to the offender to get right with God and others.
C.1 Corinthians 5:1-13 – It may involve drastic measures. This man was living with his father’s wife, something even the pagans in Corinth looked upon as perversion, and yet it is happening in the church without protest! Paul is livid! He calls for the man to be removed from their midst and even goes so far as to tell the Corinthian church to “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” If he is going to live for Satan, give him no other option and Satan will destroy him – but don’t treat him like a believer, even though he probably is! It would be better to be destroyed by Satan in this life and spared for eternity by God’s grace than to ignore the sin and lead others down the same path all the while smearing the name of Christ. What must not be done is to ignore the sin and treat it as if it did not exist! Paul was amazed that the people were not utterly ashamed and filled with grief, but instead they were proud – perhaps of their tolerance!
D.Galatians 6:1 – It is a spiritual matter. We have already considered this earlier.
E.2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 – It may lead to separation. Identity with Christ should lead to separation from the world. It certainly did in the early church. Unfortunately in our day, the church is more interested in assimilating the culture than in being sanctified to Jesus. Anyway, to be a Christian was to turn one’s back on the world, often on the family. To declare allegiance to Christ was to declare war on the world. If one persisted in sin and the church would withdraw fellowship from that one, it could be very lonely and frightening indeed to be in effect cut off from everyone. Here Paul is dealing with lazy busybodies. Paul tells the church to keep away from this one. The pressure of isolation may cause this man to reconcile with God and be restored to the body.
F.1 Timothy 1:20 – It may include severe consequences. In the context of holding on to the truth, Paul tells of a couple of people who had abandoned sound teaching. Similar to the language at Corinth, Paul says that he had handed them over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. There is an element of protection in the body. When that is removed, he who persists in sin opens himself up to the onslaughts of the evil one. People who nurse unresolved conflicts and withdraw from the local church open themselves up to the potential for great trouble. (Note also 2 John 9-11)
G.1 Timothy 5:19-20 – It will lead to godly fear. Elders and church leaders are among those who sometimes fail and fall. Anyone who gets irritated can make bogus charges against their leaders. It happens all the time. But if a charge is legitimate, confirmed by others as a clear violation of God’s Word and that leader refuses to repent, the rebuke is to be severe and public, reminding the church of the high standards of God and the necessity of godliness. Such a rebuke is designed to cause fear and result in obedient living. (Illustration of “Justin” in the district).
H.Titus 3:9-11 – It accents the value of unity. The church is people. God has called out certain of those people to lead the rest. The church belongs to God and has been entrusted to Godly men who are to lead and feed and watch over and warn the body. If the leaders go bad, there are provisions to remove them from leadership. Often there are people in the body who have as their personal agenda to stir up division. They bad-mouth the leaders and make every effort to make life miserable for them. Paul tells Titus to expect that. He also tells him what to do about it. God does not take the disruption of the unity of His church lightly. He calls for the church to “have nothing more to do” with this person. And he identifies this one as warped and sinful and self-condemned. (See also Romans 16:17-18). From these passages, Scripture seems to indicate that discipline must come to those who compromise the fidelity of doctrine, the purity of life or the unity of the fellowship. If discipline is absent, these things continue unchecked and nothing good can come of it.
 

III. THE PRACTICE OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE - KEEPING US HEALTHY (1 Corinthians 5 and selected) Beyond what has already been said, what good comes from church discipline?
A.For the good of the person disciplined (1 Cor. 5; Gal. 6:1). God will judge severely if necessary, but He has called us to restoration where possible. Discipline is not a demon chaperone just waiting for us to do something wrong so we can be beaten up. Rather it is a loving response of caring Christians who are committed to the glory of God being clearly seen in the local church, which belongs to Christ! Discipline protects us from present danger and makes us better equipped to continue to live for Christ.
B.For the good of other Christians as they see the danger of sin (1 Tim. 5:20). When God’s discipline comes on those who sin and fail to repent, it is a wake-up call to the rest of us who might be edging ever closer toward the same sinful pursuit. It is a fearful thing to be “handed over to Satan.” It is even a more fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
C.For the health of the church as a whole (1 Cor. 5). A local church that tolerates sin is like a body that allows cancer to continue to grow within. If not stopped, the cancer will consume the body. If sin is not dealt with in discipline, the whole body will be infected and ultimately destroyed. The church may continue to exist, but it will be in effect, dead (Laodicea).
D.For the appropriate corporate witness of the church (John 13:34-35; 1 Cor. 5:1). When the world looks at the church and sees no difference, or sees nothing but pretenders, people who say they are godly but live as though they were not, they write us off. That was true in Corinth. Is that true of us? But if we say we are serious about righteousness and that if our membership persists in unrepentant sin, we will deal with it, they will look up and take notice. This is a church that is serious about God and His righteousness.
E.For the glory of God as we reflect His holiness (Heb. 12; 1 Cor. 11). We are here to make Him known. We are not perfect, but we are a testimony of the wonder and glory of God that He would save us and change us and be at work in us to perfect us for His own glory. For us to practice sin says that our joy and satisfaction and delight are found in something other than in Him. He surely is not sufficient for all we need. Our needs are greater than God. We talk steak but we live mashed potatoes. It is time, as a church, that we got serious about godliness – serious enough to take the risk to discipline those who are unwilling to obey God.
 

Conclusion
1. Al Mohler writes, “God’s loving discipline of His people is His sovereign right and is completely in keeping with His moral character – His own holiness. His fatherly discipline also establishes the authority and pattern for discipline in the church. Correction is for the greater purpose of restoration and the even higher purpose of reflecting the holiness of God.”
2. (Gil Rugh (Lincoln, NE) “Discipline is never easy – not for those being disciplined nor for those administering it. But in God’s family, we are often called on to do what is right even though it may be difficult. As the writer of the book of Hebrews says, ‘All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness’ (Heb. 12:11). That fruit is the goal in all discipline – the righteous character of Christ produced in the life.”