The Fundamental Top 500

 June ArticleIseminger Family Ministries, April 2006

 

Discipline in the Local Church

Part Three:

 

In the two previous articles in this series we have covered the introduction to the study and the first two points- Principles of Discipline Defined and the Pattern and Basis for Discipline  .  This month we will continue right along with the third main point.

 

 

III. The Purposes of Church Discipline

 

A)   To Bring Glory to God and Enhance the Testimony of the Flock - Many churches today have a horrible testimony in the community, one of the big reasons is the fact that we no longer practice discipline on the membership of the church.  People can act however they want and do what ever they please and nothing in ever said about it.  No wander people like to throw up the excuse “I won’t go to church there, that church is full of hypocrites!” The sad thing is on many occasions they are exactly right

 

B) To Restore, Heal and Build up Sinning Believers

     1) Matthew 18:15 “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee

         and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

     2) II Thessalonians 3:14,15 “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no

         company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a

         brother.”

     3) Hebrews 12:10-13 “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our

         profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous,

         but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are

         exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight

         paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

     4) Galatians 6:1,2 “

 

C)   To Produce a Healthily Faith that is Sound in Doctrine “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that theymay be sound in the faith;” Titus 1:13

 

D)   To win a soul to Christ if the sinning person is only a professing Christian “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,

who are taken captive by him at his will.” II Timothy 2:24-26

 

 

E)    To Silence False Teachers and their influence on the Church “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.” Titus 1:10-11

 

F)     To Set an example for the rest of the body and promote Godly Fear. “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” I Timothy 5:20

 

G)   To Protect a church against the destructive consequences that occur when churches fail to carry out church discipline A Church that fails to exercise discipline experiences 4 losses:

·       Loss of Purity: Church discipline is vital to the purity of the local church and it is protection from moral decay and impure doctrinal influences. “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:” (I Corinthians 5:6,7)

·       Loss of Power Sin in a church will have the same effect as sin in an individual believer.  We can quench the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19) and grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).  The Holy Spirit is our power supply (Acts 1:8)  Read Joshua 7 and see the example of Achain

·       Loss of Progress A church that refuses to practice discipline will see its ministry decline “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:5  

·       Loss of Purpose One of the recurring judgments against the church today as demonstrated in various polls taken from across the country is the fact that there is no difference between the church and the world when it comes to attitudes, values, morals, and lifestyle.  We have lost our sense of purpose.

 

Watch next month for the conclusion of this series with the final two points the Practice of Church discipline and The Reasons for Church Discipline