Confronting Sin: A Call to Church Restoration
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound responsibility of the church to address sin within its community, drawing from 1 Corinthians 5. We began by celebrating the success of our Operation Christmas Child initiative and our involvement in local community efforts, emphasizing the importance of being a light in the world. However, the focus shifted to the internal workings of the church, particularly how we handle sin among believers. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians serves as a stark reminder that even the early church, despite its proximity to the time of Jesus, was not immune to sin and imperfection. This should encourage us, as it highlights the ongoing struggle of believers to live in holiness.
Paul's message to the Corinthians was clear: the church must not ignore sin but confront it with love and truth. The specific issue addressed was sexual immorality, a sin that was not only present but celebrated within the Corinthian church. Paul admonished the church to mourn sin rather than boast about it, emphasizing that unchecked sin can spread like leaven through a community, corrupting its integrity and witness. The call to action was to judge sin within the church, not to condemn but to restore the sinner to a right relationship with God and the community.
The process of church discipline, as outlined by Paul, is not about punishment but about love and restoration. It involves confronting the sinner, calling for repentance, and, if necessary, removing them from the community to awaken their conscience and lead them back to Christ. This difficult but necessary action serves two purposes: it aims to save the sinner's soul and protect the church's purity and testimony.
In closing, we were reminded of the importance of struggling against sin, recognizing that the battle is ongoing for every believer. The church is called to be a place of healing and growth, where sin is taken seriously, and grace is abundantly offered. We are encouraged to be vigilant, not only in our personal lives but also in our communal life, ensuring that we reflect the holiness and love of Christ in all we do.
Key Takeaways:
1. Mourn Sin, Don't Celebrate It: The church is called to mourn sin rather than celebrate it. Sin should not be a source of pride or arrogance but a cause for repentance and humility. Recognizing sin's destructive power, we must approach it with a heart of mourning, seeking God's grace for transformation. [07:12]
2. Judge Sin Within the Church: The responsibility of judging sin lies within the church community, not outside it. This judgment is not about condemnation but about restoration and healing. By addressing sin openly and honestly, the church protects its integrity and helps individuals return to a right relationship with God. [12:53]
3. Purge Sin for Restoration and Integrity: Removing unrepentant sinners from the church is a difficult but necessary step for their restoration and the church's integrity. This act of discipline is motivated by love, aiming to awaken the sinner's conscience and protect the community from the spread of sin. [19:13]
4. Struggle Against Sin: Every believer is called to struggle against sin, recognizing that the battle is ongoing. The presence of struggle indicates a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction. A lack of struggle is a red flag, suggesting a need for repentance and renewed commitment to Christ. [27:06]
5. Community and Accountability: The church is a community where believers support one another in the struggle against sin. Accountability and fellowship are vital for spiritual growth and protection. By being honest about our struggles and seeking help, we can overcome sin and grow in holiness together. [34:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [03:54] - Introduction to Series
- [05:42] - Understanding Sin in the Church
- [07:12] - Mourn Sin, Don't Celebrate It
- [08:27] - Cultural Context of Corinth
- [09:20] - The Danger of Arrogance
- [10:15] - The Call to Judge Sin
- [11:22] - The Seriousness of Sin
- [12:53] - The Process of Church Discipline
- [14:59] - Growth Amidst Truth
- [17:27] - The Importance of Addressing Sin
- [18:09] - Judging Within the Church
- [19:13] - Purge Sin for Restoration
- [22:24] - Protecting Church Integrity
- [23:52] - The Symbolism of Leaven
- [25:04] - Hidden vs. Public Sin
- [27:06] - The Struggle Against Sin
- [28:47] - Public Confrontation of Sin
- [30:15] - The Warning Against Association
- [31:26] - Fellowship and Communion
- [34:50] - Community Support and Accountability
- [36:18] - The Story of Billy Sunday
- [38:43] - Conclusion and Call to Action
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- 1 Corinthians 5:1-13
- Matthew 18:15-17
- Romans 7:21-25
#### Observation Questions
1. What specific sin was being tolerated in the Corinthian church, and how did Paul instruct them to address it? [07:12]
2. How does Paul describe the effect of unchecked sin within the church community? [12:53]
3. What is the purpose of removing an unrepentant sinner from the church, according to Paul? [19:13]
4. How does Paul differentiate between judging those inside the church and those outside? [18:09]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize mourning sin rather than celebrating it, and how does this reflect the church's responsibility towards holiness? [07:12]
2. In what ways does the metaphor of leaven illustrate the impact of sin within a church community? [22:24]
3. How does the process of church discipline aim to restore the sinner, and what does this reveal about the nature of love and accountability in the church? [19:13]
4. What does Paul's instruction to not associate with certain individuals within the church suggest about the importance of community integrity? [31:26]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you witnessed sin being ignored or celebrated in a church setting. How did it affect the community, and what could have been done differently? [12:53]
2. How can you personally contribute to a culture of accountability and grace within your church community? What steps can you take to address sin lovingly and truthfully? [19:13]
3. Consider your own life: Is there a sin you are struggling with that you need to bring into the light for healing and restoration? What support do you need from your church community? [27:06]
4. How can you ensure that your actions and attitudes reflect the holiness and love of Christ, both in your personal life and within your church community? [18:09]
5. In what ways can you support others in their struggle against sin, offering both accountability and grace? How can you be a source of encouragement and growth for fellow believers? [34:50]
6. How do you balance the call to judge sin within the church with the need to show love and compassion to those who are struggling? [31:26]
7. Identify one area in your life where you need to be more vigilant against sin. What practical steps can you take this week to address it and seek God's grace for transformation? [27:06]
Devotional
Day 1: Mourning Sin as a Path to Transformation
The church is called to mourn sin rather than celebrate it. Sin should not be a source of pride or arrogance but a cause for repentance and humility. Recognizing sin's destructive power, we must approach it with a heart of mourning, seeking God's grace for transformation. The Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthian church to mourn over sin, emphasizing that unchecked sin can spread like leaven through a community, corrupting its integrity and witness. This mourning is not about wallowing in guilt but about acknowledging the seriousness of sin and turning to God for forgiveness and change. [07:12]
Ezekiel 18:30-31 (ESV): "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?"
Reflection: Is there a sin in your life that you have been ignoring or downplaying? How can you begin to mourn over it and seek God's grace for transformation today?
Day 2: Judging Sin with Love and Truth
The responsibility of judging sin lies within the church community, not outside it. This judgment is not about condemnation but about restoration and healing. By addressing sin openly and honestly, the church protects its integrity and helps individuals return to a right relationship with God. The process involves confronting the sinner with love and truth, calling for repentance, and, if necessary, taking steps to restore them to the community. This approach ensures that the church remains a place of healing and growth, where sin is taken seriously, and grace is abundantly offered. [12:53]
Galatians 6:1-2 (ESV): "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Reflection: Think of a situation where you have witnessed sin within your community. How can you approach this situation with love and truth, seeking restoration rather than condemnation?
Day 3: Purging Sin for Restoration and Integrity
Removing unrepentant sinners from the church is a difficult but necessary step for their restoration and the church's integrity. This act of discipline is motivated by love, aiming to awaken the sinner's conscience and protect the community from the spread of sin. The goal is not to punish but to restore the individual to a right relationship with God and the community. This process serves to maintain the church's purity and testimony, ensuring that it remains a light in the world. [19:13]
1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (ESV): "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life or community where sin is being tolerated? How can you take steps to address it in a way that seeks restoration and maintains integrity?
Day 4: The Ongoing Struggle Against Sin
Every believer is called to struggle against sin, recognizing that the battle is ongoing. The presence of struggle indicates a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction. A lack of struggle is a red flag, suggesting a need for repentance and renewed commitment to Christ. This struggle is not a sign of failure but of growth, as it shows a desire to live in holiness and align one's life with God's will. The church is called to support one another in this struggle, providing accountability and encouragement. [27:06]
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself struggling with sin? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you in this struggle today?
Day 5: Community and Accountability in the Church
The church is a community where believers support one another in the struggle against sin. Accountability and fellowship are vital for spiritual growth and protection. By being honest about our struggles and seeking help, we can overcome sin and grow in holiness together. This communal aspect of the church ensures that no one is alone in their journey, and everyone has the support they need to live a life that reflects the holiness and love of Christ. [34:50]
James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Reflection: Who in your church community can you turn to for accountability and support in your spiritual journey? How can you take a step towards building or strengthening this relationship today?
Quotes
1. "We are in a series here at Village called Firing on All Cylinders, and we're talking about the operation of the Operation Christmas Child. We're talking about the church operating as God intended it to operate. And we learned in this letter from the Apostle Paul to the church that he started in Corinth that the world considers the cross of Jesus Christ to be foolishness, but we consider it to be the power of God for our salvation. And so there's an initial difference between the world and the church." [00:01:22] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "And we might be tempted to think that the early church, man, it would be great to be part of that church. I read in the book of Acts that God's doing miraculous things. People are being healed. People are coming to faith in Jesus Christ by the thousands. Churches are starting all over Rome, or Jerusalem, and then Rome, and then moving all over the world. What an exciting place to be a part of it. It was so close to the time of Jesus. Jesus was just there like, last year, right? And he rose from the dead. Now the church is starting, and that's got to be a fantastic church, an awesome church." [00:02:33] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And this is going to be a word to us as a church. It's going to be speaking about a specific sin, but we're not going to address that sin on a personal level. That comes in chapter 6. This is a corporate level. This is how the church is dealing with this sin in its ranks, in the house. And the question that the Apostle Paul is going to seek to answer is this, how should the church deal with sin in the body?" [00:04:17] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven, that you may be a new leaven. And if you are not a new lump, as you are really unleavened for Christ. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, let us therefore celebrate the festival not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." [00:05:42] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Let's start here. First, we as a church are to mourn sin, not celebrate it. Back to verse 1, it's reported that there is sexual immorality among you. Sexual immorality in the Koine Greek, which is written, is the word pornea. It's what we get our word pornography from or pornographic. It is referring to any sex outside of the bonds of marriage. The Bible, God's word, is totally clear when it comes to human sexuality. There's no questions about it. Sex is designed for marriage between a man and a woman. All other sex outside of this is outside of the plan of God." [00:07:03] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "And so they had this in their culture, in the church, I should say. It's in the church. And? Look at verse two. And you're arrogant. Ought you not to mourn? So they were arrogant about it. They didn't care about it. They were fine with it. And they should be mourning it, but no, they're celebrating the sin by allowing this man to be an active part of the church. And by the way that it's written, she probably wasn't a believer. She wasn't addressed. She's not part of the church, but this man was. Maybe he was a leader." [00:11:11] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "And yet this is a serious sin that they have not only swept under the rug, they're proud about. Now, I could go through, and I have done this before, show you videos of other churches and other situations where people are celebrating sin. It's a common thing. And I want to be, as Paul has instructed, part of a church that calls out sin. Not in a way that's unloving. No, not at all. We're going to talk about that in a minute. But we want to call sin what it is, sin. And we want to be real about it. And we don't want to celebrate it. We want to struggle against it." [00:12:59] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "If there's public sin that's happening, it's easier just to ignore it and look the other way. I mean, it's a hard conversation. It's a hard situation. And my grandpa Lombardo, he lived until he was 88 years old, and he was always in good health. He was born here, but his parents came from Sicily. But he was born here, and he was raised as an Italian -American, and he ate good food, but he ate pasta, he ate all that stuff like that, and he was in great health. And we always ask grandpa, well, how are you so healthy? Oh, he also smoked since he was 18. He was like eight years old. But he moved to a pipe. Grandma forced him to move to the pipe later on in life. So when I smell a pipe, I just love the smell because it reminds me of my grandpa. But what's the key to your health, grandpa? And he said, well, I never go to the doctor because I'm afraid they're going to find something." [00:16:02] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "You deliver him to the domain of the devil. The domain of the devil is outside of the church. It's the world. He doesn't get to stay inside God's people and the protection that it provides and the community that it provides and the help that it provides, the presence of God who is here. He doesn't get to enjoy that any longer. He doesn't get to be part of that. He's got to suffer the consequences of his own sinful actions and he gets put out of the church. But the goal is restoration. The goal is to help him. The goal is to destroy his flesh. The flesh is not his physical body. The flesh is the part that we all have that struggles with sin." [00:19:43] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Billy Sunday said this quote, and I love it. He says this, one reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake. We at Village Bible Church want to be serious about our sin, to be honest about it, to deal with it, to know that it's dangerous. Not just to laugh it off as just something that's going to be forgiven anyway, but to be serious about our walk with Christ." [00:38:31] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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