Shocking Despicable. Sin and Fornication. 1 Corinthians 5:1. Something, not even the Gentiles would approve! 1 Corinthians 5:1a

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1 Pastor s Wednesday Night Bible Study 1 Corinthians Members of Christ: The Body is Meant for the Lord 1 Corinthians 5-6 Pastor Darryl C. Dade Introduction Many churches have members who become involved in shameful sin. What should the church do when this happens? Ignore it? Pray about it and hope that God will take care of the issue? Or, take action and do everything possible to restore the person back to Christ? The Problem With Immorality In The Church (vv. 1-2) and Fornication 1 Corinthians 5:1 Sin and Fornication Shocking Despicable Shameful Disgusting The Problem With Immorality In The Church (vv. 1-2) Something, not even the Gentiles would approve! 1 Corinthians 5:1a The Problem With Immorality In The Church (vv. 1-2) A man was living with his father's wife 1 Corinthians 5:1b 1

2 The Problem With Immorality In The Church (vv. 1-2) The unbelievers of the world (Gentiles) do not approve of or accept incest. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 2

3 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 1 Corinthians 6:9 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 The Problem With Immorality In The Church (vv. 1-2) How The Corinthians Were Handling It 1 Corinthians 5:2 How the Corinthians were Handling It They were "puffed up". (2a) Rather than mourning that such conduct might result in the removal of the offender. (2b) (vv. 3-13) How To Administer Church Discipline 1 Corinthians 5:3-5a 3

4 How to Administer Church Discipline (vv.3-5a) 1. Must exercise judgment, as Paul did even though he wasn t present. (3) Leaders must be willing to make a decision based on true facts. Discipline must be given with one thought in mind: to restore the person back to wholeness in Christ. 1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1 How to Administer Church Discipline (vv.3-5a) 1. The offending brother was to be disciplined in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How to Administer Church Discipline (vv.3-5a) It is your Lord: who is being hurt and cut; His name, which you are damaging. that discipline must be carried out. who alone can use the discipline by the church to awaken the sinful man s conscience to repent and seek reconciliation with God. How to Administer Church Discipline (vv.3-5a) 2. The offending brother was to be disciplined by the church in a special gathering of the Elders of the church. How to Administer Church Discipline (vv.3-5a) 3.Critical Fact: the church was instructed to clean itself up first before it disciplined the brother. 4

5 6 Your boasting is not good. Don t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 5

6 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked person from among you. 4. The offending brother was to be disciplined through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was to be delivered to Satan: For the destruction of the flesh. That his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why Church Discipline Is Needed (vv. 5b-8) 1.To save the sinner. (5b) By destroying the flesh (its pride and works). That his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Why Church Discipline Is Needed (vv. 5b-8) 2. To save the church. (6-8) "A little leaven (yeast) leavens the whole lump. (6) Our "Passover", should be kept with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (communion). (7-8) Clarifications Concerning Church Discipline (vv. 9-13) 1. Not to be exercised toward those who are of the world. (9-10) 2. But towards brethren in Christ who remain in sin, with such don't even eat. (11) 6

7 Clarifications Concerning Church Discipline (vv. 9-13) 3. For God judges those outside the church, while we must judge those inside. (12-13a) 4. The nature of church discipline: put away from yourselves that wicked person (13b) 15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Matthew 18: But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Matthew 18: If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Matthew 18: Jesus said to his disciples: Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. Luke 17:1-3 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Luke 17:1-3 7

8 3 So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. Luke 17:1-3 1 Timothy 5:20 Taking Brethren to Court (vv.1-11) Paul s Rebuke of this Practice 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 Paul s Rebuke of this Practice (vv.1-6) 1. Never let your personal and spiritual problems be decided by the unrighteous? When the saints will one day judge the world. When the saints will one day judge angels. How much more should they be able to judge matters of this life! (3b) Paul s Rebuke of this Practice (vv.1-6) 1. More rebuke in the form of questions. (4-5) Do they seek the advice of those least esteemed by the church to judge? (4) Don't they have even one wise man among them who could serve as judge? (5) Paul s Rebuke of this Practice (vv.1-6) 3.The shame of it all: brethren suing each other before unbelievers! (6) 8

9 Concerning Lawsuits Between Brethren (vv.7-11) 1. It is bad enough that they had lawsuits to begin with! (7-8) It would be better to accept wrong and be defrauded! (7) But no, they found themselves doing wrong and defrauding their own brethren! (8) Concerning Lawsuits Between Brethren (vv.7-11) 2. A warning and a reminder. (9-11) The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. (9-10) They had been such, but had been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus and by the Spirit of God. (11) Glorifying God With Your Body (vv.12-20) The Body Is For The Lord 1 Corinthians 6:12-14 The Body Is For The Lord (vv.12-14) 1. What may be lawful may not be helpful, and should not overpower us. (12) 2. The stomach may need food, but that need is only temporary. (13a) 3. The body, which is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, will be raised up by the power of God. (13b-14) Glorifying God With Your Body (vv.12-20) Our Bodies Are To Be Members Of Christ, Not A Harlot 1 Corinthians 6:15-18 Our Bodies Are To Be Members Of Christ, Not A Harlot (vv ) 1. Shall we take the members of Christ and make them one with a harlot? (15-16) 2. No, for we are to be one in spirit with the Lord. (17) 9

10 Glorifying God With Your Body (vv.12-20) The Body Is The Temple Of The Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 The Body Is The Temple Of The Holy Spirit (vv ) 1. The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is from God, and is in it. (19a) 2. You are not your own, you were bought at a price. (19b-20a) 3. Therefore glory God in your body. (20b) 10