1Cor 5:1-5
Dealing with Sin inside the Church
The topic of the text (fornication) and of the sermon (dealing with
sin inside the church) are not pleasant ones; but it is necessary for
us to deal with them.
1. To my knowledge, we have no situations involving fornication.
2. To my knowledge, we have no on-going, rebellious sin IN the
church.
a. We may have unchurched people come in who are involved in
such behaviors but that is not IN the church.
b. Why do we let them come? We let them come with the hope
that will get saved.
1Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.
That actually makes this a good time to preach on the topics.
1. It is easier to keep sin out than to deal with it once it’s in.
2. It is easier to find out how to deal with something before you
are faced with it.
The church decides what kind of a church it will be. The church does
not get to decide the standards. God does that, but how we respond to
God’s standards will determine what kind of church we are. There are
only two kinds:
1. There is the Spirit-filled church that excommunicates sin.
2. There is the sin-filled church that excommunicates the Spirit.
I. \\#1-5\\ A problem was defined
A. \\#1\\ Known fornication was within the church of Corinth.
1. Fornication is a term which seems to mean any type of
sexual sin.
2. What was the fornication here?
a. In this case, it was adultery between a married woman
and a man to whom she was not married.
Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth
adultery with another man’s wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife,
the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely
be put to death.
b. In this case, it was an incestuous adultery between a
step-son and a step-mother.
Leviticus 18:8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife
shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s
nakedness.
c. \\#1\\ Paul made the comment that this type of
adultery was not even acceptable behavior among the
Gentiles; that is to say, among the godless; yet was
going on inside the church and the church knew about
it.
(1) I have often warned that Christians can commit any
sin a lost person can commit.
(2) \\#11\\ Paul gave this man at least the benefit of
a doubt that he was a Christian.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep
company, if any man that is called a brother be
a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or
a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one no not to eat.
(3) Christians should always be careful of putting
themselves on the pedestal of righteousness.
1Cor 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall.
B. \\#2\\ The church was not doing anything about this sin or the
sinners. There were two sins going on.
1. The first sin was a sin between the two individuals.
2. The second sin was the sin of the whole church.
a. The attitude of this church was to ignore the sin.
b. \\#2\\ In fact, it seems that they had somehow taken
pride in their approach for Paul says they "are puffed
up" which is an illustration of pride.
3. Paul’s approach was not to ignore sin.
a. Every situation is unique and must be dealt with
uniquely.
b. But two things are certain:
(1) No sin can ever be allowed to roost within the
fellowship of believers. (That is APATHY which
leads to APPROVAL.)
(2) No one guilty of sin should be blasted and cast
aside.
C. In today’s church, we have another problem.
1. Many in today’s church believe that it is wrong to condemn
sin.
2. They call that judging and being judgmental.
Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Lu 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance,
but judge righteous judgment.
3. Paul made a similar statement.
1Cor 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am
I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me
is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until
the Lord come, who both will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest
the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every
man have praise of God.
4. But Paul also said:
1Cor 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but
present in spirit, have judged already, as though
I were present, concerning him that hath so done
this deed,
5. So did Paul forget what he said in the last chapter? Does
he exempt himself from what he said in the last chapter?
Read on.
1Cor 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them
also that are without? do not ye judge them that
are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that
wicked person.
1Cor 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against
another, go to law before the unjust, and not
before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the
world? and if the world shall be judged by you,
are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how
much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining
to this life, set them to judge who are least
esteemed in the church.
6. Was Paul not saying, "You are the church! Judge this
matter! Deal with as God commands!"?
7. Either there is a big misunderstanding on what judging
means or we have a contradiction in the Bible. I think we
have a big misunderstanding on what the Bible means!
8. When the Bible commands us not to judge, it is telling us
to never judge anyone based on our standards.
a. However, it is never wrong to share read to someone
what God has judged on the issue.
b. Our problem is we spend too much time telling people
what we think and too little quoting to them what
God has already judged.
c. You do understand that God has already judged sin?
d. God is not going to decide. He had decided. The only
question is whether the sinner will put their sins
under the blood or not. If they do not, the judgment
of God will be carried out.
II. So what is the church to do with sin?
A. \\#2\\ The believers should mourn.
1. The word MOURN means to lament, to grieve over, to sorrow.
2. Neither apathy nor anger are the reactions God calls His
people to when a Christian sins.
3. What should we mourn over?
a. Mourn that a believer has fallen.
(1) The fallen believer is a life who has a soul and
a calling from an God almighty.
(2) I do not know all of the how’s or why’s in these
kinds of situations, but I do know….
(a) Life is already hard enough without such
failures.
(b) The soul was already burdened enough before
the fall.
(c) And those who were willing and able to serve
God are already few enough without losing
any more.
(3) Mourn because no matter how broken or how
stubborn, no matter how repentant or how
obstinate, no matter how many or how few know,
someone somewhere is going to going to have a
hurting heart.
b. Mourn that sin has been glorified.
(1) Whenever anyone chooses wrong over right, wrong
has been glorified.
(2) When a lost person chooses wrong over right, that
wrong gets a vote that no matter what happens, it
was worth it.
(3) When a saved person chooses wrong over right, that
vote is all the more pungent.
(4) It is a Christian saying, "I have tasted of
Christ and all that He has to offer, and it is
not as good as this sin."
(5) I have lived through the fall and disgrace of
several popular Christian personalities and I can
tell you that each disgrace tarnishes the message
we preach.
c. Mourn over Christ’s pain in our sin.
(1) Sin, no matter how personal it is to us, is always
first against God.
(2) As badly as we feel may betrayed and hurt when
someone sins against us, so the Godhead feels
betrayed and hurt with every sin that is
committed.
B. Along with mourning, a fallen believer must be confronted and
warned.
Matt 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.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two
or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the
church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man
and a publican.
1. The Bible is describing an attempt to restore a fallen
brother.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in
a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2. Restoration means to help the fallen see his/her sin and to
yield in repentance.
3. These attempts…
a. …are to be made in love, not in anger.
b. …no matter how successful the restoration, they do not
"undo" the consequences of sin.
C. If restoring is not successful, as was this case, Paul tell us
what to do next.
1Cor 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven…
1. \\#7\\ Purge out the sinful leaven.
a. \\#11\\ helps us to understand what he means.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep
company, if any man that is called a brother be
a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a
railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one no not to eat.
b. The members of the church should stop fellowshipping
with the unrepentant sinner.
(1) That means, as much as is possible, do not have
any fellowship with them.
(2) I would imagine this kind of judgment should start
small and rise to a final cord of separation.
(a) In the beginning, while there is hope of
repentance, they would probably still come
to church but the members would have no
private fellowship.
(b) At some point, if they will not repent, they
would actually be put out of the church
fellowship.
(c) That is the point where this man and woman
were at.
13. …Therefore put away from among yourselves
that wicked person.
2 Thessalonians 3:14 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.
1 Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
i. Anathema means cursed, put out.
ii. Maranatha is an exclamation of God’s
judgment. It means literally that
Jesus has come but the implication is
that Jesus has come to judge in this
matter.
(3) I say "imagine" because I have never seen a church
go forward with it. Fallen believers today
either quit going to church altogether or move to
another church.
c. This is not intended as a spiteful or hateful act.
(1) It is to demonstrate to the fallen believer that
their sin has separated them from Christ’s favor
and blessings.
(2) It is to demonstrate to others that the church
will not allow sinful behavior in their
fellowship.
d. When we have fellowship with those living in blatant
sin, we…
(1) …lend their sin approval.
(2) …lower the testimony of Christ to the world.
(3) …create a temptation to ourselves.
2. \\#5\\ At some point, the fallen believer is turned over to
Satan that their flesh might be destroyed.
1Cor 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
a. This is essentially saying that they are turned over to
death that the world might learn sin has a high price.
1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak
and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1 John 5:16 …There is a sin unto death: I do not
say that he shall pray for it.
b. This is not God taking away their salvation.
(1) \\#11\\ Paul indicated this person could be a
BROTHER.
(2) It is God taking away the gift of life if it is
abused.
(3) We understand that life has a maximum on it, but
you can shorten it.
The goal whenever sin comes into the church is always repentance and
restoration.
The church is not about anger, punishment, or retribution, although
it must stand as hard against sin as the sinner stands for it.
In the best of results, things seldom go back to what they were; but
the goal is to deal with sin in as direct and as quiet a manner as
possible.
My own practice has been to deal with private sins privately and with
public sins publicly.
I hope we always do so in love, remembering ourselves unless we be
tempted as well.
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