For the love of God – Part 5: Reflecting God’s Love in… Church Discipline

Part 5: Reflecting God’s Love in… Church Discipline

I once worked at a church in which there was a major sin being committed between multiple members. These sins were rebuked by the pastor behind closed doors but never made public or disciplined formally by the church. Even as a wet behind the ears youth pastor, I felt as if there was something wrong about how it was handled. Sadly, this lack of discipline is running rampant in churches across the world. Sins are either overlooked or the offenders are slapped on the wrist and told to “do better.”

In reading the New Testament, there seems to be no such thing as a church without discipline. This principle is taught by Jesus (Matt. 18:15-20) and is seemingly commonplace for New Testament churches, most clearly described in Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 5). Jesus and Paul both agreed that where there is church, there is discipline.

In his fantastic book, Christian Fellowship, John A. James lists five Biblical instances that require church discipline:

1. Scandalous vices and immoralities (1 Cor. 5:11-13).
2. Denial of Christian doctrine (Gal. 1:8, 1 Tim. 6:35).
3. Causing division (Tit. 3:10).
4. Failure to provide for near relatives (1 Tim. 5:8).
5. Unreconciled enmity (Matt. 18:7).

Of course, this list does not fully cover or typify the random issues pastors deal with. Many times there are areas that require personal discernment based on conscience. Regardless, discipline has an essential role in church affairs according to Scripture.

Let’s look at the two most particular ways that church discipline is an act of love between the church and its members.

To Keep the Body Pure

Paul makes it clear that any sin that occurs in the body of Christ can be devastating to the whole body (1 Cor. 5:6-8). Jesus came to die on the cross in order to save His people and present them as pure and without blemish (Eph. 5:27, Col. 1:22). How can His church be pure and beautiful, the way He designed it to be, if there is unrepentant sin being flaunted and unchallenged?

Simply put, the real problem is that church discipline is seen as hurtful instead of helpful. Christianity is often portrayed, and rightly so, as a faith of grace but widely ignored is the deserved wrath that believers are saved from. Perhaps the ignored and downplayed Final Judgment causes us to overlook the more minute judgments in the church is given authority to make as the representative of God’s Kingdom (Matt. 18:18, 1 Cor. 5:12).

To Return the Offender to Repentance

Paul is also very forthright in his belief that removal from the church is carried out in hopes that the person removed will realize the severity of their sin (1 Cor. 5:5). This act of “turning him over to Satan” gives the offender the opportunity to see what it is like outside of the grace and love of God’s assembly.

It is not loving to allow a brother or sister to wallow in their sins undisputed. As God judges those who sin against Him, He lovingly convicts His people through the Holy Spirit in order to produce mature fruit in us. Discipline in the church results in life within the body. As we are holy internally, we display holiness externally as a declaration of love to the world. There is no greater way to display God’s love than to radiate His very character for all the world to see. Some of the greatest stories of repentance and rejuvenation began with a person being held accountable for their actions.

Christians are largely seen as hypocritical and no different than society. One possible solution to this evangelism-wrecking persona is to glorify God’s justice while simultaneously bringing to light the destructive nature of unrepented sin. Consider yourselves challenged.

May we model God’s love both in grace and in justice.

For the Love of God – Part 4: Reflecting God’s Love in… Church Membership

Part 4: Reflecting God’s Love in… Church Membership

For most, church membership is a box to check off the proverbial church to-do list. It is a tradition, a felt obligation, or a way to meet people and get “plugged-in.” What if church membership is more? What if church membership is part of God’s design in manifesting His love through the church?

You see, church membership is not specifically listed in the New Testament by name but it is certainly implied in many ways:

1. Elders are given an office of authority to oversee the flock and are held accountable for their souls (Matt. 18:18-20, Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 3:5, Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:2-4).
2. Believers are seen as fellowshipping both at the temple (a designated place of worship) and in their homes (Acts 2:42-47).
3. Believers are to exercise gifts as individual members of one local body (1 Cor. 12).
4. There was a sinful person “among them” that was disciplined out of the group and the church carries out discipline and accountability (Matt. 18:15-20, 1 Cor. 5, 1 Cor, 6:15).

There are several other passages that could be added here, but this is a concise portrait of a group of people worshiping and living life together in a group setting. All through the Old Testament it is a major aspect of a believer’s life to go to the temple for worship and the New Testament consistently gives instruction to churches by letters written to them and their leaders.

The Kingdom of God

It is possibly a less “gray area” approach to church membership by saying that God’s work is done through the local church comprised of believers. Believers are adopted into God’s family (Rom. 8:15, Eph. 5:1) to receive His blessings (Eph. 1:14) and do His work (Eph. 2:10). Simply put, if we are God’s people then we are called to act like His people. This means that the life of a believer is now bound to advancing His Kingdom rather than the world. We are identified and called out (the Greek word ekklesia, meaning “assembly”) through our new lives in Christ. This call of God is a call of gracious love to His chosen people that should cause them to enact the same gracious love to the lost souls of the world.

Church membership is a covenant to God’s Kingdom work. Jesus specifically gives the keys to this Kingdom to His followers (Matt. 16:19) and tells them that this a blood covenant (Matt. 26:28). As with all divine covenants in Scripture, God establishes His Kingdom through these promises to His people. It is safe to assume that Paul and the other apostles were not mistaken in establishing local church gatherings everywhere they went. These gatherings, and still are, the perfect place to love one another and be loved by the leaders God has placed over you.

Without the church, there is no place for elders to teach and oversee or for believers to worship, fellowship, and provide accountability to one another on an organized and consistent basis. The question is not whether or not the church is important. The question is whether or not believers find it important enough to commit to.

___

Up Next: Part 5: Reflecting God’s Love in: Church Discipline

For the Love of God – Part 3: Reflecting God’s Love in… Community Engagement

Part 3: Reflecting God’s Love in… Community Engagement

There are numerous evangelistic models that are being used in the church today. Everything from inviting people to service by offering them entrance into a raffle for a free car (which I do not recommend) to encouraging members to invite friends to special events (which has some positives to it). Regardless of your style or combining of these methods, one thing cannot be forgotten: loving and showing Christ to the community was the paramount aim of the New Testament church.

The First Church

The first instance in which Scripture talks about gathered believers post-Resurrection is in Acts 2:42-47:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

This church did not only meet at the building of worship, they met in their homes. They lived life together. This was not a once a week social club, this was a lifestyle. They had several key distinctives:

1. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.
2. They devoted themselves to fellowship.
3. They devoted themselves to prayer (imagine that!).
4. They had all things in common (they shared all property and possessions).
5. They sold their belongings and gave to all who had need.
6. They attended the temple and their homes together daily.
7. They received food with glad hearts and praised God for it.
8. They had favor with all people.

Take a moment to ponder what it would be like for your church to live this list out regularly. Notice that verse 47 says that people were being saved daily – just by watching these people live their lives! There was no magic formula and no persuasive gimmicks; they simply loved God and loved others. I’m confident that it wasn’t easy to love every one that they came across, but the Gospel was more important to them. Christ is manifested through His church and lives can and will be transformed through His people. Let us remember this, though: The Gospel will need to be clearly voiced in order for your community to understand why you live this way.

Contextualizing without Compromising

It is vital to be aware of the context that your church is in. We can be effective in “fitting in” with our community while simultaneously “standing out” from it. For example, if your church is in an area that is 68% Hispanic, you want to intentionally reach them through Spanish ministries, culturally aware events, etc. If your church is in an 88% upper-class Caucasian neighborhood, your church should look much different. The point is, if you are trying to play an eight-track in a CD player, you’re not going to hear music anytime soon. One great lie of Satan is that we have to be so counter-cultural that we hide inside our buildings and wait for people to conform the image we want to project.

That said, it is even more vital to understand that God is sovereign and your efforts are not. You may attempt all the tricks and your church could still close. God’s Word is ageless and not culturally bound, therefore it can and must be preached the same everywhere. Paul provides a great example of this in Acts 17:22-34. Paul is sensitive and aware of the Athenians’ customs, but in the end he tells them that “the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of Heaven and Earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” Paul is clearly uncompromising on his presentation of God. Let there be no contextualizing that does not include the clear proclamation of the Gospel and the need for salvation.

Meeting Needs

In the end, your community should know that you exist and feel the weight of their need for the God you are preaching. The culture today wants answers more than anything else. There is a desperate need and thirst for truth and the church has to be the answer. Where the church fails, society will fail. If the church isn’t meeting needs, the world will find a place to have them met. If someone is hungry they may feel the need to steal food, so be the ones to provide it. If someone feels depressed and is suicidal, be the place of refuge through the reflection of hope in God. The list could on, but you get the point.

Remember that the New Testament is largely written to churches and/or their pastors and the apostles’ missionary expeditions typically ended with the establishment of a church. The church is the heartbeat of evangelistic discipleship.

Meditate on this question: If your church’s doors closed tomorrow, would your community notice?

___

Up Next: Part 4: Reflecting God’s Love in… Church Membership

For the Love of God – Part 2: Reflecting God’s Love in… Pastoral Leadership

Part 2: Reflecting God’s Love in… Pastoral Leadership

It is imperative to understand that there was no greater man than the God-man, Jesus Christ. I am aware that this should go without saying, but unfortunately many pastors spend more time attempting to mimic their favorite popular preacher than reading Jesus as revealed in Scripture. “Pastor” can be translated to “shepherd” and Jesus is, of course, the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20).

The truth is that if your ministry is built around an impersonation of another man, you are only fooling your people and yourself into thinking you are something that you’re not. Furthermore, being a charismatic speaker in your own right or excelling as budget-setter are not enough to see lives transformed. Your people need a pastor, not a hip motivational speaker. You must love them with the passionate love of God, doing everything in your power to show them the Gospel with nothing added to it.

Of course, at the end of the day pastors cannot do anything to save a soul, but they can preach and live Scripturally in hopes that God uses them. Our standard is fully laid out in Scripture through Jesus Christ and through the letters of His chosen apostle, Paul.

Jesus’ Example

There are several characteristics of Jesus Christ that encompass what it means to be a man of God. Here are three that I found to be of particular interest:

• Compassionate – Jesus not only felt compassion for the hurting (Matt. 14:14), but also felt compassion for unbelievers (Mark 6:34). It is crucial that we see the lost as souls in need of a Savior and nothing less. When dealing with unbelievers, also remember that we are saved by God’s grace and mercy, not by fear-mongering or intimidation.
• A Humble Servant – If anyone has the right to forgo humility, it’s the God of the Universe. But Jesus did not see it this way, going so far as to wash His disciples’ feet in order to set an example for them to follow (John 13:1-17). Not only this, but Jesus was willing to lower Himself in order to save others (Mark 15). The best leaders are not dictators; they lead by example and serve others.
• Defensive of God’s Name and Honor – Jesus was humble and compassionate, but He was not a choir boy. He did not allow His Father to be disrespected (Matt. 21:12-13). Notice in the aforementioned verse that Jesus’ confrontation did not scare people away, it drew people toward Him. Don’t be a jerk, but preach with conviction and people will believe in you enough to follow the One you’re heralding.

Paul’s Exhortation

Paul, the greatest church planter that the world will ever see, used many characteristics of Jesus and general attributes of mature faith as guidelines for elder qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:2-7:

“An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

Pretty self-explanatory, I’d say.

The Word is Enough

The Bible is the perfect, unblemished, inerrant Word of God. This is where pastors direly need to turn for answers to all questions relating to ministry. It is great that God has used men to grow churches, to preach the Gospel, and to impact the world for Christ. It should bring us joy to see God’s Kingdom work being done, but it should not breed a want for someone else’s God-ordained abilities. God’s love is unending, contagious, and powerful and Christ’s perfect reflection of this love should be our standard in church leadership. You cannot show love to someone more than by showing them Christ (1 John 4:9-10).

As Jared Wilson has so aptly put it, “Someone will always have better coffee, music, facilities, and speaking. Showcase Christ and His Gospel. No one can improve on that.”

___

Up Next: Part 3: Reflecting God’s Love in… Community Engagement

For the Love of God – Part 1: God’s Redemptive Love for the Church

Part 1: God’s Redemptive Love for the Church

History has an impeccable way of giving mankind a glimpse of what to expect in the future. As mankind experiences the thrill of a job well-done and the misery of a decision gone wrong, we find that history is the greatest teacher. Empirical knowledge allows us to go left instead of right, to vote yes instead of no, and to prepare for the worst. Any gray-haired veteran of life will take every opportunity to tell you, “Don’t do what I did.”

In the same way, Biblical history teaches us about ourselves, our condition, and our God. If there is a lesson to be learned or a false step to be taken, the pages of Scripture reveal the outcome and afford us the opportunity to attempt at avoiding disaster. Perhaps the most beautiful picture of this, to me, is God’s covenantal love for His Church. Above all else, the Bible is a sixty-six book love letter written to us from God revealing who He is in relation to who we are. That is, that He is infinitely holy, glorious, loving, and just. These attributes are played out over and over as He deals with those He calls His own. If we allow the knowledge of the history of God’s love to lead our churches forward, we may be able to position ourselves in a way to best affect our city, our country, and our world. After all, understanding God’s immutable attributes allows us to respond appropriately in every aspect of our lives.

In order to fully understand this concept, let’s take a walk through the pages of Scripture.

Genesis 12:2-3

 God appears to Abram, later Abraham, and makes a promise to him:

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, andin you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The Lord is making a covenant with Abraham and is essentially saying, “Everything that happened in the Garden is going to be fixed through you.” The Kingdom of God is coming, through a chosen people, to redeem mankind to the perfect shalom it was created for. Redemption is being set in motion.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

God makes another proclamation of covenantal promise to His people by referring to the original promise He made to Abraham and the patriarchs:

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set His love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations.”

The Lord is a faithful God, who keeps His promises and never lies (Titus 1:2). God chose to free Israel frombondage not because of any merit of their own (sound familiar?), but because He is a God who can do all things but one: lie. Redemption is given through freedom from slavery.

Matthew 16:15-18

Jesus, the in-the-flesh fulfillment of God’s promises, makes a vital declaration to His disciples:

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ^‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven.’And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.’”

First, remember that Jesus chose His disciples, not vice-versa. As His chosen disciples, they are heirs to God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. The Kingdom of God, a blessing to all nations, would continue to be established by the faith of God’s chosen people. Redemption will come through the incarnate God Himself.

Romans 5:8

Paul sums the fulfillment of Jesus’ Matthew 16 statement like this:

“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The covenant between God and Abraham is fulfilled once and for all in the death, burial, and resurrection of the awaited Messiah. Redemption has a name: Jesus Christ.

The Role of the Church

Of course, the Church is the body of God’s chosen people, but the local church is a centralized representative of this body. As God’s children saved by grace through faith, we reflect and bear the image of Jesus Christ, who reflected God perfectly in every way (Eph. 4:24, Col. 1:15).

As Jesus has given us the keys to His Kingdom, we are the torch-bearers of the fulfilled promise of Genesis 12. We are commanded to reach the nations with the Gospel, teaching everyone about this great salvation (Matt. 28:19). Do not be fooled, the Bible is about God. It is His Kingdom that is unfolding. He just loves us enough to prepare good works for us in the midst of it (Eph. 1:3-14).

The church is the cornerstone of God’s work in creation, as history has shown us, and this series will tackle what this reflection of divine love looks like missionally.

___

Up Next - Part 2: Reflecting God’s Love in… Pastoral Leadership