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April 29, 2012WELCOME!
WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE
We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel any pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.
FAMILY NEWS
POTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY. Next Sunday is the first Sunday in May, and we have our monthly potluck scheduled. Bring a dish and plan to stay and enjoy a meal together. We have a few business items that need to be discussed as well. They include:
- The ladies class
starting in June
- Our Bible study classes starting in June
- Roof work that is needed
- Driveway resurfacing that is needed
- The sign to go in front of the building
- Our Bible study classes starting in June
- Roof work that is needed
- Driveway resurfacing that is needed
- The sign to go in front of the building
PRAYER LIST. If you have someone who needs our prayers and encouragement, please give it to Karl or Julie Marcussen along with a mailing address and phone number. We cannot send cards and notes without addresses, so please include that.
THANKS. To everyone who stayed after Wednesday night and made Tim Clayton's birthday special. He was thrilled and somewhat flabbergasted that so many people sang to him, and he has had the cards read over and over. You were a special blessing to Tim and to the Clayton family.
TODAY'S
LESSON
INTRODUCTION
THE STRUGGLE WITH CHURCH DISCIPLINE
In our Wednesday night class we have been studying the Corinthian letters. There are many great lessons in these letters because what was happening in Corinth is what is happening in Dowagiac. What we hope is not happening in this congregation is what was going on in the church in Corinth. They had preacher worship to such an extent that people were attaching labels to their history as a Christian--"I am of Apollos, I am of Peter, I am of Paul," etc. One of the major issues the Corinthians faced was that gross immorality was present in a member (see 1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul's instructions were for the church to separate itself from this person to such an extent that they would not even eat with the person (see verse 11). The stated purpose of this action was to wake the person up and hopefully motivate him to return to God and give up the immorality that he was in. Second Corinthians 2:6-8 indicates that this worked.
How would we do something like that today? We have all heard the word "disfellowship"to indicate this process, but that word assumes that there was fellowship to begin with. It also assumes that the person wants the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ, and so many times people can simply run to another congregation or another church and be accepted. There have even been cases in modern times when someone who was disfellowshipped sued the church for slander when their sin was described verbally in public assembly.
Paul's chief complaint with the church in Corinth was that they made a joke out of the sin rather than being wounded by the action of this member of their body (see 1 Corinthians 5:2). We need to be pained when someone who is a member falls, but we need to distance ourselves from the sin. That means we cannot continue to give the appearance that we endorse the individual and the choices he has made. Paul says in verses 6-11 that endorsing sin causes us to be aligned with the sin, and he uses leavening in bread as the example. Sometimes members here fail. When that happens we need to love them, encourage them, talk with them, and urge them to change what they are doing. If they resist our efforts we have to put distance between ourselves and that person so the community does not believe we endorse his actions. As we grow numerically and as Satan works on us, this situation will develop. We must be ready and united as we face this challenge. Discipline can be a good thing, but it must be done biblically.
THE
THREE HARDEST WORDS TO SAY
INTRODUCTION
A. What
words do you have trouble saying?
___________________________________
B. "I have sinned" is right at the top.
HARD
BECAUSE IT ADMITS GUILT B. "I have sinned" is right at the top.
A. We tend
to blame others for our sins.
HARD
BECAUSE WE FACE JUSTICE 1.
Adam--Genesis 3:12
2. Eve--Genesis 3:13
B. We want to distance ourselves from the
problem. 2. Eve--Genesis 3:13
1.
Cain--Genesis 4:9
C. Admitting guilt makes us as bad as
everyone else 1. 1
Corinthians 5:1-2
2. Do we think sin is funny? Entertaining?
D. We like to believe that we are
innocent. 2. Do we think sin is funny? Entertaining?
1. Matthew
27:24--Pilate--Was he innocent?
A. Sin never
goes unpunished.
B. Galatians 6:7-8
E. 1 John 1 :8-10--Note this is an active process.
HARD
BECAUSE WE MUST ADMIT NEED B. Galatians 6:7-8
1. Most of
our problems are our own doing.
C. Cain in Genesis 4:13-15 1. Why was
his sin and punishment unbearable?
D. Proverbs 28:13--Why is this true? E. 1 John 1 :8-10--Note this is an active process.
A.
Revelation 3:14-17--Does this description
fit us?
B. Confession of sin shatters our image.
CAN YOU BE
PRICKED IN YOUR HEART? B. Confession of sin shatters our image.
1. 2
Samuel 12:2-13--David
2. Luke 18:9-14--Pharisee and the Publican
3. Admitting need means admitting we need help.
C. Admitting sin hurts--Acts 2:37. 2. Luke 18:9-14--Pharisee and the Publican
3. Admitting need means admitting we need help.
A. Why is it
so hard for us, especially men?
1. We
treasure independence.
2. Selfishness and self gratification are strong.
3. Humbling ourselves is hard.
B. Romans 6:6--Can you say "I have
sinned?"2. Selfishness and self gratification are strong.
3. Humbling ourselves is hard.
1. How
much do you care?
THE STRUGGLE WITH CHURCH DISCIPLINE
In our Wednesday night class we have been studying the Corinthian letters. There are many great lessons in these letters because what was happening in Corinth is what is happening in Dowagiac. What we hope is not happening in this congregation is what was going on in the church in Corinth. They had preacher worship to such an extent that people were attaching labels to their history as a Christian--"I am of Apollos, I am of Peter, I am of Paul," etc. One of the major issues the Corinthians faced was that gross immorality was present in a member (see 1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul's instructions were for the church to separate itself from this person to such an extent that they would not even eat with the person (see verse 11). The stated purpose of this action was to wake the person up and hopefully motivate him to return to God and give up the immorality that he was in. Second Corinthians 2:6-8 indicates that this worked.
How would we do something like that today? We have all heard the word "disfellowship"to indicate this process, but that word assumes that there was fellowship to begin with. It also assumes that the person wants the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ, and so many times people can simply run to another congregation or another church and be accepted. There have even been cases in modern times when someone who was disfellowshipped sued the church for slander when their sin was described verbally in public assembly.
Paul's chief complaint with the church in Corinth was that they made a joke out of the sin rather than being wounded by the action of this member of their body (see 1 Corinthians 5:2). We need to be pained when someone who is a member falls, but we need to distance ourselves from the sin. That means we cannot continue to give the appearance that we endorse the individual and the choices he has made. Paul says in verses 6-11 that endorsing sin causes us to be aligned with the sin, and he uses leavening in bread as the example. Sometimes members here fail. When that happens we need to love them, encourage them, talk with them, and urge them to change what they are doing. If they resist our efforts we have to put distance between ourselves and that person so the community does not believe we endorse his actions. As we grow numerically and as Satan works on us, this situation will develop. We must be ready and united as we face this challenge. Discipline can be a good thing, but it must be done biblically.