BIBLICAL CHURCH DISCIPLINE

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BIBLICAL CHURCH DISCIPLINE
Pastoral Counseling Class Pastoral Seminar Class
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OPENING STATEMENTS

• In any healthy church, there are times when
  believers must have the courage and love to help
  one another live in obedience to the truth of
  Gods Word.
• This act of the church lovingly restoring and
  establishing its members in righteous living is
  commonly known both in scripture and in church
  history as church discipline.

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• This is necessary so that the reputation of
  Christ and His church is preserved, so that other
  believers will be discouraged from sinning, and
  so that sinning believers can be restored to
  fellowship with God.
• The ultimate goal of all church discipline is to
  restore an individual to a proper relationship
  with Christ.

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QUESTIONS

• What happens when covenant principles are
  violated by individual members of the church?
• How is public known sin in a members life dealt
  with?
• Is the sin in a members life to be ignored, or
  is there a proper way to deal with it?

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MORE QUESTIONS

• What attempts are made to watch over an erring
  believer to help him overcome his practice of
  sin?
• How should a church body respond to one of its
  own who has experienced failure in sin?

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BIBLICAL PASSAGES ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE

• Matthew 1815-17
• Romans 1617-18
• 1 Corinthians 51-131614
• 1 Corinthians 1128-32
• Galatians 61-3
• 1 Timothy 520
• 2 Timothy 224-26
• Hebrews 125-11

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THREE TYPES OF BIBLICAL DISCIPLINE OR CORRECTION

• Self Judgement
• Confrontation by other believer(s) singularly
  and corporately
• Correction by a Loving Heavenly Father

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TWO TRACKS OF RESPONSE IN CHURCH DISCIPLINE

• When the individual responds with confession and
  repentance
• When the individual responds with unrepentance

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FOUR MUST REASONS WHY BIBLICAL CHURCH
DISCIPLINE MUST BE PRACTICED

• So that sin is not glorified
• So that an unrepentant believer who is practicing
  known sin may be judged and restored
• So that sin not go unchecked, thus destroying the
  purity of the church
• So that believers learn not to mimic the
  lifestyle of a sinning brother

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HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

• Take a long look at yourself.
• Go with the purpose and expectation of restoring.
• Approach the person gently.
• Recognize that you are just as susceptible.

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FIVE STEPS TO FOLLOW WHEN PRACTICING BIBLICAL
CHURCH DISCIPLINE

• Step 1 Confront person privately
• Step 2 Return and confront with one or two
  witnesses.
• Step 3 Take the matter before the church.
• Step 4 The church confronts and calls for
  repentance.
• Step 5 Church decision to withdraw fellowship.

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THREE RESPONSESTO ACT UPON

• We are to hate sin and its consequences, but love
  the sinner
• We must completely forgive the one who asks for
  forgiveness
• We must be willing to be involved in restoring
  the repentant one