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The Walking Wounded
Bible Reference: 2 Cor. 2:5-11
Date: 11/15/2009
Introduction:
A. I must admit, there are times when I have disciplined my children appropriately. I admit that at times my discipline to them was out of my anger, embarrassment, or knee-jerk reaction to a situation. I have not been a perfect parent, but I don’t regret the discipline I have placed upon my children. Sometimes we use the phrase, “The punishment should fit the crime.” My response is, “Not always.” Sometimes I want my children to learn how deeply what they have done hurts, not only me, but can hurt them if they do not learn to control the desire or action that was wrong. Therefore, sometimes my discipline is greater than the offence. It is done as a teaching tool to help them realize that they don’t ever want to repeat that action again. Heb. 12:9-11. Did you hear the desired outcome of the discipline? I want to produce in my children a harvest of righteousness and peace. I want to see them as servants of God.
B. In the family, we understand the need for discipline. Some of you may view children today and wonder if the parents understand consistent and good discipline. More and more people, not just children, lack respect for other people, property or even themselves. Their behavior is selfish and self-centered.
C. At the same time, I want my children to know that I love them. I want them to talk to me, to share their feelings and struggles. I want to be able to guide them through some of the difficulties in life. If all they ever get from me is a heavy hand, they won’t turn to me for any type of counsel or advice. With each aspect of discipline must then come the showing of forgiveness as great as the showing of repentance.
D. As we study the text today, we are faced with three issues. Paul first addresses the fact that punishment is needed when a Christian has grieved the congregation. Second, we see that forgiveness is needed from the congregation so that the sinner will not be overcome by sorrow. Then last, Paul puts in a thought about Satan’s attacks and how we need to be aware of Satan’s schemes. So let’s address those three issues in our study.
I. Punishment for Sin
A. Some suggest that this situation here is in reference to the man Paul mentions in 1 Cor. 5 who was sleeping with his father’s wife and Paul told the church in Corinth to “hand the man over Satan” and at the end of the chapter says, “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
B. We say that church discipline is not practiced because it doesn’t work. Let me challenge that opinion. Why would the Holy Spirit guide the writers of God’s Word to teach something that would not work, except for the first 100 years? Is the problem that church discipline does not work, is the problem that congregations are not the family God has called them to be for it work correctly? Do I stop disciplining my children because they don’t like me? Do I stop guiding them, sometime overtly and firmly, simply because they voted as children to no longer have the rules the parents put in place?
C. The truth is, the Bible calls for discipline within the church family. Not only in 1 Cor. 5, with that sinful man, but Paul tells the Thessalonians, “If anyone does not obey our instructions in this letter, take special not of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.” To Titus he said, “Warn a divisive person once, then a second time, after that have nothing to do with him.” How often do we do these things?
D. Paul tells the church in Corinth that the punishment inflicted upon this person by the majority was sufficient. We should not be ruled as church by fear of what someone thinks about us, we should instead be ruled by loving a fellow Christian so much, we would willingly suffer our fellowship if that would lead a brother back to Jesus.
II. Forgiveness Needs To Be Public
A. Paul not only teaches about punishment, but he pushes the church to forgiveness. Paul calls upon them to forgive and comfort the one they have punished so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. The man should have sorrow, that is good. But I don’t want that person to be so lost in their sorrow, they don’t believe they can come home again. The Father in the story of the prodigal son, let his son go off and suffer, but when that child came home, the father welcomed him with open arms.
B. As pubic as the discipline has been, so should the forgiveness be. When a Christian acts in such a sinful manner as to force the body into some type of action, the body needs to be just as active in the restoration of that Christian when they repent.
C. Turn to Matt. 18 and let’s listen to Jesus, beginning with verse 15. Now watch this, look at verse 21. The response Jesus gives is seventy seven times! Peter was able to give a number this far greater than many of us. Forgiveness is not easy. If you have been hurt, wronged, or sinned against, what happens is a person has broken your trust. To forgive that person is difficult. It takes time to rebuild trust, but Jesus pushes us to forgive, because he understood both the hurt and the forgiveness.
D. The night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied Jesus three times. Earlier that night he was willing to die for Jesus. In the garden he was willing to fight for Jesus, but at the fire he denied Jesus. The third time, the Bible says, the rooster crowed and Jesus looked at Peter in the eyes. Peter sinned, and it hurt. He knew he was a sinner. He lost so much of himself that night. But a few weeks later, on a beach at breakfast, Jesus reinstated Peter. He didn’t just ask him, “Do you love me,” he also told to “feed my sheep, shepherd my lambs, tend my flock.” Peter was able to be lifted up by Jesus and take a place within the leadership again.
III. The Devil’s Schemes
A. The last thing Paul tells in our text is that he did not want Satan to “outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes.” Satan is good at outwitting Christians. You see, if we do the first part of this and discipline each other, he wants to keeps us from doing the second part, forgiving one another. He wants to see a Christian overwhelmed in sorrow. He wants to see a church divided over disciplinary actions. So how does Satan work?
B. He works on the sinner to just quit. It’s not worth it. No one is going to believe you have changed. He works on Christians to be unforgiving, unaccepting, and unwilling to restore the repentant. He works on churches to fight about issues, divide over things that are about us and style instead of about God and worship, and to cause some to think more highly of themselves than they ought, and other to think more lowly than they should.
Conclusion:
A. Gal. 6:1, “Brethren, if someone is caught in a sin, you are spiritual should restore him gently.” James 5:19, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
B. There are many people who are walking wounded. They have done what they know to repent, but that has not been good enough in the eyes of the people from whom they desire forgiveness. We have a choice. We can be like the older brother who was jealous, or we can be like the father who ran with open arms to welcome the young man back home. We can hate ourselves, and “want to go fishing” or we can eat breakfast with Jesus and be restored back into the fold. If you need to come home, today is the day to walk down that aisle, if you have harbored hatred in your heart for a brother, today is the day to offer forgiveness. If we can assist you in your spiritual needs, please come as we stand and sing.
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