WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.640 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:05.740 leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:09.179 but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and 00:00:09.179 --> 00:00:13.580 truth. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep 00:00:13.580 --> 00:00:16.960 company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:19.239 did not mean with the sexually immoral people 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:23.399 of the world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:26.739 or idolaters, since then you would need to go 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:29.929 out of the world. But now... I have written to 00:00:29.929 --> 00:00:34.030 you not to keep company with anyone named a brother 00:00:34.030 --> 00:00:39.210 who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater 00:00:39.210 --> 00:00:44.310 or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, 00:00:44.350 --> 00:00:48.630 not even to eat with such a person. For what 00:00:48.630 --> 00:00:51.170 have I to do with judging those also who are 00:00:51.170 --> 00:00:54.450 outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 00:00:54.750 --> 00:00:59.420 But those who are outside, God judges. Put away 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:04.280 from yourselves the evil person. The necessity 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:08.319 of church discipline. Let us bow before the Lord 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:11.140 and ask for His blessing on this. Father, we 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:14.519 come to this passage today and truly this is 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:17.260 a passage, Lord, that is moving and stirring. 00:01:17.420 --> 00:01:21.500 It is also, Lord, one that is sobering. And so 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:24.319 as we read it today, let us be filled with the 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:27.420 Spirit in our understanding of it. that we might 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:30.019 apply it properly. And through it all, Lord, 00:01:30.099 --> 00:01:33.400 I pray that you would put a zealous desire in 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:37.040 each one of us to walk with you and to be faithful. 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:40.379 We pray, Lord, for the anointing and the power 00:01:40.379 --> 00:01:43.519 of the Holy Spirit on each one of us, Lord, that 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:45.700 we might understand your word and that we might 00:01:45.700 --> 00:01:48.920 have the power to live it out and to be faithful. 00:01:49.340 --> 00:01:56.739 Lord, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. As I 00:01:56.739 --> 00:01:59.420 have already mentioned, today is the celebration 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:02.560 of the day of Pentecost, the time in history 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.780 after the ascension of Christ, when the Holy 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:10.960 Spirit was sent in power to the 120 disciples 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:15.250 in the upper room in Jerusalem. Now this had 00:02:15.250 --> 00:02:18.509 been prophesied in the book of Joel and alluded 00:02:18.509 --> 00:02:21.689 to also in other Old Testament scriptures. And 00:02:21.689 --> 00:02:25.650 thus the promise of Jesus was fulfilled. As he 00:02:25.650 --> 00:02:30.330 told them, you shall receive power when the Holy 00:02:30.330 --> 00:02:34.750 Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses 00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:39.849 to me in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and 00:02:39.849 --> 00:02:43.719 to the end of the earth. Acts 1 and verse 8. 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:47.639 We continue today to enjoy the blessings of the 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:52.719 Holy Spirit in Christ's church, as has the church 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.060 throughout the ages since the day of Pentecost. 00:02:57.740 --> 00:03:01.919 Now, Jesus said in John chapter 16, verse 8 and 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:05.460 9, that when the Spirit would come, that is the 00:03:05.460 --> 00:03:12.180 helper, he will convict the world of sin. and 00:03:12.180 --> 00:03:16.659 of righteousness and of judgment again in john 00:03:16.659 --> 00:03:22.099 16 verse 13 and 14 he says however when he the 00:03:22.099 --> 00:03:25.620 spirit of truth has come he will guide you into 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:28.780 all truth for he will not speak on his own authority 00:03:28.780 --> 00:03:31.780 but whatever he hears he will speak and he will 00:03:31.780 --> 00:03:35.580 tell you things to come he will glorify me for 00:03:35.580 --> 00:03:38.120 he will take of what is mine and declare it to 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:42.120 you We are inheritors of these great promises 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:48.400 and of the apostles' doctrine. When as they heard 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:52.939 the word of God and was revealed to them, they 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:56.419 then wrote it down that we have the complete 00:03:56.419 --> 00:04:01.400 canon of scripture today. We are inheritors of 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:04.360 these promises. We experience the work of the 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:08.030 Holy Spirit. On an ongoing basis. But we also 00:04:08.030 --> 00:04:11.379 see more of the work of the Holy Spirit. As the 00:04:11.379 --> 00:04:14.939 apostles Paul and Peter describe it. 1st Paul 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:18.560 in Titus chapter 3 verse 4 and 5. But when the 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:21.060 kindness and the love of God our Savior toward 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:24.439 man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:27.920 we have done. But according to his mercy he saved 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:31.500 us. How? Through the washing of regeneration 00:04:31.500 --> 00:04:38.040 and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Peter writes 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:40.540 to the elect among the dispersed that they are 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:43.800 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:49.660 Father in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience 00:04:49.660 --> 00:04:52.240 and sprinkling of the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:56.139 1 verse 2. And perhaps most importantly given 00:04:56.139 --> 00:04:59.399 the context of the Corinthian church, Paul describes 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:03.149 their former state. in living in unrighteousness 00:05:03.149 --> 00:05:05.689 and abundance of sin. And he says in chapter 00:05:05.689 --> 00:05:09.470 6, verse 11 of 1 Corinthians, And such were some 00:05:09.470 --> 00:05:14.209 of you, but you are washed, but you were sanctified, 00:05:14.449 --> 00:05:16.949 but you were justified in the name of the Lord 00:05:16.949 --> 00:05:23.470 Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. By these 00:05:23.470 --> 00:05:26.350 scriptures, we see the importance of the work 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:29.730 of the third person of the Holy Trinity. That 00:05:29.730 --> 00:05:33.389 is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of 00:05:33.389 --> 00:05:37.350 sin and of righteousness and of judgment. And 00:05:37.350 --> 00:05:41.189 he is also a great helper to the people of God 00:05:41.189 --> 00:05:45.550 in freeing them from the bondages of sin. In 00:05:45.550 --> 00:05:48.689 each of these, notice the aspects of cleansing 00:05:48.689 --> 00:05:52.370 and sanctification. When the Holy Spirit comes, 00:05:52.670 --> 00:05:56.129 He reveals sin and corruption and filthiness 00:05:56.129 --> 00:05:59.889 and wickedness, and He brings deliverance from 00:05:59.889 --> 00:06:03.449 their ongoing power over Christian believers. 00:06:03.970 --> 00:06:08.730 But, as we saw two weeks ago, the church at Corinth 00:06:08.730 --> 00:06:13.519 was grieving the Spirit of God. They were lazy 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:17.879 and careless in dealing with habitual and ongoing 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:21.379 sin in the life of the church. First of all, 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:24.339 in their own pride and contentions and divisions 00:06:24.339 --> 00:06:29.019 and reliance on human wisdom, but also in the 00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:32.720 toleration and acceptance of sexual immorality 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:37.879 and incest within the church body. As one of 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:41.500 the members of the congregation had His father's 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:44.959 wife. In that sermon, I outlined the procedure 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.939 that is given in verses 4 and 5. That is for 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:51.000 his own good. And with the design and hope of 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.740 restoration and salvation, this person was to 00:06:54.740 --> 00:06:58.759 be handed over. He was to be delivered to Satan 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:02.899 for the destruction of the flesh. so that his 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:05.740 spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord 00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:09.259 Jesus. We also reviewed Jesus' instructions in 00:07:09.259 --> 00:07:12.439 Matthew 18, as well as other scriptures. This 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.879 is a procedure that is called, or that we call, 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:19.300 excommunication. The removal of a person from 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:22.740 the body of believers and a withholding from 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:25.819 the Lord's table and from Christian fellowship. 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.759 In the passage today, we will see that Paul gives 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.779 this procedure not only, though, for the sake 00:07:32.779 --> 00:07:34.720 of the individual and a hopeful restoration, 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:41.180 but also for the sake of the congregation. For 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:44.839 the sake of the congregation. When open sin of 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.300 this nature is tolerated and accepted within 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:49.699 the church, within the body of Christ, there 00:07:49.699 --> 00:07:55.329 are very bad effects. It contaminates. In this 00:07:55.329 --> 00:07:59.290 passage, Paul instructs them as to why this is 00:07:59.290 --> 00:08:02.370 a problem and how this affects the church. In 00:08:02.370 --> 00:08:05.949 verses 6 -8, he then calls for separation from 00:08:05.949 --> 00:08:08.970 immoral and unfaithful believers. In verses 9 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:11.889 -11, and then he shows the scope and the sphere 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:15.089 of this severe mercy. Calling for judgment to 00:08:15.089 --> 00:08:19.069 be made within the church in verse 12 and 13. 00:08:19.610 --> 00:08:22.509 We plan to look and cover all of these today. 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:28.459 The first point is when toleration is not a virtue. 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:31.740 Verses 6 through 8. He says your glorying is 00:08:31.740 --> 00:08:34.320 not good. Do you not know that a little leaven 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.139 leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the 00:08:37.139 --> 00:08:39.779 old leaven that you may be a new lump since you 00:08:39.779 --> 00:08:43.960 are truly unleavened. For indeed Christ our Passover 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.259 was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep 00:08:47.259 --> 00:08:49.899 the feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven 00:08:49.899 --> 00:08:53.070 of malice and wickedness. but with the unleavened 00:08:53.070 --> 00:08:57.629 bread of sincerity and truth. He begins with 00:08:57.629 --> 00:09:01.919 your glorying is not good. Earlier he said that 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:04.659 they should have been mourning in light of this 00:09:04.659 --> 00:09:07.679 fact. But instead of mourning over the sin, they 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:11.340 were glorying and boasting in their current condition. 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:14.940 As though they were a healthy and a strong church. 00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:19.639 One that was eminent in purity and piety. They 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:22.759 thought their tolerance of this was glorifying 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:25.419 to Christ and was a mark of their superiority. 00:09:27.529 --> 00:09:30.210 And in their pride and in their self -conceit, 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:33.110 they failed to consider the basic facts of sin 00:09:33.110 --> 00:09:37.710 and evil and how this toleration affected the 00:09:37.710 --> 00:09:41.850 body of Christ. Not only the individual, but 00:09:41.850 --> 00:09:46.409 the body of believers. This was not a virtue, 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:50.350 but it was rather a self -replicating virus and 00:09:50.350 --> 00:09:55.110 it would infect the whole body. This was a need 00:09:55.110 --> 00:09:59.309 for a surgical operation and not a celebration. 00:10:00.049 --> 00:10:02.789 Now Paul illustrates this with the example of 00:10:02.789 --> 00:10:05.830 leaven. Now often we use the word leaven, we 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:07.990 think that just means yeast, but leaven actually 00:10:07.990 --> 00:10:10.350 carries with it more the idea of fermentation. 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:15.000 fermentation so by leaving this this leaven in 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.139 there it would ferment it would spread to others 00:10:18.139 --> 00:10:20.700 and in that sense it's also like yeast it you 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:22.779 know it spreads throughout the whole loaf as 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:27.460 yeast also does But we also think of maybe sourdough 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:30.259 bread, which is probably a little bit more close 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:32.799 to the direct meaning here, where you take a 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:34.879 small bit from the prior loaf and you put it 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.340 in, and then that same fermentation process takes 00:10:37.340 --> 00:10:41.600 place throughout the whole new loaf. And so also 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.039 did this. And so Paul says, don't you know that 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:48.419 a little leaven leavens the whole lump? In those 00:10:48.419 --> 00:10:52.220 days, they of course did not use granulated yeast 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:55.220 to make bread, but they took some of the old 00:10:55.220 --> 00:10:57.679 dough, put it in the new batch, which contained 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.360 the leaven that would then go through the whole 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:02.970 lump of dough. The acceptance and the toleration 00:11:02.970 --> 00:11:05.789 of sexual sin and the other sins listed in verse 00:11:05.789 --> 00:11:11.149 11 do not remain simply in the life of the individual. 00:11:11.389 --> 00:11:14.110 This is the point that Paul is going to drive 00:11:14.110 --> 00:11:19.370 home strongly in this passage. They have a corporate 00:11:19.370 --> 00:11:23.970 effect of defiling the body. They corrupt others. 00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:29.250 Sexually immoral conduct involves others. Covetousness 00:11:29.250 --> 00:11:32.669 leads to greed and theft and adultery and many 00:11:32.669 --> 00:11:36.570 other sins. Idolatry brings false worship into 00:11:36.570 --> 00:11:40.549 the body and others are led to that false worship. 00:11:40.769 --> 00:11:44.909 And besides, idolatry nearly always involves 00:11:44.909 --> 00:11:49.320 sexual immorality. reviling denigrates other 00:11:49.320 --> 00:11:52.580 believers and brings disunity into the body creating 00:11:52.580 --> 00:11:56.139 unrest and disarray and contention drunkenness 00:11:56.139 --> 00:11:59.820 is a loss of self -control leading to many other 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:04.100 sins again often including sexual immorality 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:09.059 extortion includes greed and theft harming others 00:12:09.059 --> 00:12:14.179 through the actions all of these sins do not 00:12:14.179 --> 00:12:18.649 just affect you as a person but it brings harm 00:12:18.649 --> 00:12:23.129 to others. This is the power of corruption and 00:12:23.129 --> 00:12:27.649 infection left unchecked. Therefore, the apostle 00:12:27.649 --> 00:12:32.149 gives a strong command and an imperative. Because 00:12:32.149 --> 00:12:34.990 a little leaven leavens the whole lump, he says, 00:12:35.149 --> 00:12:38.250 therefore, kind of in all capitals, purge out 00:12:38.250 --> 00:12:42.629 the old leaven. This is portrayed in the feast 00:12:42.629 --> 00:12:46.070 of the Passover in which all leaven was to be 00:12:46.070 --> 00:12:48.990 removed. from their living quarters. Exodus 12 00:12:48.990 --> 00:12:51.889 verse 15. Seven days you shall eat unleavened 00:12:51.889 --> 00:12:54.730 bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven 00:12:54.730 --> 00:12:58.169 from your houses for whoever eats leavened bread 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:00.690 from that day until the seventh day that person 00:13:00.690 --> 00:13:03.629 shall be cut off from Israel. For seven days 00:13:03.629 --> 00:13:06.370 no leaven shall be found in your houses since 00:13:06.370 --> 00:13:08.929 whoever eats what is leavened the same person 00:13:08.929 --> 00:13:12.429 shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel 00:13:12.429 --> 00:13:15.529 whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 00:13:15.649 --> 00:13:19.789 Exodus. 12 verse 15 and 19 paul continues in 00:13:19.789 --> 00:13:22.909 the same metaphor he says there to be a new lump 00:13:22.909 --> 00:13:27.330 of dough or a new lump he says which we think 00:13:27.330 --> 00:13:31.649 of the lump of dough since they truly are unleavened 00:13:31.649 --> 00:13:35.370 and so in this despite their toleration of the 00:13:35.370 --> 00:13:40.230 sin positionally in christ they are still unleavened 00:13:40.230 --> 00:13:42.789 now they're toying around with this leaven but 00:13:42.789 --> 00:13:46.340 he says you still are unleavened or you truly 00:13:46.340 --> 00:13:49.960 are unleavened and so in christ they're bound 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.659 by their christian profession to be unleavened 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:55.419 and pure and as their profession implies and 00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:59.159 upholds this he calls them to live it out it 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:01.480 is not enough to profess it with their mouth 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:04.720 and emphasizing the gospel of jesus that attests 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.399 to this and makes it happen paul continues he 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.320 says for indeed christ our passover was sacrificed 00:14:13.150 --> 00:14:17.070 for us again showing that christ is the way of 00:14:17.070 --> 00:14:21.250 salvation and when there is sin we cannot just 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:24.730 be free of its of its uh of the mess that it 00:14:24.730 --> 00:14:28.049 makes and of its contamination by just trying 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:30.830 to stop the sin but we need the atonement of 00:14:30.830 --> 00:14:33.669 christ and so he points out to them christ is 00:14:33.669 --> 00:14:39.470 our passover and he was sacrificed So if Christ 00:14:39.470 --> 00:14:42.289 has atoned for our sins and he has made us free 00:14:42.289 --> 00:14:46.269 from sin, then Christian churches should be pure 00:14:46.269 --> 00:14:50.750 and holy and not bear with such corrupt and scandalous 00:14:50.750 --> 00:14:54.909 members. That is what he is driving at so strongly 00:14:54.909 --> 00:14:57.990 in this passage. This means then, of course, 00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:00.809 that we individually must also purge ourselves 00:15:00.809 --> 00:15:04.470 from such impurity of heart and life. Let it 00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:07.899 not once be named among us. Paul exhorts the 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:11.360 Ephesian church, but rather he says fornication, 00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:16.539 all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even 00:15:16.539 --> 00:15:21.220 be named among you as is fitting for saints. 00:15:21.500 --> 00:15:24.679 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:27.860 coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather 00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:31.399 giving of thanks. For this you know, that no 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:35.669 fornicator unclean person nor covetous man who 00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:39.990 is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:44.830 of christ and of god very similar in the wording 00:15:44.830 --> 00:15:48.750 here in the phrasing ephesians 5 and this so 00:15:48.750 --> 00:15:51.610 this new love that is the new people of god they 00:15:51.610 --> 00:15:53.789 are to keep the feast with the unleavened bread 00:15:53.789 --> 00:15:59.009 he says of sincerity and truth and not with the 00:15:59.009 --> 00:16:04.299 old leaven of malice and wickedness malice and 00:16:04.299 --> 00:16:06.779 wickedness include ill will with a desire to 00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:10.039 injure but also evil purposes and wickedness 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:13.220 that is depravity that is not ashamed to break 00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:16.980 god's law this includes an evil habit of the 00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:21.340 mind he says we are to keep the feast we're to 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:25.460 do so this is in In verse 8, Therefore let us 00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:28.659 keep the feast, not with the old leaven, not 00:16:28.659 --> 00:16:31.059 with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:35.059 with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:38.840 So what does it mean to keep the feast? What 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:41.980 is he referring to? There are various opinions 00:16:41.980 --> 00:16:45.679 on this, as one could imagine. Certainly this 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.779 could mean the Lord's Supper, the reference to 00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:51.610 Christ. Our Passover might indicate that and 00:16:51.610 --> 00:16:55.549 that he was sacrificed for us and therefore we 00:16:55.549 --> 00:16:58.250 keep the feast by observing the Lord's Supper 00:16:58.250 --> 00:17:01.909 with sincerity and truth. Secondly, it could 00:17:01.909 --> 00:17:05.829 also mean a love feast as they often observed. 00:17:06.269 --> 00:17:09.589 And the early church did that a lot. We'll see 00:17:09.589 --> 00:17:13.509 it referenced in 1 Corinthians 11. But it could 00:17:13.509 --> 00:17:16.450 be that he's referring there that when you come 00:17:16.450 --> 00:17:19.089 together basically for... like a fellowship meal 00:17:19.089 --> 00:17:22.930 or a love feast when you're coming together and 00:17:22.930 --> 00:17:24.690 you're enjoying each other's company and you 00:17:24.690 --> 00:17:27.410 stand before Christ, you keep it with sincerity 00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:32.289 and truth. Or, thirdly, just to enlarge on that, 00:17:32.450 --> 00:17:35.089 it could mean that simply the life of the church 00:17:35.089 --> 00:17:38.990 in Christ is a continual feast. Like Isaiah prophesied 00:17:38.990 --> 00:17:43.339 with... In Isaiah 25 verse 6. When he said. And 00:17:43.339 --> 00:17:46.019 in this mountain. This place of worship. In this 00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:48.900 mountain. The Lord of hosts will make for a people. 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:52.980 For all people. A feast of choice pieces. A feast 00:17:52.980 --> 00:17:56.099 of wine on the leaves. Of fat things full of 00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:59.500 marrow. Of well refined wine on the leaves. And 00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:02.420 this would include. The Lord's Supper, the fellowship 00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:04.500 of the saints, the shared meal together after 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:06.980 the service, the celebrations and remembrances, 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:09.960 all of it together is how we keep the feast together 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:14.019 with sincerity and truth. I'm inclined to go 00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:16.180 with the latter one, that is the whole package, 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:20.140 although certainly it would apply to the Lord's 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:23.720 Supper in and of itself. When one among us is 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:27.069 living the life of open sexual immorality, or 00:18:27.069 --> 00:18:30.750 of covetousness, of idolatry, of reviling, or 00:18:30.750 --> 00:18:33.869 is a drunken sot, or is an extortioner, then 00:18:33.869 --> 00:18:37.049 the closeness of life and fellowship is marred, 00:18:37.049 --> 00:18:40.089 it is broken, and it is a cause for mourning 00:18:40.089 --> 00:18:46.809 rather than celebrating the feast together. Toleration, 00:18:46.930 --> 00:18:51.230 when toleration is not a virtue, but is indeed 00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:58.000 a sin and a partaking of that sin. Secondly then, 00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:01.819 in verse 9 through 11, he calls for separation 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:06.400 from immoral and unfaithful believers. I wrote 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:09.539 to you in my epistle not to keep company with 00:19:09.539 --> 00:19:12.420 sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did 00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:15.440 not mean with the sexually immoral people of 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:19.420 this world or with the covetous or extortioners 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:22.480 or idolaters. Since then, you would need to go 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:28.400 out of the world. not to keep company with anyone 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:34.539 named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:39.059 or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or 00:19:39.059 --> 00:19:44.519 an extortioner. No, not even to eat with such 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:49.420 a person. It begins this passage saying, I wrote 00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:53.230 to you in my epistle. So evidently, there was 00:19:53.230 --> 00:19:55.910 an epistle written to the church at Corinth prior 00:19:55.910 --> 00:20:00.650 to this letter. This letter has been lost. In 00:20:00.650 --> 00:20:03.509 that letter, he exhorted them not to keep company 00:20:03.509 --> 00:20:06.609 with sexually immoral people. By the way, Paul 00:20:06.609 --> 00:20:09.289 addresses this in almost every letter that he 00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:15.099 writes, especially to churches. to keep company 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:18.740 or to be take part in the sexual immorality of 00:20:18.740 --> 00:20:22.299 the day it was very common it was considered 00:20:22.299 --> 00:20:26.400 okay in many respects by the culture and he hits 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:30.359 it broadside in almost every epistle and letter 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.859 that he writes this one of course he does in 00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:37.900 multiple multiple ways he says here do not keep 00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:41.740 company with sexually immoral people now evidently 00:20:41.740 --> 00:20:44.400 some of these thought this meant that they needed 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:47.559 to seclude themselves from all association with 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:51.119 the world. And it could be that the acceptance 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:54.960 of this person was a reaction to that, saying, 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:57.539 we can't do this. And so we're just going to 00:20:57.539 --> 00:20:59.380 be tolerant. We're going to love. We're going 00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:03.920 to receive all. See how spiritual we are and 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:07.039 that we have received all. But I say again, that 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:12.420 could be. The fact is here that Paul says, That 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:15.799 he delineates with the misunderstanding or he 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:18.339 speaks about the misunderstanding that he did 00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:22.539 not mean in that first letter that you cannot 00:21:22.539 --> 00:21:26.319 keep company with the sexually immoral people 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:30.299 of this world. He clarifies it saying if that 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:32.759 were the case, you would need to go out of the 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:36.640 world. You'd have to be removed in some way from 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:40.759 the world. God does not call his church to be. 00:21:42.630 --> 00:21:45.670 isolationist, hermits, or to put up large fences 00:21:45.670 --> 00:21:48.130 to try to keep the world away from us all and 00:21:48.130 --> 00:21:52.450 from getting into any contact with it. That is 00:21:52.450 --> 00:21:56.470 not God's intent. This will only happen when 00:21:56.470 --> 00:22:00.009 we are removed from this world, as Paul speaks 00:22:00.009 --> 00:22:03.269 here. Christian believers should be part of the 00:22:03.269 --> 00:22:06.609 life of the community and the society in which 00:22:06.609 --> 00:22:10.240 they live. except of course where it violates 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:13.059 the scripture norms such as we don't go to the 00:22:13.059 --> 00:22:15.839 lewd or the drunken feasts and orgies as what 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:18.920 they had then or or today parties known for substance 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.059 abuse and drunkenness and casual sex and nakedness 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:25.180 or participation in witchcraft and occultic practices 00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:28.480 or going to strip clubs or being consumed with 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:31.220 luxury and wealth as the ultimate meaning no 00:22:31.220 --> 00:22:33.859 we we don't have concourse in all of those things 00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:37.750 so we don't go with them to their exit but we 00:22:37.750 --> 00:22:40.809 don't remove ourselves from the world in which 00:22:40.809 --> 00:22:46.910 we live. Paul taught association with the world, 00:22:46.970 --> 00:22:50.730 that is those outside of the church, but that 00:22:50.730 --> 00:22:54.049 Christians were not to associate with them in 00:22:54.049 --> 00:22:59.309 the context of idolatrous worship or at the temple 00:22:59.309 --> 00:23:03.150 with food dedicated to idols, nor were they to 00:23:03.150 --> 00:23:06.549 sacrifice to their gods. Paul gives additional 00:23:06.549 --> 00:23:10.089 teaching on this in 1 Corinthians 10. This is 00:23:10.089 --> 00:23:12.509 one of the reasons, by the way, as an aside, 00:23:12.750 --> 00:23:15.390 that Christians were not able to serve in the 00:23:15.390 --> 00:23:19.430 political civil system. And it was because the 00:23:19.430 --> 00:23:23.990 Roman civil system up until the 300s demanded 00:23:23.990 --> 00:23:28.490 that every civil officer must do a sacrifice. 00:23:29.069 --> 00:23:31.450 Sometimes it was just a very little thing before 00:23:31.450 --> 00:23:33.670 going into the building. There was a bit of an 00:23:33.670 --> 00:23:36.380 altar and there was just a... a bit of an offering 00:23:36.380 --> 00:23:38.500 maybe a little bit of fire or something else 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:41.819 that was done at the sacrifice and so thus christians 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:45.930 were not able to partake in the civic life Up 00:23:45.930 --> 00:23:51.049 until Constantine the Great. It was when he came 00:23:51.049 --> 00:23:56.170 in then, around 324, that he took away the requirement 00:23:56.170 --> 00:23:59.890 and he even banned pagan officials from performing 00:23:59.890 --> 00:24:02.750 sacrifices in their official capacity. It was 00:24:02.750 --> 00:24:05.410 only then when Christians were able to serve 00:24:05.410 --> 00:24:11.549 as civil servants or in the civil sphere. The 00:24:11.549 --> 00:24:14.640 normal life of a Christian person And a Christian 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.000 church is right in the world in which we live, 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:23.200 wherein we are a light that shines in a dark 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:25.720 place. We are the light of the world. We are 00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:28.140 the city that is set on a hill that cannot be 00:24:28.140 --> 00:24:32.019 hidden, Jesus says. Let your light so shine before 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.599 men that they may see your good works and glorify 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:39.279 your Father in heaven. Paul exhorts the Philippians, 00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:42.259 do all things without complaining and disputing 00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:45.579 that you may become blameless and harmless children 00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:48.960 of God without fault in the midst of a crooked 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.059 and perverse generation among whom you shine 00:24:52.059 --> 00:24:55.160 as lights in the world holding fast the word 00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:58.299 of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:00.400 that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.480 In other words, God has placed us right here. 00:25:04.049 --> 00:25:06.609 right in a wicked society. Of course, some are 00:25:06.609 --> 00:25:08.670 more than others, but as we think about the world 00:25:08.670 --> 00:25:13.190 as a whole, God has placed us right here. He 00:25:13.190 --> 00:25:15.589 doesn't take us and rapture us out right away 00:25:15.589 --> 00:25:18.890 when we get saved. No, He lets us here. He tells 00:25:18.890 --> 00:25:23.109 us to be light for Him, that we are to glorify 00:25:23.109 --> 00:25:27.289 Jesus by being a light to the nations and a light 00:25:27.289 --> 00:25:31.599 to the world. We are in the midst of a crooked 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:35.759 and perverse generation among whom we shine as 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:39.619 lights in the world. That is our calling, brothers 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:42.460 and sisters. Sometimes we get this tendency to 00:25:42.460 --> 00:25:45.420 think, oh, this is just so grievous to me or 00:25:45.420 --> 00:25:47.960 this is so difficult. I just want to be taken 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:50.359 away. I want to go out in the wilderness and 00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:54.039 just be there all by ourselves and maybe then 00:25:54.039 --> 00:25:58.000 we can keep the world out. Guess what? It doesn't 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.400 work. Even if you go out there and people have 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:04.539 tried it, the world is in your heart. The sin 00:26:04.539 --> 00:26:08.200 and the attraction to it, it comes from within. 00:26:08.359 --> 00:26:11.119 And you're going to face temptations out there. 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:15.500 And besides that, Jesus calls you to be in the 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:18.420 middle of the world, shining your light to the 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:22.680 darkness all around you so that that darkness 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:26.819 may go away and the light of Christ. might shine 00:26:26.819 --> 00:26:30.380 forth in your communities, in your towns, in 00:26:30.380 --> 00:26:32.859 your cities, in your villages, in your farms, 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:36.039 and wherever it is that God has given you to 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:40.519 live, you do so as a light to the world and walk 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:45.099 as children of light. Now, this does bring out, 00:26:45.140 --> 00:26:48.680 though, that there is to be a clear difference 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:54.640 between believers and unbelievers or the world. 00:26:55.099 --> 00:26:57.500 kind of used interchangeably here. So what is 00:26:57.500 --> 00:27:01.299 this? What is this clear difference? So do we 00:27:01.299 --> 00:27:03.700 all dress in some kind of distinctive uniform? 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:08.720 Or perhaps we live in sinless perfection and 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:12.339 thus we present a model of perfection to everybody 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:15.960 around us? No, neither one of these are right. 00:27:16.539 --> 00:27:18.980 First of all, the first one, that is to dress 00:27:18.980 --> 00:27:20.819 in some kind of a distinctive uniform, that's 00:27:20.819 --> 00:27:23.700 not a biblical command. Other than Paul and Peter 00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:26.140 address the women to dress with propriety and 00:27:26.140 --> 00:27:29.980 moderation and not with excessiveness or ostentation. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.359 In 1 Timothy 2 verse 9 and 1 Peter 3 verse 3. 00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:37.420 The second contradicts 1 John 1. Verse 8, and 00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:40.880 we lie. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:43.680 ourselves and the truth is not in us. It is not 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.920 that we don't make mistakes or that we do not 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:49.200 sin, for indeed none among us can proclaim his 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.039 own goodness and sinlessness. But the difference 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:56.259 is that we do not live in habitual practice of 00:27:56.259 --> 00:28:00.940 these sins. And that we do not associate with 00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:04.839 or keep company with a brother or sister who 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:08.500 does. That is, as he outlines it here, a person 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:12.759 who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater 00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:16.819 or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner. 00:28:16.839 --> 00:28:20.299 And he goes on to say, we are not to eat with 00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:24.849 such a person. Now, what does this mean? Some 00:28:24.849 --> 00:28:27.470 again think this is referring to the Lord's Supper, 00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:30.849 which of course it certainly includes. We are 00:28:30.849 --> 00:28:33.589 not to break bread together, the bread of the 00:28:33.589 --> 00:28:37.529 Lord's Supper, if we are living in open rebellion 00:28:37.529 --> 00:28:42.170 against God in these kinds of sins. Sexual immorality, 00:28:42.329 --> 00:28:44.529 drunkenness, reviling, and so on and so forth. 00:28:44.670 --> 00:28:48.289 Idolatry. We're not to do that. I think, however, 00:28:48.490 --> 00:28:52.170 that this could include more than just the Lord's 00:28:52.170 --> 00:28:55.680 Supper. Think of how much eating is associated 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:58.980 with fellowship and how the breaking of bread 00:28:58.980 --> 00:29:02.380 together opens up conversations and friendships 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:05.339 and often signals acceptance of one another. 00:29:05.900 --> 00:29:08.619 It may be that the apostle has this in mind. 00:29:08.660 --> 00:29:11.839 In other words, we're not to have close fellowship. 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:14.960 Everything's okay. You're okay. I'm okay. Yeah, 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:16.619 you're living in a mess. You're a mess right 00:29:16.619 --> 00:29:20.259 now. And yeah, you're my brother in Christ. And 00:29:20.259 --> 00:29:25.460 so we're going to just continue to have interaction 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:28.859 with each other just as if you're not living 00:29:28.859 --> 00:29:31.980 in that sin. Paul says in this case, no, you're 00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:34.720 not even to eat with such a person. You don't 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:37.299 go with that kind of fellowship and nearness 00:29:37.299 --> 00:29:41.559 and closeness. Now let's take a closer look here 00:29:41.559 --> 00:29:45.380 though. What are these sins? Paul lists certain 00:29:45.380 --> 00:29:51.720 types of sins here that occur or that bring upon 00:29:51.720 --> 00:29:56.519 this kind of drastic measure. They warrant excommunication 00:29:56.519 --> 00:30:00.450 and stop close association with believers. Now, 00:30:00.470 --> 00:30:04.369 I'd like to take note as we go through them that 00:30:04.369 --> 00:30:08.109 most of them are taken right from the case laws 00:30:08.109 --> 00:30:12.009 of Deuteronomy. Really fascinating how that is. 00:30:12.210 --> 00:30:15.349 Paul is tying the Old and the New Testament together, 00:30:15.549 --> 00:30:19.750 thus showing the enduring ethics of Old Testament 00:30:19.750 --> 00:30:24.170 law. First of all, he mentions sexual immorality. 00:30:24.470 --> 00:30:26.829 It's the word pornos. We talked about this two 00:30:26.829 --> 00:30:30.230 weeks ago. It's one who indulges in... unlawful 00:30:30.230 --> 00:30:34.269 sexual intercourse or prostitution deuteronomy 00:30:34.269 --> 00:30:38.109 22 verse 22 and 30 speak of adultery of one being 00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:41.750 married and then laying with another or also 00:30:41.750 --> 00:30:44.289 that a man should not take his father's wife 00:30:44.289 --> 00:30:47.750 nor uncover his father's bed which is precisely 00:30:47.750 --> 00:30:50.869 the case with this particular person that they 00:30:50.869 --> 00:30:53.990 are speaking that he is speaking about but all 00:30:53.990 --> 00:31:00.279 sexual immorality is forbidden for the christian 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:05.079 we'll get into that a little bit more later then 00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:08.220 he also speaks that of being covetous that is 00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:11.859 a desire to have more especially what belongs 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:16.180 to others that have been greedy of gain deuteronomy 00:31:16.180 --> 00:31:20.000 5 verse 21 you shall not covet your neighbor's 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:23.319 wife and you shall not covet desire your neighbor's 00:31:23.319 --> 00:31:25.799 house his field his male servant his female servant 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:29.400 his ox his donkey or Anything that is your neighbor's 00:31:29.400 --> 00:31:32.920 is quite extensive there. We are not to be covetous. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.539 And that covetousness works itself out in actions. 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:40.279 Obviously, the thing with adultery comes because 00:31:40.279 --> 00:31:42.920 you first coveted. So he includes that right 00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:45.920 in here. Thirdly, he mentions idolaters. This 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:49.859 is the worshipers of false gods. We're not to 00:31:49.859 --> 00:31:53.599 keep company with a brother who is an idolater. 00:31:56.109 --> 00:31:59.230 Deuteronomy 17 verse 2 and 5 if there is found 00:31:59.230 --> 00:32:01.910 among you with any of your gates which the Lord 00:32:01.910 --> 00:32:05.089 your God gives you a man or a woman who has been 00:32:05.089 --> 00:32:07.029 wicked in the sight of the Lord your God and 00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:09.750 transgressing his covenant who has gone and served 00:32:09.750 --> 00:32:12.349 other gods and worshiped them either the sun 00:32:12.349 --> 00:32:14.710 or moon or any of the host of heaven which I 00:32:14.710 --> 00:32:17.630 have not commanded and it is told you and you 00:32:17.630 --> 00:32:19.950 hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. 00:32:20.269 --> 00:32:23.890 And if it indeed is true, and certain that such 00:32:23.890 --> 00:32:26.150 an abomination has been committed in Israel, 00:32:26.349 --> 00:32:28.710 then you shall bring out to your gates that man 00:32:28.710 --> 00:32:30.849 or woman who has committed that wicked thing, 00:32:30.970 --> 00:32:34.829 and shall stone to death that man or woman with 00:32:34.829 --> 00:32:37.769 stones. In other words, it's a putting away. 00:32:38.069 --> 00:32:41.769 They are to be put away, those who are worshipers 00:32:41.769 --> 00:32:46.500 of false gods. Paul then goes on and speaks about 00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:49.440 revilers. Revilers are those who abuse others 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:52.720 with words or they bear false testimony. Again, 00:32:52.819 --> 00:32:56.700 Deuteronomy 19. If a false witness rises against 00:32:56.700 --> 00:33:00.119 any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, 00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:02.940 then both men in the controversy shall stand 00:33:02.940 --> 00:33:05.740 before the Lord, before the priests and the judges 00:33:05.740 --> 00:33:08.440 who serve in those days, and the judges shall 00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:11.240 make careful inquiry. And indeed, if the witness 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:14.099 is a false witness who has testified falsely 00:33:14.099 --> 00:33:17.680 against his brother, then you shall do to him 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:23.490 as he thought to have done to his brother. shall 00:33:23.490 --> 00:33:30.089 put away the evil from among you he moves on 00:33:30.089 --> 00:33:32.509 he mentions then drunkards these are habitually 00:33:32.509 --> 00:33:36.950 intoxicated without self -control we see in deuteronomy 00:33:36.950 --> 00:33:39.589 21 the case of the stubborn and rebellious son 00:33:39.589 --> 00:33:43.410 who is a glutton and a drunkard this was this 00:33:43.410 --> 00:33:46.930 unrepentant and out of control son it's not referring 00:33:46.930 --> 00:33:49.670 to a young child but to a young adult was to 00:33:49.670 --> 00:33:52.579 be then taken to the elders with the witnesses 00:33:52.579 --> 00:33:56.880 of his parents, and he was to be put to death 00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:01.119 in that case. Finally, there's an extortioner. 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:04.440 Extortioner is a robber. He's a rapacious and 00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:09.079 ravenous person who takes away from others. This 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:13.019 also includes kidnapping and slave trading. Again, 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:17.320 Deuteronomy 24, verse 7. If a man is found kidnapping 00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:19.500 any of his brethren of the children of Israel 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:22.619 and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper 00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:26.159 shall die and you shall put away the evil from 00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:28.840 among you. You see how there are so many parallels 00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:32.760 here as Paul is going down through these sins. 00:34:34.019 --> 00:34:38.340 We are to be free from these. There is not to 00:34:38.340 --> 00:34:42.780 be one who is called a brother. Or a sister who 00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:49.340 is doing these sins in an ongoing basis. Rather 00:34:49.340 --> 00:34:54.199 than the scripture calls for separation. That 00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:58.159 is they are to be put away as we will see in 00:34:58.159 --> 00:35:01.940 verse 13. Now the scriptures speak of separation 00:35:01.940 --> 00:35:07.179 in a couple of other passages. 2 Thessalonians 00:35:07.179 --> 00:35:09.909 3 verse 6. But we command you, brethren, in the 00:35:09.909 --> 00:35:12.550 name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw 00:35:12.550 --> 00:35:16.650 from every brother who walks disorderly and not 00:35:16.650 --> 00:35:18.690 according to the tradition which he receives 00:35:18.690 --> 00:35:21.869 us. So there it speaks about a withdrawal. Romans 00:35:21.869 --> 00:35:24.929 16 and verse 17. Now I urge you, brethren, note 00:35:24.929 --> 00:35:27.809 those who cause divisions and offenses contrary 00:35:27.809 --> 00:35:32.030 to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. 00:35:32.710 --> 00:35:35.750 Avoid them. So again, there's a separation of 00:35:35.750 --> 00:35:39.800 company. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 14. If anyone 00:35:39.800 --> 00:35:42.599 does not keep our word in this epistle, note 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:45.360 that person and do not keep company with him, 00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:49.280 that he may be ashamed. And Titus 3 verse 10 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:53.099 and 11. Reject a divisive man after the first 00:35:53.099 --> 00:35:55.940 and second admonition, knowing that such a person 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:59.179 is warped and sinning, being self -condemned. 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:02.480 Now let me go on to say here to make sure that 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:04.820 we understand and that I'm not being misunderstood. 00:36:05.219 --> 00:36:08.860 This passage refers to those who continually 00:36:08.860 --> 00:36:13.019 practice these things. They are living in them. 00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:17.239 It is not referring, first of all, to sins of 00:36:17.239 --> 00:36:20.179 the past that are confessed and repented of. 00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:25.619 It is not referring to that. It is not written. 00:36:26.170 --> 00:36:30.489 To bring you back under bondage and guilt. As 00:36:30.489 --> 00:36:34.349 Paul tells them in chapter 6 verse 11. Such were 00:36:34.349 --> 00:36:37.989 some of you. But you were washed. But you were 00:36:37.989 --> 00:36:40.869 sanctified. But you were justified in the name 00:36:40.869 --> 00:36:42.909 of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by the Spirit of 00:36:42.909 --> 00:36:47.170 our God. Nor does this refer to one who has fallen 00:36:47.170 --> 00:36:51.489 into one of these sins and is repentant, or one 00:36:51.489 --> 00:36:54.929 who has stumbled and has sought forgiveness from 00:36:54.929 --> 00:36:58.750 the Lord and the person to whom they have offended. 00:36:59.690 --> 00:37:04.449 It is written to those who are notoriously wicked 00:37:04.449 --> 00:37:08.250 and unrepentant, even though professing Christ 00:37:08.250 --> 00:37:12.809 and salvation, and they are to be put under a 00:37:12.809 --> 00:37:17.639 just, censure and and separation look at the 00:37:17.639 --> 00:37:22.400 context again whom is he speaking of as he writes 00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:27.059 this it was a person openly living in an ongoing 00:37:27.059 --> 00:37:31.059 incestuous sexual relationship with his father's 00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:35.260 wife and the church was careless about it tolerating 00:37:35.260 --> 00:37:38.079 it and even boasting rather than turning him 00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:40.400 over to satan and expelling him from the congregation 00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:45.130 that's the context And so this requires pastoral 00:37:45.130 --> 00:37:50.269 care and careful admonition. When someone falls 00:37:50.269 --> 00:37:52.429 into a sin, we admonish them, encourage them 00:37:52.429 --> 00:37:55.550 to repent from this and to turn to Christ and 00:37:55.550 --> 00:37:59.750 to repent. But if there's an ongoing thing and 00:37:59.750 --> 00:38:03.230 they refuse to hear the person coming to them 00:38:03.230 --> 00:38:05.989 with the warning, refuse to hear the elders of 00:38:05.989 --> 00:38:09.489 the church, refuse to hear the church, then this 00:38:09.489 --> 00:38:12.659 kind of measure is what is to be taken. It's 00:38:12.659 --> 00:38:16.800 separation. Finally, let's look now at verse 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:20.800 12 and 13. In closing out, we're looking at the 00:38:20.800 --> 00:38:25.019 sphere and the scope of this severe mercy. Remember 00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:28.780 two weeks ago, I called this a severe mercy. 00:38:28.840 --> 00:38:32.239 In other words, this is strong. but it is also 00:38:32.239 --> 00:38:37.920 a mercy and a kindness in christ church a kindness 00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:40.559 in that it is to point them to christ and to 00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:44.679 urge them to repent and to be ashamed but also 00:38:44.679 --> 00:38:48.300 a mercy and a kindness to the body of christ 00:38:48.300 --> 00:38:51.500 as well and that's what he's bringing out here 00:38:51.500 --> 00:38:54.920 he says for what have i to do with judging those 00:38:55.389 --> 00:38:58.030 Also who are outside. Do you not judge those 00:38:58.030 --> 00:39:01.989 who are inside? But those who are outside, God 00:39:01.989 --> 00:39:04.949 judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the 00:39:04.949 --> 00:39:08.230 evil person. Those who are outside the church, 00:39:08.349 --> 00:39:11.250 God judges. And this refers to unbelievers. God 00:39:11.250 --> 00:39:13.829 calls them to repentance and faith. He calls 00:39:13.829 --> 00:39:15.929 them to forsake the sins of the flesh and spirit. 00:39:16.130 --> 00:39:19.880 And to be a new man or woman in Christ. Church 00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:23.380 discipline and excommunication do not apply to 00:39:23.380 --> 00:39:27.460 those outside of the church. It is not within 00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:30.639 the scope or the sphere of this teaching. Now 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:33.039 the sins of unbelievers will not go unchecked, 00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:36.440 for God will deal with them in his own sovereign 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:40.219 way, and God will judge them. But those in the 00:39:40.219 --> 00:39:43.539 church are not left to go their own way and to 00:39:43.539 --> 00:39:47.019 rely on the judgment of God. in the future no 00:39:47.019 --> 00:39:53.139 this responsibility lies with us the church is 00:39:53.139 --> 00:39:57.519 responsible to love encourage nurture and to 00:39:57.519 --> 00:40:02.059 discipline those within its care those within 00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:07.420 the covenantal bonds of god's people in the assembly 00:40:07.420 --> 00:40:11.360 those who are saints those who have christ revealed 00:40:11.360 --> 00:40:15.329 to them For we are called to be holy in all of 00:40:15.329 --> 00:40:18.070 our conduct and not to conform ourselves to the 00:40:18.070 --> 00:40:21.929 former lusts. 1 Peter 1, verse 13. Therefore, 00:40:22.030 --> 00:40:25.250 gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and 00:40:25.250 --> 00:40:27.730 rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to 00:40:27.730 --> 00:40:29.670 be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus 00:40:29.670 --> 00:40:33.710 Christ. As obedient children, not conforming 00:40:33.710 --> 00:40:40.849 yourself to your former lusts. your ignorance, 00:40:41.030 --> 00:40:44.610 but as he who called you is holy, you also be 00:40:44.610 --> 00:40:48.550 holy in all of your conduct because it is written, 00:40:48.630 --> 00:40:53.590 be holy for I am holy. To these who live according 00:40:53.590 --> 00:40:56.630 to the flesh in this way, to those who live in 00:40:56.630 --> 00:40:59.110 the sins enumerated here and in other passages, 00:40:59.389 --> 00:41:02.570 the message is very clear. And Paul ends this 00:41:02.570 --> 00:41:05.570 passage with this direct and strong and forthright 00:41:05.570 --> 00:41:10.000 message. put away from yourself this evil person. 00:41:10.280 --> 00:41:13.800 The phrasing of this passage again points back 00:41:13.800 --> 00:41:18.219 to Deuteronomy. Now there are many passages where 00:41:18.219 --> 00:41:21.159 God describes the evil, prescribes the punishment 00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:23.659 that they are to carry out, and then ends with 00:41:23.659 --> 00:41:26.480 this same phrase, you shall put away the evil 00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:30.300 from among you. deuteronomy 17 verse 7 19 verse 00:41:30.300 --> 00:41:36.340 19 22 verse 21 22 verse 34 24 verse 27 and then 00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:38.780 the one example which i've already read in 24 00:41:38.780 --> 00:41:41.960 verse 7 if a man is found kidnapping any of his 00:41:41.960 --> 00:41:44.659 brethren of the children of israel and mistreats 00:41:44.659 --> 00:41:47.360 him or sells him then that kidnapper shall die 00:41:47.360 --> 00:41:50.380 and you shall put away the evil from among you 00:41:50.380 --> 00:41:55.190 now capital punishment as is described in a whole 00:41:55.190 --> 00:41:58.210 number of times in Deuteronomy, that only belongs 00:41:58.210 --> 00:42:01.190 to the civil sphere. That is to the civil government 00:42:01.190 --> 00:42:05.210 that is also under the authority of Christ. Capital 00:42:05.210 --> 00:42:09.269 punishment is not part of the commitment of the 00:42:09.269 --> 00:42:12.150 punishment that is given to the church. That's 00:42:12.150 --> 00:42:14.710 not part of it. It does not belong to us. What 00:42:14.710 --> 00:42:17.809 does belong to us as a church? Excommunication. 00:42:17.949 --> 00:42:22.110 The putting out from the covenant body of Christ. 00:42:23.849 --> 00:42:27.050 To the church, Paul says, purge them, remove 00:42:27.050 --> 00:42:30.210 them, expel them, put away from yourself that 00:42:30.210 --> 00:42:33.889 evil person. This is the delegated responsibility 00:42:33.889 --> 00:42:38.269 of the local church established by God with elders 00:42:38.269 --> 00:42:42.250 and deacons and together for not just the elders, 00:42:42.349 --> 00:42:45.909 but the whole church is to do this, standing 00:42:45.909 --> 00:42:49.710 united before Christ and put them out. It is 00:42:49.710 --> 00:42:55.610 the church, Paul says. Let's consider just a 00:42:55.610 --> 00:42:59.429 few closing applications. Because many churches 00:42:59.429 --> 00:43:01.889 have disregarded the clear teaching of Scripture 00:43:01.889 --> 00:43:04.849 on covenant faithfulness and church discipline, 00:43:05.170 --> 00:43:08.789 sexual immorality and other sins have become 00:43:08.789 --> 00:43:12.670 widespread within the professed body of Christ. 00:43:13.889 --> 00:43:17.840 Unmarried couples openly cohabit. Adultery is 00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:21.059 often left unaddressed with new relationships 00:43:21.059 --> 00:43:24.360 quietly accepted, sometimes with little more 00:43:24.360 --> 00:43:29.079 than a token rebuke. Sexual sins such as homosexuality 00:43:29.079 --> 00:43:31.980 and lesbianism are not only tolerated but in 00:43:31.980 --> 00:43:35.239 many cases embraced along with the broader LGBTQ 00:43:35.239 --> 00:43:40.539 agenda. The Apostle Peter gives a sobering warning 00:43:40.539 --> 00:43:44.460 that applies directly to this situation. He says, 00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:47.980 let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, 00:43:48.179 --> 00:43:52.500 an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's 00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:55.079 matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, 00:43:55.280 --> 00:43:57.599 let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God 00:43:57.599 --> 00:44:01.559 in this matter. For the time has come for judgment 00:44:01.559 --> 00:44:08.280 to begin at the house of God. And if it begins 00:44:08.280 --> 00:44:11.500 with us first, what will be the end of those 00:44:11.500 --> 00:44:14.579 who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4, 00:44:14.699 --> 00:44:18.320 15 -17. How can we credibly speak in a united 00:44:18.320 --> 00:44:21.599 way against the moral decay in society when our 00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:27.280 own house is not in order? If judgment begins 00:44:27.280 --> 00:44:30.539 with the household of God, then we must first 00:44:30.539 --> 00:44:33.840 examine ourselves. Let us return to the Word 00:44:33.840 --> 00:44:36.360 of God. Let us repent where we have compromised. 00:44:36.679 --> 00:44:39.679 Let us commit our hearts to full obedience and 00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:43.260 to covenant faithfulness. And this means... Also 00:44:43.260 --> 00:44:51.380 in this practice. God calls us to it. Secondly, 00:44:51.500 --> 00:44:55.780 I'd like to give a plea to those who are considering 00:44:55.780 --> 00:44:59.260 giving in to the temptations of some of these 00:44:59.260 --> 00:45:04.099 sins. The scripture says, do not give place to 00:45:04.099 --> 00:45:09.219 the devil. We see these sins all around us. No, 00:45:09.260 --> 00:45:11.980 we don't live in the Roman times. but we see 00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:18.320 it also flagrantly practiced all around us. We 00:45:18.320 --> 00:45:22.699 see it in all sorts of depictions of stories 00:45:22.699 --> 00:45:26.619 and books and movies and billboards and all sorts 00:45:26.619 --> 00:45:30.320 of things. The adultery, the promiscuity, the 00:45:30.320 --> 00:45:34.820 drunkenness, all of these things, they're temptations 00:45:34.820 --> 00:45:37.619 that are there. And so my encouragement to you 00:45:37.619 --> 00:45:41.550 is, Do not reserve a corner of your heart that 00:45:41.550 --> 00:45:43.769 says, you know what, this is mine and I can indulge 00:45:43.769 --> 00:45:45.849 in this at certain ways and at certain times 00:45:45.849 --> 00:45:48.329 because I'm going to keep this from the Lordship 00:45:48.329 --> 00:45:52.969 of Christ. No, Christ demands all of you. Absolutely 00:45:52.969 --> 00:45:57.699 all of you. He is to be Lord of all. all and 00:45:57.699 --> 00:46:00.900 yes that has wide and far consequences throughout 00:46:00.900 --> 00:46:03.000 the world but right now i'm just speaking to 00:46:03.000 --> 00:46:08.059 you directly christ is lord of you in every part 00:46:08.059 --> 00:46:11.280 and that means over your temptations over your 00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:15.179 sinful desires or any other kind of evil that 00:46:15.179 --> 00:46:18.679 lurks within us For all of these sins that he 00:46:18.679 --> 00:46:21.500 mentions don't start out with just committing 00:46:21.500 --> 00:46:24.539 the actual sin. They start out, first of all, 00:46:24.559 --> 00:46:27.059 in the thought process, in the giving in to temptation, 00:46:27.400 --> 00:46:31.099 in the yielding, or in entertaining thoughts. 00:46:31.380 --> 00:46:34.280 And then they get broader and broader and finally 00:46:34.280 --> 00:46:37.280 it works itself out. So I plead with you, deal 00:46:37.280 --> 00:46:41.539 with these sins now. Never let it get to that 00:46:41.539 --> 00:46:50.260 point of which he mentions here. Lastly, I'd 00:46:50.260 --> 00:46:54.260 like to end with a call to spirit -filled covenantal 00:46:54.260 --> 00:46:58.420 faithfulness. Spirit -filled covenantal faithfulness. 00:46:58.460 --> 00:47:01.440 There is no more powerful witness to the world 00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:04.599 around us than the proclamation of Jesus Christ 00:47:04.599 --> 00:47:08.679 and of Him crucified and a life of sexual fidelity 00:47:08.679 --> 00:47:12.079 and covenantal faithfulness to our wives and 00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:15.639 husbands or if you are single, to sexual purity 00:47:15.639 --> 00:47:19.349 and self -control. Covenant faithfulness also 00:47:19.349 --> 00:47:22.550 belongs to our children and to one another as 00:47:22.550 --> 00:47:24.929 brothers and sisters in Christ in the church. 00:47:25.130 --> 00:47:27.929 We must trust in God's promises to us through 00:47:27.929 --> 00:47:30.789 Christ. Let us confess our sins when we fall 00:47:30.789 --> 00:47:34.230 and receive forgiveness from Christ and from 00:47:34.230 --> 00:47:37.949 one another. Hear these words of scripture in 00:47:37.949 --> 00:47:41.900 Hebrews 10 verse 19. Through 25. Therefore brethren. 00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:45.119 Having boldness to enter the holiest. Through 00:47:45.119 --> 00:47:48.079 the veil that is his flesh. And having a high 00:47:48.079 --> 00:47:51.760 priest over the house of God. Let us draw near. 00:47:52.719 --> 00:47:57.099 Let us draw near. How? With a true heart. In 00:47:57.099 --> 00:48:00.500 full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled 00:48:00.500 --> 00:48:03.119 from an evil conscience. And our bodies washed 00:48:03.119 --> 00:48:06.679 with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession 00:48:06.679 --> 00:48:09.719 of our hope without wavering. For he who promised 00:48:09.719 --> 00:48:13.199 is faithful. And let us consider one another. 00:48:13.380 --> 00:48:17.880 In order to stir up love and good works. Not 00:48:17.880 --> 00:48:20.280 forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. 00:48:20.480 --> 00:48:24.500 As is the manner of some. but exhorting one another 00:48:24.500 --> 00:48:27.440 and so much the more as you see the day approaching 00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:32.360 let us then follow after this let us seek that 00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:35.340 covenantal faithfulness and let us rejoice today 00:48:35.340 --> 00:48:37.820 in the coming of the whole holy spirit in this 00:48:37.820 --> 00:48:41.320 day of remembrance of pentecost that's right