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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. While you're 
turning there, if anyone does plan to attend the Heritage Village 
and they can play piano, please let me know. My having said that 
is not a means to guilt manipulate or call anyone to change their 
day or plans, but if you happen to be attending already and you 
can play piano, please let me know. Well, beginning in chapter 
18 at verse 15, I'll read to the end of the chapter, and our 
focus this morning will be on verse 15. Moreover, if your brother 
sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and 
him alone. If he hears you, you have gained 
your brother. But if he will not hear, take 
with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three 
witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, 
tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear 
the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 
Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound 
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 
Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning 
anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father 
in heaven. For where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.' Then Peter 
came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against 
me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said 
to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy 
times seven. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven 
is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle 
accounts, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents. But as he was not able to pay, 
his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children 
and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant 
therefore fell down before him saying, Master, have patience 
with me, and I will pay you all. And the master of that servant 
was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 
But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants 
who owed him a hundred denarii. And he laid hands on him and 
took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe. So his fellow 
servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, Have 
patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not, 
but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 
So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were 
very grieved and came and told their master all that had been 
done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 
you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you 
begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow 
servant, just as I had pity on you? and his master was angry 
and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that 
was due to him. So my Heavenly Father also will do to you if 
each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father 
we come to your word now and we pray for the ministry of your 
Holy Spirit. We come especially in light of 
the fact that this passage calls us to deal with each other in 
a biblical and in a godly way. We ask that you would fill each 
one of us with your spirit and guide our thoughts and help us 
to understand rightly the word of truth and help us by your 
spirit to put these things into practice. For certainly, God, 
we are not only to confess the name of the Lord Jesus, we are 
to live in light of that confession as well. And may our lives as 
individuals and may our church be marked by a desire to bring 
glory to God and obedience to the Holy Scripture. We pray now 
that you would forgive us for all of our sins. Again, as we 
look at this passage, it deals with sins against one another. 
Certainly all sin is against you. We pray that you would forgive 
us and cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus. We are so 
thankful for the gospel. We are so thankful for the reality 
that Christ Jesus paid it all. That by His grace, by His act, 
by His work, we have redemption through His blood. Even the forgiveness 
of sins. We thank you for the righteousness 
of Christ that is imputed to us and received by faith alone, 
that faith which even in itself is a gift from God. We give all 
praise to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the glorious 
truth that we have been saved. And for those outside of Christ, 
may they see the guilt of sin. May they see what Your indictment 
is concerning sin, or Your view of sin. And may it be the case 
that today there would be those who by Your grace turn from sin 
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray this in His most 
blessed name. Amen. Well, I just want to sort 
of map out where I hope to go in the next couple of weeks in 
this particular section in verses 15 to 20. It is the most important 
section of Scripture and I realize when saying that it almost makes 
it sound like that there are other passages that perhaps aren't 
important. All Scripture is given by inspiration 
of God. All Scripture is worthy of our 
obedience. All Scripture demands compliance 
because of the authority of the God who gave it to us. but in 
a real sense, verses 15 to 20, oftentimes haven't been practiced 
in the church. and this affects the community. 
Remember the larger context here in chapter 18. This fourth discourse 
is all about the way that Christ's people deal with Christ's people. It's all about relationships 
in the covenant community, in the Church of the Living God. 
Remember we are to be humble according to verses 2 to 4. We 
are not to despise little ones. We are not to cause offense to 
little ones. We are to have a heart that is 
desirous of the recovery of that one sheep that strays. We ought 
to seek them out by the grace of God and try and find them. And on the heels of that statement 
we have this particular instruction on how we deal with offenders 
in the Church of the Lord Jesus. So as I said, verses 15 to 20, 
there are three broad categories that we will take up, God willing, 
this morning and next Sunday morning. First, the procedure 
for the Church's discipline in verses 15 to 17. Secondly, the 
possession of the Church's authority in verse 18, and then the presence 
of the Church's Lord in verse 20. So that's sort of, I'm sorry, 
19 and 20. So that's sort of the larger 
context, but this morning we're going to focus on the procedure 
for the church's discipline and the first step. There are three 
steps involved in the discipline process, and more on that as 
we proceed. But as I said, we're only going 
to take up verse 15 this morning and that first step. We'll save 
steps two and three for next week. But before we get to the 
procedure, I want to introduce the topic. You might be saying, 
I thought you just introduced the topic. Yes, I did. But some 
matters particularly applicable to the idea of church discipline. Those two words, when put together, 
conjure up sort of this ominous view of a group of men sitting 
in a dark room, plotting how they can thrust hapless Christians 
out of their midst. Now certainly there is an abuse 
of church authority. There is certainly an abuse of 
church discipline. But when there is an abuse of 
something, it does not nullify or remove the proper use of it. And the Lord Jesus Christ certainly 
demands that His church be regulated according to His rule, be regulated 
according to structure, be regulated ultimately by the Word of God 
Himself. So I have four introductory matters 
before we take up step one. The first, preliminary. What 
does discipline mean? We hear that word again, church 
discipline. And we get scared and we think, 
wow, that's terrible. The church is all about authority. 
The church is all about money. The church is all about driving 
people from their ranks for any old thing. There's two types 
of discipline. There is formative discipline. 
Formative discipline is that type of discipline that we are 
all under, all the time, by the Word of God. The Lord Most High, 
by His Word and by His Spirit, disciplines us. He forms us. The Random House Dictionary describes 
it this way, training expected to produce a specific character 
or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral 
or mental improvement. You've ever heard of people saying, 
I want discipleship. Well, that's relative to discipline. We want to be formed by the truth 
of the living God. Probably what most persons respond 
to, however, is what's called corrective discipline. Corrective 
discipline is when others step in to try and stop you from engaging 
in a manner that is inconsistent with the Word of God. Webster's 
1828 highlights it this way. Interesting. Webster's 1828. 
He used theology and he used Bible to define terms. Now you 
couldn't sell such propaganda in most stores because it's hate 
literature. It promotes that wicked, horrible 
Bible. And we can't do that upon society. I mean, how dare we thrust the 
morality of love to God and love to your neighbor? How dare we 
Christians put our big faces and heads in the public discourse 
and say, you know, God's Word says Webster's 1828, to execute 
the laws of the church on offenders with a view to bring them to 
repentance and reformation of life. So as we consider this 
introduction, this is first some preliminary matters. The definition 
of discipline under preliminary matters, I've got secondly the 
necessity of church discipline. It is a matter of obedience to 
Christ who is the head of the church. You see, we simply don't 
have the option to say, well, you know what you specify here 
in verses 15 to 20 really don't fit with society today. It really 
doesn't fit with our sort of jive. We don't like the thought 
of going to a brother. We think it's uncomfortable. 
We certainly don't like the idea of bringing two or three witnesses 
because then that just makes it seem so real. And we would 
certainly not ever want to tell it to the church that there has 
been one who professes saving religion that is acting contrary 
to that. Discipline is necessary because 
we must obey the head of the church. We must obey the Lord 
Christ. Listen to what Calvin said concerning 
this issue. He said, but because some persons 
in their hatred of discipline recoil from its very name, Let 
them understand this. If no society, indeed, no house, 
which has even a small family, can be kept in proper condition 
without discipline, it is much more necessary in the church 
whose condition should be as ordered as possible." Do not 
like the concept that there's a handful of men making decisions 
and wielding power and excluding people from the house of God. 
But again, that does not betray the reality that we are all to 
be subordinate to the word of God. We are all to do what God 
the Lord says, that what Christ commands is good for his church. And the very people that recoil 
at the idea of church discipline have discipline in their homes. 
I really doubt that somebody who argues against church discipline 
lets their children do whatever they want. I mean, if that's 
the way you choose to live, don't try to bind the consciences of 
God's people and make them submit to anarchy. Well, the same sorts 
of people. I was thinking about this. When 
I was young, I haven't seen this sign lately, but a lot of business 
establishments, at least in Southern California, had a sign. The restaurants 
had a sign. No shoes, no shirt, no dice. 
If you had no shoes on and you had no shirt on, it was no dice. You're not coming into McDonald's 
for a Big Mac. We don't want to look at your 
bare chest. We don't want chest hair dropping 
onto the counters in our shop. If you do not submit to that 
basic discipline and order, we refuse the right to serve you. 
Well, what about the librarian? She's hushing and she's shushing 
everybody because they're talking too loud in the library. Discipline 
is a part of life. Discipline is a reality. And 
it's interesting, in the history of the church and the Reformed 
church, There has been some difference of opinion with reference to 
the marks of the true church. Some have maintained it's only 
the preaching of the Word of God. Certainly that is fundamental 
and foundational. In whatever scheme you choose, 
number one is the proper preaching of God's Word. Secondly is the 
administration of the sacraments. It is most important how we baptize. It is most important how we administer 
the Lord's Supper. And there are those who have 
added a third mark, and that is the discipline of the Church. 
That took on confessional representation in the Scots Confession in 1560, 
and perhaps those of you who have come from the Dutch Reformed 
background will recognize the Belgic Confession of 1561. One 
of the three marks of the Church is discipline. It is most necessary. Now, those were preliminary matters. Notice, secondly, some presuppositions 
that we need to take with us. Presuppositions. First, the directions 
here assume application in the local church. The directions 
given in 15 to 20 assume application in the local church. There is 
a companion passage to chapter 18, and it is in chapter 16. 
There the specific application is the universal church. When 
Peter is given the keys to the kingdom, when the church is told 
that they have the authority to bind and loose, When Jesus 
promises that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His 
church, that is the church universal. From every tribe, every tongue, 
every people, every nation. All of God's elect marching onward. This is local church. Chapter 
18, when Jesus says, tell it to the church, He doesn't mean 
the church universal. He doesn't mean every single 
person out there. There are in-house matters. There 
are things to be confined to a particular local church. We 
need to understand that. Tell it to the church doesn't 
mean tell it to every believer that you know of. If it ever 
gets to the point where we have to tell something to the church, 
brethren, you need to keep your mouth shut with reference to 
people outside of our church. You do not have the warrant or 
the biblical right to share everything that goes on. It's simply not 
biblical, it is not warranted, it is not righteous. Secondly, 
the directions here assume or presuppose, that's what we're 
dealing with, presuppositions, a defined membership. A defined 
membership. How do we discipline those who 
are not members of churches? How do we bring the law and the 
gospel to bear upon those who have not covenanted themselves 
into communion with a particular local church? Now, I realize 
some people may struggle with the concept of membership. There 
are those today who not only reject the idea of the authoritarian, 
power-grubbing, money-grubbing church exercising discipline, 
but the whole idea of even joining a church, the whole idea of even 
submitting in one particular local sphere. I want to give 
you five reasons for church membership, or rather five indications in 
the Bible that church membership is a reality. In the first place, 
the church at Jerusalem could be numbered. Turn to Acts chapter 
2. The sermon may be a little bit 
different because it's didactic. There's instruction. There's 
teaching. We ought to utilize this time in Matthew 18 to do 
some ecclesiology or the doctrine of the church. Never hurts to 
be refreshed. Never hurts to be reminded. never 
hurts to be taught, if perhaps we have never heard this concept 
of church membership grounded in the Scripture. It's not something 
where you're just born into it. It's not something where it just 
happens. It's not just osmosis. But rather, 
the Lord God Almighty saves His people from their sins. He calls 
them out of darkness into marvelous light, and then He unites them 
together in a common bond, in a local sphere. And He calls 
those places churches. Notice the church at Jerusalem 
could be numbered. Acts 2.40, and with many other 
words. He testified, and exhorted them, 
saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Verse 41, Then those 
who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about 
three thousand souls were added to them. So you could see this 
quantification take place. We had them, we had the conversion 
of 3,000 added to them. This is in Jerusalem. This isn't 
the universal church. Now, certainly, the universal 
church grew by 3,000 that day, but what's in view is the local 
church. Notice in verse 47, praising 
God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added 
to the church daily. Those who were being saved. The 
implication is you could number the saved in Jerusalem that identified 
with that particular church. A second. line of argument. The church at Jerusalem could 
be joined. Notice in Acts chapter 5. Acts 
chapter 5 at verse 11, "...so great fear came upon all the 
church, and upon all who heard these things. And through the 
hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the 
people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 
Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed 
them highly." None of the rest dared join them. What's the implication? 
that there were those who had joined them. There were those 
who had identified with this church in Jerusalem. Look at 9, 26 to 28. Acts 9, verse 26, and when Saul 
had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they 
were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple. 
Now, certainly some could argue, well, he just wanted fellowship 
with the disciples. Yeah, but it is interesting. 
These fellowship of disciples are identified as a church. The 
language that is employed is the joining of these disciples, 
who happen to be in fellowship and who happen to be a church. 
The implication is sound that what we have is Paul tried to 
join with them. A third line of evidence that 
the Bible doesn't join upon the people of God, church membership, 
is the duties of the pastoral ministry. the duties of the pastoral 
ministry. What does Paul say in Acts 20.28? 
Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which... Among which what? Among which 
flock the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer to shepherd the 
church of God which he has purchased with his own blood. You see, 
it's similar to the RCMP. I suppose if I was a Mountie 
here in Chilliwack, and I went on holiday to China, and I was 
bebopping around the streets, and there was a crime in progress, 
I couldn't say, I'm with the RCMP, listen to me and do what 
I say. No, I don't have jurisdiction. 
Pastors don't have this universal jurisdiction. They don't go from 
church to church just issuing their blessings and doing their 
holy things. Among which flock the Holy Spirit 
has made you overseers. The duties of pastors to the 
people of God necessitate church membership as well. the duties of Christians toward 
their pastors." Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. This is the fourth reason or 
a fourth reason why Christians should be members of churches, 
the duties of Christians toward their pastors. Notice 5.12. And we urge you, brethren, to 
recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord 
and admonish you. He's not dealing with civil authority. 
He's dealing with ecclesiastical leadership. He's dealing with 
the church. Now, there's probably some in 
this church that don't know my middle name, and I'm not saying 
that in a condemnatory fashion, but it's hard for you to get 
to know me, isn't it? You can call, you can email, 
you can ask questions. What makes you tick? Actually, 
don't ask me that, it's pretty simple. What is the people of God, or 
what are the people of God being told? Brethren, recognize those 
who labor among you. A pastor in China? A pastor in 
Ontario? Your favorite celebrity pastor 
on the internet? You gotta get bios of each one 
so you know what makes them tick? No, it's the local church! You 
have responsibilities to the elders that have rule over you 
in the context of the local church. They are over you in the Lord 
and they admonish you. And then notice in Hebrews 13, 
17. Hebrews 13, 17. The whole idea of people to their 
pastors. Notice in Hebrews 13, 17. Obey 
those who rule over you and be submissive. Now, obviously, if 
a pastor from another church says, you shouldn't go into that 
strip club. Don't be like the child who says, you're not the 
boss over me. Listen to him. He's giving you 
good advice. Don't go in the strip club. Kids do that, right? You're not the boss over me. 
They like to exercise that with one another. Only mom and dad 
are the boss over me. Everybody's got a boss. It's 
inevitable. It's always authority. The fifth 
commandment is always binding, whether it's parent to child, 
child to parent, whether it's civil authority in persons under 
that rule, or even in the ecclesiastical realm. And again, it can be abused, 
but if it's used properly, we ought to praise God for its existence. Obey those who rule over you 
and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls." You see, 
the police don't do that. The government doesn't do that. 
There are men in the church who watch out for your souls, as 
those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not 
with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Let them 
do so for joy, not for grief, because that would be unprofitable 
for you. You see, there is reciprocity. Pastors are to shepherd the flock, 
the flock is to know its shepherds. And then the fifth reason why 
church membership is biblical is the discipline of the church 
assumes it. The discipline of the church 
assumes it. If you're just a wandering star 
on the map of the universe and you have no submission to authority, 
the elders in the church will tell you what you're doing is 
wrong. The elders in the church will say you ought not to do 
that. The elders of the church might even say you're not welcome 
here. But to get the full effect and the full benefit of church 
discipline, brethren, there is the reality of church membership. So we've seen some preliminary 
matters, presuppositions. Thirdly, the practice considered. Is it this dark specter of evil 
men rolling through their machinations on how they can target the poor 
souls that come among them? The practice considered, in the 
first place, it is not unloving toward other believers. Look 
at the context. In Matthew 18.10, Jesus forbids 
us, Jesus prohibits us, Jesus commands us not to despise others. Why would he then employ something 
in verses 15 to 20 that by definition is to despise others? It makes 
no sense. Secondly, it is not a violation 
of Matthew 7, verses 1 to 5. You can turn there. This comes 
up. How in the world can the church 
exercise discipline? Because as we all know, it doesn't 
matter where you're from, you know this passage. Judge not, 
lest you be judged. I mean, I'm convinced if you 
went to the most remote village in all of Africa and you asked 
them, what do you know about the Bible? Judge not, lest you 
be judged. How is that in everybody's DNA? How is it that we've all sucked 
that in and that is what we parrot continuously? But where it's 
most prevalent is in the church. Judge not, lest you be judged. 
Oftentimes employed by the most judgmental people on the face 
of the earth. Judge not, lest you be judged, as Jesus' admonition 
to his disciples to not be like petty Pharisees. It has nothing 
to do with the discipline of the church. Rael says it this 
way, What our Lord means to condemn is a censorious and fault-finding 
spirit. It's not what we have in 15 to 
20, a fault-finding spirit. I always fear preaching a sermon 
like this because the amount of people rebuking each other 
probably will increase exponentially. I heard Matthew 18.15 today, 
brother, and what you've been doing really bothers me. I'm 
going to let you have it. This is a righteous application 
of Matthew 18.15. Pastor said I could. So just get ready. That's probably what's being 
condemned in chapter 7. What our Lord means to condemn 
is a censorious and fault-finding spirit, a readiness to blame 
others for trifling offenses or matters of indifference, a 
habit of passing rash and hasty judgments, a disposition to magnify 
the errors and infirmities of our neighbors and make the worst 
of them. This is what our Lord forbids. It was common among the Pharisees. Contradiction between 18 and 
7. Certainly the Jesus who spoke Matthew 7 verses 1 to 5 remembered 
what he spoke when he got to Matthew 18, 15 to 20. As well, back to that whole idea 
that it's not unloving. Didn't Pastor Kim just read that 
a manifestation of God's love to his people is discipline? 
I've shared this before, I don't like to use autobiography, I'm 
a very unexciting person, but I was reared in a home where 
I learned Proverbs 13.20 in the negative sense. Proverbs 13, 
I'm pretty sure it's 13.20. He who spares his rod hates his 
son. When I was a young man, I could 
do all manner of sin in front of my father and he wouldn't 
spank me. He wouldn't discipline me. And 
I knew fundamentally that there was a problem with that. My friends 
thought it was cool. Oh, that's so cool. You can do 
this, that or that in front of your dad. In my heart of hearts, 
I didn't think it was cool at all. I thought if he loved me, 
he would discipline me. Because no man in his right mind 
would let his son do that. He who spares his rod hates his 
son. Whoever loves him disciplines 
him promptly. Isn't this a manifestation of 
the love of God most high? That there's a brother or a sister 
in your life that is faithful enough to come to you and say, 
what you're doing is wrong and you need to stop. Isn't it a 
manifestation of God's love in your life, when if you rebuff 
that one, two or three others come and they say, you need to 
listen, we want to see you won, we want to see you restored, 
we want to see you on the right path. That's not hatred, that's 
not to despise, that is a recovery mission. We prize those military 
units that go into these villages on recovery missions. And yet 
Christians try to do that with erring brethren, and we're told 
it's unloving. Even the act of telling it to 
the church. You see, after step three, what 
occurs then is that the church functions like those two or three. 
It's not tell it to the church and drive them out. It's not 
tell it to the church and then treat them as tax collectors 
and heathen. The idea is, is you tell it to the church so 
that the entirety of the local church can plead with the man. The entirety of the local church 
can say, brother, you need to stop. The entirety of the local 
church can text him, or phone him, or email him. Or when they 
see him on the Sunday, they can say, dude, you need to repent. 
If he refuses to hear them, then you treat him as a heathen and 
a tax collector. You see, it's not one man, two 
or three, tell the church and out you go. That's not it. The 
love of God is here and manifested when there's a brother or a sister 
in your life who has the guts and the courage to say what you're 
doing is wrong. Or if you rebuff them to bring 
two or three others who have the guts to say what you are 
doing is wrong. Or if you rebuff them a church 
that's going to say you are wrong. That's not hatred and that's 
not to despise. That is a request, or a desire 
rather, for the reconciliation and a restoration of a brother. 
And as well, this passage does not contradict Matthew 13, the 
parable of the wheat and the tares. When Jesus says, leave 
them alone, the tares in the parable, the idea isn't open 
brazen sin, the idea is probably hypocrisy. They're tares in the 
midst of the wheat, and in so far as they tow the external 
line, you don't root them out, you leave them alone. But if 
there's a professing brother who engages in idolatry or adultery, 
you deal with him. That is not unloving. That is 
a good thing. This is what we're supposed to 
be about. So we've seen a couple preliminaries, the presuppositions, 
the practice considered. Now, fourthly and finally, by 
way of introduction, the purpose stated. Why do we do this? What's 
the point? Well, in the passage, it's conspicuous, 
isn't it? How can you read this chapter, 
this section, and not get it? Oh, the church is this authoritarian 
structure that's bent on money and power and wants to drive 
poor sheep from that. It's all about restoration. It's 
all about reconciliation. Three times. This doesn't happen 
in a day either. It's not like I go to you, you 
don't repent. Alright, two or three witnesses. 
Two other witnesses come, no, it's alright, let's tell it to 
the church. Brethren, the idea, the assumption is that this goes 
on, you're pleading with the man, you're praying for the man. 
Jesus assumes that this is bathed in prayer in verse 18. Or in 
verse 19. He assumes that the church of 
God will be praying concerning matters of discipline. It is 
not unloving. It is for the reconciliation 
and the restoration of the offender. Those three steps argue for this, 
and in fact, when the man is termed a tax collector and a 
heathen, when the man is excommunicated, there are some who believe that 
this does not teach excommunication. Some take verse 17 in the singular 
pronoun, you, to refer to the offended brother. More on that 
next week. In other words, if I'm offended 
by somebody, and he won't repent, and I bring two or three witnesses, 
and he won't repent, and we tell it to the church, and he won't 
repent, then I, personally alone, am to treat him as a tax collector 
and a heathen. The larger interpretive scheme, 
however, does see it as excommunication. The man is put out of the membership. He is excommunicated. There's 
no more communion. There's no more table fellowship. 
There's no more eat this bread and drink this cup while you 
live like a profane and ungodly sinner. Again, no shoes, no shirt, 
no dice. No compliance to the law of God. 
No regard for the people of God. No concern for the Word of God. 
You're not coming to the supper. That's just not right. The church has the keys. The 
church has authority in terms of preaching the word and in 
terms of discipline. Correction, even though, after 
the church pleads with the man, after the man refuses to hear 
them, and the man is now termed as a heathen and a tax collector, 
there's even a remedial end in view. In 1 Corinthians 5.5, the 
Apostle Paul is dealing with a situation of church discipline. And he tells them very clearly 
that I have delivered this one over to Satan. That doesn't mean 
there was some black mass, and there were guys in hoods, and 
they had pentagrams and fire, and they had, you know, burnt 
sacrifice of little babies, and Paul knocked on their door and 
said, you know, I got one for you. Put the hood on him and 
let him. That's not it. The idea, as Augustine said, 
is that Christ is in the church. The devil is in the world. The 
man has been removed from the church in the purview of Christ, 
and he's been delivered over to Satan. He is now to you like 
a heathen and a tax collector. But notice what Paul says, deliver 
such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit 
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. I have personally 
met people that were excommunicated from churches and they later 
testified that it was a blessing that the church was obedient. 
Because it made real, and it made obvious, and it made evident 
their transgression against God. And that persons took this seriously 
and held their feet to the fire, the Lord used that to crush them 
and to bring them to repentance. God's way is always the best 
way. We just recommend therapy and 
clean up that old nasty habit. No! The man won't hear him. If the man won't hear them, and 
he won't hear the church, then according to the head of the 
church, you treat him as a heathen and a tax collector. Because 
that destruction of his flesh may save his spirit on the day 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So firstly, restoration, reconciliation. This isn't in an order, by the 
way. So I'd argue the next point is 
actually first and foremost the glory of God. The glory of God. Why do we do what we do? To bring 
glory to God. If Paul says in 1 Corinthians 
10.31, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to 
the glory of God. If as we eat and drink, that 
brings glory to God, certainly when we undertake to make sure 
by the grace of God that the Church of God is a relatively 
pure society. It will never be wholly pure. 
It will never be fully pure. It will never be without remaining 
sin and corruption, but as far as we're able, if you are an 
idolater, or you are an adulterer, or you are a thief, or you are 
an abuser, and you won't repent, then we will treat you like a 
heathen and a tax collector. Because if you're going to act 
like a heathen and a tax collector, if you're going to deny the very 
Lord you say bought you, we will have no truck with you, because 
we want Christ's church pure. See, brethren, I think this text 
demands of us as well the pursuit of holiness. One man said in 
a commentary, you ought to be more afraid of your own sin than 
excommunication. Oh, certainly the church will 
excommunicate. Be afraid of the fact that you've taken sin into 
your bosom. Be afraid of the fact that you 
have taken something in, that you've made peace with something 
God says have no dealings with. Be more upset about that reality 
that you are an idolater, or you are an adulterer, or you 
are an abuser, or you are a thief, or you are covetous, or you are 
a gossip. Oh, we could never discipline 
someone for the sin of gossip. What? And betray our commitment 
to the Scripture? Gossip is as condemned in the 
Bible as is idolatry and adultery. Now, I certainly think idolatry 
is sort of the mother sin of all sins. Don't think, well, 
they never do anything for gossip. Look at, dear ladies, I'm not 
picking on you, Paul picks on you. He addresses ladies more 
than men with reference to gossip. Now men, before you start getting 
all proud, you gossip too. We ought to be afraid. We ought 
to be afraid to sin against our God. Is that what Joseph said? How can I do this wickedness 
and sin against my God? What's that kind of attitude? I think Matthew 18, 15 to 20 
calls us to consider the church in that regard. Don't be just 
afraid of excommunication. Be afraid of the fact that you 
are looking at things and you don't have any reason or you 
don't have any purpose to stop. Or you're talking about people, 
you're engaged in activities that you have no business on 
stopping. That ought to cause a lot more 
fear. Doesn't Jesus address this previously? Gouge out eyes, cut off hands, 
cut off feet before you fall prey to the scandal or before 
you scandalize someone else. Definitely, the purity of Christ's 
church for the glory of God. Listen to Calvin again, for since 
the church itself is the body of Christ, it cannot be corrupted 
by such foul and decaying members without some disgrace falling 
upon its head. Isn't this what happens? Sin 
doesn't get dealt with in the church, and whose fault is it? 
Oh, that Jesus. Oh, that church. Oh, those Christians. No, it's the Christians who are 
disobedient to the Word of God and won't enact the means that 
God has given for the purity of the church. Jesus gets blamed 
for a lot of things that disobedient Christians engage in. Remember 
what Nathan the prophet said to David after that fall into 
sin with Bathsheba, and then the murder of Uriah the Hittite? What does Nathan say to David? 
By this you have given cause to the enemies of God to blaspheme 
his name. You see, the church has never 
said, and it should never say, well there's no sin in our midst, 
But when there's scandalous sin, and we don't deal with it, what 
kind of dirt does that cast upon our Holy Lord? It says that Jesus 
doesn't know how to govern His church. Calvin says, it cannot 
be corrupted by such foul and decaying members without some 
disgrace falling upon its head. Therefore, that there may be 
no such thing in the church to brand its most sacred name with 
disgrace, they from whose wickedness infamy redounds to the Christian 
name must be banished from its family. Must be banished. Now, brethren, we all have remaining 
sin. We've all sinned a lot already 
today. The two chief commandments is 
to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and 
strength. Maybe you're the exception to that rule, but most of us, 
when our eyes pop open, do not soar to the heavens. They soar 
to the bathroom, they soar to the coffee maker. You know, that does not preclude 
the reality that we're duty-bound under God to love Him with all 
our hearts, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all 
our strength, all of our time, all of our day, all of our week, 
all of our month, all of our years. That's the law of God. And the second is like unto it, 
you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Again, you may be 
that budding exception to this particular rule, but that typically 
doesn't describe all of us. Do we always love our neighbors 
as ourselves? who always look out for their 
chief good? Is it every day the intention of every husband in 
here to so love his wife just as Christ loved the church and 
gave himself for her? Is it you ladies that really 
want to obey Christ in such a way that you submit unto your own 
husbands as unto the Lord? I certainly hope the Lord gets 
better than what some women give to their husbands. And I certainly 
hope that the church is looked after better than the way some 
men look after their wives. Brethren, this is the law of 
God and we all violate. As James 3 says, we all stumble 
in many ways. If we say that we have no sin, 
what do we do? We make God a liar and the truth 
is not in us. So certainly sin is a reality. Remaining corruption is real. 
When we get into this particular passage, probably things like 
gravity need to be taken into consideration. I mean, certainly 
it's a different thing if I don't pick up my socks on a regular 
basis and I irritate my wife. I hope everybody sees the gradation 
between that and me committing adultery. There is a grave difference. Gravity. You need to bring this 
into your realm of consideration. Is this something that I need 
to go to my brother for? And then frequency. Frequency. You know, everybody has a bad 
day. Let's tell people, when they're looking for churches, 
go to the church for several weeks. Everybody has a bad day. 
Maybe you went to the church on the day that the pastor had 
a bad day, and he couldn't preach his way out of a paper bag. Maybe 
you went to the church on the day that the people had a bad 
day, and they just were extra unfriendly that day. Give it 
a chance. But frequency, you see? Somebody 
continues to leave their socks on the floor, and it's causing 
some consternation to the dear wife. Pick up the socks, man! Why would we cause a brother 
for whom Christ died to stumble over socks? Do it! There's so many times we're just 
so insistent on our rights. Man, you don't have a right to 
put your socks wherever you want. That's not in the Bible. It's 
not in the U.S. Constitution. I'm not sure about 
the Canadian. I doubt it's there. But you do not have a right to 
put your socks anywhere you want. If your dear wife doesn't like 
your socks there, pick them up. You see, some of those things 
over time and frequency become the battleground for other sins. We're not going to get to the 
first point, don't worry. How's he going to fit all the 
rest of this passage in? The reconciliation and restoration 
of the offender, purpose stated. First. Second, the purity of 
Christ's Church for the glory of God. Thirdly, the protection 
of the people of God. The protection of the people 
of God. What happens if we let a heretic 
continue on in the life of the Church after several admonitions 
What happens if we have a man that comes in and he denies the 
deity of Jesus Christ? And one of us goes to him and 
he doesn't hear us. We bring two or three witnesses 
and he doesn't hear us. And we tell it to the church 
and he doesn't listen to them. You say, well that's okay, just 
find your place and do your thing. No, the church will be affected 
and hurt if this man continues to propagate the anti-deity of 
Christ. What about sexual sin that is 
left undealt with? People are emboldened. People 
say, well, this guy's getting away with it, or this guy doesn't 
do it, or this guy does do it, and nothing's happening to him. 
Do not underestimate the power of sin and the fact that it spreads 
like gangrene. We are told several times in 
the Bible that we are not to keep company with bad men. That certainly has to mean in 
the life of the church, doesn't it? You don't want to keep company 
with bad men in the church. Certainly in your workplace you're 
going to be around bad men. You're going to have to listen 
to some of the things they say. You're going to have to be part 
of whatever it is they do. You want to try to win them to 
Jesus. You want to be a friend for sinners. You want to do those 
things that our Lord manifests. But in the church? In the church 
it ought not to be a battle. It ought not to be the case that 
you're being pulled down by other church men, by other church women. When fellowship lunches become 
gossip counters, we've got problems. When it's a battle to maintain 
spiritual integrity among the life of God's people, we've got 
problems. The purity of the church for 
the glory of God and for the protection of the saints of God. Pure and undefiled religion in 
the sight of God and the Father is this, to visit widows and 
orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from 
what? The church? I like to think I 
can come to church and be helped on my way to holiness and heaven. to keep oneself unspotted from 
the world. The idea is that the church, 
on that market day of the soul, which is the Christian Sabbath, 
exists so that the people of God can come to corporately worship 
their God, where they can come to encourage one another and 
they can stir one another up to love and good deeds. The idea 
is that we come in out of the world on this one day of seven 
and we traffic in the things of God for our spiritual profit, 
for our spiritual health, for our spiritual vitality, and for 
our spiritual growth. Not so that we can be sucked 
into some wicked thoughts or sucked into some wicked practices. We have enough problems in the 
world. We ought to be able to come into 
the church as a haven. We ought to be able to come into 
the church as a place where purity of doctrine is ensured and purity 
of practice as far as we're able. And certainly, everybody can 
start to think, well, I know of so-and-so, and I know of so-and-so, 
and I know of so-and-so. I know of so-and-so, too. But 
let's take these words for ourselves first and foremost. What are 
we going to do in light of the demand by the head of the church 
to faithfully exercise church discipline? I have to tell you, 
brethren, I have seen it before, where if a person goes to reprove 
another person, that person says, well, what about you? You do 
the same things. There are several problems with 
that. First, this person should have went to them. They've done 
it, man up and go. But this person, as far as they 
are able, ought to pursue holiness. Have you ever passed out tracts 
and somebody said, I don't want to go to the church, it's filled 
with hypocrites. Have you ever heard that? Yes? 
Maybe? Possibly? You've heard that? 
The church is filled with hypocrites. You know, in many respects, they're 
right. Thankfully, the hypocrites are 
in the church. Hopefully, they'll hear the gospel, they'll believe 
the gospel, and they'll be saved. I mean, on the one hand, that's 
a foolish argument. It's like saying, the sick people are in 
the hospital. Well, yeah, that's where they're supposed to be. 
I'm glad that hypocrites managed to find the church. Very happy 
that hypocrites stumble into churches so that they hear the 
gospel and get saved. You know, brethren, the idea 
is that we don't want to be that hypocrite. We don't want to be 
that man or woman that comes to reprove someone else when 
we know what we've got in our own hearts. When we know what's 
going on. When if they are to turn on us 
and say, well, what about you? You don't have to say you're 
right. I'm guilty of the very same thing. You see, this text, 
I believe, ultimately calls us to pursue those things which 
are pleasing to God, and to pursue a courageous Christianity. And by courageous Christianity, 
I mean obedient Christianity. That's courageous today. That's 
radical. Just do what the Bible says, 
and you'll be the most radical believer that anybody's ever 
met. Just do the Bible, or what God says. Well, in conclusion, 
we ought to remember, first and foremost, Matthew 18, 15 to 20, 
and our treatment of it is a matter concerning our treatment of the 
head of the church. Turn to Ephesians 1 for just 
a moment, Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians 1 beginning in verse 
19. Paul wants the believers in Ephesus 
to know what the power of God is. Verse 19, and what is the 
exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe? And now 
he illustrates that power by saying, according to the working 
of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised 
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the 
heavenly places. far above all principality, and 
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, 
not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. And 
he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over 
all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of 
him who fills all in all." You see, the elders of a church are 
not the head of the church. The Pope of Rome is not the head 
of the church. A gathering of men together in 
one place is not the head of the church. There is one head 
of the church and his name is the Lord Jesus. And he speaks 
authoritatively to her, he gives rules for her discipline in government, 
and he mandates, he doesn't suggest, He's not hinting 15 to 20 ought 
not to be taken as, you know, a piece of good advice. If your 
brother sins against you, go to him. If he refuses, then bring 
two or three witnesses. Do you know what's behind all 
this? What Jesus says in 15 to 20 is 
not new. Leviticus 19, 17. You shall not 
hate your brother in your heart, but you shall rebuke him. That's 
the same idea. You might listen to that passage 
and say, that's odd. How is my rebuking Him going 
to help me not hate Him? Because if we don't go to Him, 
what happens? We have bitterness. We have contention. We have enmity. We start to avoid 
Him. We don't want to be around him 
because there's this rift or there's this breach or there's 
this separation. The Bible says rebuke him, go 
to him, air your grievances and deal. The Bible isn't Pollyanna. It doesn't say, you know, the 
world is filled with fairies, and gold coins, and rainbows, 
and you're going to just bounce along without having no problems 
whatsoever. No, the Bible tells you, you're going to bounce into 
each other. There's going to be conflict. There's going to 
be difficulty. There's going to be issues. What 
do we do? Are we sullen? Do we emotionally 
punish people? Do we go cry and weep in secret? 
Or do we man up and say, look, what you did was wrong. I'm thankful 
that for the most part we don't run our homes the way we do church. 
See, when you're in that proximity, husbands and wives have to deal. 
Certainly, there might be a degree of emotional punishment. There 
may be some bitterness. There may be some sullenness. A man says, oh, I forgive you, 
honey. And then he's silently sullen for the rest of the day. 
I've heard about these creatures. I've never met one myself. Yes, 
I forgive you. And then I'm a big, pouting baby 
all day. But ultimately, what has to happen? 
You got a deal. I don't mean like this. I meant 
come together, not like this. This, not this. You've got to deal with it. See, 
if the church doesn't deal with it, then you get churches within 
churches. You get cliques. Again, we're not called to be 
everybody's BFF. You can have special friends 
in the context of the church. Jesus had twelve, and three of 
those many took on several occasions apart from the others. They didn't 
whine, cry, grumble, and complain, and say, well, I'm not his bestest 
friend, at least that it's recorded. There is a doctrine of close 
friendship, but within the context of the church, we ought not to 
be cliquey. We ought not to be church within 
church within church within church. I think that it's wrong when 
a church has a traditional service and a contemporary service, because 
to me, that builds in a church within a church. Notice the traditional 
people have to get up early? If you like traditional, you 
probably have an alarm clock. So, we're gonna tell you that 
you gotta come at 8. Contemporaries at 11. There'll 
be coffee, there'll be buns, there'll be all those things. 
What does that do? It fosters a church within a 
church. But you know, we're just as guilty 
when we're cliquey. We're just as guilty when we 
won't deal with others. We're just as guilty when we 
do the very same thing. Again, there's going to be the 
sense where we peel off with those brethren that we are closer 
to. And don't get your nose bent 
out of shape if you're not everybody's BFF. They're neglecting me. Maybe they're not neglecting 
you. Maybe you need to man up and 
go put yourself in the midst of them and say, I want to be 
a part of this conversation. He who wants friends has to be 
friendly. That's what Solomon said. That's 
Bible. Nobody likes me. Well, then get 
out there and make them like you. Do something positive instead 
of just grumbling. Again, take it to your home. 
How would you deal with your sons or your daughters who carried 
on like that? We'd spank them. We'd reprove 
them. Get out there and play. And yet in the church, for whatever 
reason, because we're adults, we can carry on like babies. 
We need to understand that what Christ speaks in Matthew 18, 
15 to 20, is the law of the head of the church. And then secondly, 
and finally, we need to see the wickedness of sin. Sin never 
betters anything. You will never have an instance 
in your life, and if you say, I'm going to sin, because that's 
going to make it better. Sin never makes it better. Sin 
never improves your status. Sin never improves your place 
with God, or it never improves your place with brethren. Sin 
is always negative. Sin is always bad. Sin is always 
destructive. Sin in the church, what happens? 
Church splits. Sin in the church, what happens? 
Christ takes away the lampstand. Sin in the church, what happens? 
They lose their power. We want to preach the gospel 
with conviction. We want the Spirit to come. We 
want sinners to be translated from the kingdom of darkness 
into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Will the Spirit come 
when men are in contention with one another in the same church? 
Sin does not prosper. Sin in your individual lives 
does not prosper. It does not promote health. It 
does not promote happiness. It does not promote joy. Sin is always destructive, and 
I think at least by way of a corollary, we learn that from Matthew 18, 
15 to 20. If you are in your sin today, 
if you have not come to the Lord Jesus, if you have not believed 
the gospel, then may I say, come! come to the one in whom alone 
there is forgiveness. The one in whom alone there is 
redemption. The one in whom alone there is 
a righteousness given and it's received, not by your works, 
not by your faithfulness, but is received by faith alone. The moment you look, the moment 
you live. When those Israelites were bit 
by those serpents and Moses put that brazen serpent up in the 
wilderness, they looked And they lived. It wasn't drag yourself 
over there. Touch the foot of that brazen 
serpent. Gaze at it. It was look and live. Why is it when we come to the 
cross we say, you have to do this. You have to do X. You have to do Y. You have to 
look and live. You look to the Lord Jesus in 
faith and you will live. That is the answer for sin. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
the Word of God, and we thank you for its clarity, we thank 
you for its simplicity, and we pray that you would help us to 
take these things to heart as individuals, and help us to take 
these things to heart as a local church. Be with us, grant us 
grace to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight, 
and we pray these things through Christ our Lord. Amen.