Sermons on Church Discipline
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
How to Handle a Scandal Introduction: I doubt if there has ever been a time since the Middle Ages when scandal has been more public, more common, or more devastating to the Church of Jesus Christ than during the past several decades. High profile individuals, like Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, David Hocking, Gordon MacDonald, Henry Lyons, Mike Trout, and many others have succumbed, and those are all professing evangelicals. If you add in the scores of Catholic priests, Mormon leaders, and…
1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
Restoring Fallen Brothers and Sisters Introduction: Last week I preached a hard-hitting message on sin in the church and the need for the church to discipline its members. I am going to speak with equal vigor today about the need for forgiveness and restoration for those who have fallen once they have repented. I want to begin today with a question: What would you say is the most representative symbol of the Church of Jesus Christ? Would you suggest a cross? If so, you’re no doubt in the majority. But what about a fish,…
Acts 4:36-5:11
Opposition from Within Introduction: On September 10, 1813, Naval Commander Oliver Hazard Perry dispatched a message to General William Henry Harrison, announcing his victory at the battle of Lake Erie. The message was short: “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” Some 150 years later Pogo paraphrased Perry, saying, “We have met the enemy and they are us.” Perry’s original version is applicable to chapter 4 of Acts, where we saw last week that the Apostles faced the opposition of the Jewish…