Church Discipline – Part 4 – 2 Thessalonians 3:3-6

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Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5

Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:3-6

Introduction

1. The first three covered the following:

1) What is discipline?

2) The need for discipline

3) God’s rule in the past

4) Does God require discipline today?

5) Who has the responsibility for discipline?

6) Why have we not practiced discipline?

7) What is God’s purpose for discipline?

8) Objections to discipline

2. Tonight we will examine what the Bible has to say about who is to be disciplined and when is it to happen.

3. Next week we will look at how we are to discipline and how we are to treat those who are disciplined.

Body

I. The general command of who is to be disciplined is 2 Thessalonians 3:5-6

A. The natural place to start the process of discipline is in the love of God and the patience of Christ

B. We will now define terms:

1. Withdraw – to place yourself away from

2. Walks – not a onetime thing

3. Disorderly – breaks rank

II. Specific commands of who is to be disciplined

A. A brother who sins against you – Matthew 18:15-17

B. An iunrighteous person – 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

C. Divisive man – Romans 16:17, 1 Timothy 6:3-5

D. Those that forsake the assembly – Hebrews 10:24-31

III. When are we to discipline?

A. There is a Biblical process found first in Matthew 18:15-18

1. Go yourself and try to resolve the problem

2. Take two or three witnesses

3. Tell it to the church

4. Let him be as a heathen

B. Also in Titus 3:9-12

1. Avoid disputes, contentions and strivings

2. If one continues to be a heretic or divisive:

a. Admonish him – Acts 20:31

b. At least two times

C. In other words we are never to withdraw from someone who sins; but we are to withdraw from someone who refuses to repent after repeated attempts to reclaim such a one for Christ

Conclusion:

1. In church discipline we are not throwing any one out of the church, we are acknowledging their condition with God.

2. When we make a vow to serve Christ and Him only we are to keep it or face the Consequences

3. Have you made such a vow?

4. Are you keeping it?