Ministry of Corrective Discipline

In this part of the sermon: He turns to Galatians 6:1-2, where the 'spiritual' are called to 'restore' a brother overtaken in a trespass with gentleness, likening it to setting a dislocated limb, emphasizing…

The word 'restore' in Galatians 6:1 is likened to a doctor gently and deftly setting a dislocated shoulder, illustrating the careful, gentle, yet firm approach required for spiritual restoration.

They are to seek to restore him. And that word restore is the word that is used to say, set a limb that is out of joint. Now if someone comes into the emergency room at Mountainside Hospital and his shoulder has been put out of joint in a ball game, the doctor doesn't look at him and say, you're all out of shape, you're a mess, I'm going to whack you back into shape. No, it requires unusual gentleness and deftness of hand to reset that arm and put that bone in its proper socket so that the arm may function, well again.

23:15 - 23:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin discusses 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:14, instructing the church to withdraw from and admonish disorderly brethren (e.g., those unwilling to work) not…

An example of disorderly conduct in Thessalonica is given, where a brother was panhandling and not working, illustrating how such a pattern of sin would be evident to the whole church.

It must be conduct that is evident to every reasonable person, as was the case of these who refused to work. They were going around. Any group of the church there at Thessalonica would get together for fellowship. All you need to do is say, have you seen Brother So-and-so in the church?

30:39 - 30:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Humble yourself, repent, and embrace reproof from brothers and sisters, thanking them for their concern.

Martin uses the childish phrase 'Nobody Loves Me, Everybody Hates Me, I'm going out and eat worms' to describe the self-pitying, bristling reaction of someone who hates reproof, urging them instead to humble themselves.

You hate reproof. You justify yourself. You put your tail between your legs and you start singing the little song Nobody Loves Me, Everybody Hates Me, I'm going out and eat worms. My friend, you don't need to go eat worms.

43:24 - 43:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Humble yourself, repent, and embrace reproof from brothers and sisters, thanking them for their concern.

He uses the analogy of a well-intentioned but perhaps clumsy surgeon using a rusty knife to cut out cancer, to illustrate that even imperfectly delivered reproof should be received with gratitude if it addresses real sin.

You need to humble yourself and repent and vomit out your sin. You need to go to your brothers and sisters and embrace them, if not physically, at least verbally, and thank them for having enough concern to see you kept in the way of faith and holiness and obedience that they've come and sought to point out your sin. And my friend, if you're determined to be holy, you're not a stickler about technicalities as to how it's done. I've been manhandled a few times, but it was the manhandling of love.

43:41 - 44:16 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are reproved, do not bristle over technicalities or personality awkwardness, but receive the help to see your sin.

He references the biblical story of Balaam and his donkey to illustrate that God can use imperfect instruments, even those 'lacking a little bit in tact,' to bring about moral sanity and point out sin.

If God can use a dumb donkey to get a wayward prophet back to moral sanity, he may use one of his children who lacks a little bit intact, who lacks a little something in experience. But you see, this can so discourage the people of God from engaging in this ministry if those who ought to know better and are further along the way bristle over technicalities rather than take a young brother and sister and say, thank you for pointing out my sin. And then maybe a week later come back and say, you know, I'm so grateful it's been like this. I'm so grateful it's been wonderful this past week to pray ...

45:45 - 46:29 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are reproved, do not bristle over technicalities or personality awkwardness, but receive the help to see your sin.

Martin describes the personal experience of elders feeling 'butterflies in our stomach' and breaking out in a 'cold sweat' when preparing to administer discipline, highlighting the difficulty and seriousness of the task.

We're all the same. And some of us who have to do this in the middle of our office, though we've had to do it hundreds of times, each time is as hard as the first time. And we get butterflies in our stomach. And we break out in a cold sweat at times.

46:50 - 47:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not fail to admonish one another when you see disorderly conduct or a brother/sister overtaken in a fault.

He quotes a letter from another pastor stating, 'We do not practice church discipline in our church,' to illustrate a shocking and cavalier disregard for a precious ordinance of Christ.

the most severe act of excision. But all of these kinds that we've considered in these six passages of the Word of God. I read to my fellow elders last night the portion of a letter from a pastor in another state that was shocking. The statement was shocking and then that he could write it in such an apparently cavalier way was doubly shocking.

51:00 - 51:25 Read in full sermon