Righteous Church Discipline

The Importance of Preserving Foundational Distinctives

0:03 This sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, August 25, 1991, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:14 Now, unless some of us have been in the posture that Rip Van Winkle was in for a number of years,

0:24 we're aware that during this past week we've witnessed some of the most astounding events to be witnessed perhaps in our generation in conjunction with what has happened in the Soviet Union. There was the sudden overthrow of Mikhail Gorbachev, then the surprising resistance of the people under the leadership of Mr. Yeltsin, then the reinstatement of Gorbachev, etc. And although these dramatic events were like the eruption of a political volcano, you know, like a volcano, the pressures which produced them were deep, widespread, and long in coming. And in the same or in a similar way in the history of individual churches and of whole denominations, there have been relatively sudden upheavals in which doctrinal standards that have stood for decades or even centuries have been overthrown in a day. When moral practices and standards have been overturned and officially renounced and replaced with sub-biblical standards.

1:47 However, as with the events in recent days in the political forces in Russia, the things which led to them were a long time working beneath the surface. So it is when there are these rallies. Radical upheavals within an individual church or a denomination. And you say, well, Pastor Martin, what in the world does that have to do with the ministry of the word this morning?

2:16 Well, simply this. If the Lord delays His coming, next year we'll find us celebrating our 25th anniversary as a congregation. And realizing that with the passing of time, there can be a subtle erosion of foundational issues. I'm bringing a series of messages in which we are articulating those fundamental, central, crucial issues which constitute what we believe to be the distinctives of a biblical church.

2:52 And why am I doing this? Well, basically for two reasons. That, first of all, we may all have an intelligent, biblically-based grasp. That, first of all, we may all have an intelligent, biblically-based grasp.

3:04 Upon these distinctives. And that by the grace of God, we may be committed with fresh zeal to preserve, propagate, and build upon those distinctives. If the time ever comes when there is an overthrow of the confessional position of this church. When there is an overthrow of the moral and ethical standards of the church.

3:30 It will not be the work of a moment. It will not be the work of a moment. Any more than the violent upheavals in the Soviet Union were the work of a moment. They were but the manifestation of the building pressure of decades.

3:44 And therefore, by the grace of God, we are determined that we shall do all within our power in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. That there would not be an overthrow that would spell the ruin of this assembly. That there would not be an overthrow that would spell the ruin of this assembly. And so we are considering a series that I've entitled a manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church.

Review of Trinity Baptist Church's Manifesto Distinctives

4:09 A public declaration of the aims and purposes that mark us as a congregation. Thus far we have considered four such elements of the manifesto. We're determined that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in the totality of the life and ministry of the church. And in the whole artery of this assembly, Colossians 1 tells us that in all things, he, Jesus Christ, might have the preeminence.

4:46 And that is our settled determination. We have not yet attained, but this one thing we do. We press towards a state of church life and practice. In which Jesus Christ has his rightful place.

5:02 Secondly, we are determined that all of our life and ministry shall be molded by the word of God. Isaiah 8.20 says to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Any religion that is not molded by scripture is will worship and is an abomination unto God. Thirdly, we are determined to maintain a God-centered climate in the totality of our life and ministry.

5:36 The scripture tells us in Romans 11.36 that of him and through him and unto him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And it is our determination that this God-centered climate and perspective shall percolate through the totality of our life and ministry.

6:02 Fourthly, we are determined that our life and ministry will unquestionably validate the unique place assigned to the church in the saving purpose of God. According to 1 Timothy 3.15, it is the church. Which God has constituted the pillar and the ground of the truth.

6:26 And we are determined that our life together will validate our profession that indeed the church is unique in the saving purposes of God. And now for several weeks we have been focusing our attention upon the fifth tenet in the manifesto. We are determined to strive for a membership. A membership comprised only of truly regenerate and genuinely converted men and women.

6:58 Acts 2 and verse 47 says, And the Lord added to them such as should be saved. And we are determined to strive for a membership comprised only of those who are truly regenerate and genuinely converted. Amen. Amen.

7:19 Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

7:19 We have demonstrated the basis of that goal from the scriptures. And now we have been considering some of the plain manifestations that we are indeed determined to strive for that goal. The first was the manner in which we deal with the children of our members. Secondly, in our message and methods of evangelism.

7:42 Thirdly, in our general policy and procedure in the reception of new members. Fourth, our commitment to biblical, discriminating, applicatory, passionate and earnest preaching. Fifth, our encouragement of assertive, loving knowledge and care one for another. Six, our commitment to assertive, loving, pastoral intimacy and oversight of each member.

8:09 Those are six of the ways in which we are plainly, evidently, patiently striving to have, together, a truly regenerate and genuinely converted church membership role. If your interest has been awakened and you were not here, those messages are on tape. If you were away on vacation for any of them, I speak to the members. Please take them out of the tape library.

Introducing Righteous Church Discipline as the Seventh Distinctive

8:39 There will be no expense to you and listen to them. These are crucial matters to our life as a congregation. Now, this morning we come to consider. consider the seventh and final plain manifestation of our determination to strive for a truly regenerate and genuinely converted membership. And that seventh plain manifestation is what I'm calling our commitment to the practice of righteous church discipline. Commitment to the practice of righteous. My outline will be the same as studies. First of all, I will explain

9:28 the key words. We are speaking of a commitment. And when I say church discipline, that we salute infallibility. Practice it rather to the word of God. We have a commitment to the practice

10:23 discipline. Now, what is the thing to which we are committed? Having laity as one of the

11:09 things. We have a commitment to the practice of righteousness. We have a commitment to the practice of truth. Or, with reason of salvation, standing of truth. The Reformation brought forward that that focuses upon the heart of evangelical salvation. Another great legacy of the Reformation was the articulation of the fact that the mark was the pure preaching of the word of God.

12:02 Sacraments. It is part of the Reformation heading of the word or the right administration of the sacraments. It is part of the Reformation heading of the word or the right administration of the sacraments. We are committed to discipline. We are committed to it as though we know we do not

12:51 practice salute infallibility. Practice of church communication of members in the assembly. Now, what do I mean by the use of the word righteous? We are come to the unchain of the word of God.

13:35 The said make disciples of all than whatsoever. Number one, be okay with which discipline them out. Discipline then. Discipline occasion. Then to be righteous, it must be enacted in a spirit or disposition which scripture mandates.

14:35 For the Bible not only tells of the proper occasion, it is to be honest. And righteous church discipline then is marked, mandated.

14:57 And then third, you see in church discipline, the church has no right to impose or forms of punishment not warranted by the word of God. For example, there are times in church when if a man were excommunicated, the elders and the leaders of that church forbade the man's wife to render conjugal rights to the man and essentially made him a forced eunuch. The word of God nowhere. There have been times in church when people have been dealt with in terms of physical flogging and imprisonment and death itself in the name of church discipline. But they had no warrant from the word of God with respect to the church discipline. The actions thus they were implementing that discipline.

15:54 So righteous church discipline then must be occasioned by the things mandated, enacted in a spirit or disposition mandated by scripture. It must involve actions mandated by scripture and it must have end mandated by scripture. Not end magically determined by the church or its leadership.

16:27 It must be established in the word of God. And so that's our commitment to the practice of righteous discipline that is the seventh plane nation of a nation that by the grace of membership role in Trinity Baptist Church. Now having explained the key words, now let us look at the scriptures for an exposition of the key texts. Now I did a little experiment.

Exposition of Matthew 18:15-20: The Process of Discipline

17:05 The time between Sunday school and church when the elders met to pray, I said, Brethren, what are the five soldiers? If you had to choose five texts, Testament teaching on church discipline, what would you choose? And I asked each elder to give one. I won't tell which ones passed the test and which ones did not.

17:30 But between them all, they came up with the five texts. So I feel comfortable that I've not arbitrarily settled upon these five texts. Now, these are not an exhaustive. This does not represent an exhaustive list.

17:44 But I want to state this as plainly as I know it. As plainly as I know how, I believe every member of Trinity Baptist Church. And by intelligent, I don't mean your IQ. I mean someone reasonably well instructed in the basics of the Christian faith should be able to put it upon these five texts and give to anyone who asks him a reasonable, responsible exposition of the significance of these texts.

18:21 I'm sure to the minds of some of you, this statute is found in Matthew 18, 15 to 20. Why are we committed to the practice of righteous discipline? Well, we begin by looking at the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew's gospel. You remember that in the 16th chapter, he has spoken of his church that will be built against which the gates of and there the foundation upon the person and work of Christ is in focus.

19:02 But here in Matthew 18, our Lord has a mystic view of what that church will be like. This of the consummation. The Lord does not look at the church that he's going to. He doesn't look upon it with rose-colored glasses.

19:24 He looks us of realism. And therefore, he says in Matthew 18, 15, sin against thee, go between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained. See the purpose.

19:45 You have won an argument and shamed your brother. The whole end in you was to gain. So we're talking about the ends in you. The spaces or three, every word established.

20:17 He used to hear them. Him be unto thee as the Gentile publican. Verily unto you what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. What things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20:43 Again I say unto you, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there that all men become a part of the people who've entered through the narrow upon the narrow,

21:32 and then in his ministry through, that anyone who comes into his kingdom and then enters in does not exercise lordship. 14. Set apart who are pursuing without which no man shall see the Lord. However, and sin will cross relationships one to another. And so he envisions a situation in the fellowship in which one brother, so clear brother,

22:48 that the issue is a barrier to fellowship. The issue is so clear that it can be established before the minds and judgment of two or three others. And before a whole congregation. Now you try to establish in the judgment of people that a brother sinned against you when he only looked at you with half of one eye and a third of the other when you walked by him and he was slighting you.

23:18 Now you try to convince two or three witnesses he really sinned against you. And then try to convince the whole church. You see he's talking about an issue that is so clearly a sin, a sin that cannot in the interest of the brother, or in the interest of maintaining an ungrieved holiness, be covered by a blanket of sin. But it is a sin which demands confrontation.

23:44 If thy brother sinned against thee, go with a view to gaining him, seeking to persuade him of his sin. Bring him to repentance that you might confer forgiveness, that the barrier to your fellowship might go down. The thing that would grieve the Holy Spirit is removed. But our Lord is the realist.

24:08 And he said there will be times when such a person will not hear you. That is, he will not admit his sin. Through the perversity of his own heart, he may not even hear the issue. So the Lord says you take two or three others with you.

24:24 And you lay out the facts. And you establish the facts. And the facts are established at the word of two or three witnesses. And they then lovingly entreat the brother.

24:37 It is clear that you sinned against your brother. The facts have been established, brother. We plead with you. Repent of your sin.

24:45 Seek his forgiveness. Our brother has assured us he stands ready and willing to forgive and forget and have it buried. Do you not? Your sin.

24:55 He said, well then, you must bring the matter to the church. Gather the congregation. Congregation. People who by association, walking the narrow and evangelical obedience, matters.

25:38 But the judgment of the whole church is that indeed this brother has sinned. And he has refused to deal with his sin. And he is given due opportunity to deal with it now. The whole church reproves him.

25:57 It doesn't mean that at all. But it means the judgment of the church is the voice of the church is expressed in some form of common suffrage. And if the man will not hear the church, what is to be done to him? Look at the text.

26:13 Seventeen. Let him be of communion this way.

27:13 This is not a human's actions. What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. What things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven. And he says it is done under the eye of Jesus Christ, who is uniquely present in the gathering of his people.

27:53 And he says it is done upon one one of them, that he should not be a slave, who

28:56 Foretelleth the story of thelag choose concourse, not to purify the masses, for he is a brute. What I mean withlasмер kingdom of Christ's, and judging each other's practices. Paul didn't say, ah, the work is too much. Just go on off and form the first Jewish church of Rome and the first Gentile church and get on with it.

Exposition of Romans 16:17-18: Marking Those Who Cause Division

30:14 Church growth people would tell us to do that, but not so the Apostle Paul. And when he's done dealing with leading Jew and Gentile into one church, now he says in chapter 16 and verse 17, Now addressing the whole,

30:37 beseech you, beseech you, by the mercies of God, and decaying, stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you've learned.

31:03 For they that are such serve not our Lord, but their own,

31:42 that neither death nor life nor angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, to separate us from the love of God, the love of Christ, the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a marvelous epistle, just oozing with statements of grace and mercy, and yet, yet,

33:02 the other usage of that verse, and it is re-synonym for the word, it's 1 Peter 3.11. It would love life and see good day.

33:36 Well, you regard that which God detests.

33:45 You regard evil as the wound, suffering, and the bloodletting of the incarnate that's used.

34:06 Marking that makes it a congregation there at Rome. And by his teaching, he creates and turns a congregation,

35:18 especially the weak among you, who would be beguiled.

35:33 You make a private judgment? No. It's obvious. You have listed in all of this that Mr. So-and-so or Miss or Mrs. So-and-so was indeed to apostolicion, was indeed caused visions and occasions of stumbling, and that having been established, the whole church called upon to and then to chapter 5.

Exposition of 1 Corinthians 5: Removing the Leaven

36:25 Hear the entire chapter, 1 Corinthians 5,

36:38 that there is in pornea sexual uncleanness among you, and such sexual uncleanness as is not even among you. Among the Gentiles. In other words, sexual uncleanness that even without the knowledge of the gospel and the restraining grace of God in special grace, do not indulge in this sin with impunity. One of you hath his father's wife, and precisely what that means is debated among exegetes, whether a man actually married his mother-in-law, living with her in incestuous, adulterous relationship, but one thing is clear, it was a love, a loving congregation. You can live any way you want, we'll love you. We're just going to love you to death. We love you into hell, we're going to love you to death.

38:04 I mean, who's going to be? Oh yeah, this fellow sins a little gross, a little better than...

38:13 And Paul said the generic,

39:08 in my own spirit, you are to act three, four stages, as in Matthew 18, he said, No, if you are such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.

39:38 Satan reigns over men. There is the peculiar protection of God's special presence preserving his own bought with his pressuring unto Satan means.

39:58 He seemed to come, obviously did not come if he goes on in his present state. He's yet in that kingdom over which the prince of darkness rules, the God of this world. This world lies in of his fleshy passions and appetites.

40:32 Found as a saved man, possible that he will be found a saved man in the last. Then he deals again with the fact and he gives, the second cannot to the little leaven, leavens, a lump of the counter. I can remember my mother making bread. One of my tasks used to be to punch it and then knead it.

41:05 And I used to love to do that. Punch it down and then work out all my frustrations kneading the bread and whomping it all over the counter. And there are times and it would sit there longer and she got distracted and a little bit of yeast that she put in there. Make that thing work until it just spilled a little bit of yeast.

41:23 Yeast leavens the whole lump. He said, Don't you understand? Eat this man among you and have his influence isolate a whole lump of dough.

41:41 Language saying, Get rid of the leaven. But he said earlier, This man away.

41:53 A previous letter to have no company with fornicators. And he said, I didn't mean the fornicators of this world. Then you'd have to leave the world. But if anyone names the name of a brother,

42:16 it's good language, be plainer. This man who, when he made profession of faith, came through the narrowness and obedience to struggle with remaining.

Exposition of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15: Withdrawing from the Disorderly

43:20 Passage number four, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. And I forbear action because I want to make some very focused, albeit relatively brief, application at the end of the exposition. 2 Thessalonians 3.

43:47 The apostle speaking consciousness of his apostolic authority. He doesn't often pull rank.

43:58 I command you, remember in the letter to Philemon, I could do this, but I won't. And often he says, I beseech you instead of you. But here, he pulls rank. Verse 6 of 2 Thessalonians.

44:11 2 Thessalonians 3. Now to the one who stands behind it in than to be commanded in the name of the Lord Jesus. In other words, Paul says,

44:44 authority and crown of Jesus Christ resting upon every word that I write. And you better receive it as such.

44:54 We come and not to the tradition he received of us. Here's an apostolic command addressed to the whole church. They are to withdraw and the word with 20. And I think the meaning is very, we expect to taking up this collection. He said that we've got a team together to take up the collection. Why? Oh, there's the word that any man should blame us in the matter of this in the pot orderly being and in this very on what the specific issue was in this instance.

46:18 Verse 14. And if any man and yet count not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

46:44 They're so-called and moochers and sluggards often become moochers. And he says, look, if the man's going to go on being a slugger, sluggard, it won't work. Don't let him be a moochers. Let him not eat.

47:00 And that was this walking according to Apple's teaching and tradition. And he says, if someone says, well, look, I'm just so loved with the Lord Jesus and so longing.

47:23 And when you go begging, you people don't give him a thing.

47:38 Social pressure of the whole church. Note that again. You don't do this private and say, well, I believe that man's walking. No, obviously implicit in all of this is done decently and in order.

47:51 The man's sin before the congregation, judgment, into the congregation is walking in a disorderly manner and admonition has not brought him around.

48:11 Brotherly, sisterly interaction. This is not excommunication. He's not cast with the church. In the church,

48:28 keep him close enough to admonish him with a view to winning him back into full fellowship. You mean the church is to act in such a way as to make people feel ashamed? Isn't that cruel? No.

48:42 Because my friend, if this man goes on in this course of action, he's going to prove that he really is not a Christian and he will apostatize congregation to make social and the verbal creation count but admonish him as a brother. The sin not warranting excommunication but it jeopardizes the testimony of the church, the safety of a man's and this kind of mark a man to hear the church who will then be excommunicated. Fifth passage, Titus 3.

Exposition of Titus 3:10-11: Rejecting the Heretical Person

49:46 Significant because what is explicit is what we would call sin. Sin against thee. Mark those that are causing divisions and occasionally stumbling. A man committing a sin not even named.

50:09 Here a man's walking disorderly. But what about a man's professes to come through the narrow gate forsaking sin and the world and self to live a life of evangelical obedience and holiness and devotion to Christ? But he profoundly addresses this. Such a one is perverse in theologies and fights and fightings about the law that have nothing to do with the life with a life of evangelical obedience. They hold that have nothing to do with the truth which is a

51:33 Titus 1.1 as it were is the key to that entire epistle. And as Lenski, the Lutheran commentator has stated and I quote him because he stated it so succinctly and I believe accurately opinions are to be treated verse 9 states the precise opinions referred to we know sufficiently from 1st Timothy 1.4 and following yet this statement is concerned with any heretical person no matter what heretical opinions we have no difficulty in the adjective pyretikos who holds to such things as myths the genealogies and the ignorant teaching of the law mentioned in 1st Timothy 1.4 through 11 empty ignorant fantastic that forsakes scripture and certainly such as contradicts for himself what the must repudiate and disown whether this be little or much makes little difference

53:02 since to the extent that he chooses pyretikos one additional point we think lies in the word namely artistic and scriptural opinions to the damage of the true Christian he may of course also be an agitator what's to be done one or two admonitions or remonstrances are to be administered new thesia that's our word for admonition that we studied some weeks ago in the adult class is a word of reproof blame where these are required there's to be nothing like a strife or a battle and earnest talking to is what is meant one application may suffice if not a second is to follow if that fails efforts are useless othered with such a man in other words already excludes them and disdain settles the matter and then he cross references it with Romans 16 17 and 18 when he said to a first

54:31 second admonition refus implicit in that the church is to exercise its corporate mind is inconsistent with being in the society of those who recognize this book as their authority along comes someone who says this book plus then he wants to bring in rabbinical traditions about genealogies and rabbinical findings about the law and he is dis because it is the truth that unites and the truth that sanctifies sin in its wake and division in its train now brethren with these five and I've only given a brief overview of them surely not an exhaustive central and broad congregation that professes subjection to this book I read your judgment so in the remaining may I what I mean by commitment to the practice of righteous church discipline having

The Purposes and Benefits of Righteous Church Discipline

56:00 let me membership number one evident that who walk

57:00 is in Christ who are indwelt at the dominion of sin what the church is and among them is a man a woman in a path in disobedience person remain of the sanctified of the obedient but it's also commandment in it

58:11 and beyond his way while not in the way of holiness and of evangel and when the church retains in its membership though visibly holy obedient who after do admonition sin are allowed bring them to repentance will it call a life of conformity to Christ

59:30 evident that those who walk in visible holiness have ground in that they are the children by making it by making it evident the truth shall make you free 1027 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me after two that which you have heard from the beginning of

60:35 I must live by the truth in the narrow way and when people profess then they become hieratic about this thing or that thing what they're saying is you can be on your way to heaven while holding to error and the bible says no error only those who live by the

61:35 inverted men and women thirdly it operates when he says then the sin rebuked before is a legitimate motive may be yet and even in 2nd Corinthians 7 11 this is what it produced

62:51 and he commends for these things here's what he says it produced same thing that you were made sorry after a god indignation you approved yourselves to be pure in the matter read Deuteronomy 13 6 to 11 where the instance of the man who's an idolater is brought to light by one of his own relatives and he's brought before the whole congregation and says when this happens all for such wickedness a solemn thing when you gather in the name of someone out of the temples the night the lord said one of you shall betray me and you say is it I lord what holy fear

63:58 as he didn't come to that state overnight help me to deal with the littles that would spoil the vines of devotion to Christ and conscience and hunger and discipline in the secret place the holy fearship of truly regenerate and genuinely converted people and forthwith who are without be contemplating joining that anybody can look at and get into

65:23 without any sense of caution and worth joining the little friendly church on the hill receive everything from the tight fisted double dealing does a little hooking on the side everything in between a church and worth joining says in the book of acts concerning the Jerusalem church that when it was noised abroad and the report that God himself exercised church discipline on two hypocrites Ananias and Sapphira came upon all men and the lord asked if we're being saved church disciples who are without contemplating joining the church they say wait a minute join that congregation of people who by profession are committed to a life of holiness a life of evangelical obedience a life lived under the pressure and within the bounds

66:46 and admonitions of my brethren and of my elders publicly named and that I believe with all to go to heaven using the church for your own good hunting ground for a husband good hunting medical religious wise that I know he'll be responsible my friend you better not join this place to get a husband you better not join this place to get a wife God will expose people they're warm and out and I want a little influence I want following I've got some little agendas here I think I see some things that I'd like to correct no one's welcoming you to be a teacher here and when there's

68:15 church discipline upon those who are hieraticos who have their own little pet man-made doctrines that they want to promote when they know that such discovered are dealt with and after a second admonition are rejected and refused and put out of the church a holy fear will come caution is removed from trinity church is all over it's all over it's all over it's all over godly church then discipline is pleasant to the heart of any godly parent I thank God I love me enough to discipline and I thank God with all of it has been determined to obey Jesus Christ in the administration of righteous church discipline

Call to Unbelievers and Warning to Believers

69:30 to the maintenance of a truly regenerate genuinely converted church membership and if you're not a Christian who says worlds to you what happens in the visible church should be a constant reminder to you of the unseen reality there's no way you'll enter God's kingdom unless you get right with God unless you get a heart that's changed from loving self in sin to loving Christ in righteousness supremely you get a heart that no longer trust in yourself but trust only in what Christ has done for sinners to give you acceptance with God that's what we're all about that's why we sing such hymns as we sang this morning who is a pardoning God then you come you be one of us you feel yourself to be exposed invulnerable to the wrath of God with no hiding place then you run to Christ and you'll find us there hidden in the cleft of the rock and we'll put our arms around you and hide together in the Lord Jesus that's what we're all about and if that's what God has put in your heart then go to Christ come into the fellowship of his church don't get those things mixed up

70:59 you go to Christ and having dealings with Christ you go to Christ then you will be joined to his people and for you the people of God who've not yet known much of the agony you're young you're new among us I plead with you don't let your emotions rule in these matters in years to come I believe unless God does something unusual in the total fabric of our society as we're ruled more and more by the opinions of the experts and by sentiment and unprincipled gush it will become more and more difficult and more difficult to administer righteous church discipline but the moment you refuse to do it you're rejecting the Christ over this assembly and if you reject his headship you're inviting him to leave and to grieve away his spirit and when he goes it's over may God help us I ask you that it is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway and while your word is clear how I think that even this day those who are known to be womanizers may God help us

72:28 men who are known to be embezzlers men who are known to reject the truth of the deity of the doctrine of eternal hell the doctrine of his death on the cross for sinners and yet they remain not only in the church but leaders in the church and we think of the multitudes of those who follow them who know nothing of a heart weaned from self-righteousness a heart in a heart set upon a life of holiness and obedience and yet they sit respectable church members oh coming of the Lord Jesus sit among us this morning who are known to you be hypocrites not known to us but known to you Lord

73:32 with every