1 CORINTHIANS 5

The Problem in the Church.

V I. Problem of the church . Sin in its midst. This is usually known in the church and around the district. The newspapers are quick to spread the news of some sin in the church . It does the family of God much harm and angers God. I CORINTHIANS 10 v 1-14. (v 8-10. ) Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur you as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. V13-14 ; There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man ; but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. Let us not worship God on Sundays and the devil during the week. V 1. Perils in the church. Sin angers God as it seeks to make carnal Christians out of the congregation. It prevents His blessing upon the church and brings His chastisement upon the offenders. Why provoke God and have our sin recorded in the Lamb's book of life ? When sin in the church becomes know outside the church it speaks of some apathy inside the church towards holiness and sincere worship to God. There will be no sin in heaven. REVELATION 21 v 27 ; And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defiles neither whatsoever works abomination or makes a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. On judgement day the books will be opened and we will be judged according to our works. MATTHEW 7 v 22-23,. ; Many will say to Me in that day, Lord , Lord. have we not prophesied in Your name and in Your name have cast out devils, and in Your name have done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them. I never knew you, depart from me you who work iniquity. JAMES I v 8 ; A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Sin in the church has prevented many a person from becoming a Christian. It may well be time for us to rethink our Christian walk. Is it according to our own standards or that of God's ? V 2. Pride in the church. PROVERBS 29 v 23 ; A man's pride shall bring him low, but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. I TIMOTHY 3 v 6 ; Not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 2 TIMOTHY 3 v 2 ; For-men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, A proud and boastful person attempts to over emphasise his authority in the church. God rebukes these people. V 2. Permissiveness in the church. Something that God dislikes and He will chastise the culprits. I CORINTHIANS 5 v 1-2 ; It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife. 1 CORINTHIANS 10 v 21-22 ; You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils, you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the tables of devils. It is permissiveness of sin in the church as well as it being committed that ruins the church and brings down the judgement of God. 2 MATTHEW 7 v 21-23 ; Not everyone that says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and in Your name have cast out devils, and in Your name done many wonderful works ? And then I will say to them, I never knew you, depart from Me you that work iniquity. God has set perfect standards for His people to live by, His Scriptures are set down for us to meditate upon and obey. V 3. The proclamation of the church. The apostle Paul could say, I have already judged this matter as a

terrible sin. Get this man out of the church until he repents of this deed and asks forgiveness from God.. Unless action is taken quickly the sin in the church can finally be almost forgotten and accepted. DEUTERONOMY 22 v 22 ; If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman and the woman, so shall you put away evil from Israel. I CORINTHIANS 10 v 8-9 ; Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. V 13 ; There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. Paul gives the warning that sin in the church or in the heart will prevent a person entering heaven and having eternal life with Jesus. V 4. The power in the church. It belongs to the body of the church and is given us by the Godhead. ACTS I v 8 ; But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea ' and-in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. ACTS 4 v 12 ; Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The Spirit, of God leads us into the presence of God , Jesus having already made this access possible for us. ROMANS,8 v 26 ; Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. V 5. The purpose of the church. To exhort and encourage each other to worship God, and to walk in holiness before Him. To reach out to the unsaved and seek to bring them into the family of God, through the power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ. ACTS 11 v 23-24 ; Who when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. JOHN 1 v 29 ; The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. EPHESIANS 3 v 9 ; And to make all men to see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ, To the extent that now unto the principalities and power in heavenly places might be know by the church, the manifold wisdom of God. V 5. The partition required in the church. The apostle Paul was concerned with the fornication in the Corinthian church and by putting the culprits out of the church he was seek to make a partition by keeping the Christians in the church and the rebels outside until hey repented. 2 CORINTHIANS 6 v 14 ; Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion has light with darkness. v 17 ; Wherefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty. We must be careful not to get mixed up with the works of the unsaved. V 6 ; The people in the church. It appears that there were some carnal Christians in the Corinthian church and this was giving Paul great concern. There was a need for commitment in the church then just as it is today. PSALM 37 v 3-5 ; Trust in the Lord and do good, so shall you dwell in the land and verily you shall be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart, Commit your way unto the Lord trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. PSALM 107 v 31-32 ; 0 that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the congregation of the righteous.

Psalm 111 v 1 ; Praise ye the Lord, I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, The church of Christ should be a large body of people who love Him, and seek to commit their way of life to Him. 1 PETER 3 v 8, 12 . Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren be pitiful, be courteous. V 12 ; For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their-prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. V 6 ; The plea to the church. Put sin out of the church, put apathy out of the church. Let us exalt our God and praise Him for sending Jesus to Calvary's Cross, to become the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Sin and false doctrines can sweep through a church and bring down the judgement of God upon it . I TIMOTHY 2 v 5-6 ; For there is one God and one Mediator, between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 2 TIMOTHY 2 v 1-2 ; You therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard of me, among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. 2 TIMOTHY I v 12 ; For the which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. Let us follow Paul's advice and stir up the gifts that are within us that we may be victorious in our work in God's vineyard. 2 TIMOTHY 2 v 20-21 ; But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself these he shall become a vessel of honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use and prepared unto every good work. V 7. The purging necessary in the church. If the word of God says that we should not do certain things then we should be obedient if we are to. receive His blessings. If He says not to associate with certain people then it is for our own good. 2 CORINTHIANS 6 v 16 ; And what agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be My people. REVELATION 3 v 15-16 ; I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will sup you out of My mouth. I CORINTHIANS 5 v 2 ; And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. V 7. The purity necessary in the church. The leaven of sin has no place in the church of God, and should be rooted up when it is discovered. lest it become a false doctrine accepted by the church. I THESSALONIANS 4 v 7 ; For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. HEBREWS 12 v 14 ; Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Psalm-96-v 9 ; 0 worship the Lord-in the beauty of holiness , fear before Him all the earth. EPHESIANS I v 4 ; Accoeding as He has shown-us in-Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. We need to meditate more on the word of God and be obedient to its teachings. God says be you holy for I am holy. V 8. The partakers in the church. Only those who truly love the Lord Jesus Christ and see Him as Lord and Saviour can receive satisfaction in partaking of the communion. Someone living in sin will not see Jesus nor be blessed by the Holy Ghost.

I CORINTHIANS 11 v27-29 ; Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eats or drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body. 2 TIMOTHY 3 v 15-16 ; and from a child you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Let us be true partakers of the word of God and be not ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You God for sending Jesus. Thank You Jesus that You came. Holy Spirit come and help us, glorify the Saviour's name. V 8. The performance in the church. Let us all do our own purging with love in our hearts for Jesus. who was crucified and rose from the dead to make it possible for the repentant sinner to be reconciled to God and have sins forgiven. Now we should stand up and be counted as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and live the Christlike way of life. ROMANS 8 v 6 ; For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. PSALM 118 v 19-21 ; Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go into them and I will praise the Lord. This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You for You have heard me and are become my salvation. V 28 ; You are my God and I will praise You, You are my God I will exalt You. May other people see the Lord Jesus Christ living in us and working in and through us. V9-10 ; The persuasion in the church. The apostle Paul was very firm in his letters to the churches. If they were sinning he warned them of God's punishment. If they were following Jesus in truth and sincerity, he praised them and encouraged them. . ROMANS 2 v 7-10 ; To them who by patient continuance in well doing , seek for glory and honour, and immortality, eternal life. But to them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. EPHESIANS 4 v 1-3 ; I therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called. With all lowliness and meekness with longsuffering , forbearing one another in love. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We all need encouragement to read the word of God and live by its standards. V 11 ; The preservation needed in the church. Paul gives the warning that unless the leaven of sin is removed from the church it can permeate the teachings of the church and bring apathy over any immorality in the church. I TIMOTHY 5 v 22 ; Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be a partaker of other men's sins. 2 TIMOTHY I v 12 ; For which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. JOHN 5 v 28-29 ; Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. God has promised His followers eternal life and we can trust Him for that. V 12-13. The penalty for the church. The carnal Christians will be dealt with in the church now and by God specifically on the day of Judgement. The sin of fornication is against oneself. The sin of greed and theft is against our fellow man. The sin of idolatry is against God. ROMANS 2 v 6 ; Who will render to every man according to his deeds. The Israelites in the wilderness died there and did not go into the land of Canaan because they disobeyed

God when they left Egypt and would not enter Canaan when God told them. So for 40 years they wandered in the wilderness until they had all died, then Joshua led the rest of the Israelites into Canaan. 2 PETER 2 v I ; But there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon them selves swift destruction. V 13. The proof of the church. ROMANS 4 v 7-8 ; Saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. ROMANS 8 v 11 ; But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. PSALM 100 v 4-5 ; Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations. So the proof of a successful church is when the evil is cast out and-the fellowship is of one mind and accord in worshipping God and caring for each other.