Church Discipline

Matthew 18:15-20

Church discipline is important.

It is essential for the sinning believer.

It is essential for the church itself.

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Church discipline is a collective decision.

It involves the initiative of those who want to put things right for the good of the church.

It involves the collective decision of all the church members.

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Church discipline must be done with discretion.

It must be done with great wisdom; eternal issues are at stake.

We must pray to God to help us at such a time.

It must be exercised in love, with the intense desire to restore the offender.

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Church discipline must be done according to the book.

There can be no forgiveness for the offender until he repents of his sin.

Reconciliation between the aggrieved parties must be done upon forgiveness.

Restoration of fellowship must be followed upon reconciliation.

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Church discipline must be done with proper guidelines.

We must go and tell the offender privately and seek to win him over by his repentance and reconciliation to us.

If he refuses to listen to us, we must then take with us one or two witnesses. We must make sure that the witnesses are godly and not seen as our closest friends.

If he still refuses to listen to us, the matter must be taken to the church. The witnesses are then to confirm our complaint.

If he refuses to listen to the church and fails to repent, he must be excommunicated from the church and be considered as someone who is not Christian.

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It is never easy to carry out church discipline.

But it must be done for the sake of the purity and prosperity of the church.