Latest / Teachings On This Day On FerventWord / On Jul 11, 2004: 1 Corinthians 5
Transcript
- AI Andrew [00:00:00]: You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2004. Jerry Simmons [00:00:14]: So we continue now in 1st Corinthians chapter 5. 1st Corinthians chapter 5, you know, this this message this morning in this portion of scripture is one of the reasons why, it it's so great for us to go chapter by chapter, verse by verse, through through the bible because it's not necessarily one of the verses that you would enjoy, studying or or spending time in. I I've never heard anyone say that first 1st Corinthians chapter 5 is is my favorite chapter in the bible. It's one of those chapters that kinda deals with situations in areas that, you might not be comfortable talking or thinking about. It deals with a little bit of church discipline. It deals with sexual immorality and and sinful natures and sinful things that that have to be dealt with. And so it's not necessarily a a really pleasant thing, but it's something that is necessary. It's something that we need as the body of Christ to know and understand god's viewpoint, god's stance on certain areas and certain situations. Jerry Simmons [00:01:12]: And so here in first Corinthians chapter 5, brace yourself. We're looking in a little bit in-depth and, just kinda see what god has to say to you and me this morning. Well, starting in verse 1, it says this. First Corinthians 5 starting in verse 1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have already judged as though I were present him who has so done this deed. Verse 4. Jerry Simmons [00:01:58]: In the name of our lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together along with my spirit with the power of our lord Jesus Christ, Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Verse 9. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexual sexually immoral people, yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. Jerry Simmons [00:03:08]: For what have I to do with judging those who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside, God judges. Therefore, put away from yourselves, the evil person. Here is Paul is writing to the church of Corinth. He's encouraging them, kinda rebuking them a little sharply about a situation, about an area that needed their attention. You remember, maybe 2 weeks ago as we were looking at the end of first Corinthians chapter 4, he concluded chapter 4 and said, hey. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, with correction, or in love and in love? And so as you after this expression, he gives them an an example of an area that they need to deal with. We know the church of Florence, as Paul has been sharing, is was a carnal church, a a church with a lot of carnality, a lot of people who are controlled by the sinful nature, controlled by the flesh. We also know that there was a lot of division among them as a result of that as they divided over their different teachers and the different leaders that they had. Jerry Simmons [00:04:11]: Well, not only were they divisive, not only were they carnal, but they also had this other situation that they had to deal with, a situation that needed their attention. Paul says there's sexual immorality among you. In verse 1, he says, it's actually reported or your your version might say it's commonly known or it's widely reported. It was something that was well known. It wasn't something that was hidden. It wasn't something that, you know, only the select few knew, but it was something that was very common. That was every day that everybody knew that this was going on, that there was this Paul says it's not good. He says it's actually reported. Jerry Simmons [00:04:43]: It's widely known that there is sexual immorality among you. Now what is that? What is Paul talking about here, this sexual immorality? Well, sexual immorality is any relationship or any experience of a sexual nature that is outside of God's plan, that is outside of God's design. Anything that is not included in God's plan is outside of that and is wrong. It's sexual immorality. It is sinful. What is he talking about? Well, what did God design for sex? What types of sexual relationships does god allow? Does god condone? There's only one kind. There's only one instance or one place that is proper for a sexual relationship, and that's within a marriage between a husband and a wife. That is the only place that it is allowed. Jerry Simmons [00:05:37]: That is the only place where God says, I will bless it. The only place. There's no other instance. You can think of all the instances in your mind you want right now. There's no other instance, only between a husband and wife. That is the only place that god allows it. Now it's not a bad thing, but it must be done in this proper context. And so Paul says there's sexual immorality among you. Jerry Simmons [00:06:02]: There's people having relationships or specifically a gentleman having a relationship that is not according to God's law. That is not according to God's way. It's sin. And we need to understand that and be very clear about that because society around us would love to distort that. They love to confuse the issue or try to water it down or try to make it maybe not so harsh. It's okay. You know, you just live together. As long as you're committed or or as long as you really love each other, then it's okay or whatever situation or or justification you might think of. Jerry Simmons [00:06:37]: But the Bible is very clear. There's only one instance. There's only in one place where God allows it, where God blesses it. And so sexual immorality is anything aside from that. Fornication, which is having sex before you're married, that is sin. It's sexual immorality. It's wrong. Having a relationship with someone who is married, or if you are married, having a relationship with someone else is wrong. Jerry Simmons [00:07:04]: It's adultery. Homosexuality, that's wrong as well. Sex between the same gender, that's not right. God's word is very clear and specific that we do not need to be a part or we must not be a part of sexual immorality, of things that are not of god, of sin. It's very clear. And like I said, society would love to water it down and make it all, you know, but it's true. It's right. God's word speaks the truth. Jerry Simmons [00:07:32]: And, you know, it applies this idea of of sexual immorality and these things outside of god's will apply not only when it's 2 or more parties involved, but when there's less than 2 parties involved. And I don't think I need to elaborate. I think you know what I'm talking about. That any sexual relationship or experience outside of god's plan is sexual immorality, and it's wrong. And the Corinthians here were allowing it. Now first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 3, as Paul is writing to the Thessalonians, he tells them very clearly, hey. You wanna know God's will? You wanna know what God's will is for your life? Well, here's what it is. Abstain from sexual immorality. Jerry Simmons [00:08:11]: 1st Thessalonians 43, he says that very clearly. Many people ask that. Many times we've wondered ourselves, what is god's will for my life? Well, number 1, you can know that god's will for your life is that you abstain from sexual immorality. So if you're involved in sexual immorality right now, there's no need to ask. I wonder if I'm in god's will. No. You're not. You need to take care of that situation. Jerry Simmons [00:08:32]: You need to deal with that. In Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 through 21, Paul speaks very clearly to the Galatians. He lists all kinds of different situations, all kinds of different sins, including sexual immorality. But he says those who practice these things, those who practice those sins will not inherit the kingdom of god. And he's very clear. And so that's why we must cover this portion of scripture. That's why we must deal with these topics and these, ideas because sin is very serious. The wages of sin is death. Jerry Simmons [00:09:05]: That's what Romans 6 23 says, and it's true in every instance, in every case without exception. The wages of sin is death that brings death and destruction within our hearts, within our lives. Not only that, but it brings death destruction in the lives of those around us. And so Paul says, hey. It's widely known. It's commonly reported that there's sexual immorality among you. Not only that, but he goes on to say he said, it's a sexual immorality that not even the world, not even the Gentiles, the non believers would name. Not they wouldn't even be proud of it. Jerry Simmons [00:09:37]: They wouldn't even be talking about it. What kind of thing would be worse than what the world can do? Well, it says that a man has his father's wife. There's a guy who's sleeping, having a a sexual relationship with his father's wife. Now the way it's worded, it's probably not his mother, but his stepmother. Leviticus chapter 18 verses 6 through 8 specifically forbids this type of relationship, but you don't necessarily need Leviticus to tell you that. I mean, we know that that's not a relationship that anybody should have, that we should have. It was a a sorrowful thing. It was a heavy thing. Jerry Simmons [00:10:18]: It was a guy who was deceived because notice, Paul's writing to the church of Corinth. Right? And he's telling them, hey. It's reported that there is among you sexual immorality, and this is the power of sin. The power of sin is the deception that comes along with it because it wasn't like this guy said, hey. Forget church. Forget God. I'm gonna go do my own thing, and he runs off with his father's wife. No. Jerry Simmons [00:10:44]: No. No. Where was he at? Where was Paul writing to? He was writing to the church of Corinth. It was in the church that this guy was. He was there. He's probably figured, hey, I'm okay. I'm going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays or whenever I might be. I'm I'm there. Jerry Simmons [00:10:58]: I'm involved. Nothing seems to be happening. It must be okay. My, you know, I know maybe if you interpret it, you know, certain ways, it might be sinful what I'm doing, you know, but, you know, it must be okay because I'm getting away with it. There doesn't seem to be a problem. And Paul says, no. It's not good. It's reported that there's sexual immorality among you, and it's not good. Jerry Simmons [00:11:20]: Verse 2, he says, and you are puffed up and have not rather mourned. You're puffed up and not rather mourned that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. Here Paul corrects them a little bit because they have this guy who's in the church, who's there, who's in the fellowship, in the body, and he's involved in sin. And instead of mourning, being sorrowful that he's involved in sin, being sorrowful that the sinful thing is taking place within the body of Christ, he says, Corinthians, you guys are you're puffed up. You're you're prideful. You're boasting about it. You're boasting at, hey. Look at what a horrible sin he's in, but we still accept him. Jerry Simmons [00:12:07]: And a word maybe of today that you might hear a lot is they're boasting or they're proud in their tolerance. Oh, look how tolerant we are. Look how much we allow. Look how much we are receiving, and look how much love is in this place because we're receiving even such a person. Paul says, you're puffed up. Remember we talked about a couple weeks ago being puffed up in first Corinthians chapter 4, and, man, if we're puffed up, we gotta watch out because we're gonna get popped. Right? God's gonna destroy the proud. He's gonna destroy those who are are full of themselves, and and Paul says, you you gotta watch out. Jerry Simmons [00:12:43]: You can't be prideful or boasting about your tolerance. It's not right, what's going on. Instead, you should have rather mourned. You should have been sorrowful. That's the attitude and the the role that you need to play in this. You know, it should trouble us when sin happens in our lives or in the lives of those around us. It should trouble us. It shouldn't be something where we're callous or kinda I'd just rather overlook it rather than deal with it. Jerry Simmons [00:13:09]: No. It it should trouble us. We should mourn and be sorry for the things that go on. Why? Well, because it troubles god. God hates sin. He is completely opposed to sin. Not because, you know, he doesn't want you to have any fun. No. Jerry Simmons [00:13:30]: Because he knows that sin is destructive, and he wants to keep us from sin, that we would not destroy our own lives. So he says you should have rather mourned because that sin is destroying them. That sin will destroy them. And if we're supposed to be Christ like we're Christians, then we need to have that same attitude towards sin, and we should not take it lightly. It's very easy to kinda gloss over or overlook, but Paul says don't be puffed up. Instead, mourn. Be sorrowful. Be concerned for those who are involved. Jerry Simmons [00:14:06]: Be concerned when you're involved in sin because it's destructive, and so we need to not take it lightly. We need to be careful. On verse 3, he says, for in I indeed as absent in body but present in spirit have already judged as though I were present him who has so done this deed. Paul says, hey. You haven't dealt with this situation, but me, I I've been far away, but I've already judged. I've already come to a decision in this situation, and then he's gonna go on and say, here's what you need to do. But he uses the word judged, which is interesting because you might remember from 2 weeks ago as we talked about the word judge and how we're not to judge one another. Right? And Paul says, I don't even judge myself. Jerry Simmons [00:14:49]: Well, then Paul in the very next chapter goes on to say, hey. I've judged this guy. What's going on? What's the difference? Why why is he saying, hey. Don't judge, and then now he's saying I've already judged? What's what's Paul saying? What's the difference between chapter 4 and chapter 5? Well, if you remember in chapter 4, we talked about it was judging the things that were behind the scenes, people's motives, their heart. The things that we don't know, we can't understand because we're sinful creatures just like everybody else. But God looks at the heart. He knows and understand the the intents of the heart, but we don't. So we are not equipped. Jerry Simmons [00:15:21]: We're not able to judge people's motives in their heart. But what Paul is dealing with here in chapter 5 is not a situation that concerns motives. It's not like he was doing the right thing, but he just had the wrong reason to do it or he had bad motives. No. What this guy was involved in, what was going on was clearly against an opposite of scripture. It's clearly contrary to God's word. And so in situations where there's things going on that are contrary to God's word, that's called sin. Things that God word God's word speaks against is is is sin. Jerry Simmons [00:16:01]: And so He says you need to deal with this. I've judged this already. We we need and we must judge sin. We must come to decision and judge things that are done outside of god's will, of god's law. Now we can't judge people's motives. We can't judge our heart because we don't know what's going on on the inside, but god does. We let god do that. But in the area of the action, the sinful actions that take place, we can't overlook them. Jerry Simmons [00:16:27]: We can't just allow them to continue, but we must judge them. We can't judge their heart, but we must judge sinful actions in our lives and in the lives of those that we love and care about, because sinful actions, like I said, are destructive. So Paul says, you need to take care of the situation. I've already judged. I've already come to a decision, and here's what you need to do. And I I wanna share with you three things this next couple verses as we look. You know, it's the idea of you maybe have heard of church discipline, right, where the church needs to take action and take care of a a sinful person, a sinful brother, a sister in the Lord. And there's 3 things here that I wanna share with you. Jerry Simmons [00:17:05]: I wanna encourage you because not only is this guidelines for the body of Christ, the church as a whole to deal with sinful situations, but you and I are called to deal with sin, to take care of sin, to lift up those who are have stumbled and fallen around us. You know, in your home, you need to be the priest of your home. You need to be the guardian of your home, and to keep sin out of there. And so you can apply these same principles that I will share with you in dealing with sin in your own home or within your own family or within whatever circumstances you might be in. But it also applies to the church as Paul is sharing with the church of Corinth here. So verse 4, he goes on to say, in the name of our lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together along with my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul says, first of all, number one thing to remember, he says, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the first thing that you need to remember when dealing with a sinful situation with a situation where someone is involved in sin is it needs to be done in the name of Jesus Christ. Jerry Simmons [00:18:26]: What does that mean in the name of Jesus Christ? We say that very often, don't we? At the end of our prayers, in the name of Jesus we pray, amen. What does that mean though? What why do we say in the name of Jesus? Well, it's more than just a title. It's more than just, you know, it's the magic word. Okay. We said Jesus, so, you know, that means it's real. No. It's more than that. The name as it's talked about in in the scriptures was not just their title, but it was their character that went along with it. Jerry Simmons [00:18:55]: It was what they stood for and who they were. And so the name was much more significant than we might think of today. So he says, in the name of Jesus as as you're there in the name of Jesus, in the character or the nature of Jesus, you need to deal with the situation. And so we know and we understand that we need to deal with sinful situations. We need to deal with sin in our lives and in the lives of others in a loving way because Jesus Christ was very loving, not condemning in that, hey. You're going to hell because you sinned. No. No. Jerry Simmons [00:19:26]: No. The idea needs to be for restoration, which we'll see. So not in condemnation, but in love. Well, how did Jesus deal with with sinners? How did he deal with people who are involved in sin? You can look through all the gospels and see Jesus encountered sinful people continually. In fact, remember they would gather around Him. They would follow Him. They would go to the houses where He would have dinner, and He would they would hang around Him. And the priests and the Pharisees were, like, why is your rabbi why does, you know, your teacher hang out with these sinners? They like Jesus. Jerry Simmons [00:20:01]: Why? Because he wasn't throwing the Bible at their head and and condemning them, but he was loving them. Now don't get me wrong. We need to share the truth in love. We need to be very clear about sin and about God's, stance as far as sin, but he did it in a loving way, in a not condemning way. You might remember the the woman that was brought before Jesus, before everybody as Jesus is their teaching, the Pharisees, the scribes, they bring this woman and they throw her before Jesus and say, she was caught in adultery. She was caught in the very act. Moses's law says that we should stone her. What do you say, Lord? They're trying to trap him, trying to trick him. Jerry Simmons [00:20:41]: So you know the story. He begins to ride in the sand, and 1 by 1, they all leave as they're convicted. We don't know what he wrote, but whatever he wrote, it worked. And so finally, he it's just him and the woman, and he looks up and he says, woman, where are your accusers? And she said, there's no one here. And Jesus said, I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more. And so we, as we approach sinful situations, situations like this, need to have the same heart, the same character, the same nature as Jesus Christ. Not in condemnation, but encouragement to repent in love, sharing the truth in love, not watering it down, not beating around the bush, but simply sharing the truth in love. Jerry Simmons [00:21:33]: You're involved in sin, but god has forgiven you or he will forgive you if you'll just ask him to, and you can be restored in love, not in condemnation. Well, the second thing I'd like to point out is not only were they in the name of Jesus, but he says as you are gathered together, as the body of Christ, as the church is assembled, then you need to deal with this situation. It's not something that you wanna try to hide. It's not something that you wanna try to conceal because you can never hide sin. As hard as you try, you can never hide sin. So he says deal with it as you are gathered together. It it was an open sin. It's a public sin. Jerry Simmons [00:22:12]: It deserves an open rebuke, a public rebuke. It deserves to be dealt with with the body of Christ. Why? That seems kinda weird or awkward. I mean, why would you have the body of Christ altogether to deal with this man who is involved in this? Well, it's very easy for us, like I said, to be deceived by sin. I'm sure that you know that. I'm sure that you've experienced that. To be deceived and kinda go, oh, I'm okay. You know, I'm getting away with it. Jerry Simmons [00:22:42]: Although, you might not think of it in that terms, but that's how you are. You're just like, everything seems to be going good. God still seems to be blessing. You know, that was still a good message, you know, and, you know, I didn't have to change. And so, you know, what's the big deal? I guess, you know, god must be allowing it. Maybe this is a different case or whatever reasons we start to justify it in our mind. But Paul says, as you are gathered together, the reason being that everybody would be in one accord knowing, hey. This is god's stand. Jerry Simmons [00:23:05]: This is everybody would be in one accord knowing, hey. This is god's stand. This is what god says about the situation. And as a body, this is the stand that we're making for god that, hey, bro. You're involved in this situation. It's not right, and so you're not welcome here anymore. You're not gonna fellowship with us anymore. This is how we all feel. Jerry Simmons [00:23:29]: That by 2 or 3 witnesses, it might be established that he might know beyond a shadow of doubt. Hey. It's not just one person who's out to get me, but that, hey. All these people who have loved me for, you know, this much time or how many every years, they're all saying that I'm involved in this and maybe I am and will cause them to seek the Lord, to seek for restoration. In first Timothy chapter 5 verse 20, Paul tells Timothy, hey. If someone is sinning, if someone's involved in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all that all might learn and fear, that we all might understand the severity of sin, that we all might understand how serious sin is. So we need to be careful and not overlook, not gloss over. But number 1, we need to approach it in the name of Jesus and the character of Jesus. Jerry Simmons [00:24:18]: We need to do it as we're gathered together. But thirdly, the purpose is always reconciliation. It's always for restoration, for restoring back. And that needs to be the focus and the purpose of any conversation, of any discipline that takes place. In verse 5, he says, deliver such a one to Satan. Sounds kinda harsh, and it is. But he says, for the destruction of the flesh, of the sinful nature, he says that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. That his spirit may be saved. Jerry Simmons [00:24:50]: That's the idea. That's the purpose. That his spirit may be saved. It's not for condemnation, but it's for restoration. It's not to put them down and send them away forever eternally, but, hey. Go repent and come back. For someone to be involved in sin and then to be put out be put outside the body to miss the fellowship that they once had, to be miserable in their sin once again will often cause them to repent and come back into the fellowship, come back into the presence of god. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 18. Jerry Simmons [00:25:29]: Matthew chapter 18. It's the first book of the New Testament. Matthew chapter 18. What is Paul talking about when he says deliver him unto Satan? I mean, how do you do that? That doesn't even sound like something that anybody would want to do or something that's right to do. But Paul says deliver him under Satan. Hand him over. Well, I believe that in Matthew 18, we kinda see a little bit more insight into what Paul is talking about. Jesus is talking here, and he's talking and dealing with kind of a similar situation. Jerry Simmons [00:26:03]: He's dealing with a sinful or a sinning brother. In verse 15 of chapter 18 of the book of Matthew, He says, moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you 1 or 2 more, that by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you that if 2 of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my father in heaven. Jerry Simmons [00:26:56]: Verse 20. For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. Notice that, guys. Verse 20 is very familiar to us. We say that very often. Oh, man. Where 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is there. So Jesus is here right now, and that's true. Jerry Simmons [00:27:16]: But the context that Jesus said it was in dealing with a a sinning brother and dealing with a situation that might not be pleasant and dealing with a situation that might be hard. Jesus said where 2 or 3 are gathered, I am there in the midst of them. When you have to make those decisions, when you have to make those stands, when you have to confront those people, when you have to deal with those situations where 2 or 3 are gathered, I'm there in their midst. He starts out by saying, hey, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him just between you. And so Jesus gives the the proper order here in Matthew chapter 18 of how we deal with with sinful situations, with sins in and around us. So Mario sins against me. What should I do? Well, I don't go talk to pastor Cisco about it and say, hey. Look what Mario did. Jerry Simmons [00:28:07]: You know, such a bum. What a brother. You know, I don't like him anymore. Whatever. Right? No. The proper thing that Jesus says here is go talk to Mario and bring it up. And say, hey. Look, Mario. Jerry Simmons [00:28:18]: This is what you did, man. This is how you sinned against me. This is what you've done. And it says, if the brother receives it and goes, oh, yes. I'm sorry. I've sinned, and there's repentance, there's restoration, praise the Lord. You you've gained your brother. You've gained him back. Jerry Simmons [00:28:38]: But in verse 16, he says if he does not hear, then grab 1 or 2 more people. Grab pastor Pule. Grab pastor Sisko and go talk to Mario and say, Mario, what's going on? He says that it may be established by 2 or 3 witnesses that the person in the situation, the person in the sin might go and understand, okay. It's not just this one person who's out to get me, but there's several people now that they are saying that I'm involved in this sin. They're saying that I'm involved in this thing that's not right. And so it would cause you to think. It would cause you to go, okay. Well, I need to reevaluate some things then. Jerry Simmons [00:29:15]: You know, it was told to me a long time ago, and I I always appreciate it, is that whenever there's 2 or 3 people that you respect as spiritual leaders in your life, whenever there's 2 or 3 of them that say the same thing, maybe about a situation that you're in or something that you're contemplating or deciding, chances are that they're right. When you're like, no. I don't think so. But 2 or 3 people in your life, 2 or 3 spiritual leaders in your life say, I I think this is what God's saying in this situation, or I think you shouldn't be involved in this or that. Listen to them. God's using them. By the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, the thing is established. So Jesus said, hey. Jerry Simmons [00:29:59]: If he doesn't listen to you, take 1 or 2 more people and and go and confront him. If he doesn't listen to the 1 or 2 people, then take it to the church. And if he doesn't listen to the church, then let him be to you like a heathen, like someone of the world, like a tax collector, which the tax collectors were not people you would wanna associate with in that time. Let them be like a tax collector. Don't associate with them. And so what Jesus is saying here is right along with what Paul is saying in that we need to not associate with those who are involved in those type of things, who are involved in sinful situations. Jesus said, hey. If the if he doesn't hear the church, let him be outside the church. Jerry Simmons [00:30:44]: Let him be outside. Let him feel the loss of the fellowship. Let him feel the loss of the people around. Let him miss it. Jesus said, you need to deal with sin just like Paul. We need to deal with sin. We can't harbor it. We can't protect it, give it sanctuary, kinda just overlook it. Jerry Simmons [00:31:04]: Well, why not? Why can't we just, you know, why why do we have to deal with sinful situations? Why why must we deal with these things? Well, because sin does not just affect you or me. It affects all of those around us as well. Paul goes on in verse 6 of first Corinthians chapter 5. He says, your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and weakness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. He likens us. Jerry Simmons [00:31:46]: He likens the body of Christ to a batch of dough for making bread, and he talks about leaven. What is leaven? Well, leaven, we know it today as yeast. Right? Y e a s t, yeast. And yeast, if you put a little bit of yeast inside a batch of dough, it's not just that one little piece that's affected, but the whole batch of dough is affected. And that's why when you bake it, it rises and it cooks the way it does, because the whole batch is affected. And so Paul says, you need to deal with this. You need to handle this situation because otherwise, it's gonna spread. That leaven will spread, and it contaminates the whole batch, the whole lump. Jerry Simmons [00:32:33]: And if we allow sin within our fellowship to continue, what's gonna happen? It's gonna continue to spread. If you allow sin within your household, within your family, what's gonna happen? It's gonna continue to spread. No. We must deal with sin. We must not take it lightly, but we must take care of it. In verse 7, he says, purge out the old leaven, man. Get rid of it. Purge it out. Jerry Simmons [00:32:55]: Burn it out. Get rid of it that you might be a new love because Jesus Christ died for you. And he says in verse 7 that you truly are unleavened, which I think is cool because, really, you are. You are unleavened. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior and lord, god sees you as a perfect person. He sees you sinless because he sees you through the blood of Jesus Christ. But Paul says, let your actions here reflect your spiritual state. And practicality, live out what is true of you spiritually. Jerry Simmons [00:33:31]: Get rid of the sin within your life. Get rid of those sinful situations. Purge out those things that you might be a new lump, that you might celebrate the Passover, that you might keep the feast, not with old leaven, not with the the things of the world, but that you might be unleavened, that you might be holy and set apart unto god. In verse 9, he goes on to say this. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world or with extortioners or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. Paul goes on, and he says in dealing with this situation, I wrote to you before, and and this is why many people believe that there was, even a letter before first Corinthians that Paul had wrote to them because he says I I wrote to you in my epistle not to associate, not to keep company with sexually immoral. Jerry Simmons [00:34:46]: But then he goes on to explain, hey. I didn't mean to not keep company or not associate or not be around people in the world who are sexually immoral because if you had to do that, then you would have to go out of this world, which, praise the Lord, one day we will in the rapture or when we go to be with Jesus Christ. But he says, I wasn't talking about that, hey. You know, you you go to work, and there's people around you that are in the world, and and you should expect them to to be sinners. You should expect them to be involved in things that are not right. And so Paul says, I wasn't talking about that, but what I was talking about was those who call themselves a brother, those who say, yes. I'm a believer. I'm a Christian. Jerry Simmons [00:35:25]: I'm a brother or sister in Jesus Christ, yet continue in that sin, yet continue in any of those sins that he listed there. He says you shouldn't even eat with them. You shouldn't associate with them. You shouldn't be close friends with them. Now we definitely do want to encourage people. We definitely do want to share God's word with people, but you know the sweet fellowship that is just happens as we hang out together, as we spend time as brothers and sisters in the Lord. We need not to allow people who are involved in sin to be in that leaven within the body of Christ, and it it's kinda hard. And you know why? This doesn't sound right. Jerry Simmons [00:36:09]: This doesn't sound like the God I know. Why would God judge like that? Because a little leaven leavens a whole lump. For the protection of those around us, for the protection of ourselves, and also for the person involved in sin, we need to deal with it. We can't allow it. Just go on and overlook it. We have to judge it. Paul says in verse 12, what do I have to do with judging those who are outside? I don't judge the world. God's gonna judge the world, but those who are inside, we must judge. Jerry Simmons [00:36:47]: We must judge their actions. He says at the end of verse 13, therefore put away from yourselves the evil person. The one who's involved in that sin, we need to put away from ourselves. We need to be set apart unto god as a body of Christ, and that needs to be our stand as a church, as a body that we are set apart, that we're gonna follow god's ways, that we're gonna do what god has asked us to do, that we're gonna follow his word to the letter. Doesn't mean we'd be legalistic, and there's, you know, still room for grace, and absolutely, we all fall short. We all sin, and I'm not talking about, you know, hey. You stumbled this week, so you can't come to church this Sunday. No. Jerry Simmons [00:37:27]: I'm not talking about that. But if someone is living a lifestyle of sin who continues in sin, who continues to practice sin, then they need to know. They need to understand that they're not in right standing with God, that God needs to deal with that sin, wants them to repent. This morning, we have the privilege, the opportunity to partake of communion together, a done, I I challenge you in this. As we've been looking at chapter 5 in sexual immorality and dealing with sin, I I challenge you to examine your own life. Allow God. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and to bring up in your heart things that maybe he's been trying to show you for a long time. Things that maybe he's been wanting to deal with for a long time. Jerry Simmons [00:38:40]: We don't like to deal with sin. We don't like to have to face the fact that we're sinners, but we are. And god wants to heal us. He wants to not condemn us, but restore us. And so I ask you I challenge you to examine yourself, to allow god to speak to you about areas of sin that you need to deal with. Those of you who are parents, who are husbands or wives, I also challenge you. Is there sin that's being harbored within your home, within your family? Is there sin that you need to deal with? Because you cannot allow it to continue, But you must take care of it. You must handle it. Jerry Simmons [00:39:23]: You must apply the principles that we learned here to approach it in the character of Jesus. To approach it together as a family, gathered together as one with the idea and the purpose of restoration. Because God is in the business of restoring lives, of repairing lives, of bringing us back into fellowship with him, of healing us. That's what He wants to do. The idea of this is not that you would feel condemned and feel convicted and go, man, I don't wanna go back there again. He preaches too heavy. But the idea is that Jesus Christ loves you. He died on the cross. Jerry Simmons [00:39:59]: That's what we're remembering and reflecting upon as we take communion together. He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. And so all we need to do is ask forgiveness to come back to the Lord and say, lord, I'm a sinful person. As Paul said, what a wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will deliver you by the power of his blood, by the power of the spirit. Galatians tells us very clearly that if we walk in the spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. So how do we destroy the flesh? We allow God and his spirit to live and to rule in our hearts. Jerry Simmons [00:40:40]: So as the guys pass out communion, as Monique leads us in worship, meditate. Open up your heart and allow god to speak to you about areas in your life that he needs to deal with. Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new love, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your sacrifice. Lord, that you died on the cross for our sins, lord, that no longer do we have to be bound to the sinful nature, lord. No longer do we have to be separate from you, Jesus. But, lord, truly, through your sacrifice, you being our Passover lamb, we can have communion with you, Jesus. Jerry Simmons [00:46:37]: Lord, we thank you for that. And, Lord, as we've been praying and meditating and just seeking you, God, I know that for many, Lord, that you've brought things into our hearts and into our minds, Lord, that you want to deal with, in areas, Lord, that you want to take care of, lord, areas of sin, lord, that we need to repent of. Jesus, right now, we repent. Lord, we ask that you would forgive us and give us the strength to stop living according to the sinful nature, lord, but start living according to the spirit. Lord, whatever it takes, lord, no matter how hard it is, lord, no matter how much it hurts, lord, bring us into a right relationship with you. And, lord, as we take the the cup and the bread, lord, symbolizing your blood and your body that was broken for us, us. Lord, we are so grateful. Lord, that when we sin, it's not the end of us, god. Jerry Simmons [00:47:38]: It it's not eternal judgment. Lord, but because of your grace and your forgiveness, if as we receive you, Jesus, you forgive us. You're faithful to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. So, lord, we just confess to you that we are sinners. Lord, we ask that you would help us not to harbor sin, lord, not to allow sin to continue in our lives, in the lives of our family, and those around us that we love, lord, and in this body. Lord, I pray that you would purge out the sin within our hearts. Spend just a few moments between you and Jesus. AI Andrew [00:48:18]: We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit FerventWord.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.