Latest / The Daily Word / April 2 – Discipline and Restoration
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, Lakeshore family, and welcome to today's Daily Word podcast. My name is Robert Rosales, and my wife Yolanda and I have the privilege of serving as the campus pastors at our Gastonia location. Each day on this podcast, we take a few moments to reflect on what God is highlighting from our daily Bible reading. As a church family, we're intentional about creating space to meet with God through prayer, through scripture. and by writing down what the Holy Spirit is speaking and how it connects to everyday life. We are reading together using the Life Journal reading plan and today we're focusing on the New Testament passage from that plan. Now when I sit down for my time with the Lord, I keep it simple, but I do include a few things that I need. First, my Bible, then my Life Journal, a pen for writing things down, and a highlighter to mark the verses that stand out as God speaks. I'll also use a couple of trusted study tools like Blue Letter Bible to explore original word meanings and cross references and context. I'll also use BibleRef.com. It's a clear verse by verse insight to what I'm reading. Now, these tools don't replace scripture. They simply help me slow down, listen, more carefully and understand what I'm reading. We're also using the SOAP method, Scripture Observation Application Prayer. This is a practical way to engage God's Word and respond to what he's doing in our hearts. Now, before we read today's passage, let's take a moment and pray and invite the Holy Spirit into our time together. Lord, as I open your Word, open me. by your spirit make what is written living and active in my heart. Give me ears to hear, a heart to receive, and faith to obey. Speak, Lord, I am listening. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, today's passage for April 2nd comes from 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and I journaled from verses 7 and 8 and 11. This is how it reads out of the New King James Version. is speaking and he says, So that on the contrary you ought rather to forgive and comfort him lest perhaps Such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow verse 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him verse 11 less Satan should take advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices. Let me read verse 11 out of the easy to read translation. It puts it this way. do not want Satan to win against us. He is very clever. We know how he likes to cause us to have trouble. The title of my journal entry is this church discipline is necessary, but forgiveness is also necessary. And here's my observation. In these passages, 2 Corinthians 2, 5 through 11, Paul the Apostle addresses the Church regarding a man in the Church who had sinned and had apparently been disciplined by the congregation. The man repented, most likely meaning he asked both God and the Church to forgive him and he turned away from his sin. Now that the man had repented, Paul is urging the Church to forgive, comfort, and reaffirm their love for Him. That's verses seven and eight. Paul's concern is that excessive punishment or refusal to forgive him could harm the repentant person spiritually. Paul warns that if the church fails to forgive and restore a repentant believer, it gives an opportunity to Satan. Here's the idea. Satan first tries to tempt people into sin. If they fall, he then tries to destroy them. with condemnation, guilt, and isolation from the Church. If the Church refuses restoration, Satan wins another victory. So, Paul says we should not let Satan take advantage of us because we know how he operates or we know his devices. The Greek word used for the English word devices is Noe Meta, N-O-E-M-A. And it refers to thoughts, plans, and strategies. Paul is saying believers should not be naive about how spiritual opposition works. A common pattern is this. First, temptation leads someone into sin. Second, accusation overwhelms them with guilt and condemnation. And third, division fractures relationships in the church. Forgiveness interrupts that strategy. The verse teaches an important truth about spiritual warfare in the Church. Discipline is necessary, but forgiveness and restoration are equally necessary. A Church that never disciplines sin can be spiritually weak, but a Church that never restores repentant sinners can become spiritually harsh. and both situations can play into Satan's plans. When believers refuse to forgive a repentant person, they unknowingly help Satan accomplish his goal of discouragement, division, and destruction in the Church. Paul urges the Church to practice wise discipline and generous forgiveness so that Satan does not gain an advantage. Wow! This is so insightful! I hope you caught something out of that. Here's my application. How does this apply to my life? As a Christian and a pastor, I need to take sin in the church seriously. I even need to be willing to, when called for, address open sin in the church for the sake of the person sinning and for the sake of the church. I must also be willing to ask someone to leave the fellowship until they repent. Finally, When a person repents, I, we, must be willing to forgive them for their sin and restore them to the fellowship of the church family. Here's my prayer. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today and reminding me of these powerful truths from your word. Holy Spirit, help me live this out. Help me take sin in the church seriously and be willing to graciously confront it when necessary. When people do repent, help me to lead myself and our church into forgiving and restoring such a person. And lastly, Lord, I hope we never have to walk through this. In Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. Well, Lakeshore family, as you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and his word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God has called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.