To get the greatest benefit from this practicum, make sure you have read related training on the site. Go to: Church Leadership Basics: God’s Purpose for the Church
Our church purpose dictates why we discipline, how we discipline, and the ultimate objective of disciplining.
Think about it:
If our greatest purpose is to love God and others (Matt. 22:37-40), then we discipline in order to show love for God and people.
Recap of church discipline in light of our church purpose:
Our church purpose provides the reason we discipline:
because we love God and people and therefore want their best
Our church purpose lets us know the means of disciplining:
in love
Our church purpose gives us the objective for church discipline:
to restore people to a place of wholeness, to help them reach their potential in Christ
Guiding questions in disciplining church members:
- What will bring the most glory and honor to God? … not what will demonstrate only one side of God’s character, but His whole character (grace AND truth)
- What will truly be best for the erring believer? … not what will make them, or us, feel good but what will help them become more Christ-like and holy
- What will be the effects on the unbelieving world looking in? … not what it will make us look like but what will most reflect God to them
These questions are asked in the Steering the Church Toward God’s Purposes Leadership Guide which also takes a look at how God demonstrates love toward people living in sin.
All Posts about Church Discipline:
- Church Discipline Because of Church Purpose
- Lack of Church Discipline Against God’s Purposes
- Church Discipline Must Exemplify God’s Purposes
- Involvement of Body in Church Discipline
- Body Life Can Prevent Need for Church Discipline
- Discipleship and Church Discipline
- Discipleship Not Church Discipline
- Holiness the Objective for Church Discipline
- Lack of Holiness Affects the Whole Body
- Holiness Dictates HOW We Exercise Church Discipline
- Authority & Power Needed in Church Discipline
- Pivotal Role of Holy Spirit in Church Discipline
- Church Discipline But They Didn’t Change
- The Standard for Conduct
- The Power of Grace in Church Discipline
- If His Name is Holy Then …
- Prayer is Essential as a Preventative and When in Process
- When Christians Need Correction
- God’s Word Brings Correction
- It’s Not About Giving Up on People
I struggle with idea of church discipline like putting people out of the church.
I can certainly understand yet it isn’t what is comfortable for us that should guide what we do in the church. God’s Word is the standard which does state that there is a time this might be necessary. “Putting people out of the church” comes after we have offered the person plenty of help, instruction, counsel, etc. but the person willfully remains in his/her sin. It certainly is not something we are to rush into or take lightly. And, it is with the hope that people realize the severity of their actions and repent. Restoration into fellowship with God and the Church Body should always be the desired outcome. Look for future posts as we’ll be getting deeper into how this is to be done, steps that should be taken first to hopefully avert the need for church discipline, and what our attitude should be all throughout the process.