1 Corinthians Chapter 5 Verse 1

• To be sexually immoral was an accepted societal norm in Greek culture but what was found within the church at Corinth was even pushing the limits as far as the culture was concerned. The Christian is to be different. Not know more, understand more, be further enlightened, those things are all so secondary…Paul said that the fruit of the Spirit, the difference that ought to be found in the Christian has to do with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  If we have all the right information and yet have not love, if we aren’t like Christ, first selfless love for the Father and then selfless love for each other…then we are teaching the world not how to follow Jesus but how to live in sin.
• This church was not only like the culture in terms of immorality but it was in at least this way, leading the culture in immorality! Leviticus 18:8. Deuteronomy 22:30. Deuteronomy 27:20…these scriptures should have been enough, but they weren’t.  Isn’t it a mystery when the Word of God is not enough for the Christian to wide awake (verb) and stop!  Blows me away!  It’s confusing to me. It stumbles me, truly.  Here’s perhaps a newsflash for the Christians in the room today…Oswald Chambers said this…As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all.  We are here for the purpose of God…and the two are not the same! 
• Folks say they’re Christian and they certainly claim the promises and the blessings of God but what you worship, you reflect! And if your reflection is ruining things then you are not reflecting Jesus!  Jesus doesn’t bring ruin…He brings restoration!  Now if that confronts your flesh and feels like an attack then know this…accountability, calling you to be who you claim to be only feels like an attack when you’re not ready to acknowledge how your behavior harms others.  And that is entirely anti-Christian!
• Even the Corinthian culture was being harmed by the actions of the church. The culture was embarrassed by the situation and that even alone should have been enough, but it wasn’t.  And so, what is left?  Paul continues.

1 Corinthians Chapter 5 Verse 2

• You are “puffed up.” Makes me think about popcorn.  Not sure why.  Want to hear a dumb popcorn joke?  Nah, it’s too corny!  Sorry, that just popped out of nowhere! HA!  Reminds me, when does a joke become a dad joke?  When it becomes apparent!  HA!!  Oh my…moving on…
• You are “puffed up!” In other words, you make this a natural thing.  An acceptable and accepted thing…when it ought not to be so.  You should   This should grieve you.  You say, “I am grieved by my carnality.”  If you do not go on the attack and force a change in your thinking and actions then you are NOT grieved by that thing…you’re feeding on it.  But it’s death.  That’s what you mourn…you mourn death…but there are folks here even now that are feeding on hate towards their spouse or their family or their friend or their co-worker when the only cure is not for them (those that are hated) to change…it wouldn’t change a thing!!  The only cure is to stop feeding on it, repent, see it God’s way…oh man, more than see it God’s way but submit to God and follow His way…and get out of that tomb!  It’s death and some are getting it super-sized at the window man!!!
• The only thing worse than the sin itself is not being grieved about it. Without being sick of the sin more than you’re sick of the other person, there will be no repentance.  2 Cor 7:10. It’s shocking, alarming, symptomatic of devilish puppet strings on your life…and Paul says if it gets that far…it is time for drastic action.  Take the person away from the protection of the fellowship of God’s people. 

1 Corinthians Chapter 5 Verses 3 – 5

• Sounds harsh but the qualifying statements are “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” “With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is the flavor, that is the process and the culture…and we’ll get to that in a second.  First, listen, church, we have to deal with sin.  In the name of the Lord Jesus and with the power of our Lord Jesus…what’s common between those two statements?  “Our Lord.”  Is He Lord or not?  Is Jesus the Head of the church or not?  If He is, then well…we ought to serve Him.  We ought to follow Him, we ought to be found faithful which means we cannot have an affair with what is wrong.  We have to deal with it.
• First and primarily in our own selves. Actually, if we did just that there would never be a reason for any church action, or perhaps you’ve heard this term, church discipline.  We wouldn’t need it at all…Paul will begin verse 6 with, “Your glorying is not good!”  Your approval, lack of personal faithfulness and/or confrontation is not good…but God is…tell me again who you love?  Tell me again who you follow?  This is one of the hardest parts of ministry, not policing our own lives but having to at times take action against sin in the body of Christ. 
• Now listen, I didn’t say run lives. That’s not what we do, that’s not what Paul did, that’s not what I do…I have been charged by God not to run lives…but to run the church.  Ephesians 4:11-16 is my charge…so do whatever you want in your own lives, they are yours and you will give an account…moreover your life will be the result of your decisions, not my decisions for you or vice versa, but Paul says when it comes to the church, Jesus is Lord.
• Now Paul says in the name and in the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deal with sin among you… Matthew 18 Jesus gave us the process by which to do this…if you don’t follow this process then you’ve done it wrong and it won’t work.  Matthew 18:15, “If your brother (key word) sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”  No time for advice, no need for counsel or guidance…the process is clear.    No emails, no texts, no passive aggressive social media posts…go to that person one on one and go alone.  “If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”  The goal is gain. You see if you are handling conflict in your marriage rightly, (righteously), then the result will be gain!!  Not grumbling!!  The goal is not to see them admit they are wrong.  The goal is gain, man.  That is the power of Jesus.
• When you and when I and when the church lives in such a way that Jesus is Lord then He teaches my hands to make war against waste and loss. Against evil and the death of darkness.  He teaches me joy.  He shows me kindness.  He covers me with grace and wisdom.  That is the power of Jesus.  It is void of the flesh…Matthew 18 continues.  Look at verses 16 – 20.
• Now this tell it to the church bit…some would make that a public matter and at times that is appropriate…but it also simply means get the spiritual fathers involved. Why?  Because this is a brother.  Paul says the sin is “among you,” and so that person is under the encouragement and the guidance and the protection of the church.  When the church gets involved…turn over to Titus 3 and look at verses 10 – 11.  This word reject means refuse such a one entrance into the wedding feast…its an interesting word. 
• If the person is unrepentant, will not forsake the flesh, will not obey and serve the Lord, then 1 Corinthians 5:5, “Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” How do you deliver someone to Satan?  You send them out of the church.  The God of this age has blinded their eyes, man…so let them have their blindness…and certainly do not send the message to the church that the sin is acceptable…what’s the goal though?  To be rid of them?    The goal is gain.  That his spirit may be saved…he or she must know physically, realistically, consequentially that sin has no place in the body in the Christ…if they remain, they are allotted comfort and protection in their sin…no way.
• Did Jesus ever do this? Did he ever deliver such a one to Satan? You may immediately think of Judas…but what about Peter?  Luke 22:31-34…Pray for them, that they would return to Jesus and in that returning, strengthen the church!