Relating in the Body of Christ. Firm Foundations Relating in the Body of Christ.

Receive And Hold In High Regard Philippians 2:29 29  Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;

Questions According to Philippians 2:29, godly men are to be received with all ____________ and to be held in ___________________. joy high regard

Speak Well Of Your Leaders Acts 23:5 5  And Paul said, "I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ' YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'" 1 Samuel 26:9 9  But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be without guilt?"

He is God’s anointed, leave him alone. Questions According to Acts 23:5 are we permitted to speak evil of our leaders? _________________ According to 1 Samuel 26:9 what was David’s attitude toward an evil King Saul who hunted him? ____________________________ No, never. He is God’s anointed, leave him alone.

Contribute Towards His Livelihood Galatians 6:6 (Phillips) 6  The man under Christian instruction should be willing to contribute towards the livelihood of his teacher. 1 Corinthians 9:14 14  So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

Questions Galatians 6:6 in the J.B. Phillips translation says that the one who is being taught the word of God should be willing to ___________________ _________________________________ Should we grudgingly give our finances for this purpose? ________ 1 Corinthians 9:14 tells us why we should do this. Because the Lord has directed that those who preach the Gospel should get _____________ Contribute to the livelihood of his teacher. No their living from the gospel.

Are Worthy Of Double Honor 1 Timothy 5:17 17  Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

Questions 1 Timothy 5:17 says that the elders (i.e. pastors) who rule well should be considered _________ of ______________ especially if they work hard at ____________ and ____________ The word “honor” in the Greek language of the New Testament means [“money paid”] and this is the sense in which it is used here. According to this verse, should we be critical if ministers of the gospel are well paid?_______ worthy double honor. preaching teaching No

Honored With Marks Of Respect Acts 28:10 10  And they also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

Questions According to Paul in Acts 28:10, the inhabitants of Malta honored them by: “Many ______________ of ________________.” “And when we were setting sail, they ________ us with all we _________.” Was it right for the Maltese to treat them in this way? ___________ marks respect supplied needed Yes

Treat Them Like You’d Treat God 3 John 1:5-6 5  Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6  and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

Questions According to 3 John 1:5-6 we are to faithfully give and provide for those whom we do not know who come into our midst as guest speakers? Verse 6 says that we are to send them on their way in a manner ______________ of ______________. 3 John 1:8 says that we _____________ to ______________ such men that we might be _____________________ with the truth. worthy God ought support fellow workers

3. What should our attitude be toward strife in the Body?

Be At Peace With All Men Romans 12:18 18  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Proverbs 10:12 12  Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.

Questions Romans 12:18 says that we are to be _________________________ Is this always possible? __________ According to Proverbs 10:12, what stirs up strife? ______________ What is required to cover transgressions? _____________________ How many transgressions will love cover? ____________________ at peace with all men. No Hatred Love All.

Process For Correcting Strife Matthew 18:15-17 15  "And if your brother sins , go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16  "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17  "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

Winning him over as a brother. Questions Matthew 18:15-17 gives us instructions on how to resolve conflict with another believer. In verse 15, if your brother sins against you should you tell a friend first? _____________ Should you confront the person in public? ____ Where should I speak to them? ___________ Should the meeting be for putting him in his place or winning him over as a brother? __________________________ No No In private. Winning him over as a brother.

Questions No If this does not work, should you give up? ____ According to verse 16, if he will not hear you, how many people should you take with you for the next meeting? ____________________ Do you think that the people you take with you should love the person you are speaking to? ______________ What is the purpose of this second meeting? __________ If the person does not listen at this second meeting, how many people should you now involve according to verse 17? ___________ Two or three. Yes! reconciliation everyone

Questions If this does not work, how should the offending brother be treated according to Matthew 18:17? _____________________________ Treat him as an outcast.

If Your Brother Sins, Rebuke Him. Luke 17:3-4 3  " Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4  "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Questions According to Luke 17:3 what should I do when my brother repents? ___________________ If he sins against me seven times in one day and repents, what should I do? _______________ Rebuke him. Forgive him.

4. What should our attitude be toward spiritual discipline in the Body of Christ?

Necessity Of Spiritual Discipline Though never pleasant, Church discipline becomes necessary from time to time. When we have done all we can to be at peace with one another and to preserve the unity of the Spirit and someone still insists on remaining divisive, undermining the unity and peace and stability and growth of the church, it is imperative to act.

Restoration With Gentleness Galatians 6:1a 1   Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;

Questions According to Galatians 6:1, if someone is caught in a sin, those who are ________________ are to ________________ such a one in a spirit of __________________. spiritual restore gentleness

Shunning 1 Corinthians 5:11 11  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.

Questions If any “so-called brother” persists in sin and is unrepentant we are told in 1 Corinthians 5:11 not to associate with them and not _____________ with such a one. even to eat

Keep Aloof 2 Thessalonians 3:6 6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

Questions In 2 Thessalonians 3:6 we are told to ___________________ from every brother who leads an ________________ life. (i.e. unrepentantly practices sin) keep aloof unruly

Do Not Associate With Him 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 14  And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. 15  And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Questions Again in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 we are told not to ______________ with him (who disobeys) so that he may be put to ______________. We are warned in verse 15 not to regard him as an ______________ but to admonish him as a ___________________. associate shame enemy brother

What We Have Learned So Far To recap:  If a brother is caught in a sin, those who are spiritual should restore him.  If he persists in sin we should not associate or eat with him.  The purpose of our actions is to put him to shame.  We are not to regard him as an enemy, but as a brother.

Correcting With Gentleness 2 Timothy 2:24-25 24  And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25   with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

Questions We have looked at what to do with brethren who persist in sinful conduct, but what about those who bring “contrary teachings?” In 2 Timothy 2:24 the servant of the Lord is not to be ____________ In verse 25 he is to correct with ___________ those who are in opposition. That God may grant them ________________ leading to the _____________ of the ____________. quarrelsome gentleness repentance knowledge truth

Turn Away & Reject Romans 16:17 17  Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. Titus 3:10 10   Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,

truth which you learned Questions In Romans 16:17 we are told to keep our _________ those who cause ____________ and ____________ contrary to the ____________________________and to __________________ from them. This action in Romans 16:17 should not be done before the actions called for in Titus 3:10 are implemented. They say that the “factious man” should be rejected only after a ____________ and _________ warning. eyes on dissentions hindrances truth which you learned turn away first second

Don’t Even Greet Him 2 John 1:10 10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;

Questions If the person sowing false doctrine shows up at your door, what should you do according to 2 John 1:10: Should you receive him into your house? _____________________ Should he even be greeted? ___________________Remember, false teaching is different than dealing with sin. The one in sin we are to keep aloof from, but the one spreading false teaching is to be rejected. No No