What about sin in the church?

I was recently asked about how to handle a sin issue discovered in a person's life and so I'll write about it as a teaching opportunity.  Church discipline are two words that when grouped together cause all sorts of anxiety in people.  Some hear those words and are flooded by negative emotions illicited by memories of being confronted by judgmental and legalistic Christians.  Others feel a sense of fear knowing that there is a current sin issue present in the church they'd rather ignore.  

I find that there are a lot of similarities between church discipline and the discipline of my own children.  There are some parents who are way too harsh and angry in the way they discipline their kids while some parents are way too permissive...same goes for churches.

Discipline is not convenient, it's not fun, its not something we prefer to do, but it is necessary and the adult (mature person) understands how important it is in a person's growth.  Proverbs talks a lot about the benefits of discipline and the wisdom of correction.  

Galatians 6:1 is an important passage talking about discipline.  It reminds us that there will always be people around us who are caught by sin (the Devil is actively working to get us off track.)  A mature person doesn't stick their head in the sand, but neither do they overreact to the situation.  In context, Paul has just instructed us as to the fruit we bear when we're controlled by God's Spirit (chapter 5.)  He then mentions one of those fruit again in chapter 6, "gentleness."  Restore in a spirit of gentleness.  

The word "restore" in the original Greek meant to mend as in mending a torn net.  It was also used in a medical sense meaning to set a broken bone.  We all know that mending and setting aren't fun jobs but they are very necessary!  So, we shouldn't like discipline but we all should be doing it.  And we're to be humble and gentle as we correct.  Just as we're to be humble and gentle in the way we correct our own children.  Some other principles that I've learned...

1) Pray for the person caught by his sin

2) Confess your own sins to God

3) Don't nickel and dime people on every little flaw you notice.  Address...

     * Sins that reoccur or are habitual

     * Sins that are influencing others to live ungodly lives

     * Sins that are harming himself or others

     * Sins that bring division or other problems in the church

4) Ask for permission to speak into his life

5) Be willing to help him with his sin (help bear his burden).  If you find that you are quick to counsel 

people on making changes but do nothing to help them, then you are lacking the fruit of the Spirit.

6) Work at protecting the offender from slander and gossip because the issue isn't about his failure it's about helping him grow and mature through the trial.

7) Don't bring the issue to church leadership unless you've tried and failed to restore the person...church discipline is primarily the job of all the mature believers working through natural relationship channels.  Most of the time sins shouldn't need to be brought to the pastors.  This point is especially true when the sin issue is a person's critical or unforgiving spirit toward church leaders.  Friends and small group leaders should be the ones to confront this sin and remind others that church leaders are to be supported and honored (1 Tim 5:17.)

Relationship rather than authority are usually the key to restoration.  Authority is a last resort for those who are unteachable and for those who are hurting the church.  Ideally discipline should rarely reach this point.  Matthew 18 outlines a relational process whereby offenses are dealt with by those who are aware of the offense.  The circle of people aware of the issue only expands if necessary for restoration.

Churches that overreact to sin issues and don't show patience and grace are cold and legalistic.  Churches that under-react to sin issues become unhealthy and spiritually impotent.  Churches where people are both honest and loving with each other, are spiritually healthy environments.  Lastly, not everyone will appreciate discipline no matter how loving and gentle it is.  These people will leave the church rather than confront their imperfections and that also helps to make the church a more healthy family.

Are evangelistic churches shallow?

What about the claim that outreach oriented churches are shallow spiritually?  

When people use "shallow" to describe churches I typically pick up a judgmental attitude behind the claim.  The better word would be "maturing" or if it fits, "immature."  In John chapter 4, the woman at the well would be categorized as spiritually immature.  She was enthusiastic about Christ, but she had a lot of spiritual and emotional baggage.  If a church has some people like her then they are fulfilling their mission, and at the same time they will have some messy issues they'll need to work through.  

The reality is that churches who reach out find themselves incorporating new (immature) believers into their church and that affects the church in a similar way that introducing a bunch of babies and children into your home would change your family dynamics.  If a family chose to have 10 young children at the same time you could call them an "immature" bunch, and you'd be right...but what's the point of such a label?  

Rather than judgmental labeling, more mature believers must sense the urgency of entering into the life of these young believers and helping create a culture of loving correction.  For this to happen it takes a commitment of loving and patient life-on-life investment similar to that of a mentor of at-risk youth or a foster parent.  Pauls says (Gal 6:1, 2) -  

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 

The word "restore" is the same Greek word as was used when Jesus finds Peter "mending" his net.  This is a careful, thoughtful, redemptive process to be undertaken by everyone in the church who is considered "spiritual."