That's what you call a shaft, right, Lansky? Now, let's turn our Bibles this morning, please, to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. We'll get the ring out of here in a minute. I got the ring out of my finger. Lost the bell, too. 1 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning with verse 9. I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters.
For then must your needs go out of the world, but now I have written unto you not to keep company with any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or a covetous, or an idolater, or a layler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. For such a man may not to eat, but that will I to do, to judge them also that are outside. Do not we judge them that are within, but them that are outside, God judge it. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Let's start again in prayer as we come to God's word. Gracious Father, this morning we pray that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher. We recognize that these words are not just the words of Paul, but they are spirit-inspired words meant for our instruction. And so we pray that as the Spirit then spouted them so he would now eliminate our hearts, so that we may understand what is said here and apply the appropriate parts to our lives.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. If you learn anything from the first eight verses of 1 Corinthians chapter 5, it is this. But really none of us can compromise with sin. Sin destroys. The Passover commands that the local church of Cronk, which have up to that point compromised with a horrible sin in its midst, deal with that sin. He says to allow a little love in will cause the whole length, the whole church to be leavened.
So he commends that this individual who's involved in a public sin of which he would not repent to be excommunicated. And he puts it in the most severe language. He says when you get together in an official sense as a body of people I command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by his power to deliver that person to Satan. It was not saying that the church had the power to take away that individual's salvation.
It was saying that the church by the severe action of excommunication was taking that person from the protective sphere of God's people and placing him under the sphere of Satan once again, the world. The purpose would be that the church would be cleansed, its testimony hopefully removed, and that individual involved would repent. That his flesh may be destroyed, that his wound that he may go to excess and his body go to pieces, that his spirit would be saved. That's the purpose of it.
As we come to verse 9, the apostle wants to follow up on these strong terms he's already given. The first notice in verse 9, Paul's command. The apostle had written a letter to them evidently that was lost. That should not bother us. Paul had many other letters than those that were quoted to us in the testament. We have these because these are the ones which the Holy Spirit specifically inspired to be included in the New Testament revelation. The apostle says, I wrote to you in an epistle.
I'm previous to this, not to company with fornicators. Paul's command all to then have done that they were not to get mixed up with people who were in law. That word that company with is used here in verse 9. You'll notice it again in verse 11 in our text. And it's used in one other place which I will read for you in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 14. It says, If any man obey not our word by this epistle, make that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
There is only three times this word is used in the New Testament. It's a strong word. And it gives us some insight into the kind of fellowship that ought to exist in church. In other words, there ought to be a close mixing. There ought to be an intimacy among us as God's people. Paul says, I've told you not to get mixed up that way with one who is sexually immoral. Now this is misunderstood apparently by the Corinthian people just as it is misunderstood by some today.
Paul was not saying to them that they were to cut off out of their non-Christian friends. That is not what he was saying here. Apparently that's what the Corinthians had done. They wrote what Paul had written in that old epistle. And they said, now Paul must be saying here we should get rid of all our non-Christian friends. He said, Go get mixed up with hermit-gaters. Paul says, that's not what I meant. Can you imagine how this double standard must have appeared to the unsaved people?
You suppose for a moment that we were unsaved friends and a member of the church of Corinth. And you suppose we were messed up in the world of Paul mentions who are. And you know about this man who is a member of the church committing incest, as Paul states. You know that the church accepted him, that the church was so quote unquote broad-minded and immoral that this man was allowed to remain in the fellowship.
You knew that and yet your friend who is a member of that church cut you off because you lived an immoral life. You would be offended, didn't you? At best you would laugh at him. You would mock at the double standard. And it was a pain in the heart that was taken place. Everyone helping the testimony in Corinth, the Corinthian philology compounded the terrible testimony which they had because of sin in the church. But so Paul clarifies his command in verses 10 and 11.
The first thing he makes clear is that separation, biblical separation, is not isolation from sins. Notice what he says in verse 10. He says, look not altogether with the fornicators of this world. He says, I am not referring you to the unknow people of the world, or the papalitists, the extensionists, the idolaters, for them you would have to go out of the world.
Paul says, when I tell you to separate yourselves from the unknow people, I am not referring to the unknow and safe people, or the ones who are covetous, nor bountiful, etc. He says, because then you would not believe the world. You see, God hasn't called us to go to monasteries and more. God has not selected a few sanctified caves somewhere for his people to hide out until they die.
God intends for us to be salt and light in this world, and we can't do that unless we're out in the world touching people involved in their lives. There's a name one time with the name of Silian Stylites. You've heard of him, haven't you? He was young and spent 30 years of his life on top of a 60 foot pillar, because he didn't want to be contaminated by people in the world. He was a Syrian, a sadist, he was not a Christian. He lived about 3 nights, in 459.
He went up on top of a 60 foot pillar so he would not be contaminated by people coming around him. I tell you what, after he'd been up there for 30 years, nobody would have been aware of the pillar. I guarantee you, he didn't have to worry about that. He could have lived in a room for 30 years, nobody would have known where the room was either. There would be no problem with people not coming around.
It's ridiculous to think that we can somehow isolate ourselves in this world and not have any touch with other safe people. It's not only ridiculous, it's unbiblical. There's a separate reason why Paul is saying here that the separation is not isolation. That is, that it would make the fulfillment of the Great Commission impossible.
Not only would it require our freedom of the world, but there's no way that we could fulfill the commission our Lord has given us to reach unsaved people if we would isolate ourselves from them. A few years ago it was way too common to tell a newborn Christian that he must immediately give up all of his unsaved friends. And he should develop friendships only within the church. That advice is seriously wrong. God does not command that. In fact, God commands just the opposite.
We have to develop and to cultivate friendships with unsaved people. Why would we do that? Because in so doing we build bridges into lives, instead of building barriers between ourselves and others. Now before you think I'm going too far on this, we've done a seratiloid book. There is such a thing as biblical separation. And the key passage regarding that was in the second letter to the Corinthians that we have in the New Testament.
Turn over to me in a moment and look in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. I'm going to try to keep this balanced as we think about this important and somewhat controversial issue of separation. In 2 Corinthians 6 beginning in verse 13, the council says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial,
and what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and unbeliever? And what it bringeth hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, sent the Lord, and touch not one clean thing, and I will receive you, and I will be a father to you, and we shall be my sons and daughters, sent the Lord Almighty.
Having both of these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and accept in holiness in the fuel of God. A casual wiggle of these epistles to the Corinthians might say, Now isn't Paul very inconsistent? In the first letter he says, When I write to you not to get mixed up with freemakers, I'm not talking about unsafe people.
The implication being, in other words, maintain your relationship with the cometres, the idolaters, the freemakers, and so on. Be friends with them. And then here in the second letter, Paul says, Come out from among them, and be ye separate. Is that not a contradiction? Now I don't believe it is, but we understand what Paul is saying. We cannot have a contradiction when we're rid from a God who is without contradiction.
There are no contradictions in the Bible, but there appears to be one, because my understanding is finite and limited. But we need the answer to these two streams of thought that seem to be divergent. The first of Paul is saying that contact with sinners or with evil is not forbidden. But complicity with it, or compromise with it, or conformity with it is forbidden. Do you see the difference? Paul is not saying contact is forbidden.
He is saying that complying with it, compromising with it, being involved in it, that is forbidden. To that God says separate yourselves. To the other, God says maintain your contact with your unsafe friends. We may present Jesus Christ to them. That is the answer to the apparent contradiction of what Paul is saying. Contact, yes. Compromise, no. Propelation, no. This latter passage in 2 Corinthians 6 is a passage that can well be applied to knowledge.
God's word commands that a Christian woman may not marry and then save young lady, and that's version. I remember one lady coming in to see her pastor and saying, Pastor, I would like to get your advice for getting married with a certain young man. The question is, the pastor asked, as is the Shetlander of the Professor in question. And she said, no, but I think he's coming around. The pastor said, I'm sorry, that's not good enough. The Bible says that you're not to marry. You're to stay apart.
If you profess faith in Christ, then your marriage may be in the will of God. Otherwise, you're not married. And they married in the will. She became angry and stomped out of the office. About a year later, she came back to the pastor's office. She learned a king's sermon. And she said, Pastor, my husband does not want me to come to church. He lives one way, I live another. He has one set of standards, I have another set.
He runs a land on me. I have been faithful to him. I just can't take it anymore. Why did God allow me to get into this mess? That's confused thinking, friend. She got into that mess because she disobeyed the will of God. A believer and an unbeliever are not to marry. Back in Grace Church, it's one of those policies you've got in the eggs that you do not marry, people. When one is saved, the other one is unsaved. We want to be obedient to the red and black.
It also refers to business partnerships. A businessman is not to become a partner with an unsaved person. It doesn't mean a person can't hire unsaved people if they're proud about who wants to hire them. It does mean he cannot join an earthly partnership with an unsaved person. Be not an earthly work together. Cannot have many of them and be separate.
And so in those relationships in life where we have to work together and cooperate together, where there has to be compromise, we are not to do so with unsaved people. When it comes to contact and friendship, by all means we are to cultivate the friendship of those who do not know our world. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 5 for a minute. Separation here does not refer to separation from unbelievers. But it does refer specifically to separation from those who are called brothers.
Notice how he goes on to write this sentence in verse 11. But now I have written unto you not to keep company with any man that is called a brother, being a planter and so on. In other words, the passage is saying to those Corinthians, here's what I mean. If a man claims to be a Christian and what is involved in a moral sense, and the other thing is mentioned here, we are not to get mixed up with that person who claims to be a Christian and what kind of a lifestyle.
That was where separation is involved in the passage before us today in 1 Corinthians 5. He says that any man is called a brother, and if he be, not if he was, if he be a fornicator, he's already defined that, which used in a broad sense in this passage, they refer to any kind of illicit sexual relationships, that they would be called a mode or un-mode picture. It's a broad and broad term when used here. Further, he says that the man, he called a brother and he was covetous.
In other words, if he is known as a greedy person, if he is the kind of a person who is always after a little bit more, and is not content, then don't get mixed up with that person. He further says that if a man is called a brother, he'd be an idolater. We must take all this for what it says. One who worships idols. I mentioned that in the text we wrote in 17th and 6th, it's mentioned again in 1 John 5, 21, that children keep themselves from idols.
We are not to get mixed up with those who may be involved in the religious system that is un-willed. Do you hear what I said? It goes beyond just the worship of a stone idol, that it involves getting mixed up with people who are part of a religious system that leads people to hell. Whether they be in a church or a clubhouse or wherever they meet, they're not to get mixed up with that kind of thing.
If a man is called a brother, he'd be a warrior. No one does not prefer that guy who works in a railroad. Let's talk about a person who is a rebel, as the devised standard version of patients and mothers. A person who is abusive and harsh in his language. A person who abuses others, literally means a slanderer, a gossip.
In other words, a person who says he's a Christian and that he's actively involved in slandering and gossip and that kind of misnomer or abhorrence of the tongue, stay away from him. Don't get mixed up with him. That's the next one. A drunkard. If a person is called a brother and yet he is a drunkard, stay away from him. Don't get mixed up with him. And we can take this concept of being a drunkard into the drug world of our day too.
If a person claimed to be a Christian and yet is involved in the use of drugs, stay away from him. Be separated from him. Cut him off. He further mentions an extortionist. The fact here is one who swindles. It's one who is a shark, who's a rabble in that sense. One who seizes the goods of another person by force. One who plunders what another person has. A person is known as one who extorts money and claims to be a Christian, cut him off from your fellowship. Have nothing to do with that person.
Now, Paul is not only saying this to us individually, he's saying this to us as a church. People who are known by these kinds of lifestyles may not remain as members of our church. They may be confronted privately, if that's the case. They may be repented because of a private confrontation. If they do not repent, ultimately it may lead to the severe action mentioned earlier in this chapter. Then, the church excludes that person from the fellowship.
We talked about how severe that action was last week. I didn't hear that. I encourage you to take a listen to what the early God has to say about that subject. Now, I would emphasize once again, Paul is saying not that the brother was known as one of these things, but if he is known right now as one of these categories, he's to be cut off. One of the dearest Christian gentlemen I've ever met was a bank robber.
In the late 50s, he and a couple of other men went into a bank in the state of Kansas and committed a robbery. After the deal was over, the house was over, and I guess they had spent the money, he got rid of the robber. He went to see a preacher, and just so happens, he went to see a good Bible preaching pastor. The pastor sat down and read Al Johnson to faith in Jesus Christ. And Al said, okay, pastor, what do I do next? And the pastor said, well, we need to go to the police.
And I said, fine, if that's what the Bible says we need to do, let's go see the police. And they did, and they went through a court hearing and the process of it all because of the tremendous transformation in his life. Over the next few months, he was paroled and did not have to serve time in prison. Today, he's active in his local church down there and has led many people to faith in Christ, but they were extortionate. They were seized by force the goods of another, a bank robber.
Not talking about that kind of guy. If the person be a member of a church, claim to be a devil in Christ and lives this way, that's the guy we're talking about. I want you to think about something for a moment. Do you realize that Paul here was saying that a sinning brother, quote unquote, is to be treated more severely than the sin of the world? You see that? As far as the church is concerned? Why is that? Why is Paul commanding such a severe action upon one who's called a brother?
And the answer is not real hard to think of. It's because that person brings reproach upon Jesus Christ and his church. That's why. It is a severe thing for all of us to live in such a way that we've been disgraced to the name of Jesus Christ, that it is only his church. How much rather that we live lives that promote the glory of God, which expand and extend the testimony of the local church we're involved in. Now, Paul concludes in verses 12 and 13 with some interesting statements.
He says, What have I to do to judge those who are outside the family of God? You see, that's not my business. In a sense, he's saying it's not your business either, Corinthians. But he says, Do not you judge them that are within? That is, within the family of God, within the church, those who profess to be saved. He says, Those that are outside God judges. Therefore, put away for among yourselves that wicked person. That wicked person is the one back earlier mentioned in the chapter.
I want you to notice a couple of things in Paul's conclusion that will be on our way. Number one, God will judge those who are outside his family. Make no mistake about it. I will be seen in what Paul says here to get up easy in comparison with a brother who sins. Make no mistake about it. God judges those who are outside his family. Those who are not found in Jesus Christ are already under the condemnation of God. They will end up with their life through.
And their life on earth earns that condemnation swallows them up. How are they condemned? Because of sin. God is a holy God. And God will perform absolute, perfect justice. Are you outside or inside God's family? Move across what we used to sing, I don't know if I still sing it anymore, the senior school, vocation, Bible school. One door of only one, and what its sides are two. Inside and outside. And which side are you? You see every one of us is either inside or outside of God's family today.
There's not a lobby in between. They just endure. And they enter that door when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. When we stand with the sinners and the Christ died for our sins. And their only hope of heaven and eternal life is to trust him and when we do that we go through the door. And we're inside God's family. If I'm talking to some friend who is here today, they're still outside. I want you to notice what God's own word says. God judges those on the outside.
In the book of Revelation we read that a frightful and awful day in the future when God will bring before him all of those who have died lost and unsaved. And God will judge every man according to the works of his life. And then that person individually will receive an eternal condemnation. People today who die without trusting Christ go to a place called hell. And some day people who are in hell will come out of hell and stand before God for their final judgment.
And then they'll be cast into what the Bible calls the lake of fire. It brings the fire and brimstone forever and forever. You say, come on preacher, you don't really believe in the fire and brimstone. Yes I do. Jesus talked more about that when he talked about the glory of heaven. Jesus said it was true. If Jesus lied about that, how do I not know that he lied about other things?
You see we can't differentiate in this matter. So if what he said is true in one thing, it must be true in another. Jesus said that. And if you want to be outside of God's family, you have to be headed toward eternal destiny separated from God and the fires. Today we can change our destiny by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving him in your life. But then I want you to notice what the apostle says further. God judges those who are outside his family.
But there is a point in which you really ought to judge one another who are inside the family. You know what the apostle said? He says, do not really judge them that are with him. In verse 13 he follows up. Therefore put away from yourselves that wicked person. He says you're to judge him guilty and to put him well. Now we move to chapter 7. Jesus makes an important statement. He says, judge not that you be not judged.
And if there's any verse that may have been ripped from its context and stretched over, situations that are never applies to its diverse. Jesus says, judge not that you be not judged. He is referring primarily to notice. In that case, in the context of that verse, he was dealing with the legalism of the Pharisees. Their superficial religion. And he runs that he says, don't you judge you legalists, lest you be judged with a harsher judgment.
When we come into the epistles of the New Testament, there are various passages that deal with the fact that we are to make judgments as believers. Not on notice. Only God knows notice. But he can and are commanded to judge actions. That's what was the case here. The manner of actions, his lifestyle, were obvious. And so Paul says, do you judge him guilty on the basis of the church? There's no place for him now in the fellowship because he refuses to repent. He disgraces you and our Lord.
Judge him guilty. We are also commanded by the way to judge doctrine in the New Testament. In first John four, one, we are commanded to judge between truth and error. But to let the word of God give us enlightenment so we recognize what is true and what is a lie. As people teach us, they judge between right and wrong. We cannot compromise with or condemn what is coming through the scriptures. Whether it be in teaching or whether it be in lifestyle and actions.
I have heard it said and you've heard it said, oh, be careful, don't judge another person. The Bible tells us not to judge them. My friend, that is true in some contexts and it's a lie in other contexts. But judging the motives of another person, we leave that with God and then God can see the heart and knows the motives. When it comes to lifestyle and the actions and the teaching of an individual, we are commanded to make judgment and we're seen if we don't.
So that's what Paul means when he says God judges those outside that we have no judgment among yourselves to care for. Now he says, you know how the man's living, you see his conduct, his lifestyle, he's to go out. Make that judgment. Those are serious words and it lays upon all of us who are members of God's family a lot of responsibility. We must be aware of a serious spirit. We must also be aware of failing to make proper discernment and judgment that's called for. It takes a healthy balance.
How's your lifestyle today? It may be that nobody really knows, but you and God and just a few others, but what is your lifestyle like? Are you a Christian? Are you a brother, as Paul states here, you're part of the family of God? Are you living like it? We're to judge ourselves when it comes to that, first of all. And as you examine your lifestyle now, but out of what we know God expects of you, how do you measure up? Are there serious, blind differences?
With all of us, there are areas of our lives we need to improve. But I'll be a friend of today, we are living in contradiction to the will of God knowingly and in a blind state. And you claim to be a Christian, exhuming yourself, but you're being a faith. And as our dear friend, you may be here outside of God's family today, realize for your near-dear spiritual, and go through the door. That's Christ. I don't know where this message finds any of us today, except in my own life.
I confess before you shortcomings that I have. Many of my brothers and sisters today would confess that we're not all that we would like to be, and all that we should be, but we're pressing on that upward way. And what there may be a brother or sister here today, his life is totaled in contradiction to what we would have. I pray that that person here today would repent and come back to you, be restored to fellowship and begin living a kind of a life that's consistent with what we want.
And thank you for these friends who are out, outside of your family today. And that one come through the door by trusting Christ and receiving Christ in his life. In Jesus' name we pray. Let's stand together across the auditorium. In just a moment we're going to send an invitation hand. I know that it's going to be an opportunity for you to respond. The Spirit of God has spoken to you today concerning this message. Perhaps he's been dealing with you this week about it this year.
We need today to make a public confession of it. If you need to trust the Lord Jesus today, we invite you to come, of course. Our invitation is always open for that. If you do not know that you are headed for heaven, may we pray with you and open God's word and help you today. You're invited to come as we sing.
And then if you're a brother or sister in Christ, but your life is all messed up and it's empty, and we want someone to pray with you and give you direction counsel, we have those who would be delighted to help. We urge you to come as we sing. And then, but maybe the God is leading you in some other important decision, perhaps become a part of our fellowship here in this local church. We'd be delighted to have you come for that too.
The Spirit of God is dealing with you, pleading with you, urging you. I don't know if that is right or wrong. We're going to sing together in number 308. It simply says, Are we washed in the blood of the Lamb? Amen.