CHURCH DISCIPLINE – Stephen the Levite
This idea started back in the garden
when Adam and Eve sinned and God sought to pardon them
He discharged them, placin' a flamin' sword at the gate along with the cherubim charged to guard it
One could argue it started back even farther with Satan
I see what you're sayin' but please peep the point I'm makin'
there's a basic distinction that separates them
the goal of man's displacement was restoration
We see the contrast in Gen. 3: 15
the serpent's eternally cursed, but The Seed redeems
In conjunction with judgment we read of a dream
of a world free of the enemies schemes
But there's a process proceeding the promise
it's hard, yes, but by His mercy it's not death
'cause if they would've ate from the tree of life in their dyin' state
their resurrection could never take place
And that's the Lord's grace and sanctification
that shapes men and claims a nation so pagans praise Him
the big picture I'm givin' is
mentioned throughout scripture when sinners are driven out for dissin' Him
so keep listenin'
the topic is not a popular one but you know how we get it in
it's church discipline, the grace is doubted
but the body of Christ has A.I.D.S. without it
DJ Scratches: The authority of church discipline…if excommunicated what body will they be missing in?
If a brother or sister offends you talk to ‘em
if the issue is in scripture then walk through ‘em
if they still ain't listenin' bring witnesses
prayin' the evidence of the 2 or 3 is convincing, if
it still doesn't work, take it to the church
the Lord's official spiritual judicial system on earth
and they'll determine whether to bind or loose them
scrutinizing the proof for a final resolutio
to loose ‘em is to render a dudes sin forgivin'
due to viewin' the true fruit of repentance
binding ‘em means finding ‘em guilty
drawin' a line between the fly and the filthy
'cause when a few of ‘em gather in His authority
He's in the midst of them, judging and ruling accordingly
So the Lord is takin' responsibility
making Himself the true object of hostility
'cause when you're handing a man over to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh in order to save him
and the whole church cuts communication
cats with punkish views of love start hatin'
but true love is to hate sin
trustin' that God provides through his prescribed means to break men
but they'll see when the prodigal comes back
and they slaughter a beast and the party is dumb phat
DJ Scratches: The authority of church discipline…they turn to the steeple, and return to the sheepfold, isn't that just like God's people?
A few more things for us to consider
unforgiveness over time becomes bitter
and bitterness can spread just like a virus
infecting the whole body with plank in the iris
it blinds us of our own sin, then close friends
have to tell us we're lunchin' and if we don't listen
then the whole process is starting up again
the sin that we tossed out leavens the whole lump again
another counter-productive part of the process
is the broadcast of slanderous gossip
even if all the information is true
the resulting view, of the person or issue is skewed
then you feel strange and outht'a confront them
but pride reminds you where your info comes from
and who wants to be caught in hypocrisy?
nobody. so you lock your thoughts away and you toss the key
but that won't stop the beef
cause sooner or later, what you believe becomes your behavior unless you plot for peace
it's hard not to see, somebody's got to speak
if not the sin cycle repeats, it's got to cease
The process done properly shows love to everybody
and the gospel is preached inaudibly
The God of Peace squashed the beef at the cross of Jesus
modeling peace making for the whole flock to see
DJ Scratches: The authority of church discipline…your brother went away but came back, isn't that cause for the celebrating?

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