A. God’s desire (2 Peter 3:9)
B. Our desire (Galatians 6:1)
II. The process of confrontation
A. Talk to the offender, not about the offender (Matthew 18:15)
B. If the problem persists, take witnesses (Matthew 18:16)
C. If he still refuses to repent, take the matter before the church (Matthew 18:17-20)
III. The reasons for withdrawal
A. Unsound doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 John 9-11)
B. Unbiblical practice (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14)
C. Immoral behavior (1 Corinthians 5:1-9)
D. Instigation of strife (Romans 16:17-18; Titus 3:10-11)
E. All of this applies to withdrawing of fellowship from a Christian, not to our relationship with the world at large (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
IV. The aim of discipline
A. In regards to the individual…
1. Admonishment (2 Thessalonians 3:15)
2. Restoration (James 5:19-20)
3. Forgiveness and reaffirmation of love (2 Cor. 2:6-8)
B. In regards to the church…
1. Protection of the flock (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:10-11)
2. Maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3) and fellowship with God (Revelation 2:14-16)
A. Must come into contact with something to affect it (Romans 12:1-2)
B. What happens when it loses its effectiveness? (Luke 14:34-35)
II. Light (5:14)
A. Jesus (John 8:12; 1:4-5)
B. Disciples (Ephesians 5:8)
C. More than mere reflection, we must burn as lamps lit from His fire! (John 12:36; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)
III. “On a hill” … “on a lampstand” (5:14-15)
A. Covert discipleship is forbidden (Matthew 10:32-33)
B. As part of the local church (Revelation 1:20)
IV. Motivation (5:16)
A. Marshall Keeble: “The Bible does not say to make your light shine, but it says to let it shine!”
B. Good works to glorify God (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 6:10; James 2:20-22, 24)
A. “Therefore” (Ephesians 2:1-3, 5-6, 10)
B. “Once Gentiles…called Uncircumcision” (Galatians 3:28)
II. Your former rank (2:11-12)
A. Physical/political separation (“aliens”)
B. Spiritual separation
1. “Strangers from the covenants of promise” (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:1-21; Exodus 24:1-9; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13)
2. “No hope” (Ephesians 1:18) and “without God” (Romans 1-2)
III. Your present relationship: “now in Christ Jesus” (2:13)
A. Reconciliation of the “far off” (Isaiah 57:19; Acts 2:39)
B. There’s power in the blood (Romans 5:8-9; Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 1 John 1:7; Acts 20:28)
A. “Together” / “Common” / “With one accord” (Acts 2:44-47)
B. Not “unity in diversity” but unity in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 1:10; John 17:20-21)
C. Striving for peace (Acts 6:1, 7; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:1-3)
II. Their steadfast nature
A. Steadfast in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 16:13)
B. Danger of not being steadfast (Galatians 1:6-9)
C. Self-discipline (Romans 12:1-2)
III. Their belief in the message
A. “Into all the world” (Mark 16:15 Colossians 1:23)
B. Unafraid when opposed (Acts 4:18-20; Galatians 1:10)
C. Despite persecutions, they believed (Acts 8:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:24-27; Acts 12:1-2; Acts 8:4)
A. Not born lost, but because of sin we are lost, resulting in death (Ezekiel 18:19-22; Romans 6:23; James 1:14-15)
B. We must change who we are because of who He is (1 Peter 4:1-3; Ezekiel 18:23)
II. God’s involvement in our salvation (Ephesians 2:4-9)
A. Mercy (2 Corinthians 1:3; Micah 7:18; Psalm 51:1)
B. Love (1 John 4:8; Ephesians 2:4; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 8:38-39)
C. Grace (2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:5; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Peter 5:12)
D. Kindness (Titus 3:4-5)
III. We are created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
A. Not meritorious, boast-worthy works (Ephesians 2:8-9)
B. Works of service (Matthew 25:31-46; James 2:14-26; Galatians 6:10)
C. Works of love (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3)
A. The establishment of the church (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 3:8-11)
B. The mystery revealed (Ephesians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 2:8; Genesis 3:15; Psalm 24:7; 110:1; Isaiah 2:2-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Daniel 2:44)
II. In the present
A. God uses us as a part of His plan to exalt Christ (Hebrews 13:15; Matthew 5:16; John 13:34-35; 1 Peter 2:9-12; Romans 10:14-17; Philippians 2:13)
B. God receives glory in the church – the one body (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23; 4:4; 1:10)
III. In the future
A. He has the power over death (Hebrews 2:14-15; Revelation 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26)
B. When He puts an end to death, Christ will be exalted in the church for all eternity (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
A. Paul’s thankfulness for the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-16)
B. How important is a knowledge of God? (Jeremiah 9:23-24; John 17:3; Hosea 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
C. “When you read, you may understand my knowledge” (Ephesians 3:4; 1 Corinthians 14:33)
II. To know the hope of God’s calling (Ephesians 1:18a)
A. How does God call us? (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
B. Out of what does He call us? (1 Peter 2:9)
C. Into what does He call us? (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
D. There is “one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Titus 1:2)
III. To know the riches of God’s inheritance (Ephesians 1:18b)
A. Predestined to adoption (Ephesians 1:5)
B. Obtained an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
C. Sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14)
D. An inheritance now available to all (Ephesians 2:7, 12-13; 3:6; Galatians 3:27-29; Ephesians 1:6)
IV. To know the power of God (Ephesians 1:19-20)
A. Power on display throughout the gospel accounts, culminating in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead
B. That power is still just as powerful today (Romans 8:11; Galatians 5:22-23, 25; Colossians 2:11-13)
A. The mystery (Ephesians 1:10; 2:16; 3:6)
B. Man’s trust in His gospel (Ephesians 1:12-13; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:1; Acts 19:4-5)
II. The result of trust: “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13)
A. “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19)
B. The seal is evident through the way we live and the fruit we bear (Galatians 5:22-25)
III. “The guarantee (earnest—KJV) of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14)
A. An earnest is a pledge that the remainder of the promise will be forthcoming
B. When will the fullness of our inheritance be realized? (Ephesians 1:14; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; 4:30)
C. “To the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14)
I. Peter’s faith was fixed on Christ (Matthew 14:28-29)
A. Peter could do the impossible because of his absolute faith in Christ
B. Peter not only believed that he could do it, he did do it!
II. Doubts and distractions (Matthew 14:30-31)
A. Panic set in
B. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
C. “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38)
D. Faith purifies us (Acts 15:9), allows us to receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43), justifies us (Romans 3:28), sanctifies us (Acts 26:18), gives us peace with God (Romans 5:1), saves us (1 Peter 1:9), gives us the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)
E. “Without faith, it is impossible…” (Hebrews 11:6)
III. The power of a godly, Biblically-based faith
A. Faith is powerful, not because we are great believers, but because we believe in a great God
B. Don’t be robbed of all risk and adventure (Hebrews 11:8)
C. Faith is absolute surrender to Christ (Philippians 1:21; 4:13; Galatians 2:20)
D. The Christian life is an exchanged life (1 Peter 1:5; 2 Tim 1:7; Mark 9:24)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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