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Church Discipline
When you commit yourself to the life and ministry of First Southern Baptist Church of North Hollywood, you are agreeing to submit to following the spiritual leadership of your pastor, your deacons, and other leaders whom the church has chosen to guide the work of the Family in a harmonious, loving way.
In addition, we are trying, as a Church Family to put into practice Christ's commands in the area of "Church discipline." Simply stated, "Church discipline" means that we are not a "Live and let live", undisciplined mob of "flaky believers;" rather, that we have committed ourselves to doing our best to live a Godly, disciplined personal lifestyle and encouraging our fellow-believers to do the same.
This encouraging is done in two basic ways:
A - The first, and most important, is preventive in nature. It involves ongoing teaching, preaching, caring and setting a proper example for one another, so that Godly habits are formed and spiritual growth is stimulated.
B - The second way of encouragement involves corrective steps, and only comes into effect when we see a fellow-member to be in a pattern of serious sinful behavior. (Read Gal. 6:1; I Cor. 5:11-13 and II Cor. 2:5-8). We are to go to the person privately (Matt. 18:15) and humbly (Gal. 6:1 and Matt 7:3-5) and try to get him to repent of his behavior. If he does, we rejoice. If he refuses, we are to call on him later with one or two others (one of whom should probably be a pastor or deacon - Matt. 18:16). If he still refuses to repent, we are then commanded to tell it to the church. If he still refuses to deal with the sin, he is to be removed from the membership until he does repent (Matt. 2:7-8).
This may sound harsh, but our motive is that of love and a desire to see the person restored to full, spiritual fellowship with the Church Family. (Gal. 6:1; II Cor. 2:7-8).
In addition, to allow a brother or sister to continue in a serious sinful pattern is one of the most unloving things we can do. It is unfair both to the person and to the spiritual health of the Family.
The point is that, when you become a member of First Southern Baptist Church of North Hollywood, you commit yourself to this life of mutual encouragement and discipline.
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