The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-19, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 2000 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

I have a question about worshipping and fellowshipping with so-called, or a professing believer who is in sin, hardened sin of a grievous nature. You’ve come along side them to confront them and there is no repentance. They go to another church and that church does not practice Matthew 18, and so you have a situation where the four steps of Matthew 18 are not applied by their church. They want to go to conferences with you, perhaps pray with you, have fellowship with you, and yet, you’re reluctant to do that because of their lack of repentance.

Answer

Well, I think you should be reluctant to do that. I think that’s the whole point of putting someone out of the church’s fellowship. I don’t think that means you can’t come in the building; I think it means you’re disconnected from the people who are the church. And I think that that’s exactly the intent of Scripture when we are instructed that we have to separate from these people in the fullest sense. I think anybody who walks disorderly--I’m just looking at the end of II Thessalonians--“who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us. You yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you. We did not eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but work with labor….” and so forth and so forth and so forth. If anyone doesn’t work, then he shouldn’t eat, and if there’s somebody walking disorderly (not working at all), they are “busybodies,” and he says, you know, “These are the people who affect the fellowship.” And he says in verse 14, “If anybody doesn’t obey this word in our epistle, note the person and do not keep company with him.” That’s verse 14. Why? “That he may be ashamed.” In other words, you want to heap the real shame on him that he deserves.

You don’t count him as an enemy; don’t consider him an enemy. But, admonish him as a brother. And how would you admonish a brother? Get it together--confess, repent, get your life right. But, do not “keep company.” That’s as explicit as it can be.

Question (continued)

Even without the application of the four steps of Matthew 18?

Answer (continued)

Oh sure, because that’s going to be very difficult; I mean, how many churches are doing that? I mean, where is that going on? I think regardless of that…and there are those sort of freewheeling Christians that don’t ever attach to any church. I always worry about people like that. Even people who come here--when I see people’s attendance at the church become sporadic or fragmented and inconsistent, I only make one conclusion: sin. Sin, because that’s what keeps people away. They don’t want the exposure, they don’t want the accountability, they don’t want to sit under the conviction of the teaching of the Word of God, and they don’t want to have to answer to the people.

You know, in fact, it kind of works this way--you can take it if it applies, and not if it doesn’t. You watch some people in the front of the church, and then a little later they’re in the middle of the church, and finally they’re in the back of the church. Now, when that--there are others who are in the back and are moving towards the front, but, what that tells me is people in the front: they’re here because they love to be here and they’re here all the time. As soon as they don’t want to be here all the time, they don’t sit in the front anymore, or people know they’re not here all the time. Right? They start in the back because then people don’t know if they’re here or not. And when you start to see people follow that kind of pattern, you know that there’s an increasing diffidence or difference towards church and the things of the Lord.

There are just people who just--and you never are able sometimes to deal with that because they sort of move away. So, when you know about it--whether the church has acted on it or not, whether you have had anything official or not--I mean, if you know about that, then I think you have to follow that instruction.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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