I Can't Take It Anymore!

I Can't Take “CHURCH” Anymore

•  Two Things People Can't Take Regarding “Church,” (II Corinthians 1:23-2:11)

•  “I can't take church squabbles,” (vs. 23-2:4)

1. As we saw in last week's lesson (Scripture Reading) some were saying Paul was inconsistent in
his plans/words.
a. Paul had wanted to visit and be a blessing to the Corinthian Christians coming both to and
from Macedonia.
b. But he changed his plans and did not go to Corinth at all. Today we discover why.

•  ( vs. 23-24 ), “But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy.”
a. As we have seen there were enemies in the church who sought to cause problems for Paul.
1) As an apostle & leader, Paul had the right to use his authority over them.
a) ( Heb. 13:17 ), “Obey your leaders, and submit to them for they keep watch
over your souls…!”
b) What he has the “right to do,” he doesn't believe it is the “right thing to do”!
2) Instead of imposing his authority to discipline them, Paul would rather to work with
them for their joy.
3) The greatness of an individual's love can often be measured by how much they are
willing to bear from those whom they love. As an example, Jesus was willing to
bear the sins of the world.
a) ( John 3:16 ), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.”
b) ( I Jn. 2:2 ), “He, Himself, is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
alone, but for those of the whole world.”

•  ( 2:1 ), “But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again”
a. In any dispute the people's maturity or immaturity can be easily discerned by asking one
thing; “Are they arguing about who is right or about what is right?!”
1) The apostle Paul knew that since he was the center of the controversy it would be
better for the church if he would not be present in their midst!
2) Since the apostle did not want to make himself the issue he voluntarily chose to stay
away.
3) Yet Paul still had a responsibility before God to minister to the situation! So what
should he do?!

•  ( vs. 3-4 ), “ I wrote to you , lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice .... For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.”

a. Some people stay away from situations in order to avoid having to deal with it.
1) Paul stayed away because of his love for the brethren and to give them time to repent.
2) This is what God did on certain occasions.
a) ( Acts 17:30 ), “Having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now
declaring to men that all everywhere should repent.”
b) ( Rev. 2:21 ), “I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of
her immorality. So I will cast her upon a bed of affliction, and those who
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her
deeds.”

5. “Church squabbles” usually have the look of righteousness but only to those who are
immediately involved.
a Yet there are right ways to handle squabbles…
1) Matters of judgment/opinion, ( Rom. 15:1-2 ), “Now we who are strong ought to bear
with the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Let each
of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification”
2) Matters of personal sin need to be handled God's way, ( Gal. 6:1; I Jn. 1:8 ),
“Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness….” “ Gentleness” because none of us can claim
to be without sin ourselves. “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.”
3) Matters of doctrine are to be handled according to God's word, ( II Tim. 4:2; Titus
1:9 ), “Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke,
and exhort with great patience and instruction.” God's leaders are called to be men
of the word, “…holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the
teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who
contradict.”

B. “I can't take unloving attitudes,” (vs. 5-11)

1. Problems in the church are usually centered on just a few individuals, ( v. 5 ), “But if any has
caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree, in order not to say too
much, to all of you.”


a. When there are problems in the church they should break our hearts. Sadly, this was not the
case in Corinth.
1) #1 unloving attitude = Not caring enough to help those trapped in sin!
2) ( I Cor. 5:1-2 ), “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and
immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone
has his father's wife. And you have become arrogant and have not mourned
instead.”
b. Jesus & Paul tell us what is involved in helping believers who are trapped in sin, ( Matt.
18:15-17; and selected verses from I Corinthians 5 ).
1) ( Matthew 18:15-17 ), “ ?? If your brother sins ?? , go and ?? show him his fault ?? in private; if
he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take
one or two more with you, so that ?? by the mouth of two or three witnesses every
?? fact may be confirmed . If he refuses to listen to them, ??tell it to the church; and if
he refuses to listen even to the church, ??let him be to you as ??a gentile and ??a tax
collector.
2) ( I Cor. 5:2, 6-7, 9, 11, 13 ), “…that the one who had done this deed would be ??
removed from your midst … Your boasting is not good. ?? Do you not know that ?? a little
leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may
be a new lump … I wrote you in my letter ?? not to associate with immoral people …
But ?? actually, I wrote to you not to associate ?? with any so-called ?? brother if he is an
immoral person, or covetous, or ?? an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a
swindler—not even to eat with such a one … ? remove the wicked man from among
yourselves .”

2. Unloving attitude #2 = Not becoming involved with those who are trying to help someone.
a. Notice that Paul says, ( v. 6 ), “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment by the majority.”
1) Sadly, there were some (the minority) who did not support God's call to help a
brother trapped in sin.
2) This could have been because they accepted the man's sin as not sinful. Or perhaps
they believed the process of correction was too harsh in the first place! (Of course,
since it was Jesus who gave us this process [Matthew 18:15-17], they would
therefore have to be accusing Christ of being “too harsh.”)

3. Unloving Attitude #3 = An unwillingness to forgive and love someone who has
repented/changed.
a. ( vs. 7-9 ), “…so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest
somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm
your love for him.”
1) While some did not take part in the correction others were unwilling to be part of the
restoration!
2) “Repentance” = a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior.



3) Repentance is not a “one-time-thing,” but on-going repentance is essential in the lives
of those who desire to go to heaven.
a) ( Lk. 13:3 ), “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
b) ( Acts 3:19 ), “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped
away, in order that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord.”
c) ( II Pt. 3:9 ), “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count
slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish but for all
to come to repentance.”
4) Perhaps to gain some measure of control over others, these refuse to forgive repentant
brethren on God's terms.

4. Unforgiving Attitude #4 = A refusal to see the big picture.
a. ( vs. 10-11 ), “But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also . . . in order that no advantage be
taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
1) The “Big Picture” is that Jesus came into the world to save sinners (salvation =
forgiven by God).
2) The individual/group who under the name “Christian” refuses to forgive & love,
either does not understand their own salvation, or they don't understand the purpose
for which God sent His Son!!!

CONCLUSIONS:

1. There may be a number of reasons why people “Can't take church,” (they enjoy their life the way it is, they
fear the unknown, etc.).

2. But their reasons must never include either the squabbles amongst Christians, or any sinful attitudes among
God's people. Indeed, we have been called by our Lord to be a magnet for Him to use to attract others to
Himself. ( Matt. 5:14-16 ), “ You are ?? the light of the world. A city set on a ?? hill cannot be hidden; ??nor does
anyone light a lamp and put it under a ??basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the
house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may ??see your good works, and ??glorify your
Father who is in heaven.”

3. Jesus, however, was big on “church.”
a. He built it, ( Matt. 16:18 ), “I will build My church & the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
b. He purchased it, ( Acts 20:28 ), “…the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
c. He is the head of it, ( Col. 1:18 ), “He is the head of the body, the church.”
d. He said there is only one that He accepts, ( Eph. 4:4 ), “There is one body….”
e. He is the Savior of it, ( Eph. 5:23 ), “…He Himself being the Savior of the body.”

4. Now, how do you get into His church? ( I Cor. 12:13 ), “For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one
body.”