PASSAGE: Expel the Immoral Brother!
MEMORY VERSE: "Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" Romans 13:8
NOTES: (v.6) "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast, as you really are. For Christ, our passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth."
I thought it was interesting that he used a yeast analogy negatively, because in Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed and yeast: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (v.33)
Perhaps it goes to show that just as the kingdom of heaven is so powerful, and that the love of God is so omniscient, so is even a small amount a pride so destructive. Even a little affects the entire dough
(v.11) "But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, or an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a men do not even eat." Reminds me of Ephesians 5:5-7 "For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure, or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them."
I think this ties in well with the yeast analogy in that Paul seems to emphasize the destructive nature of such people. Note how he specifically states "anyone who calls himself a brother" but lives an immoral life, for "what business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? ...God will judge those outside" Personally, it sounds like a reminder to be bold and loving enough to rebuke, and wise enough to see the effects of "destructive yeast."
ACT OF LOVE: Today, my parents went out to look at another house in PV that they ended up putting an offer on. My parents have been looking at houses to buy for the past few months, and the house they looked at today was PERFECT. It was basically our dream house--the only problem is that it's slightly too expensive for our budget. We put an offer up anyways, lower than their listed price. My mom was getting pretty stressed about this whole housing situation, and wanted to talk to someone about it. I listened to her struggles and prayed with her tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment