In this edition of UBC Sermon Discussions pastor Jason Wing answers questions from his sermon out of 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

The main idea for the sermon was: A maturing church will sometimes need to remove its members for God’s redemptive purposes.

Questions discussed in this episode:

Q. In chapter 5 verse 9, Paul says “I wrote to you in my first letter…” I can’t help but wonder what happened to Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. Was it never published or where did it fall out of canon?

Q. In chapter 5, verse 2, Paul’s recommendation was to remove the sexually immoral man from the church. That’s the last step in the process of church discipline as we read it in Matthew 18. However, consider these things: 

Paul wasn’t present with the disciples when Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 18. 

Plus, Paul didn’t have the Gospel of Matthew to go back to. 

Yet still Paul goes straight to removing this man  from the body. 

Because of these things, should we be seeing a difference between Matt 18 and 1 Corinthians 5? Or do you believe the individual that Paul referred to had already gone through the first couple steps of Matt 18 style which was why Paul was furious that the church body was ok with this happening?

Q. For those of us who have been a part of the church body forever, it seems only sexual sins are addressed within the church. I’m not sure why this is.  There are all sorts of other sins committed in the church -  fathers who abdicate their role as spiritual leaders, wives who tear others down (including their husbands), greed, pride, selfishness, anger, etc. Is sexual sin the only sin that would cause someone to come under church discipline or should other sins be addressed also?

Q. If I am struggling with sexual sin (or otherwise), how does confession work in Protestant churches versus Catholicism?

Q. Sunday’s sermon discussed the error of churches that affirm sexual sin that the scriptures clearly prohibit- labeling these churches as "LGBTQ friendly." I was confused by this language- knowing that UBC believes Christians should love sinners and welcome them to the cross. My question is this: what can UBC do to be welcoming to people who identify with the LGBTQ community while not affirming sin?

Q. Does UBC offer any resources to members at the church who wrestle with same sex attraction and desire? As someone who interacts frequently with members of this community- I just want to help these people feel welcomed and to help them know Jesus.

Q. I’ve noticed that when the topic of sexual sin/pornography comes up in sermons, it’s usually spoken about as a struggle men face. Though women are sometimes mentioned, the focus tends to be more on men, with specific resources provided for them. As a woman who has personally struggled in this area, I’ve sometimes wondered if there might be value in addressing more directly that women can struggle with this as well. Do you think there could be opportunities in the future to acknowledge that more explicitly? And what resources are provided for women, whether single or married, who are struggling with sexual sin at UBC?

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