The Trouble with Tolerant Thinking: When Tolerance Triumphs over Righteousness
1 Corinthians 5:1 (5/2/2021) Pastor Joel Dover
The Trouble with Tolerant Thinking
When Tolerance Triumphs over Righteousness
1 Corinthians 5:2-12
Getting Started:
1. Let’s begin by re-reading 1 Corinthians 5:2-12 and refresh our memories about
this week’s focal text. Take your time and really let the text sink in.
2. Did you learn anything new from this week’s message that you want to share with
the group? How were you challenged? What one thing really stood out to you?
3. Was there anything that you heartily agreed or disagreed with in this week’s
sermon...and why?
Exploring the Text:
1. Sin is a condition to mourn and never to celebrate. How does embracing the sins
of the culture around us demonstrate spiritual arrogance in our hearts? How
exactly are we puffed up when we ignore God and embrace lifestyles that God
says are sinful?
2. The church at Corinth had made their thinking/personal judgments more weighty
than God’s commands. They put far more weight on their thinking, their
opinions, their perspectives, their perceptions, than they did the decrees of God.
How do you see this happening in the church world today, and what dangers do
you see coming in the days ahead as a result? How is unchecked sin dangerous
to any church?
3. Let’s talk about the process of becoming polluted Christians. At first, sin comes
into the camp, then it is permitted, and over time it becomes accepted and
normalized. How can we guard against this polluting factor while also avoiding
the temptation to look for the sins in another’s life?
4. Confrontation is never easy, but let’s discuss how love for one another
sometimes leads us to uncomfortable conversations. How is it an act of love
when we hold one another accountable to right living before God? How is it
unloving when we don't?
The Trouble with Tolerant Thinking: When Tolerance Triumphs over Righteousness
1 Corinthians 5:1 (5/2/2021) Pastor Joel Dover
5. We looked at several supplemental verses this week that talked about fake
Christians. Let’s review these again and seek to understand God’s heart, and
the reality of false professions. (1 John 2:3-6, Matthew 7:21-23)
6. Whenever one Christian has to confront another Christian about sin, what should
always be the ultimate goal? How would this shape our attitude in confronting
other believers? Hint...V.5.
7. What happens when sin is ignored or unaddressed in a church? How is sin like
yeast in a lump of bread? How can unchecked sin create a “culture” of sin in a
church?
8. Why does Paul indicate that Christians should have one standard for themselves,
and another standard for the unbeliever? How does this understanding impact
our thinking about saved people and lost people?
Digging Deeper:
1. The church is a place where imperfect people can grow in God’s grace. We are
all on a journey of spiritual growth and no one is perfect. How should we view
differently the Christan who stumbles but confesses his sins, repents of sin, and
works towards holiness...and a person who continues pridefully in unrepentant
lifestyles of sin?
2. How is it that a person can be spiritually deceived by thinking that they are
saved, when living lifestyles of open and rebellions sin? What are some of the
false hopes that people trust in instead of Jesus, and how is believing a false
gospel harmful to the individual and the church?
3. Many churches, denominations, and movements are taking new positions in
recent years that embrace progressive ideas. Some denominations, for
example, are performing gay marriages and are ordaining openly gay clergy.
What can these churches learn from Paul’s message to the Corinthians?
