First Discipline, Then Healing
Sermon Summary
Today, we confronted the sobering reality of sin within the church, using the recent revelations about Michael Tate as a lens to examine the urgent need for church discipline and personal holiness. The tragedy of a “Christian leader” living a double life for decades is not just a story of individual failure, but a warning to the entire body of Christ about the dangers of neglecting correction and accountability.
We looked at Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 5, where he commands the church to remove unrepentant sinners from fellowship—not out of cruelty, but out of love for both the individual and the church. Discipline, though painful, is a mark of God’s love and a necessary tool for growth, both for children and for disciples of Christ.
We explored how the lack of discipline in the church leads to spiritual decay, likened to yeast spreading through dough, corrupting the whole. When sin is tolerated or ignored, it not only damages individuals but also compromises the testimony of God’s holiness to the world. The church is called to be a holy nation, set apart, and when we treat sin casually, we become stumbling blocks to others and undermine the very message of the gospel. Jesus and Paul both make it clear: sin must be confronted, not coddled. This is not about perfection, but about striving for holiness and refusing to cover up what God wants to heal.
Yet, the goal of discipline is always restoration. We are not called to be harsh or self-righteous, but to seek the healing and redemption of those who have fallen. Just as the Japanese art of kintsugi repairs broken pottery with gold, God can take the shattered pieces of our lives and make something more beautiful than before—if we will confess, repent, and submit to His correction. Holiness is not an impossible standard reserved for a few; it is God’s will for every believer, and He gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live it out. The call today is to uncover sin, pursue righteousness, and trust in the hope of the gospel—for ourselves, for the church, and even for those who have fallen far.
“Discipline, though painful, is a mark of God’s love and a necessary tool for growth, both for children and for disciples of Christ.”
Watch/Listen
Message Study Guide
Youtube chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:18] - The Influence and Fall of Michael Tate
[02:48] - Allegations and Confession
[04:12] - The Double Life Exposed
[06:53] - Responses and the Need for Correction
[09:09] - The Biblical Case for Church Discipline
[11:34] - The Necessity of Discipline for Children and Disciples
[13:58] - God’s Discipline as a Mark of Sonship
[17:06] - The Consequences of Lacking Discipline
[18:07] - Sin as Leaven in the Church
[19:43] - The Modern Church’s Failure to Discipline
[22:39] - The Danger of Covering Sin
[25:40] - God’s Faithfulness to Expose Sin
[28:45] - The Call to Holiness
[31:56] - The Atmosphere Needed for Spiritual Growth
[34:01] - The Impact of Scandal on the Faithful
[35:13] - How to Deal with Sin: Cut it Off
[37:05] - Higher Standards for Leaders
[39:27] - Restoration and Hope After Correction
[44:21] - God’s Power to Mend Broken Lives
[54:04] - The Possibility and Promise of Holiness
[55:04] - Closing and Invitation to Pursue Holiness
Key Takeaways
Discipline is an Expression of Love, Not Cruelty
God disciplines those He loves, just as a parent disciplines a child. Avoiding correction is not compassion—it is neglect. True love is willing to confront sin for the sake of the individual’s soul and the health of the church, even when it is uncomfortable or painful. [13:58]Unchecked Sin Corrupts the Whole Body
Sin, when left unaddressed, spreads like yeast through dough, affecting not just the individual but the entire community. Tolerating or ignoring sin leads to spiritual decay, hypocrisy, and ultimately damages the church’s witness to the world. The call is to deal with sin decisively, not to preserve appearances but to protect the integrity of the body. [18:07]Holiness is Essential for Knowing God and Bearing Witness
God’s command to “be holy as I am holy” is not optional. When we treat sin casually, we compromise the testimony of God’s holiness and make a mockery of the cross. Pursuing holiness is the only way to truly know God and to show the world the reality of His transforming power. [28:45]Restoration, Not Destruction, is the Goal of Correction
The purpose of church discipline is not to shame or destroy, but to bring about repentance and restoration. Like the art of kintsugi, God can mend what is broken and make it more beautiful than before. When correction leads to genuine repentance, forgiveness and healing follow, and the scars become testimonies of God’s grace. [44:21]Holiness is Possible Through the Holy Spirit
God never commands what He does not also empower. Holiness is not reserved for the spiritual elite; it is the calling and possibility for every believer. Through surrender to the Holy Spirit, we can overcome sin, live with a clean conscience, and experience the peace and joy of a life set apart for God. [54:04]
Bible Reading
1 Corinthians 5:1-8 (ESV)
> It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV)
> And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.1 Peter 1:15-16 (ESV)
> But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Observation Questions
In 1 Corinthians 5, what specific sin was being tolerated in the church, and what was Paul’s instruction to the church about it?
According to Hebrews 12, what is the purpose of God’s discipline in the life of a believer?
What metaphor does Paul use in 1 Corinthians 5 to describe the effect of unchecked sin in the church?
In the sermon, what was the main reason given for why church discipline is necessary, even though it is uncomfortable? [13:58]
Interpretation Questions
Why does Paul command the church to remove the unrepentant sinner from fellowship? What does he hope will be the result for both the individual and the church? [10:26]
How does the metaphor of yeast (leaven) help us understand the impact of sin that is ignored or tolerated in a church community? [18:07]
The sermon says, “Discipline is an expression of love, not cruelty.” How does this challenge common ideas about what love looks like in the church? [13:58]
According to the sermon, what is the difference between covering up sin and seeking restoration? Why is restoration the goal? [44:21]
Application Questions
The sermon described how a lack of discipline in the church can lead to spiritual decay and hypocrisy. Have you ever seen or experienced a situation where sin was ignored in a church or Christian community? What was the result? [19:43]
The pastor said, “Avoiding correction is not compassion—it is neglect.” Is there an area in your life where you have avoided correction, either from God or from others? What would it look like to invite correction in that area? [13:58]
Paul and Jesus both teach that sin must be confronted, not coddled. How do you personally respond when someone points out sin in your life? Do you tend to get defensive, or do you see it as an opportunity for growth? [35:13]
The sermon used the image of kintsugi—broken pottery repaired with gold—to describe how God restores us after failure. Is there a “broken place” in your life that you need to bring to God for healing and restoration? What would it look like to do that this week? [44:21]
The call to holiness is for every believer, not just leaders. What is one specific area where you sense God calling you to greater holiness? What step can you take this week to pursue that? [54:04]
The pastor asked, “Do you have anyone that can correct you when you’re going off the rails before it turns into disaster?” Who in your life has permission to speak hard truths to you? If you don’t have someone, what could you do to build that kind of relationship? [40:45]
The sermon warned that when we treat sin casually, we become stumbling blocks to others and damage the church’s witness. Is there a way your actions or attitudes might be affecting others’ view of Christ? What change could you make to better reflect God’s holiness? [29:55]
-
A quote by Brennan Manning, and it goes something like this:
"The greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."
Brennan Manning.
Now, if you were a fan of Christian music in the 90s, you've heard that quote. Because that quote was placed at the beginning of a track on perhaps the most famous Christian music album that has ever come out called Jesus Freak by DC Talk.
And the track that the quote was placed on at the very beginning was the track called What If I Stumble?
*What if I stumble?*
*What if I fall?*
And we can sing the whole thing together. Maybe.
That song was rated by CCM Magazine as the 31st greatest Christian song of all time.
If you are not aware of who DC Talk is, you're either too old or too young. And for people of my age, DC Talk is like the Beatles of Christian music. It opened the door for many other Christian artists.
It was formed by three friends that met at Liberty University right down the road: Toby McKeon, Kevin Max, and Michael Tate.
And when I was a new believer, they were perhaps more influential on me than many other Christian artists at the time. I saw their concert when Jesus Freak was touring.
So, I want to show you a picture of one of the three artists. His name is Michael Tate.
Michael Tate was one of the lead singers of the band. And after—here's picture number one, if you got it back there—there he is.
After they had soaring success with the band, I think the album went double platinum. They sold millions and millions of records.
This guy, Michael Tate, he goes on to join another super Christian band called the Newsboys in 2009.
How many know the Newsboys? Yeah, okay, the Newsboys.
They were a band before their original lead singer left the band, and they were without a singer for a while. Then this guy joins the band as their lead singer.
So, for the last 15 years, he has been the lead singer and front man for the Newsboys.
Some of their biggest hits with him as the lead singer were Born Again, God's Not Dead (which spun off into a whole movie franchise), We Believe.
And just this year, they were set to release their 21st studio album. The name of the album was Worldwide Revival.
They had already made plans to go on tour all around the world. And suddenly, without warning—this guy, Michael Tate—can you show number two for me? Yeah, that's him with the new band.
With tour plans in motion, the first of the year—January 2025—comes around, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Michael Tate quits the band.
Show number three, if you would.
Behind the scenes, and without a whole lot of people knowing, there was an investigation going on.
An investigation of this man, Michael Tate, and allegations that have been bubbling under the surface for a long time.
If this is the first time you're hearing about this, I’m sorry. Because when I heard this, it grieved my heart. And no doubt you're probably grieving as well.
So, for the last two and a half years, this investigation was taking place.
And the title of this article: Former Newsboys frontman Michael Tate accused of sexual assault, grooming, substance abuse, dating back to 2004.
I'm just going to read you a couple of paragraphs so you know where we're going, okay?
"It’s been called Nashville’s worst kept secret. For decades, allegations have circulated that Newsboys frontman Michael Tate, formerly of DC Talk, had groomed and sexually assaulted numerous victims. After a two-and-a-half-year investigation by the Roy’s Report, which included interviewing more than 50 sources, we have documented Tate’s alleged predatory pattern, with stories dating back more than two decades.
We’ve also corroborated allegations of Tate’s alcohol and substance abuse with multiple sources.
Three men spoke to TRR, alleging that Tate befriended them on Christian music tours in 2004, 2010, and 2014. All of them were 22 years old at the time.
Two men stated they were drinking alcohol with Tate and later woke to him fondling their private parts. One alleged Tate also offered him cocaine while on the tour bus of Newsboys.
The third told TRR that Tate gave him a back massage while skinny dipping and invited him to share his king-sized bed.
I don’t want to go into all the gory details here. I’ll let you read the rest of the article and the allegations. I just want to sum them up by saying they’re serious.
And this is a guy who gets up on stage to sing Born Again, God’s Not Dead, and so on.
When this article came out, when all this came to light, he came out with a confession. This confession was posted on social media one week after the investigation was released.
And here’s the confession you see on the screen now:
*"Recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual activity, are largely true. For some two decades, I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and at times touched men in an unwanted sexual way. I’m ashamed of my life choices and actions and make no excuses for them. I will simply call it what it is—sin. I don’t blame anyone or anything but myself."*
*"While I might dispute certain details in the accusations against me, I do not dispute the substance of them."*
For the sake of time, I’ll let you investigate the rest of that confession. But the bottom line is that Michael Tate was living a double life for at least 20 years.
And when I first saw this, it hit me.
My initial reaction was anger. Of course, as you are probably feeling right now—angry.
How could something like this happen?
So I have a group of pastors I text with. And I posted this in there.
And I was, to be honest, surprised by the responses I got back from this group of pastors.
Without naming any names, I’m just going to read a couple of responses.
These are immediate responses after learning of these allegations and him stepping down.
One said, "I applaud his honesty. How beautiful repentance is. Praying for that brother."
Another said, "Yes, had to be tough. I wonder where I’d be without my headship—maybe worse, to be honest."
And another said, "He needs the same grace that is daily extended to us."
Now, I agree with those three. But my contention is, now is not the time for grace.
My contention is, now is the time for correction.
Grace will come if the man is truly repentant. But the church needs to call out crap like this.
This has not been sitting well with me for the last 30 days since I heard about it.
Questions in my mind: How could this continue to happen for so long?
How could it happen in such close proximity? I mean, the guy was in a band with four other guys.
You can’t tell me they were completely unaware—that nobody knew about this.
How is it, if his repentance is genuine, that he waited until the investigation came out to confess?
What about the victims? Is there going to be justice for them?
If it was your son or your daughter, wouldn’t you be concerned? Or would you jump straight to the grace?
Lord, forgive him. Yes, there is a need for forgiveness, but let’s not skip over the correction.
With today’s message, I simply want to address the issue of missing church discipline.
Because I believe Michael Tate’s—one of the problems in the church world today is a lack of discipline.
And perhaps it could have saved his life.
We ought to thank God for church discipline because it could save your life.
Let’s read the scripture. 1 Corinthians chapter 5.
Thank you for your patience while I laid that out. Let’s read it together.
This is Paul writing to a church that is in the midst of sexual sin. Who knew? It was kind of a problem for human beings for the last however long there have been human beings.
Paul dealt with it in his time. We are going to deal with it in our time.
I wish I could skip over some of these sermons, but we’re not.
Let’s read what Paul says about a church that is embroiled in controversy. He says,
*"I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I’m told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother."*
Weird.
*"You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and in shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship."*
Notice that Paul did not just jump to forgive him and show him grace.
And be gentle with him. No, the first reaction was: remove him.
Verse five:
*"Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed, and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns."*
Let’s pray.
Lord, I need your grace.
Lord, I need you to help me not to speak out of my emotions today.
I want to speak according to your word, God, and according to your will.
I’m asking, Lord, that you would help us once again to appreciate the system of accountability and discipline that you have given us in your church and among brothers and sisters in Christ.
God, that we would submit ourselves with humility to your will for our lives, and we give you glory this morning.
Let me speak as I ought, God, and I give you glory in Jesus’ mighty name.
God’s people would say, amen.
Discipline is needed.
If you’re a parent, you know that.
There are times when your kids don’t act right.
And when your kids don’t act right—and especially when they’re very young—you better learn to teach them how to act right.
Because if you don’t teach them young, that’s going to continue.
And it’s going to be a lot harder when they get a little bit older.
So discipline is needed. It is required.
Proverbs 13:24:
*"Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children."*
Did you hear that?
Skipping over discipline means you don’t actually care about your kids.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
Proverbs 19:18 says,
*"Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise, you will ruin their lives."*
Proverbs 23:13:
*"Don’t fail to discipline your children. They won’t die if you spank them."*
They won’t die. Okay, this is not an excuse for you to beat your children. I have to throw that in there for people who are overly aggressive.
But loving discipline is not only necessary, it is needed.
Physical discipline may well save them from death.
Proverbs 29:15:
*"To discipline a child produces wisdom."*
A mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and make your heart glad.
All the children said, amen, pastor.
It’s necessary for children.
The Bible is not silent about that. The Bible is not shy.
The Bible is very clear about this: children need discipline.
Why? Because children are sinners, and they need Jesus.
And the first way we teach them about Jesus is by showing them what they should not do—that there is a line in the sand.
You can go this far, but if you cross that line, there will be correction—that is needed, that is necessary.
That’s true when it comes to raising kids. It’s true for raising disciples also.
Hebrews 12:5-8:
*"Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, 'My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.'*
*'As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children.'*
So, all the parents said, yes and amen.
When it was about making sure the kids act right.
But we all clam up when it comes to God disciplining us—when we start acting foolish, speaking foolish, doing things out of bounds in the kingdom.
The author of Hebrews says:
*"No discipline is enjoyable while it’s happening; it’s painful. But afterward, there is a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."*
This is the mark that you belong to the Lord—that you can be disciplined by him, corrected by him, that you can say, "Lord, you’re right," which means, "I’m wrong," and I need to change.
That’s the mark of the Holy Spirit in your life.
It’s okay—I don’t need any amens.
It’s true for children, it’s true for discipleship, and it’s also true for sin in the body of Christ.
Christ Jesus confronted this directly.
Matthew 18:
*"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens, you have won your brother over."*
*"But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."*
*"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church."*
*"And if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."*
There, Jesus. I tell you the truth:
*"Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."*
*"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."*
*"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."*
People misquote that scripture every day. We quote that scripture to make ourselves feel better when there’s not enough people that show up.
"Oh, where two or three are gathered, Jesus is here."
Jesus used that scripture to give the church authority to cast out sinning brothers from the body.
He said, don’t worry about it. If two or three agree, I am with you in that decision.
So, consider what happens when discipline is lacking.
What happens to your child when your discipline on them is lacking?
Well, they become spoiled brats and menaces to society.
What happens to disciples who refuse correction from God?
They become disconnected from God, and many of them were false converts in the first place.
And what happens when sin remains unjudged in the church?
That’s what happens.
Paul said about a brother who was sinning in the church:
*"You are boasting about this. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads throughout the whole batch of dough?"*
How many have made homemade bread in this place?
One of the things you have to do when you make homemade bread is add Fleischmann’s yeast.
I don’t know how that guy got connected to the yeast packet, but that’s him.
And you add that little yeast, and what does it do?
There’s a chemical process: the yeast feeds off the sugars in the bread and gives off carbon dioxide—that’s what makes the bread rise and those crackly bubbles.
The point is: one little packet of yeast in a whole ball of dough—that yeast will spread throughout the entire dough.
Before long, you let it sit for a few hours, then bake it, and that’s what causes the bread to rise.
In our scripture, Paul uses that example to show us what sin does to the body.
He’s saying: if you take that little packet of Fleischmann’s yeast and sprinkle it on the body of Christ, it won’t be long before it starts to spread.
That’s why it’s so dangerous to allow it.
So he says in verse 7:
*"Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are."*
The Jews had a particular place for unleavened bread—bread made without yeast.
That was what they used in their Passover celebration.
I want to show another article, number 5, if you could.
From Christian Post.
I just saw this a couple of days ago.
It was a survey from a thousand Protestant pastors.
And the question they asked was:
*"When was the last time your church formally disciplined a member?"*
And just before we look at the answers, I want you to think:
How often should the church discipline sin among its members?
How often should that happen?
It should be not every day, but from time to time—whenever it’s needed, right?
Let’s see the results.
More than half of these thousand pastors—54%—reported that their churches have not formally disciplined a member during their entire tenure, nor were they aware of any previous instances.
That’s the bottom line: a member has not been formally disciplined since I became a pastor, nor prior, as far as I know.
You know what that tells me?
No discipline in the church.
Does that mean there’s no sin?
No.
So then I thought: Praise the Lord, there’s no sin in our churches.
Thank God, every member is holy, sanctified, angel wings, no discipline needed.
Is that what happened?
That’s not what happened.
What that means is, the church does not endure discipline.
It means pastors are afraid to bring discipline on church members.
They’re more in love with the tithe and offerings coming in than with righteousness.
The church would rather see people leave than confront sin.
But according to the Word of God, you and I—church members and leaders—have a solemn duty, a responsibility, as ambassadors of heaven on earth.
We are supposed to uphold the highest standards of righteousness.
We are supposed to be above reproach.
We are supposed to hold the standards of heaven—nothing less.
So why is this a thing? Why does it matter?
Why does the church need to practice discipline?
Number one: to establish righteousness in the body.
If we just let all sinful behavior continue—turn a blind eye, hope nobody calls it out, hope it stays hidden—what happens?
We become like a rotting corpse, or what Jesus described as a whitewashed tomb.
You walk by a cemetery, see manicured lawns, fresh tombstones—everything looks nice.
But underneath? Dead, rotting corpses.
That’s most churches, unfortunately—clean parking lots, filled tithe buckets, but dead, rotting corpses in the pews.
Lord, let it not be here.
For church members, we are called not to cover our sins but to confess them.
Drunkenness is a sin—I say that plainly.
If you read the report from Michael Tate, one thing you’ll notice is that it wasn’t just him, but all the band members.
They said almost every night after every show, they had alcohol—bottles of wine, cranberry vodka on the tour bus.
And many Christians take those scriptures about Jesus turning water into wine, or Paul telling Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach.
And they say, "Well, I can drink whatever I want."
Don’t judge me, pastor.
Drunkenness is usually a sign of something else underneath.
Let me just say: covering it up, not dealing with it, not approaching it—
that’s wrong.
Pastor, don’t preach about it, don’t talk about it—just let me have my own conviction.
But we can’t do that.
Pornography—Pastor Campbell has called it the issue of our age.
It frightens me to think how many pastors and disciples come to church week after week, hiding a pornography problem, sleeping around, involved in sexual sin.
This was the problem in Corinth. This is the problem in the U.S.
If we’re aware of sexual sin—listen—I’m not calling for private investigators to follow people around.
You don’t need to do that.
God is faithful to uncover things.
But when sin is uncovered, we have to do something.
We can’t just say nothing.
If I came home from church today and found a pile of doggy doo-doo in my kitchen, I can’t just walk by it and pretend it’s not there.
I have to clean it up.
And that’s what it’s like when members continue in sin—gambling away the Lord’s resources, filled with greed, envy, lust, ego, rage—without repentance.
Husbands disrespecting wives, neglecting children, wives undermining their husbands.
I’m not saying we have to be perfect—perfection is not the standard.
But we are striving for it.
Numbers 32:23:
*"Be sure your sin will find you out."*
That’s why I don’t have to follow people around.
God will uncover sin.
He’s faithful to do that.
Your sin will find you out.
Jesus said in Luke 12:2:
*"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known."*
That’s why I’m preaching this today.
I believe, unfortunately, there could be sin in the house of the Lord.
It would be far better for the Holy Spirit to convict you, so you can confess, repent, and be made clean.
That’s far better than Michael Tate living a double life for 20 years—singing Christian songs, acting like a Christian leader, while doing cocaine, drinking alcohol, sexually abusing young people.
It’s better for the Holy Spirit to deal with you first.
1 John 1:9:
*"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."*
Let me give you some hope this morning:
If you’re living unclean, there’s hope for you.
Jesus died to set us free from our sins.
He who covers his sins—Proverbs 28:13—will not prosper.
But whoever confesses and forsakes—that’s repentance—will find mercy.
Repentance is not just feeling bad, crying in church, then going back to the same life.
That’s false conversion.
The second reason the church must be involved in discipline: to defend the holiness of God.
This is a theological matter.
Those who don’t judge sin are attacking the character of God.
They’re saying, "The holiness of God is not important to me."
Leviticus 11:44:
*"I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy."*
That means: you will never truly know God without pursuing holiness.
You’ll never experience his presence fully.
You won’t take his commandments seriously.
You won’t align with his will.
Because God is holy.
And if we want to know him, we must pursue holiness too.
1 Peter 1:15:
*"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do."*
Do you take that seriously?
We must be holy in everything.
Just as he who called us is holy.
The scriptures say:
*"Be holy, because I am holy."*
When individuals or churches treat sin casually, what happens?
We compromise the testimony of God’s holiness in the world.
Can we show that quote again from Brennan Manning?
*"The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."*
When you treat sin as casual, as normal, you become a stain on the reputation of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:13:
*"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."*
That’s a warning.
What God wants for us this morning is from 1 Peter 2:9:
*"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."*
We make a mockery of the cross when we live in unrepentant sin.
We’re saying: Jesus, what you died for isn’t really that important, because I can keep living like this.
And I know if I had a microphone and asked, "Do you want to denigrate the sacrifice of Christ?" you’d say no.
But the way we live, the decisions we make, the words we speak, the way we treat others—sometimes makes the gospel look foolish.
Thirdly, without an atmosphere of holiness, you will never grow in Christ.
Imagine I bought a flower from Lowe’s and put it in a pot.
If I take that flower home and give it the right conditions, it can grow, thrive, multiply—that’s what flowers do.
But if I take that same flower and put it in a rocket to the moon, in the sand—no atmosphere—that flower will die quickly.
That’s what happens when a church lacks holiness.
God is trying to plant seeds of righteousness, but it’s impossible for them to grow in an unholy environment.
Jesus rebuked the church again in Matthew 18:
*"If anyone causes one of these little ones who trust in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."*
As I follow the story with Michael Tate—just came out this week—the owner of the band, because they treat bands like businesses these days, turned out he gave up his ownership of the band.
They tried to keep it going, brought in another lead singer, but the label dropped them.
Probably a secular label—Capitol Music Group.
They dropped the band from their roster.
How bad is that?
The sinners figured it out before the church did.
And the owner of the band, he wrote a Facebook letter:
*"I want to apologize for what happened with Michael Tate. It turns out members of my own family were victims. They just told me as all this came out."*
The point is: this guy, who owned the band, could not have let Michael Tate be the lead singer for 15 years without knowing something.
Impossible.
He covered for him.
I don’t want to make accusations, but look—the problem is, when we hear news like this, it causes little ones to stumble.
It causes people who trusted him, who saw Michael Tate as an example of Christian living, to stumble.
So how do we treat sin? What should we do?
Don’t massage it. Don’t excuse it. Don’t ignore it. Don’t hope it resolves itself.
The remedy Paul gives is in verse 2:
*"You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning."*
Say the word mourning.
I’m not talking about when the sun comes up.
Sin should make you mourn.
Sin is a killer.
Sin will destroy you.
Why do people sin?
Because it feels good for a minute, but then it kills.
It destroys.
It’s like poison.
You should be mourning in sorrow and shame, and you should remove this man from your fellowship.
Verse five:
*"Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord."*
Some other places, like verse 11, he says:
*"Don’t even eat with such people."*
Romans 16:17:
*"Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them."*
Matthew 18:
Well, that’s just Paul being mean?
What about Jesus?
He said:
*"If he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."*
How do we deal with sin?
We don’t pet it. We don’t accept it.
We don’t hope it goes away.
The right thing to do is to cut it off—remove the leaven from the dough.
Get out of here.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:
*"If your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away."*
It’s better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.
And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.
It’s better to lose one part than to be cast into hell.
That’s serious.
This is usually where pastors say, "Jesus wasn’t really talking about chopping off body parts."
But I don’t like to soften his words.
He meant it.
Better to have one hand in heaven than two hands in hell.
Cut it off.
We uphold a righteous standard.
Sin is serious—that’s why Jesus had to die for it.
Nothing less than the death of Jesus can resolve the sin problem.
I’ll wrap this up quickly.
Please help me.
Not only in the body, but in leadership, or with platforms—especially those in leadership—should be held to a higher standard.
1 Timothy 5:19:
*"Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses."*
And those who sin should be rebuked publicly, so that others may fear.
This is why not many should take on the role of leadership.
I pray, God, give us good leaders in the house of God.
But I know it’s not for everybody.
Because it’s a higher standard.
Geesh, pastor, you’re being awful judgy today.
Doesn’t the Bible say, "Judge not, lest you be judged"?
Usually, that’s an excuse people use to protect sinful lifestyles.
Let me quote the scripture exactly:
Jesus did not say, "Never judge."
That’s how the world interprets it.
The world’s favorite scripture: "Don’t judge me."
But that’s not what Jesus was saying.
He’s saying: be careful how you judge.
Because the measure you use will be used against you.
Matthew 7:
*"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."*
He continues:
*"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"*
*"How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"*
*"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."*
So, Jesus is not forbidding judgment.
He’s warning us to judge rightly, with humility, not hypocritically.
The church needs to make some judgments.
A thousand pastors—half of them—say they’ve never made a judgment.
That’s wrong.
The church needs to repent for this.
Let’s close with one last thought: aiming for restoration.
We have failed to preach about sin in our generation, and we are reaping the consequences of false converts—those who have a form of godliness but deny its power.
They can go out on a Friday or Saturday night, sing "God’s Not Dead," and then go snort coke, drink vodka, and touch minors inappropriately.
That’s wrong.
How can a church culture produce that?
No accountability.
I wonder: who is Michael Tate’s pastor? Does he have one? A spiritual mentor?
Yeah, I know a guy who preaches on Sunday.
But do you have someone who can speak into your life when you’re going off the rails?
This is not just about Michael Tate.
This is about you.
Do you have anyone who can correct you before it turns into disaster?
The hope of correction is restoration.
There is a time for healing.
And I do pray for Michael Tate.
I’m not biased. I don’t want to see him suffer.
I want to see him restored—just like anyone else.
But we have to call out the correction first.
Romans 5:8:
*"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."*
Thank God he didn’t die for us in our perfection or in our striving for holiness.
He died for us when we were lost.
Paul had hope for the wicked man in Corinth.
He said:
*"Hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord."*
Paul’s desire: to protect the church, to see the flesh devoured, and to see the man restored.
I want to see that guy in heaven.
I want to see Michael Tate get his heart right.
I want to see the victims restored.
In fact, Paul writes a second letter to the same church.
And in that letter, he says in 2 Corinthians 2:5:
*"If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much hurt me as he has hurt all of you, to some extent."*
He’s saying: you were in pain because of him.
Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough.
Now, it’s time to forgive and restore.
He says:
*"Reaffirm your love for him."*
I want to show one last picture—of pottery.
In Japan, there’s a tradition called kintsugi, the art of mending broken pottery with gold.
They take a broken vessel, and with a gold mixture, they repair it.
The result is often more beautiful than the original.
It takes a master potter to do that.
And the repaired vessel often fetches more value than the original.
In the same way, when God puts you back together—when he takes the broken parts of your life, forgives you through the blood of Jesus, and mends you by the Holy Spirit—what God can do with Michael Tate is far greater than any song he ever sang.
God’s going to take those broken pieces.
If he truly repents, turns from his sins, and trusts in the Lord, he can be put back together.
So can you.
Isaiah 61 promises: "Beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
2 Corinthians 5:17:
*"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come."*
That’s not just religion—that’s new life.
In the hands of God, our scars can become testimonies, stories of glory.
I have hope for Michael Tate.
You know what? I also have hope for the church.
There’s only one plan on earth for the kingdom of God: the church.
As broken as she is, as much sin as she’s endured, as much failure in leadership and in the body—there’s hope because I believe God.
I believe God is committed to holiness, to preparing his bride for the day of consummation—that’s us—and he is putting us back together.
So, for all of you, have hope in God.
This is not a day to be discouraged.
It’s a day to uphold the holiness of God, even in our imperfections.
Say, Lord, I’m not perfect yet, but that’s the goal.
And I’m striving for that.
My hope is for this man to be restored, for all victims to find justice, for the fans who are discouraged or worse.
You know what? There’s still hope in the gospel.
And we can trust in that this morning.
Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes.
I appreciate your patience in hearing all of that.
The gospel changes lives.
Jesus is the King, and he is in charge of this kingdom.
Before we close, I want to ask: is there sin at work in your life?
Maybe you’re like Michael Tate—living a double life.
I mentioned earlier—far better to humble yourself before the Lord than to wait for him to humble you.
There are two ways: you can humble yourself in repentance, or wait for God’s power to humble you.
The Bible says:
*"Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."*
My preference—and God’s—is that you understand the depth of your sin, how wicked it is, how destructive, and that you would say:
"Pastor, I need help praying. My sin is destroying me inside. Nobody else may see it, but God sees it. I want to turn from it."
If you will do that, you will find grace.
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses will find mercy.
If you need God’s forgiveness, if you want to be set free today, and you’re willing to deal with your sins at this altar, we want to make that available.
Please don’t miss this opportunity.
Jesus died so sins could be forgiven and washed away.
He was resurrected so we could have power over sin.
We don’t have to remain in hidden sin.
There is hope in the gospel.
If that’s you, please let me pray for you.
Would you lift up a hand?
Is there someone here being honest before the Lord?
I see that hand.
Someone else quickly.
Honest hearts.
Thank you.
Is there someone else?
Quick.
I see that hand.
Thank you.
Someone else—this is serious.
The Lord doesn’t deal with us always or forever.
The Holy Spirit convicts us at times.
Maybe you shouldn’t ignore that prompting now.
Respond.
Is there anyone else—unsaved or backslidden—who knows they’re not living right?
It’s time to get right this morning.
Would you lift up a hand?
Please don’t let sin destroy you from the inside out.
You can cover it, or you can uncover it and prosper.
Is that you?
Quick—one last call.
Someone here needs redemption, healing, the blood of Jesus to wash away sins, the Holy Spirit to empower a new life.
Is that you?
Quick.
With honest hearts, amen.
If you lift your hand, lift it one more time so I can see.
And if your hand is in the air, please come forward.
We’re going to pray at this altar.
I need some people to come and pray with honest hearts.
Why don’t you kneel down?
We’re going to believe God to help us right now.
Right there in the back, would you come forward?
We’re going to pray with you, sister.
God’s going to help you.
Hallelujah.
God’s dealing with these hearts.
I want to speak to the church:
There are people here who, in your heart, maybe you’ve made excuses for sin.
Maybe you’ve been angry at church or leadership for bringing correction.
That’s wrong.
Correction is needed and necessary.
Maybe God’s dealing with you.
I want to encourage you: pursue holiness.
I see the importance, Lord.
God is holy, and we won’t know him without holiness.
We want a church that thrives and grows in righteousness.
I want to open this altar for prayer.
If God’s speaking to you, come and join these at the altar.
Let’s stand to our feet as we open this altar.
Let the Lord lead you.
Oh God, we strive for holiness.
Your Spirit is at work in our lives.
We’re praying for redemption and healing by the blood.
Oh, I pray, God, that you would speak to this congregation.
Help us to pursue holiness—holiness, Lord.
Amen.
Let’s take a few moments to pray.
Lift up your voice.
Cry out to the Lord together.
We’re going to believe God to help us right now.
Father, we thank you.
I want to leave you with one last word as we close:
Holiness is not some distant, impossible thing.
It’s for us.
It’s for you.
I remember, as a new convert, reading that scripture: "Be holy, for I am holy," and thinking, "But God, I can’t do that. You know who I am."
I thought that was an unfair expectation.
What I didn’t realize then is that God will never ask you to do something without giving you the tools and strength to do it.
Holiness is possible.
It’s not reserved only for pastors or super-spiritual people.
It’s for the church.
If you’re part of the church, God wants you to be holy.
And he gives you the tools:
The Holy Spirit—the same Spirit that drew you, convicted you, brought you into his presence, and raised Christ from the dead—is alive in us to set us free from sin.
You can live holy.
You don’t have to let your carnal nature control you.
It comes through surrender to the Holy Spirit.
Stop trying to grab the steering wheel.
It will be painful sometimes.
Correction, discipline—sometimes it’s not comfortable, but it’s necessary.
Sometimes it involves the church, the body of Christ, in humility.
But it’s necessary.
Let’s close in prayer.
Lift up your hands.
The longer you live for Jesus, the more you realize you need him—more and more.
None of us have achieved perfection.
Let’s say these words:
"God in heaven, I thank you for the blood of Jesus that washes away every stain of sin.
I am grateful that you’ve called me and set me apart to be part of your kingdom and your body.
Lord, you’ve called us to a standard of holiness.
I ask you today: make it real in my life.
Don’t let me make excuses.
Don’t let me cover my sins.
Don’t let me ignore the sins around me.
But as the church of Jesus, as ambassadors of Christ, as an embassy of heaven, I commit today to pursue holiness.
Even when I fall short, I ask you—give me a hunger and a thirst for righteousness.
I want to do your will, Lord.
And your will is sanctification.
Make me holy as you are holy.
Purify your bride.
Prepare us for eternity.
Thank you, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Let’s give him praise one more time.
God, we thank you.
We honor you, Lord.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Father.
I praise you.
I honor you.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
God blesses those who pursue holiness.
Man, the way to say it is like this:
When you do right, you feel right.
There’s nothing like a clear conscience.
You can lay your head on your pillow and sleep like a baby.
Hallelujah.
When I don’t hold grudges, when I don’t struggle with lust, I can thank Jesus for another day.
I pray you can do the same.
Let’s close in prayer.
I thank you all.
I know it was a lot to handle this morning—unnecessary, huh?
I appreciate all of you, and we want to invite you back tonight for some Jesus.
Hallelujah.
We’ll see the scriptures come to life again with The Chosen.
We’ll be back here at 6 p.m. to pray, and start at 7 p.m.
Come ready to hear from the Lord and receive from the Spirit of God.
Let’s close with a word of prayer.
Brother Stephen, would you close us in prayer?
Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.
Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon
Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation:
Keep up with all the latest events happening at VBPH: https://vbph.org/events
Subscribe to text updates by sending the keyword "ALERTS" to 757-785-9881
Follow our YouTube channel for all the latest video content: https://www.youtube.com/PottersHouseVB
Subscribe to our VBPH Sermon Podcast to never miss a message: https://podfollow.com/vbph-sermon-podcast
Want to read through the Bible with us this year? Join our YouVersion Bible Reading Plan here: https://bit.ly/VBPH-BiblePlan-2025
Please let us know how this message has influenced you by connecting with us using one of these options:
Email: info@vbph.org
Facebook: https://facebook.com/vbph.church
Instagram: https://instagram.com/vbph.church
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/vbph_church
Website: https://vbph.church
Are you in Hampton Roads and want to visit our church? Come join us IRL: 1045 Lynnhaven Pkwy., Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Let us know you're coming: https://form.church/vgSQszyXdkGlOgqDFnG6
Looking for more fellowship sermons? Check out TAKING THE LAND - CFM Sermon Podcast: https://takingthelandpodcast.com
