Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20030205.htm

DEUTERONOMY: GETTING OTHERS TO BE VICTORS, NOT CASUALTIES
Part XXIII: Discipling Others On BOUNDARIES Of Worship Service FELLOWSHIP
(Deuteronomy 23:1-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. Church worship services today often emphasize either God's holiness or His love when it comes to "outsiders:" either newcomers or problem people in the body are pressed to feel excluded until proven to be holy or, in the name of love, all are included regardless of attitudes or beliefs even to the body's harm.
    2. God addressed both elements of holiness and love relative to worship service fellowship in Deuteronomy 23:1-18, and Moses' directive to Israel shows how to disciple others in the matter (as follows):
  2. Discipling Others On BOUNDARIES Of Worship Service FELLOWSHIP, Deuteronomy 23:1-18.
    1. Just before his death, Moses addressed Israel on her need to heed the Law for God's blessing, Deut. 1:1-5.
    2. A part of that address supplied Israel with guidelines on which parties were to be excluded from their worship services as well as which ones were to be included in them (as follows), Deuteronomy 23:1-18:
      1. God clarified He wanted Israel to exclude from her worship anyone who had any apostate LEANING:
        1. God wanted the people to exclude from their worship services anyone who compromised himself with pagan practices or beliefs in any way, Deuteronomy 23:1: (a) Some scholars think the mutilations described in Deut. 23:1 were typical of pagan worship, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Deuteronomy 23:1. (b) Hence, God made no allowance for tolerating fellowship in worship services with those who intentionally compromised themselves with pagan practices.
        2. God wanted Israel to exclude from her worship services anyone associated with immorality, Deut. 23:2, 17. As this sin was so destructive to one's walk with God (1 Cor. 6:18-20) and was a part of paganism, God wanted all who could thus subvert Israel's holiness kept out of her worship services.
        3. God wanted the people to exclude from their worship services anyone who would discourage the advance of faith or obedience to God among His people, Deut. 23:3-6. As the Ammonites and Moabites had sought to discourage Israel from faith and obedience in God during her wilderness journeys, up to the tenth generation, such people were to be excluded from Israel's worship services.
        4. Another part of Moses' address handled guidelines for what financial contributions were to be excluded from the offering as unacceptable, Deuteronomy 23:18 with 2 John 5-8: offerings which came from the destructively influential practices of female or male (also pagan cult) prostitution were to be rejected, even if they involved vows of personal dedication to God.
        5. Another part of Moses' address handled guidelines for which parties were to be excluded from fellowship due to ceremonial uncleannesses; these matters of uncleanness were to be handled by those involved prior to their being allowed to fellowship in the worship assembly, Deut. 23:9-14.
      2. Yet, God wanted Israel to include in her worship anyone who bordered on an attitude of uprightness:
        1. Israel was to include offended but non-apostate outsiders: the distant relatives to Israel in the Edomites, though defensive toward Israel due to Jacob's injustice to Esau as evidenced during the wilderness wanderings (Num. 20:14-22) were yet to be included in Israel's worship services, 23:7a.
        2. Israel was to include supportive but non-apostate leaning outsiders: Egyptians who were friendly to Israel, after the third generation of proselytes were to be included in the worship services as Israel had enjoyed sustenance in Egypt and owed the Egyptians kindness in return, Deut. 23:7b.
        3. Israel was to include oppressed but non-apostate outsiders who sought refuge from their masters: Moses explained those who had fled from oppressive masters were to be helped, Deut. 23:15-16.
Lesson: Moses clarified Israel was to EXCLUDE anyone from its worship service fellowship whose ATTITUDE LEANED in an apostate DIRECTION, but to INCLUDE those who were NOT apostate in ATTITUDE, but who were AT LEAST TEACHABLE (like offended, friendly or oppressed outsiders)!

Application: In discipling others on who was to be included in worship services, we must urge them to note the ATTITUDE of the "outsiders" in question as the BASIS for including them: (1) parties with even a SLIGHT APOSTATE LEANING are to be refused, but (2) anyone who is POSSIBLY OPEN to the truth, though he be defensive, just friendly or oppressed is to be included for his discipling benefit!