DEFCON 4: GAIN a brother by LOSING HIM Matthew 18:17 (Episode #187)

An individual soul is VALUABLE.  So valuable that the full resources of the Church can and should be brought to bear when that individual soul is in peril.

When the church gathers and says to the individual and his sin, "I am coming at you" in a special way, that sinner would do best to listen.  As we all know, they often don't.  So then, we get to DEFCON 4.  Here the decisions of the sinner become reality.

The world is full of sinners.
The Church is full of sinners.
What is the difference?
Those IN the church say, yes I am a sinner.  I agree.  I see that it is bad.  Forgive me Lord and help me by your Holy Spirit to STOP sinning.  I am NOT OK when I sin.
Those OUT of the church say, "whatever."  Maybe I'm a sinner.   Maybe I'm not.  Don't care.  Not gonna change. I like the way I am.   I am OK, thank you very much.

Here we see all the benefits of being IN the church being withdrawn from this soul SO THAT hopefully they will be gobsmacked into realizing that I am NOT OK, that I have sinned and I want to be back with my church family.  Listen as the CHURCH pulls out its biggest stick and goes to DEFCON 4.