What does it mean to obey them that have the rule over you?
How does this concept differ from the admonition given to the elders to not lord it over the flock?
As we look at the various places and ways that the word is used regarding obeying those that have rule over you, we find that not only is the church body in worship referred to, but the body in general as well.
WE note that the wife is supposed to submit to her own husband, but at the same time, she is told to obey the elders.
What if the husband told his wife that on Wednesday evening that he was taking her with him to the company picnic, which he was required to attend, and to help with for his company?
Should she obey the eldership, and worship with the congregation, or should she give first consideration to her own husband? I would be interested to hear your feedback on this topic.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Hope
Hope is that intangible that keeps us going in life. Hope for something better when discouraged is that which maintains our mental and spiritual health. Hope that works comes to us as a result of a process, as hope is something we learn to do. Each one has a core set of principles and beliefs on the day when discouragement comes calling, as well as past experiences. It is the past experiences that work importantly in maintaining hope. First, we have journeyed out into a new experience, first hoping that it will become a great experience. What if things do not work out as we hoped that they would? What keeps us from blowing our brains out? Why did you not succeed as you first hoped that you would? Rather than getting discouraged, we either try again with renewed hope, or we give up. Hopefully, we have learned something from the first experience, and on the second, or third try we begin to see what it takes to have success. Be patient in your attempt, always hoping for the best.
Let us suppose that you have a friend who is going to hell unless he/she repents and obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ? Being a faithful Christian, you are evangelistic, having a burden upon your heart for that lost friend, and you go to that person with some hope that you will be received as a friend, and that he will listen to what you have to share. You hope for a successful meeting with him. He may reject you and your message from Jesus our Lord. Do not get discouraged. Try to sit down and examine what you might have done that caused him to not be receptive. Was the message what put him off, or your attitude? Did you go to him with a prayerful attitude, asking God to help you? Did you come off to him as proud and arrogant? Try again, and this time listen to what he tells you in his body language, in his objections, and his anger. Hope for a good meeting with him.
Hope springs eternal, someone said.
Romans 5.1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Let us suppose that you have a friend who is going to hell unless he/she repents and obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ? Being a faithful Christian, you are evangelistic, having a burden upon your heart for that lost friend, and you go to that person with some hope that you will be received as a friend, and that he will listen to what you have to share. You hope for a successful meeting with him. He may reject you and your message from Jesus our Lord. Do not get discouraged. Try to sit down and examine what you might have done that caused him to not be receptive. Was the message what put him off, or your attitude? Did you go to him with a prayerful attitude, asking God to help you? Did you come off to him as proud and arrogant? Try again, and this time listen to what he tells you in his body language, in his objections, and his anger. Hope for a good meeting with him.
Hope springs eternal, someone said.
Romans 5.1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Compromising
How large is your church?
Do you worship with just a few of the faithful saints?
Would you like to have a larger number of people to assemble with than now?
One of the phenomenas that I have noticed is that the smaller the congregation, the more conservative it is in its thinking, and the larger the group is, the more modern the people are in their thinking.
By conservative, I refer to a group of saints who are students of the Scriptures, and are more noble than others in that they search the Scriptures to see if these things are so or not.
The downside to having a large group of Christians who meet at the same location is that it becomes increasingly difficult to 'know them that work among you'.
It becomes more complex in that the elders or leadership of the church finds it almost impossible to minister to such a large and diverse group. They do not know the spiritual needs of every household. They become so engrossed in daily administrative needs of the group that they have been forced to give up some of their spiritual leadership functions.
As a small congregation grows in number, a need arises to erect a more modern and larger facility to deal with the needs of the congregation.
A larger auditorium is needed. A larger parking area is called for.
Just these two needs, not to mention the obvious other ones, is enough to bring your attention to the one factor that cannot be ignored in growth, that of money, or finances.
When the group grows, it costs more to pay for those needs of the growing church.
Looking at a scenario: Let us assume that 30 Christians are meeting in a small building that barely meets the physical requirements of that size of group.
They become evangelistic, and have a sudden influx of new members.
They decide to build.
The cost of building far exceeds the amount collected in the laying by in store each Sunday.
At first, let us assume that the new number is increased from 30 to 50. It would not be wise to build a building to only fit the needs of 50, as it must be assumed that more growth will continue to occur.
So, they vote to build an ediface that will house 100, with sufficient land and design to accomodate future addition to the building, as needed.
The new building, designed to house 100 initially only has 50 members. The cost of the new building requires at least 75 members to pay the mortage.
Compromise:
Here is where the temptation to compromise comes into play.
Nearby congregations have shown growth by watering down their preaching, and by offering more to the youth of the community.
So, the elders meet, and they discuss what doctrine is promoted from the pulpit that is most offensive to the majority of the community in which the building is located.
At first, due to years of conservative thinking, the elders are not able to bring themselves to deny the truth of the doctrines that are offensive, but...
What they can bring themselves to do is to instruct the teachers and preachers to stop teaching on that particular matter, or topics that are hindering the rapid growth needed.
This type of compromise proves to be successful. A new generation comes on, and some of the older generation of elders pass on into eternity.
The older, more Scripturally sounded elders are gone, and the newer crop of potential elder material have been starved regarding sound doctrine.
So, the new elders are in place, and the congregation is growing too large for its present facility.
The new elders are faced with the same financial problems as their forebears, but without the same restraints to their consciences.
Rather than not preaching on the controversial issues, now they can begin to preach the false doctrines that attract even more into the fold, such as it is.
The compromise will continue to a point in time when the congregation becomes so unsound doctrinally that even the flock begins to get uneasy, and the elders will adjust, or there will be a division that occurs, and a new competing congregation will arise.
Compromise is dangerous. Compromise is not always harmful but when we know what the Bible teaches, and when our compromise goes against the will of Christ, the congregation may increase in number, but it will decrease spiritually.
For your consideration,
Joe
Do you worship with just a few of the faithful saints?
Would you like to have a larger number of people to assemble with than now?
One of the phenomenas that I have noticed is that the smaller the congregation, the more conservative it is in its thinking, and the larger the group is, the more modern the people are in their thinking.
By conservative, I refer to a group of saints who are students of the Scriptures, and are more noble than others in that they search the Scriptures to see if these things are so or not.
The downside to having a large group of Christians who meet at the same location is that it becomes increasingly difficult to 'know them that work among you'.
It becomes more complex in that the elders or leadership of the church finds it almost impossible to minister to such a large and diverse group. They do not know the spiritual needs of every household. They become so engrossed in daily administrative needs of the group that they have been forced to give up some of their spiritual leadership functions.
As a small congregation grows in number, a need arises to erect a more modern and larger facility to deal with the needs of the congregation.
A larger auditorium is needed. A larger parking area is called for.
Just these two needs, not to mention the obvious other ones, is enough to bring your attention to the one factor that cannot be ignored in growth, that of money, or finances.
When the group grows, it costs more to pay for those needs of the growing church.
Looking at a scenario: Let us assume that 30 Christians are meeting in a small building that barely meets the physical requirements of that size of group.
They become evangelistic, and have a sudden influx of new members.
They decide to build.
The cost of building far exceeds the amount collected in the laying by in store each Sunday.
At first, let us assume that the new number is increased from 30 to 50. It would not be wise to build a building to only fit the needs of 50, as it must be assumed that more growth will continue to occur.
So, they vote to build an ediface that will house 100, with sufficient land and design to accomodate future addition to the building, as needed.
The new building, designed to house 100 initially only has 50 members. The cost of the new building requires at least 75 members to pay the mortage.
Compromise:
Here is where the temptation to compromise comes into play.
Nearby congregations have shown growth by watering down their preaching, and by offering more to the youth of the community.
So, the elders meet, and they discuss what doctrine is promoted from the pulpit that is most offensive to the majority of the community in which the building is located.
At first, due to years of conservative thinking, the elders are not able to bring themselves to deny the truth of the doctrines that are offensive, but...
What they can bring themselves to do is to instruct the teachers and preachers to stop teaching on that particular matter, or topics that are hindering the rapid growth needed.
This type of compromise proves to be successful. A new generation comes on, and some of the older generation of elders pass on into eternity.
The older, more Scripturally sounded elders are gone, and the newer crop of potential elder material have been starved regarding sound doctrine.
So, the new elders are in place, and the congregation is growing too large for its present facility.
The new elders are faced with the same financial problems as their forebears, but without the same restraints to their consciences.
Rather than not preaching on the controversial issues, now they can begin to preach the false doctrines that attract even more into the fold, such as it is.
The compromise will continue to a point in time when the congregation becomes so unsound doctrinally that even the flock begins to get uneasy, and the elders will adjust, or there will be a division that occurs, and a new competing congregation will arise.
Compromise is dangerous. Compromise is not always harmful but when we know what the Bible teaches, and when our compromise goes against the will of Christ, the congregation may increase in number, but it will decrease spiritually.
For your consideration,
Joe
Monday, March 06, 2006
Preparation for Eternity
If you are able to read this, you are a human.
If you are a human, you are most likely to be tempted daily to live in the moment.
In other words, most folks do not look beyond the moment, at least not too far in the future.
Sure, some folks do keep a daily planner, but even those that do are not looking too far in their future.
Most of us do not know when we are going to die.
Some might have an idea, especially if they know that they have a terminal disease. Such folks with a sure and certain appointment with death are more likely to get beyond the moment.
I want each one of you to try to think beyond, as far beyond as the first moment beyond your death.
What will it be like?
Will you be at peace?
Will you be in torment on the other side?
When you exchange worlds, the material for the spiritual, will it be a happy day?
God wants us to be daily looking forward to Judgment Day. God wants all to be in Heaven with Him.
Sadly most are not spiritual thinkers.
Folks, this life should not be anything else BUT preparation time for eternity.
No one wants to go to Hell, but most folks are not willing to pay the cost.
If you are a human, you are most likely to be tempted daily to live in the moment.
In other words, most folks do not look beyond the moment, at least not too far in the future.
Sure, some folks do keep a daily planner, but even those that do are not looking too far in their future.
Most of us do not know when we are going to die.
Some might have an idea, especially if they know that they have a terminal disease. Such folks with a sure and certain appointment with death are more likely to get beyond the moment.
I want each one of you to try to think beyond, as far beyond as the first moment beyond your death.
What will it be like?
Will you be at peace?
Will you be in torment on the other side?
When you exchange worlds, the material for the spiritual, will it be a happy day?
God wants us to be daily looking forward to Judgment Day. God wants all to be in Heaven with Him.
Sadly most are not spiritual thinkers.
Folks, this life should not be anything else BUT preparation time for eternity.
No one wants to go to Hell, but most folks are not willing to pay the cost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)