They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. John 16:2 Jesus is discussing how we we recognize the end times. Ever have that feeling that you aren't in the circle? Realize that you're not part of the mix? Ever had the Elders decide you were unfit? Or been asked not to attend services? A recent example: A couple who were formally (as in with a letter) instructed to never return to Church. The reason? They were filled with the Spirit, spoke in tongues (in private prayer) ... "Too charismatic." And too assertive where active Christianity encountered a stale congregation. This happened in a small rural "Community Bible Church". It can happen within established Evangelistic brands too. For clarity, Wikipedia.org defines it for us
If our Christian walk results in finding ourselves "outside" ... maybe we're doing something right. But it better be an authentic walk!
Lord, this is the prayer! |
Ostracised
Woe to Absent Shepherds
Suffering Christians should be concerned when over a period of months or years there is a continued absence of meaningful contact with the Pastors and Elders in their church. This meaningful contact would happen outside of church services, and not in "passing by" -- A Shepherds' love is expressed in the form of visitation. The absence of participation in the lives of struggling sheep is an indicator of a sterile ministry.
An offer of an “accountability partner” does not count. We are accountable to God, then our Spouse ... and to make amends when we sin against another (like stealing his truck.) As if repeatedly confessing errors to another person wouldn't eventually result in scorn and judgement. When we sin against ourselves (our bodies which are temples of the spirit) ... our issues are with the Lord and our amends are to Him. An accountability partner attempts to elevate people pleasing behavior to the point that it “interferes” with doing wrong. If we’re more apt to stop drinking because we’ll disappoint "Joe" and less concerned about disappointing Jesus? We have deeper issues with our faith. Psychology and Counseling tools devised in the secular world have crept into our Christian relationships. We need to be careful. On absent Shepherds of Ezekiel 34 Dainiel Isaac Block comments:
If you've been "excused" from fellowship, and the Pastor doesn't follow up? Be comforted. Go on to read further in this area of scripture: “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness." Ezekiel 34:11-12 |
Believer vs believer
"Faith that fails testing cannot be trusted" spoke the bible teacher two days before an inquisition was planned into the faith of a member suffering a genuine "thorn in the flesh." 1 Cor. 5:5-8 When the Elder called, it was to schedule a meeting to assess the fitness of the person to continue fellowship. No pressure. There is an evil that the church has perpetrated perhaps since its very beginnings ... that men naturally create perimeters for themselves. Something that doesn't meet the criteria is examined, inquired of... Where disruption is encountered, it's ejected in favor of retaining the comforts of the predictable. Some of this is biblical -- should a member be found to be teaching against the acknowledged truth of scripture. But what disruption? An inconsistent attendance? The seldom-sought prayer for a spouse in trouble? That it goes on, that deliverance hasn't happened yet? By who's assertion is another unfit for fellowship? Is it because the truth is expressed, confessed openly -- rather than covered up? Well, certainly the "Elders" are empowered. But does owning a capacity infer that it must be exerted? The permissible context is narrow. In the Corinthians 5 instance, the man sleeping with his brother's wife was evidently aggrandizing and devoting himself to "freedoms" that didn't exist, that Paul goes on in the letter to confine. This person was an enemy of God and cast out because, apparently, he solicited others into the same interpretation. He was proudly and overtly undermining the truth of Christ's teaching. This is a "Presumptuous Sin." (Which is unpardonable and discussed in another post on this site -- follow that link.) Korah's rebellion (Numbers 15:30)is an excellent example of the "Presumptuous" sin -- where sinful action is taken in direct defiance and subterfuge of the Lords word and his appointed processes. The pattern for ANY believer is faith in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We are born in sin, and over the course of a life pursuing Christian Faith -- "... running the good race" we face different obstacles. Some are more difficult to overcome. We fail, we confess, are restored. So, on who's timeline for results do we operate? From whom do we seek approval? We cannot hope to gain the kingdom of God serving the interests of men, even if we act forcefully and willfully within ourselves to correct something our Pastor contends with us on -- we will not reach God by pleasing the Pastor. We are encouraged in scripture to emulate the Apostles ... what we emulate is their single-minded devotion and accountability before God. We are accountable to the Lord. If a brother authentically confesses his error and restarts his walk, Jesus is pleased. |
Cast out! Killed off.
A way of discerning an authentic walk is to watch the path unfold. An encounter with difficulty in the life of a brother or sister initially brings out a kind of support that is loving, time passes there are offers of accountability partners, suggestions that other actions be taken ... impatience emerges, if well disguised. Exasperation! There has been enough, we are done -- cast them back out into the world for the death of their flesh (see 1 Corinthians 5.) Or the opposite. Patience, kindness, forgiveness, long suffering. The character and relationships between members is built up because the lost sheep is returned to the fold. In a similar situation Peter asked:
The key and critical factor is us: how can we forgive? If we can't then it's time to trim some Tares. Seriously?
An expressed aspect of Pastors' work is to go out among the sheep. What we find is that instead the sheep are gathered together to see the shepherd each Sunday and the really good ones come again on Wednesday. This aspect of absentee Pastors is prevalent when, as earlier discussed, exasperation has begun to mount. The sheep that wander are too much trouble! The simple fact is that the work of shepherding is returning the sheep to the fold. And this is what Christ explained to his disciples.
"It takes what it takes." is an AA / Alanon truth that many have realized to be actual.
For some the change is immediate. For others, the suffering will linger on and on. Our inability to control our urges prevents us from grasping the lesson and moving on in our walk. But if we keep on keeping with that Word, the Lord is faithful and we will be changed. |
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