Matt 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (NIV)
Life in itself is very difficult. As we our lives in and for Jesus, offences will and do come. It’s one thing to be attacked by an enemy because we expect that. What’s really hard is when an attack comes from within the "Church". A close friend or a relative, a brother or sister within our same belief system. We would expect someone that is not " Saved" to act or do something that in not right. And so when it does happen it takes us by surprise and even cause you to stumble or cause you great grief. How many know what I’m talking about?
Matt 24:10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.(NKJV)
So who are these so called offenders? How do we know how to identify them? What is their purpose? And how do we deal with them?
The bible says they come to you in sheeps clothing. They walk the walk, they talk the talk, and they have the same look. That’s why thier so hard to identify. Have you ever thought someone was your friend, not only to realize that they really were not as good as friend as you thought they were. I have!
First of all they come to you. They are the prophets that usally got it all going on. They talk alot and have a hit list they want everyone to know about. They know all the in’s and out’s in the church and they have been around awhile. They know everyone’s business and are very concerned about thier brother or sisters in the Lord and that’s why they are eagerly wanting to share thier business with you. They have a group of loyal disciples that pac together just like wolves.
When a brother or sister in the lord is in sin they enjoy this because it gives them licence to go and tell everyone. The way they do this is by saying. I have a great concern for sister sinner because she was caught in the act of adultry and I just wanted you to know that so that we can pray for her. The Scripture says inwardly they are ferocious wolves. They go and tell everyone except the person that is in sin. And so the inwardly motive for what they are doing is not out of concern, but out of a wicked heart, and they themselves are in sin and become the offender. Thier hearts are not that of redemptive spirit but that of the accuser. Satan is known as the accuser.
Rev 12:10 For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, (NIV)
If you have a issue with a brother go to him, with redemption in mind and deal with him or her on a one to one basis. Then if he still doesn’t listen, then get one or two from within the church and go to him and deal with him. The bible does not say go and tell everyone and expose this person and shame them so that they will never do this again. The offender, they become just like the Pharasiees in the book of John 8:3-4 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
(NIV)
The Pharisees were very religious men and women. And they thought they were doing God a favor by bringing this woman and exposing her sin to the group, so that all could see her shamefull sin. They were right about the fact that she was in fact caught in the act of adultry. But thier motive for exposing her was wicked and not to bring this woman or person in a right relationship with God.
So the next time you catch or see a brother or sister in the Lord in the act of sinning you better go to him and confront him personally and try to win him over and not go around spreading gossip in the church. Just because your information is true doesn’t mean its not gossip.
These wolves in sheep clothing will expose everyones sin to everyone they can, simply because they want to show everyone else how sinful others are and how rightous they are.
Matt 7:5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
NKJV
Little do they know that God sees thier wicked hearts as not having a redemptive heart and thier loose mouths that spread gossip, slanders and accuses the Saints of God as a plank in thier own eyes. In other words they cannot see clearly that they themselves are in great sin of Hypocrocy.
The offender dress in sheeps clothing comes and picks off those that are weak in the Lord. They prey upon the weak. They sometimes have a word of knowledge straight from God, that lead many to distruction. The’ve been in the church for along time and therefore they themselves have special privilages. They no longer need to pray or belong to any bible studies. They have arrived to the point where they know the word of God and there are not many others that know more than themselves. They are critical about the way the church is being run, but they never contribute anything to help change it. They show up for just about every function, only to distract others from the real purpose of the function.
Do they know thier being used by Satan? Some do, Some don’t.
Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (NIV)
Peter didn’t realize that he was being use by Satan. The reason is he did not have in mind the things of God.
God has his people in mind. God came into this world to redeem his people and to bring healing to those that are hurting and those that and brokenhearted. To bring deliverance to those that are in sin.
Offenders do not have in mind the things of God.
They just offend. Sometimes they know what thier doing and sometimes they don’t. Thier blinded by the things of men.
So how do we deal with offenders? First of all we need to make sure were not the ones that are the offenders. Second we need to pray for them because they themselves are in sin and we want them also to be brought into a right standing with God. When someone comes to you to bring a earfull of gossip, you need to not get involved and bring it to thier attention that what their about to do is called gossip or slandering. And if they continue then, you should stay clear of them. I have personally gone up those who have offended me and confronted them one on one, face to face eye to eye. Some I have won over. Then there are some that did not recieve what I had to say.
2 Tim 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (NIV)
What do you do when your offended by one of these offenders? You pray first. You confront them. You forgive them. You pray for them. You win them over and if they don’t listen then like the scripture says "Have nothing to do with them."
It’s really amazing that God gives us the truth to live our lives and when we use God’s word, It works!
