Responsibility in serving God. Can we do what God says and believe in the outcome? Romans 16:17-20. The ability of a man to serve God is bassed on that mans ability to believe God. Today in the churches we have a difference in movitational speeking, in the way of keeping christians in the will of God. It goes back all the way to Pauls time. Paul and the other deciples Of Christ were at times at odds with each other ,in how to handle those who were unruley, sometimes we hafe to be stern in our approach to the issue. Look at the Book of Jude, it tells us on some use compassion and others use fear.The deciples at times were trying to ballance Jews on one hand and gentiles on the other. Paul rebuked them for this action, saying that we are to be equal with both, just because Jews came into the room doesnt mean that we hafe to stop sitting with the gentiles. In the church today we hafe to look close at the ones that cause division amoung the people. Lets look at Romans 16:17-20. Not only do we as ministers have a responsibility to watch out over the church, but you as members of the Church also have a responsibility. 16:17....Now I beseech you, brethern, mark them which cause devisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. Pretty strong language for a leader in the church, isnt it? What does the word beseech mean?,.. to interogate, to beg, please, ect. This was a strong request by Paul ,pleading with them to mark or point out those people within their congregation, that were trying to destroy, the fellowship that they had amoung themselves. A church runs on love, nothing else, just love, without it, a church becomes a meeting place for unorganised confuseion. The Bible states that, its better to cut off a member of the body than to loose the whole body. This idea is worded in scripture more than once, when a phrase is listed more than once in hebrew, it indicates a great importance, thats how the Bible is written, the more a subject is mentioned, the more we hafe to pay attention to it. Its part of the hidden mysteries of the kingdom. Many may disagree with this idea, but its in scripture for a reason. How many churches have you seen, with trouble in it that eventually lost its ability to function as a church? I have seen more than I wish to have. Verse 18 gives the answer to why its dangerious to have such people in the church, but what causes it to happen in the first place? 1.Disobediance to the rules that God has given us, on the running of the church. 2. Clicks within the body, two seperate intidies with in the church itself. There can only be one leader within the church, and thats the Pastor. When someone comes in and starts questioning the atthority of the pastor, there is where devision comes in. Are these people saved? Lets see what Paul has to say. Verse 18., For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ... they are decievers.... Paul says that these people are not christians but decievers of the week, just as when you were growing up in school, there was always a bullie out there trying to intimidate the weeker, into following them. And this is what Paul is saying, we hafe to protect the week in spirit, untill thay are equipted into dealing with such people. Why do we worry so much about this, because its here, now, in this age of false, gods and doctrine and false teachers, trying to bring an end to the rightfull worship of God the Father. Bringing in herisies and abominations within the church, you say it cant happen? It allready has. California, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, gay and lesbial churches are springing up everywhere, homosexual men being ordained as decons within the church. Paul said to mark these people and have no dealings with them. From the hebrew and greek, what does the word, Mark , mean in this scripture? 1. Object of attack 4. target 2. To watch out for 5. to turn and face 3. decern 6. aim at We are in a war for our very existance, Satan knows that he has but a short time left, and he wants to take away our effectiveness as a Body of Christ, so that no one hears the truth. Remember church, the Pastor cant see everything, He needs your help, we all have a stake in our survival. God has given us the tools to use to fend off the wolf at the door, all we hafe to do is use them. Ive seen it, if you allow the wolf to enter in and he gets a foot hold, he will turn and tear up as many as he can and the blood will flow like water. The wolf, just as the lion, is a beast of hunger and he preys on the weak and those that are alone, seperated from the rest of the fold. We need to reach out and bring all into close contact, keeping an eye out for one another. Its good for the Body of Christ, to be told and sometimes shaken up, out of sleep, that there are dangers out there. Its good to tell them that the beast is still looking for them to seperate from the fold, so that he can deviour them. Its our responsibility to maintain, order and disapline within the body, as ones who loves them and not as lords over them.If we dont warn them then who will? ars
