Sunday, July 21, 2019

Church Discipline: PERFECTING HOLINESS


 Poll: How many perfect people do we have here tonight? Just checking - - we are all flawed, and are we not prone to making errors and bad judgment calls every so often? We can all stumble and need a helping hand back up. We can sometimes stray off from the way GOD has for us and need a course correction.
So, we all need help from time to time in getting something corrected.
When it comes to the spiritually mature, the elders of the church, bringing correction to a member of the church, it’s done acceptably only in meekness as proper conduct and with the goal of restoration:

GALATIANS 6:1-5
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual*, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden
.
* This would include those known as overseers (ACTS 20:28) 

HEBREWS 13:17
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Meekness is not weakness; the LORD Jesus Christ, GOD the Son made flesh lived His entire life in meekness. Meekness is power, authority and strength under control. That’s Jesus! 

In verse 3, what is described here is pride = P.R.I D.E. or Personal Rebellion, I Desire Evil. Any time we are tempted to sin, and we fall into it, it is because we want that pleasure, that gratification, even if it's displeasing to GOD - it doesn't matter to our flesh, we want it regardless. That is pride.

Saturday, July 13, 2019

WHY DO CHURCH?

EPHESIANS 4:11-16
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The foundation of the Cornerstone, Christ Jesus has been established (EPH 2:20) and upon Him the apostles and prophets. As with any foundation, once its built, there is no need to create another foundation - only one is necessary. So these apostles and prophets, having completed their ministry of building the church and through the Holy Spirit, writing the inspired Scriptures for us, the church is then handed over to evangelists, pastors and teachers.