JESUS' AUTHORITY UPON THE CHURCH
Thursday August 30 2001
MF BLUME
Matthew 18:1-5 At the same time
came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the
midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted,
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such
little child in my name receiveth me.
These verses speak of "little children" coming in the kingdom.
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It was actually a "little child" Jesus called to Him.
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However, he was referring to those new believers in the kingdom.
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Little children are actually very young children about the age of 2-6 or
so.
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However, it refers in the Kingdom to those very immature in Spirit.
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Some can even stay immature for years, having never grown spiritually.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend
one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that
a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea.
Verse 6 begins to speak about offending one of the little children of God.
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He becomes quite stiff with offenders.
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Since God used the term "little children" He is making a point.
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Imagine a defenseless little child being intentionally hurt and damaged
by an adult.
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Imagine your anger.
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The child is absolutely terrified and cannot stop the adult from continuing
to hurt.
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No wonder verse 6 says a millstone ought to be tied around such an adult's
neck and then see the person thrown into the sea to drown!
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The anger we feel towards such a scene of hurting a little child is a shadow
of the anger God has towards those who offend the little ones in the church.
Recently I was asked by email my thoughts on the issue of confession to
the church and ministers of sins committed by saints.
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This issue is part of the issue Jesus raised in Matthew 18.
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Let me just say that sins need only be confessed to the church if the congregation
is well aware of them, and the perpetrator wished to get right and work
for God in the church.
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Without confession, how would the congregation know that such a person
is sincere and fit to work in the church?
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The person may have repented, and got right in the eyes of God, but how
does the congregation know that, after seeing a repeated sin again and
again in the person?
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In order to minister to that congregation, the congregation has a right
to know the soul is right in God's eyes and does not care to continue sinning.
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If the congregation does not know about the sinning, then no confession
to them is needful.
What about confession to a preacher?
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Such a confession is only needful when the sin is so tempting to the individual
that help is required from the pastor in the form of teaching strengthening
words from the Bible.
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Also, if the chance of the pastor ever coming to hear of the sin from another
source, it would be good for the person to have told the pastor him/herself,
to also indicate full repentance has occurred.
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How could the pastor fully trust the individual without open confession
concerning the sin, and subsequent admission of true repentance?
These words of Jesus that follow are connected with what Jesus was saying
in Matthew 18.
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Matthew 18 is where these words have their place in the Church.
John 20:22-23 And when he had said this,
he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins
ye retain, they are retained.
We are given authority to remit or retain sins.
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In what aspects or situations?
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Those of Matthew 18.
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Watch.
Matthew 18:7 Woe unto the world because
of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man
by whom the offence cometh!
After we read the above we read a word in verse 8 that connects the information
of the verse to that of verse 7.
Matthew 18:8 Wherefore
if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee:
it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having
two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
"WHEREFORE."
"Wherefore" means "And so, for that reason..."
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We can paraphrase verse 7 and 8 by saying, "Offenses will come to God's
children. But woe to the person who does the offending. And
so, for that reason, if you hand offends you then cut it off."
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He is not speaking about an actual hand in need of amputation.
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He is speaking of the church as a Body with members who are comparable
to hands and feet in that body.
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And such members of the church may require amputation from the Body of
the Church under these circumstances Jesus is referring to.
1 Corinthians 12:12-16 For as the body
is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is
not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand,
I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall
say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body?
It might sound severe to cut off a member of the church from the church,
but it is required if the offending member is genuinely offending God's
little children and there is no remorse or repentance in doing it.
The words concerning cutting off the offensive hand or foot are used
as a principle in the Bible.
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Principles are true cases that apply to any situation given the specific
circumstances that cause the situation to fit the rule.
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In this case, Jesus is applying the principle to the issue of how to handle
those church members who offend the others.
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Jesus used the same principle in Matthew 5:29, but He was not dealing with
offenses there.
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In Matthew 5:29 he was dealing with those who have a problem with lust.
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And in that discourse, the application of the principle is fulfilled by
cutting off the lustful pleasure that is giving one the problem of sinful
lifestyle.
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In Matthew 18 He is applying the principle to cutting off the church member
due to offending the others.
In fact, Matthew 18:7 and Matthew 18:10 both refer to the Church body members.
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These two verses are sandwiched between the note of offending a little
one, proving the issue at hand with the cutting off is referring to the
cutting off of the church member.
Matthew 18:7-10 Woe unto the world because
of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man
by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee,
cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into
life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast
into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and
cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye
despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven
their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
God loves each member of the Body and takes great cares for the little
children so much so that He is extremely sensitive over one being offended
and lost.
Matthew 18:10-14 Take heed that
ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven
their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if
a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not
leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that
which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you,
he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went
not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven,
that one of these little ones should perish.
And this brings us to verse 15 and onward where Jesus takes the issue further.
Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother
shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and
him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Here is where the remitting of sins and the retaining of sins in John 20
comes into play.
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The next few verses are the words of Jesus giving authority to the church
to either condemn or accept a member of the church.
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If we follow His order of dealing with offenses then we are given authority
to determine certain ruling on the offending church member due to their
reaction noted by Jesus to the actions taken with an offender.
When a brother has offended you, you are told by Christ to approach that
offending brother and wisely and kindly demand repentance and request for
forgiveness.
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If, when you carry this action out, the offender repents and requests forgiveness
to make things right, you have "gained thy brother."
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The action was successful.
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So you LOOSE him from condemnation.
Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear
thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or
three witnesses every word may be established.
On the other hand, if the brother is stubborn and refuses to repent, take
one or two more brothers with you and approach the man again.
Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect
to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church,
let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
If the one still resists, take the issue before the church, and upon further
resistance cut that member of the body off from the body.
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Declaring him as a heathen and a publican is cutting that person off from
the body.
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Here is where "retaining sins" comes into play.
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You "retain" that brother's sin when you declare that brother a heathen
after having followed Jesus directions to deal with the offender.
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You BIND him to his guilt. More about this later.
And then Jesus speaks more words that many people have unknowingly severed
from the context of the discourse in that chapter up to the point of verse
18.
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But verse 18 is still dealing with the issue of an offending brother.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you,
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again He uses a principle that can be applied to many circumstances if
the conditions are right.
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Most only ever refer this verse to the issue of our need to bind the devil
and to loose God's will.
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And that is true.
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However, the context of the principle as used in this chapter is dealing
with retaining or remitting sins of a brother.
The binding on Earth refers to the "retaining" of sins so as to bind the
believer in prison to his guilt and condemnation, so to speak, due to lack
of repentance on he believer's part.
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And we loose the person from condemnation and virtual imprisonment if they
repent.
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Whatever we declare down in this earth concerning the offending person
based upon their reaction to the directions we carried through at the advice
of Jesus, will be what we can count on as being so settled in heaven.
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Jesus gave us that authority.
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In other words, He gave us so much authority in such cases that we can
say Jesus did it if we have done it due to properly following HIs directions.
Jesus then repeats the same thought using another principle.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto
you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching
any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which
is in heaven.
Notice the reference to "two of you."
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This points back to verse 16 where we are directed to take one or two more
brothers with us to approach the offending brother due to his refusal to
repent with a one-on-one confrontation.
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When the person refuses and the issue is taken before the church, continued
refusal leaves us no choice other than to cut the offending brother off
the church body.
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And upon carrying out such a decision, Jesus is saying the same thing as
verse 18 -- our decision can be counted as God's!
And yet another verse is taken by many and never applied to this issue
at hand, but is still dealing with that issue.
Matthew 18:20 For where two
or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst
of them.
This once again stresses the point of counting our decision, upon following
Jesus' directive, as His decision.
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It is not saying that if only two people show up for church, Jesus is still
there, so we can continue with the service.
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No.
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It is saying that our actions can be considered to be Jesus' actions, as
though He was actually there having made the decision that we actually
made, Himself.
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He gave us that much authority!
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He told us that if we follow these directives through when dealing with
an offender, then the particular reaction of refusal to repent must move
us to cut off such a person from the Body of the Church, and that decisions
is as good as saying Jesus cut that person off.
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The same goes for the reaction of repentance.
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If the offender repents, then we have authority to declare that person
is loosed from their condemnation and to be regarded as a bona fide member
as much as any other godly member of the church.
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And we can say that Jesus loosed them from guilt, when in actuality we
have done so.
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He gave us that much authority.
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If we in that sense remit sins, then we can count on them as being remitted
in heaven.
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That is the sense behind the words, "Whosover sins ye remit, they are remitted."
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"Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
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"If two of you agree as touching any thing on earth it shall be done in
heaven."
These verses are all dealing with remitting or retaining sins.
Matthew 18:20 refers to declaring a brother either gained to the church,
having repented, or cutting the soul off due to refusal to repent.
Paul used this very directive in dealing with an offending brother in
the Corinthian church.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 It is reported
commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is
not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's
wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath
done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent
in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present,
concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with
the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto
Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus.
Notice verses 4 and 5.
The reference to "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" is a note based
upon Matthew 18:20.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Verse 4 also notes "when ye are gathered together."
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That also is a reference to Matthew 18:20's words, "Where two or three
are gathered together..."
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Paul is referring to Jesus' directives!
Verse 4 also notes "with the power of our Lord Jesus."
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This is saying that Paul knew the authority or power that Jesus put upon
the church to carry out such decisions.
The note of verse 5 in saying one would be delivered unto Satan, refers
to the fact that upon being cut off from the Church Body, one is outside
the protection of the "hedge" that keeps a child of God safe.
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Recall in Job that Satan complained he could not attack Job due to a hedge
God prepared around Job.
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The words of Paul elsewhere seem to be inapplicable to the offending brother
who is cut off from the church.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Satan is free to attack such a brother who is outside the protective covering
of the church.
Paul sought to see the soul repent after being cut off and attacked
freely by Satan, so that he might get right once again in the eyes of God.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even
Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1 Corinthians 5:9-11 I wrote unto you in
an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the
fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with
idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written
unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a
fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or
an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
He tells the church that when a brother is fornicating we must cut off
fellowship with such a person, because such a sin will spread throughout
the body into others' lives like leaven in dough.
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We are not to cut off working around sinners who do not profess Christianity
and live in fornication, because we would have to leave the earth in that
case!
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However, Paul restricts this to the church members who sin, because they
will infect the rest of the church.
We later read that Paul noted the person's repentance and the church's
need to accept him back into the Body and bind him once again to the Church.
2 Corinthians 2:6-11 Sufficient
to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So
that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest
perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore
I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end
also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient
in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave
any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person
of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices.
Note verse 11.
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Satan wants the fornicators in the church to poison the rest of the body.
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He doesn't want them out.
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But if the fornicator who was cast out of the body repents, then he wants
them to stay out and not return.
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And Paul is saying the penitent soul, if refused acceptance, will become
swallowed up with sorrow beyond what is necessary for repentance, and complain
of an unloving congregation, and be correct!
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Thus Satan can gain from our refusal to accept the penitent. back.
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Satan can make good use of our mistakes!
In this discussion, I am not referring to any old cult who may take you
to task for not chewing purple bubble gum, and disfellowship you if you
continue to refuse to chew it!
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I am saying that the true Church has been directed to deal with stubborn
offensive members by cutting them off in the hopes they repent.
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Allowing them to continue is certainly no incentive for them to repent.
Now, let me come to a major point.
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God gave pastors to the church who are directed to deal with issues in
your lives.
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God gave authority to the ministry to follow His directives and deal with
your problems.
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You need to have enough confidence in God's ordering and delegation in
His church to accept the advice to repent and get right with God concerning
issues you may not even want to repent about.
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Pastors are simply not to be regarded as paid public speakers.
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A pastor is a shepherd.
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And we all are to regard someone as a mentor from whom to take advice that
we may want to take at times.
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Pastors genuinely called of God do hear from God about situations.
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Humble yourself to take the advice and follow it.
If not, and you cannot truly believe that the advice is godly, and you
feel it is not based upon scriptures, then you have no pastor.
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If you cannot trust a pastor to guide you in godly advice, and you refuse
all advice ever given to you from such a person, then you simply do not
have a pastor and you are not following God's Word for the church.
You need to find a pastor whom you can trust, and not merely one who will
agree with your every carnal desire and make you feel you are alright when
in fact you may not be alright at all.
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Some people do not ever want a pastor, because they don't think they can
ever be wrong.
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We each need mentors to the extent that even pastors need to have "pastors"
also.
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God does call pastors and gifts them with advice for you in His will, which
advice will sometimes not be what your carnal desires want to carry through.
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DO YOU HAVE A PASTOR?
If Jesus gave enough authority to the church to count their decisions of
a soul's condition before God as God's own decision, having carefully followed
Christ's directive in Matthew 18, then you need to be ready to take advice
from a pastor.
That is not saying that the pastor is always right in everything the
pastor recommends to you.
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Nobody is perfect.
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And a godly pastor should be able to know his limits in how far he truly
can hear from God in certain situations.
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Sometimes a pastor does not know the answer.
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But in very serious situations, the advice of the pastor is usually correct
if the pastor is truly called of God and anointed and seeking God in prayer.
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And you need to TRY the advice, and see what fruit it produces.
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By their fruits you shall know the true prophets of God.
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If you can never trust the pastor and take the pastor's advice everytime
it disagrees with your thoughts, then once again, you have no pastor.
Some people will never have a pastor.
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They want the preaching and the teaching, but not the personal advice that
disagrees with their desires.
But the Bible does say:
Hebrews 13:17 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.
You must trust a pastor to be able to hear from God and direct you.
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If you cannot trust your pastor or anybody else enough to do that, then
you have no pastor and are out of God's order in the Church.
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Bottom line: You need a pastor from whom you will take advice, that
sometimes you do not want to take.
Some consider the youth of some pastors and reason that lack of experience
gives one a right to not take advice.
1 Samuel 3:11-14 And the LORD said
to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears
of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against
Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin,
I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his
house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made
themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have
sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not
be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
1 Samuel 3:17 And he said, What is the thing
that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God
do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the
things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and
hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth
him good.
Eli was much older and experienced than Samuel.
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Samuel was but a child.
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But when God spoke to Samuel some negative thoughts about Eli, and Samuel
relayed the message to Eli, the old man recognized that it was God's word
and not Samuel's word.
No matter how aged and experienced a minister may be, there will be times
that minister must simply hear from God, not knowing the answer.
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So experience and age is not a factor with a genuine God-called pastor.
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Have faith and believe that God speaks to pastors.
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Lean not to your own reasonings.
Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is
thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust
out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
And God often directs us through pastors and other ministries.
Recognize God's authority in the Church.
We know Jesus' reference to BINDING and LOOSING refers to the aspect
of loosing them from guilt or binding them to condemnation, as we compare
these verses in the same chapter.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto
you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed
in heaven.
LOOSING:
Matthew 18:26-27 The servant therefore
fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and
I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion,
and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
BINDING:
Matthew 18:29-30 And his fellowservant
fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me,
and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him
into prison, till he should pay the debt.