Just leave ...

Are you one of those people who is always right?
What does the Bible say about that?

If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:2–3 ESV

Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognises. 1 Corinthians 8:2–3 NLT

The apostle John said of Jesus, He is full of grace and truth.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NKJV

Truth is so important. Bible knowledge is essential because the Bible is God's Word.

But if Bible knowledge is your first priority, if you think your job from God is to always correct Christians, where is your humility? Where is your Christian love?

John did not say Jesus was filled with truth and grace. He said Jesus was filled with grace and truth.

Grace and truth, not truth and grace.

What did Paul say about Christians with different opinions?

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.

Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:1–5 NKJV

Perhaps you are a trained Bible teacher with impressive spiritual gifts. You have a calling as a pastor or church leader.

Be careful. Being self-righteous is not a virtue. A know all attitude does not come from God!

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 NKJV

Do you always know better?

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 1 Corinthians 13:9 NKJV

But maybe you're not a trained church leader, but your pastor or an elder is authoritarian and expects you to agree with everything he says. You are not obliged to always give in.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 ESV

If the leaders in your church are domineering, if they demand unquestioning submission, if they always put you down when you express your own ideas, then just leave ...

But Paul himself could also be very sharp and dogmatic. He was especially tough on legalism and lawlessness. Some sensitive issues are important and others not so important. We need the wisdom that comes only from God.

But if you experience bullying in a church, just leave ...

Paul himself admonished Christians not to give in.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:20 NIV84

Don't Submit to Religious Bullies

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)

If a woman is subjected to relentless bullying by her husband.

If a woman’s children are tormented, abused or corrupted by her husband, 

...then the only way for that woman to turn away from wickedness may be for her to leave her husband and take her children with her.

This principle should take priority over her wedding vows.

The same principle applies if you are a member of a church where bullying and abuse is rampant and being covered up. If there is no other way to stop the evil, you must leave, regardless of your position. 

If you are a pastor, an elder, a priest or a nun, it makes no difference. You must depart from evil.

If your father or husband is a predator or accomplice, that does not oblige you to be silent or to stay.

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
Of course, if you are a mother and you cannot leave without losing your children, it may be necessary to stay for that reason, but don’t let yourself be deceived by guilt sermons about the sin of divorce.

"Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

YOU CAN BE GOD'S LIGHT

Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart. Ps 97:11 (NASB) 

• Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. Ps 97:11 (MSG)  

When God created the trees and the flowers, He put seeds in them, so they could produce offspring.

And he said, "Let the earth burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant, and fruit trees with seeds inside the fruit, so that these seeds will produce the kinds of plants and fruits they came from." Genesis 1:11 (TLB)  

When you received the New Life of Jesus, God changed your dead, dark spirit. God turned on the lights inside you and you began life all over again.

• By God’s mercy, love and life giving power, you became a new person, a new creation.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor 5:17 (NLT)  

Sometimes this change is dramatic and obvious from the outside. 

An evangelist drives demons out of a dangerous and evil person and the tormented soul believes in Jesus. The new believer is  suddenly happy and shines with the goodness of God.

Other times a person seems to change gradually. 

A prostitute came to church and believed in Jesus but returned to her old life. She kept coming to church and started to be more gentle and kind but still in the context of her life of prostitution. 

Then she began to give money to the church from her earnings. Finally she reached the point where she had the courage to walk away from prostitution and learn to live a normal life.

• Exactly when was she saved? God knows.

God uses believers to sow the seed of light and truth in the souls of men and women. 
The faith, hope and love that come with the message of light are given to you as seed. 

What will you do with the seeds of heavenly life? 

• Will you cultivate the garden of your new heavenly life, so your life becomes like window with a view of heaven itself?

• Will you sow the good seeds God gives you, so your life becomes a gateway to the garden of God, so others can find blessing and truth?

Whatever seed you sow will be multiplied in your own life and in the lives of others around you.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Gal 6:7 (NLT)  

•  If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; Gal 6:8 (TLB) 

• but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him. 

I am sure you would love to shine with the glory of God, so if your heart is hungry for the glory of God, be like the insects that come to the light. 
The light of God will not burn and destroy you if you love Jesus. 

Come into the wonderful presence of God and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His life giving words. 

When God Himself speaks, it changes the way you understand the Bible.

• We cannot be a blessing to others if we teach the Bible with a dry religious spirit.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6 (NIV)

When we receive the light and joy of Jesus, we know Him as the light of the world.

 

... Jesus said to the people, "I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path." Jn 8:12 (TLB)

Then we ourselves can shine from the life of Jesus within us.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Isa 60:1 (ESV)  

DOING GREAT THINGS HUMBLY

When you step out in faith and act boldly with and for Jesus, you get bigger, not smaller. It is no longer you alone who is bigger but you and Jesus together who rise to the occasion.

Jesus said, without me you can do nothing but with God all things are possible.. 

• Notice not “All things are possible for God” which means God can do anything.. but “All things are possible with God."

  • That means you with God and God with you. God is looking for partners and co-workers.

This message was inspired by the following note pasted by Pastor Jeff Mills on Facebook.

"Wow! We never stop learning do we? I was reading a book today and the author said that many Christians take John the Baptist's prayer as a model, "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30. 

He goes on to say that this is actually not a legal prayer for us. John was closing out a season as the greatest OT prophet. He was passing the baton on to Jesus who would initiate the existence of the Kingdom of God on earth. 

The focus was shifting from John and the Law, to Jesus and the Kingdom. John had to decrease. Jesus had to increase. 

But when Jesus left the earth He didn't say we were to decrease. 

Instead He passed the same baton on to us with His name, power, and authority and commissioned us to continue in what He started. "As the Father has sent me, I also send you" John 20:21. What is needed is not less of us and more of Him. What is needed is all of us covered and filled by all of Him. "      

True humility does not require you to hide yourself or to castrate your unique God given personality.

You and I are called to be ambassadors for Christ, to represent Jesus and His Kingdom on Earth.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 2Co 5:20 (NKJV) 

An Ambassador must be humble, so that he does not promote his own interests or opinions but rather the interests of his country. 

• However, an Ambassador must exercise high authority in order to represent his President or King.

Is Paul here only speaking of himself as an Apostle and of his companions who are senior pastors and evangelists? He does not say so.

Just before He returned to His Father in Heaven, Jesus authorised all believers to exercise the full authority of heaven on earth.

Mk 16:17 (NIV)  And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

In obeying this command, there are some extremes we must avoid.

I must not promote my own miracle ministry in a way that draws honour to myself.

• I must act boldly in miracle faith and not hide my light but at the same time giving all the glory to Jesus and also honouring other believers and their ministries.

I must also follow the example of Randy Clark, an American pastor. 

God started to use him powerfully through the word of knowledge and miraculous healings. 

• However, when some of his church members started to be used in even more dramatic ways, he felt intimidated. 
• Then his wife correctly pointed out it was better for him not to be the number one star all the time. 
• He humbly accepted his wife’s counsel and publicly confessed his error and testified how his wife had corrected him.

God wants to give us great gifts so we can honour Him, bless others and also raise up others to do even greater things through the grace of God.

• When you help God to raise up others, you must also not expect God will give them exactly the same kind of gift and ministry that He has given you. 

  • Many leaders go wrong in that they try to teach their disciples to be like themselves.

Ro 12:10 (NKJV)  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another.