24

Jump Start # 2452

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2452

Ecclesiastes 9:9 “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil which you have labored under the sun.”

This verse means a lot to me today. This is the anniversary of our wedding. It’s been thirty-nine years and what a journey it has been. I was twenty-three and my wife was just twenty when we got married. Young, full of ideas, and confident. I was preaching in a small congregation in Illinois, not sure what I was doing. In all those years, we have lived in three different states, in eight different houses, have been blessed with four children and now nine, and soon to be ten, grandchildren. Indeed, life is a journey.

 

I like how Solomon opens this verse, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love…”. That is a spirit, an attitude. One chooses to do that. Not all of life is enjoyable. I certainly don’t miss those diaper years. There has been trips to the hospital and surgeries. There has been funerals of one of our parents and dear friends. There has been uncertainties about where to move and whether or not that was the right decision. There was teaching the kids how to drive and then worried about them when they were out driving. There has been storms in the church and concerns about money. That’s life. Everyone has those things. And, a person can paint their life with those images or they can, as Solomon says it, “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love.”

 

Adam never really dated Eve. God presented Eve to Adam and they were married, I assume the very day that they met. Adam didn’t have to make a choice between more than one woman. There was only Eve. Adam didn’t have to go ask Eve’s father for permission to marry her. Eve’s father, God, was the one who presented her to Adam. I doubt they had a wedding like we do in America. There was no one else to invite. There was no one to do the ceremony, except God. They didn’t have to worry about a meal list, seating for guests or writing thank you cards later on. If they got into a fight, there was no running back home for either one of them. There was no “back home” to go to. In our culture, we date, we fall in love and we get married. For Adam, it was get married and then fall in love. But Adam was the only to experience this. There has been arranged weddings for centuries, especially among the ruling classes.

 

All around us we continually hear of marriages falling apart. People are not enjoying life together. Misery, unrealistic expectations, flirting eyes, and problems causes some to toss in the towel on their marriages. Many, if not most, know better. They are not thinking. They are not taking their promises seriously. They are not committed.

 

So, having been married to the same person for thirty-nine years, what’s the secret? How does one do it?

There is really no secret. There are some things that a person must do, but it’s not all that hard.

 

First, you must want to stay married. If a person keeps talking and thinking about a way out, they will eventually find that way out. The word “divorce” ought to be like a cuss word in your home. You don’t threaten each other with it, you don’t think about it, you don’t mention it. Divorce is not an option. Period. But more than that, you want to be married. “Enjoy life,” is how our verse opens. Sour, misery, and plagued with problems is what some focus upon. To “enjoy life with the woman whom you love,” means you do things together. It’s not a matter of simply putting in the years of you doing your thing and she doing her thing. You are together. You enjoy life together. Together you bring out the best in each other. Together you introduce things that you, on your own, would never explore. But because you love her, you will do what she likes to do. And, because she loves you, she will do what you like.

 

It’s like the merging of two rivers. Where the rivers first come together, it’s a big uneasy, but soon all smooths out and it’s beautiful. One area for us has been music. For my wife it is classical. For me it’s the Beatles and 60’s. I wouldn’t choose to go to a classical concert on my own. But now, through my wife, we have had season tickets for years to the orchestra and I have learned so much. I enjoy classical music. For her, she knew of the Beatles but barely. Now, she knows more than I do and we’ve seen Paul McCartney twice in concerts and have been to Abby Road in London. You got to want to stay married.

 

Second, you have to pull each other closer to the Lord. That is the fiber that makes a marriage. With God, grace, patience, forgiveness and putting the other first, along with worshipping God every day and being part of a church family is essential. Reading the Bible, praying together, worshipping together, will only add the right fuel to your hearts and your marriage that will get you through the tough moments in life. Where else will you get those things? Not from TV. “Marriage Boot-camp,” is nothing more than the way to ruin a marriage and hate each other. Will family members give you what your marriage needs? Probably not. God was the one who came up with the marriage idea. It was God who presented Eve to Adam. God knows. The more God is in the marriage, the stronger it will be. Every couple needs Christ.

 

Third, you decide whether to enjoy life together or not. Oh, there are things I could say every day that would irritate my wife to pieces. But, why would I do that? There are things I could do that would bug her. But why would I be like that? Selfishness, pride and indifference usually are the reasons one acts the way they do. They don’t think about honoring the other. They don’t think about helping out the other. They don’t try to put the other first.

 

We love to have people over. We do it all the time. Now, I could sit in front of the TV and watch a game while my wife does everything or I can get up and help her out. I can’t cook, but I can clean, sweep, dust and afterwards, wash dishes. I can complain about it and put a dark cloud on the evening, or we can work as a team. We’ve done this for almost four decades. Teamwork works!

 

Has there ever been any disagreements? Sure. Has there ever been any arguments? Yes. One anniversary dinner, with money tight and little ones in the back seat, the drive through at McDonald’s was about all we could afford. One worries about car payments, affording braces for the kids, and how to pay for college. And, now it’s thoughts about retirement, wills and the next chapters of our life. Those are things everyone goes through. But these three points, wanting to be married, including God and having the attitude to enjoy life together, gets you more than just through, it gets you better. Some evenings we can just sit on the back deck and look off into the woods behind us and nothing really has to be said. We know it. We feel it. We enjoy it. Together is a special word.

 

Happy anniversary to my sweetie. If I could do it all over again, I’d do it all over, especially with you. IT’s been a wonderful, wonderful journey, because of you. An old Indian proverb says, “Marriage is many moons in the same canoe.” So, it is!

 

Roger

 

22

Jump Start # 2450

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2450

Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.”

 

Our verse today reminds us of the old saying that our walk and our talk must match. Some talk a good story, but what they do just doesn’t follow what they say. Some will claim that the Lord is the most important thing in the world to them, that is, until a friend has an extra ticket to a Sunday ballgame; or, when it comes to tax time, and they fudge a few numbers here and there so they come out ahead.

 

Paul was telling Titus that the actions of some were denying Jesus. They were disobedient to Jesus. And, in the most harsh words, they were worthless for any good deed. Our times would scorn us for using such language. I can hear folks saying, “Now, they did some bad things, but no one is worthless.” Yet, have you ever chased that word through the Bible. There were a lot of people that the Holy Spirit called worthless.

 

  • The one talent man in Matthew 25
  • Eli’s sons in 1 Sam 2
  • Abigail called her own husband, Nabal worthless in 1 Sam 25
  • Jezebel set two worthless men beside Naboth to falsely accuse him in 1 Kg 21

 

 

Indeed God sees value in all of us. Jesus died for all of us. The saving message of the Gospel was to be preached to every person. However, a person becomes worthless to God when they do not live up to the purpose for which God made them. Our verse says, they are “worthless for any good deed.” Don’t count on them to do the right thing, because they won’t. Don’t expect the best out of them, because won’t come through.

 

We know folks just like this. Toxic co-workers, negative family members, even a few disgusted church members—they seem to be cut for the same cloth. They focus upon themselves. They are only interested in themselves. They will stab anyone they can in the back, steal credit where they can, do as little as possible and create an atmosphere of heartache, tension and suspicion. Do you remember “Pig Pen” in the Charlie Brown cartoons and shows? He always had a cloud of dirt around him. For the worthless person, it’s a cloud of tension, trouble and they spread misery upon everyone else, just like the dirt around Pig Pen.

 

There are some lessons here:

 

First, what Paul says is a mirror to what is found in the sermon on the mount. There, Jesus said you will know them by their fruits. Here, it’s not what they say, but what they do, or more accurately, what they don’t do that is recognizable. Worthless people come in all shapes, colors, sizes and ages. How are we to know who is worthless and who is dependable? It’s not what they are saying, but what are they doing. Some want everyone else do to all the work. Dependable people, roll up their sleeves and get busy for the Lord. I’ll never forget a work day we had a long time ago at the church building. And, there in the men’s bathroom, with his hand in a toilet, cleaning it, was a CEO of a large corporation. This guy had lots of people working for him. He had so many managers, secretaries, it was like an army. But he wasn’t too good to clean a toilet at the church house. And, no one ever knew he did that, except me. Worthless or dependable? Your actions will tell.

 

Second, putting a worthless person into a position of leadership is a mistake. Some have the idea that if you did that then he would step up to the job. Most times not. He’s a guy and he can’t even make it to church services on a regular basis. A church decides to make him a deacon or an elder with the hopes that he will step up his game. Usually, within a few short years the church realizes what a mistake it was appointing someone like that to such an important position of service. Our verse reminds us that some are worthless for any good deed. Don’t count on a worthless person coming through for you. He won’t. Don’t figure on a disobedient person obeying. He won’t. The heart of the worthless person is not right. He needs to take a serious look at his faith and his walk with the Lord. His example to his family and his brethren is discouraging. Rather than helping others carry the load, he, himself, must be carried.

 

Third, it doesn’t take too much to show our true colors for the Lord. This is true in books. Read a few pages here and there and the careful eye will catch phrases that are not true to the Scriptures. This is true in sermons. Many preachers are smooth talkers, but listen to them carefully and you’ll notice how they use or misuse Scriptures. The same is true with each of us. Spend an afternoon together. Go to a movie together. Sit through a ballgame together. Spend some time in a car together. Conversations will reveal what is important and where were one’s heart is.

 

Late at night, after a severe beating, Paul and Silas, sitting in a dark prison cell, begin to sing praises to God. No one asked them to do that. They had every reason to just try to get some sleep. But they were alive. God wasn’t through with them. They had reasons to rejoice and be thankful. And, at that late hour they chose to sing hymns. Their true colors came out. Often, it’s the stressful, scary moments in life that our true colors show. Rushing to the emergency room of the hospital with an injured child, a car accident, watching a parent pass away, finding out that your job is no longer available to you, more bills than money, life can be hard, cruel and ugly. Often it is during these “Job” moments of our lives that we find out what faith we really have. Our colors are seen by others.

 

Good and faithful or worthless…these are determined by our choices, our faith, and our love for the Lord. What are you good for? God made you and wired you just the way you are for a reason. Are you finding that reason and using it to His glory?

 

You and I usually do not hang on to worthless things around the house. There is not a big reason to save burned out light bulbs, broken dishes, clothes that no longer fit, used Q-Tips, lint that comes out of the dryer, empty Coke cans—we toss those things. They are no longer of any value to us. They are useless or worthless. Don’t be that way with God. Be useful in His kingdom. Find your place and what you can do, and then do it well. If all you can do is stick your tongue out at life, then lick a stamp and mail a card of encouragement to someone. If all you can do is point your finger, then use it to call up someone and let them know that you were thinking of them.

 

God doesn’t make junk. You were made for a purpose on purpose. We become worthless when we ignore God and live to ourselves. Stop being worthless and become of service to God and His people.

 

Roger

 

21

Jump Start # 2449

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2449

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

It’s getting close to election time. Political signs are in yards. Our mailboxes are stuffed with postcards telling us why one candidate is better than another. Political ads fill commercial time on TV. And, behind each candidate, whether it’s for a local office or all the way up to the presidential office, there is a team of PR people, a network of fund raisers and experts in planning, writing speeches, and arranging public appearances. There is a whole team behind every candidate.

 

Now, we look to our verse today, the spread of the Gospel message into all the world and we notice a completely different plan. Jesus mapped out the direction they were to go. First, Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then unto all the world. The book of Acts shows that plan fulfilled. The Holy Spirit would reveal what was to be said. The apostles were witnesses to the resurrected Christ and had the power of miracles to open the closed eyes of an unbelieving world.

 

But, how differently the spread of the Gospel was as compared to running a political campaign. The flow of money wasn’t there for the apostles. They didn’t have a network of people printing and running their stories to the press. They didn’t have front men who were arranging interviews and setting up private fund raising dinners. There were no signs in the yards. There were no bumper stickers on chariots. There were no flyers be posted on buildings or things being mailed to individuals. No TV. No internet. No texting. No Twitter. No Facebook. You’d think that God would have delayed all of this until these things had been invented, but He didn’t.

 

Imagine what would have happened had God given a miracle to every person in the first century. Every disease cured. Every hardship fixed. Every broken heart mended. Every person had at least one problem taken care of. The entire world would have flocked to Jesus and the entire world would have believed. It was within the possibility of God. He could have done that. But He didn’t.

 

No PR men. No massive budgets. No behind the scene team of workers. Just the apostles, with the few miracles that they did and their voices was enough to spread the message of salvation into the known world. And, with this we must see how God believed in the power of voice, conviction and truth. The combination of those three were enough to turn a world upside down as some claimed. And, it is those same three elements, voice, conviction and truth, that you and I have available today. It is those same three items that turns a sinner from his ways to the grace of Jesus Christ. It worked then and it still works today.

 

We get ads all the time from church growth experts who want to sell a program that is guaranteed to increase the membership of your church. Those fads and gimmicks probably work. They may increase the size of a congregation, but nothing will make a disciple of Jesus other than the preached word from a convicted heart that is built upon truth. Jesus did not tell the apostles to go into the world and make megachurches. He didn’t say fill the buildings. His desire was to have disciples, hearts that belonged to Jesus. Those who were willing to change, learn and become. A lot of folks go to church on Sunday but they never have changed, never will change and on top of that, they don’t have the desire to change. They are convinced that if you sprinkle a little religion on top of their lifestyle, that’s all that matters. Jesus knew differently.

 

This plan of going into all the world and preaching the Gospel was first experienced by the demon possessed man. He was cured. He wanted to follow Jesus. The Lord told him to go report to your people what great things the Lord has done for you. Voice, conviction and truth. He didn’t have to sit through thirteen weeks of a class to learn how to do evangelism. He didn’t have an arm full of tracts to pass out or even a few sermon CD’s to give to others. He had, what the apostles had, what you and I have, a voice, conviction and the truth.

 

Tell your people what great things the Lord has done for you. Could you do that? What has God done for you? Do you recognize it? Where would you be today had it not been for Jesus? I thought about that the other day while driving. I’m so blessed. I have a great family. We love each other. We talk all the time. Everyone is busy in the kingdom. How that story would be different if I wasn’t a Christian. I wonder if I would be an alcoholic. Living where I do, there seems to be more bourbon than there is oxygen. How easily it would be to get addicted to that. And, that would have been just the beginning. The booze likely would have led to a divorce. Nasty, painful and ugly are three words that follow divorce. My kids likely would be messes as well. I wonder how many relationships I would have flown threw by now. I wonder if I would have had a serious disease because of drinking and running around. I expect I would be bitter, miserable and never understanding the power of forgiving others. I definitely would be selfish. Pride would be high on my list of achievements. The people I know and love wouldn’t know me and without their impact in my life, I would be all the worse. And death, would scare me.

 

What has God done for me? He has changed my life. He has given me hope, peace, salvation and a future. He has driven the fear of death out of me. He has given me confidence, joy and surrounded me with the greatest people on the face of the earth—His people. He has filled my heart with His word. He has changed my thinking. He has rewired the way I look at things. He has given me a reason to serve others. He has led me to take my eyes off of myself and to see good in all people.

 

What has God done for me? He has made me who I am. And, with voice, conviction and truth, the world was shown Jesus Christ. This is what God sent the apostles with. This is what the demon possessed man had. And, this is what you and I have. We can invite our neighbors, tell our friends and share with our families what God has done for us. It’s not about the church. It’s more than which church one ought to attend. It’s about Jesus Christ. Open your heart and open your eyes and see the goodness of God in your life. Answered prayers. Grace. Forgiveness. Better attitudes. Opportunities. Contentment. A home awaiting you with Him.

 

“Well, I’m not any good at personal evangelism,” you say. God says, “go tell your people what the Lord has done for you.” You can do that. You ought to do that. If you can’t think of anything, then it’s time to stop and count your blessings.

 

Go into all the world…what a simple plan. It still works today!

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 2448

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2448

Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

 

Our verse today is the Lord’s description of the church at Philadelphia. Open doors, power, following God’s word—great insights and great goals for any congregation. It is fascinating to notice what the Lord notices and what you and I tend to notice. Often, it’s not the same things. There are seven churches listed in Revelation two and three. We do not know the sizes of those congregations. Oh, that is important to us. When I travel, one of the first questions folks ask, “How large is the congregation back home?” That didn’t seem to register with God. Notice, nothing is said about where these Revelation brethren were meeting. Likely, they did not have a church building. Our buildings consume much of our energy, resources and talk. That didn’t seem to register with God. And, what about the financial stability of these seven Revelation churches? Were they self supporting? Had they paid off the building? Did they have their own preacher? Again, great concern for you and I, but it didn’t seem to register with God. The Lord was concerned about faithfulness to His word and walking closely with Him. Tolerating falsehood made the list. Being lukewarm or dead made the list. Losing their first love made the list. Having open doors made the list. All of this reminds us that sometimes we focus upon the wrong things and not upon the things that really do matter.

 

Recently I took a Sunday off. It’s hard for me to do that. I needed to, I could tell. We’d come home from a vacation and the question came where do we want to worship on Sunday. I love my home congregation, but to be there, I might as well teach, preach and I wouldn’t be taking it off. That decision was hard for me. I have preached in Indiana for more than 25 years. It’s hard to go some place and not be known and in so many of these places I have preached meetings there. The last thing I wanted was to be asked to preach. I wanted to be encouraged. There are several smaller congregations in the area, many do not have preachers and that didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t want to be discouraged by see fighting brethren, a spirit of lukewarmness, or apathy. Where to go?

 

One thing led to another and we wound up deciding to go to a congregation that I really didn’t want to go to. I had always assumed that they were dead, stuck and going no where. But the clock was ticking and we had to go somewhere. So we went to this one place, in a small community. The congregation was small. I’ve had classes back home that were larger than this congregation. But what a surprise I found. First, the building wasn’t dirty, mold filled and run down as I expected. The people were very friendly and I knew many of them. The congregation had elders that seemed to be true shepherds. This small church offered a choice of several adult Bible classes. That amazed me. I knew the preacher so I went to the class he taught. It was encouraging, heart felt and truly helpful. I was amazed. In worship, the singing was great. The sermon was detailed and helpful. We stuck around and talked to just about everyone there. I left thinking this is a great church. They were a bright spot and a real source of encouragement and just what I needed.

 

That worship made me remember some important principles that I had forgotten:

 

First, the size of the crowd does not reflect the size of the heart. Everyone wants big crowds, but more important than big crowds are the hearts that fill the air with love and devotion for our Savior. As the preacher delivered his lesson that morning, I looked around and saw people turning in their Bibles. Some were taking notes. They were engaged, connected and learning, just the things every preacher loves to see. We must move past the idea that “I’m better than you are, because my church is bigger than yours.” Among the people of God, we are on the same side and the same team. We are not in competition with each other. Size doesn’t make one better than others.

 

Second, our preconceived ideas are often wrong, as mine was. I walked in anticipating a dry, dull and painful worship. I have sat through worship in dead churches before. A minute seems like an hour. Few people talk to you and everyone stares as you walk in as if you are trespassing. But not to the place I was at on Sunday. This group had it together. You could tell they were putting their all into the Lord. What a refreshing and uplifting experience that was. That tells me a person can’t go by what others have said and people, as well as congregations change. Some change for the better and others for the worse. Don’t typecast a group because something someone said decades ago. Find out for yourself.

 

Third, the honor of God is what worship is all about. It’s not about my experience or what I get from it, or how I feel about things. Was our Lord honored, His name praised and His word preached accurately? I can be in a mad mood, not feeling so well, have a chip on my shoulder, have my mind filled with all kinds of worry and sit through a worship and leave unchanged. Does my experience determine how well the worship was? No. Others may have been encouraged. Some may have been challenged to obey the Lord. While I can sit there in my misery, thinking only of myself, others around me are worshipping God as they ought to be. One person’s reaction does not mean that is the Lord’s response. One person can declare that a church is cold and unfriendly and the next person think it’s the friendliest place on earth. We carry a lot of baggage, issues and stuff with us when we come to worship. We must be careful what we say about a place. Our perspective may not be true. How I feel may not be how God feels. I may have problems that keep me from seeing clearly and worshipping God as I ought to. I may have gone to church but I may have failed to worship. The two are not the same.

 

If you get an opportunity to go to the community of Seymour, Indiana, I’d encourage you to worship with the brethren there. They are a bright spot in that area and lifted the weary heart of this preacher who was looking for a place to worship on a day off. They also taught me some lessons that I needed to learn.

 

Thank you, brethren.

 

Roger

 

17

Jump Start # 2447

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2447

1 Timothy 5:20 “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning.”

Our verse today surrounds the difficult topic of dealing with elders who have sinned and will not repent. The role of the elder, in our culture today, is often viewed as a life long appointment, like the Supreme Court. And, as difficult as it is to appoint qualified men to the work of shepherding, it’s even more difficult to deal with those who no longer function as they should. Let’s be honest, because of age, some simply can not keep up with the energy that it takes to lead sheep. Failing health and other factors ought to lead an honest man to the conclusion that it’s time to let someone else do this work. But sadly, many plan to remain in that position until the funeral director is called to carry them out. And, more sadly, the church often suffers.

 

The role of elder is not untouchable. They are accountable, first to God and then to the church that they serve. The verse before ours today, tells the preacher Timothy not to receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of several witnesses. In other words, don’t allow people to take cheap shots at the eldership, nor to accuse based upon speculation, opinions or without facts. The elders are not perfect as we are not perfect. But the flow into our verse today gives us the impression that an elder has done wrong. Sin has taken place and people know about it. Charges or accusation with proof of witnesses is presented. Does this lead to an automatic stepping down of the elder? No. He repents, he stops the wrong, forgiveness and grace abound, and trust can be restored. However, when one doesn’t repent, this is where our verse is found. He has been accused, with witnesses and proof and yet he continues his sinful ways, then he is to be rebuked before all. This may be the step of discipline that leads to withdrawing fellowship from him. He cannot remain as a leader when his example is not right.

 

It is the end of our verse today that I want to look at. After a public rebuking of a sinful elder, the rest are fearful of sinning. Who are the “rest?” The rest of the elders? The rest of the church? Both? It shows that no one is above the law of God. It shows that God always comes first. It shows a seriousness to the purity of the kingdom and God’s work.

 

Now, two observations from this.

 

First, the rebuking of a sinful elder is never heard of in our times. It may be because of the deep dedication so many have for the Lord. It doesn’t have to get to this step because these godly men are aware of their failures and are seeking the mercy of God. They are honest within and trying their best on the outside. But we know, in some places, this isn’t the case. Men have viewed the eldership as a position of power and authority and now see themselves as above everyone else and untouchable. Corruption has replaced goodness and they abuse their authority by running the sheep in fear of them. No one dare says a thing about the elders publically because they know the harsh hand of dominance will come crashing down upon them. The sheep are scared. They suffer. They are not healthy. No one suggests an idea. No one dares to cross the elders. And the long history of preachers that have moved in and soon moved out illustrates that no one challenges these men. In a twisted fashion, brethren hope for a car wreck or a heart attack so the eldership would dissolve and better days could be on the horizon. Who will step up with an accusation or as a witness when they are afraid of what will happen to them? So, corrupt elders are allowed to continue their abuse of the brethren. It shouldn’t be this way.

 

Second, as our verse ends, “the rest also may be fearful of sinning,” is a grand thought. That too just doesn’t happen much today. This is part of the problem today. People are not afraid to sin. They like sin. They enjoy sin. They brag about sin. They feel no remorse about their sin. They do not feel the need to repent of their sin. And, there is no fear of sinning running through their veins.

 

What is there to be afraid of? Obviously, the judgment of God. The works of the flesh in Galatians five, ends by saying those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Sin disappoints God and it ought to make us feel bad. Second, there ought to be a fear of punishment from God’s people. This is the context in which this is expression is made. If unrepentant elders are exposed publically, what will the church do to me if I do not repent of my sins? If elders can’t get away with wrong, why should I think that I can? The church longs to honor Christ and be pure. Cleaning house is often necessary. There ought to be a fear of sinning within us. If the elders are publically rebuked, what would happen to me? My reputation? My salvation? My fellowship? My family?

 

Sin is serious business. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, laughed at or brushed off as no big deal. It is a big deal. It is so big that One from Heaven had to come here and die to cleanse us. Continuing in sin shows how lightly I think of the sacrifice of Jesus and how little I think of God’s holy word.

 

We should want all of us to do our best. We need to be there to encourage right and discourage wrong. We need to stand upon the platform of God’s holy word. No one gets to bend the rules, ignore the rules or make their own rules. We all must submit to the will of God.

 

Rebuke an elder before all…rebuke you and I before all. Sin, like a cancer, must be removed from our hearts and our minds. We must walk with the Lord.

 

Tough words, but necessary for the purity and the unity of God’s people.

 

Roger