Originally Posted by Darrell C View Post
I do not change Churches for the benefit of my wife, do you think my wife is leading my family as well?
Your grammar could cause your statement to be taken a couple different ways.
And your grammar, as well as the result of it, would be much improved by not letting a desire to undermine cause you to overlook a very simple fact I know full well you are not ignorant of.
...singular...
...plural.
I'll suppose you didn't mean that when you do change church it has nothing to do with your wife's benefits.
Unless your not familiar with singular/plural, which I know you are, then I have to assume you have a sense of humor, which I'm okay with.
Instead, I'm guessing you meant that you similarly remain at a church that you don't like
Your guessing?
C'mon Tim...
All I said is...
I do not change Churches for the benefit of my wife
What you are actually doing is imposing what you want to believe into what someone has said.
The truth is that I love my fellowship, and many of the people there (some of them I just don't know). But (and here is where you can stop guessing, because I am adding the information that would have allowed you to draw an informed conclusion and thus present reasonable commentary) we have discussed the fact that while she is being spiritually fed, I sometimes feel I would like to check around and see if perhaps there might not be another fellowship where I might gain a little more.
I agree with her that we have many friends here, and it is a great fellowship. The preaching and teaching is outstanding, and apart from a few issues I think are a little more serious (such as my Pastor's statement concerning salvation, when asked about the Calv/Arm issue, "It's like one preacher put it, 'God votes for you, Satan votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote.' "), I do not follow up on the idea of searching for and joining another fellowship.
but your wife does and you don't change for her benefit.
Primarily, yes.
When I was first saved, I did a bit of church-hopping. As I grew a little, I realized there was benefit in learning to adapt, and not to think I could find the perfect church. Now, it's just a matter of this is my fellowship, and there is more involved than myself being fully satisfied with everything, lol.
Never gonna happen, and pardon my grammar.
If that is the case, then I would say you too are being a poor leader.
That may be true, Tim, that may be true.
But not for the reason you suppose.
Quote:
As far as serving, do you think teaching in a fellowship is a valid ministry but open-air preaching is not?
God bless.
Have you ever asked him if his open air preaching is sanctioned by the church?
Why would I do that?
First, I do not feel that one's fellowship has to be the guiding factor in anyone's ministry.
Secondly, seeing that he has, at this time, opposing views with the leadership, I would expect that he would not. Seems he has already tried to minister under their authority, and they have taken those responsibilities away.
Do you think he should sit around and twiddle his thumbs because some cry-babies at his church complained about his teaching?
I say...go for it.
Even if his approach was as bad as some of you fellows make it out to be, one thing for sure...
...he's being obedient to what he believes he should do.
And I'll tell you something about Evangelists...they are usually a step outside of the normal clique of the larger body.
They are weird. Fanatical. Confrontational.
That's why they are not usually Pastors, lol.
Do they consider it a part of their local church ministry?
So no-one is supposed to do anything outside of their local ministry?
That's why most fellowships are so local, amigo.
You have a problem with Evangelist, you really aren't going to appreciate my ministry, because both Pastors at my church have made the comment "We haven't been called to be Lawyers" many times.
Me, I see Paul presenting an exact opposite view, and you can see that in not only his writings, but in Acts as well. Paul can be seen to be a disputer, lol, fervent in arguing a case, a case which happened to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Check the Greek, Tim.
Do they train others to do it along with him?
The irony is...they should have him training them, if they don't.
Are you saying if they do not train other open-air preachers, he should not do it?
Really?
Or is Evan a lone rogue in this endeavor?
Whether he is or not what I feel should be taking place is his gifts should be encouraged and that...from his brethren!
Yet what I see a lot of is brothers and sisters actually discouraging someone from going out and preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Why? Because some misunderstand what Lordship Salvation means?
Christ is Lord. That is not in dispute.
If we feel someone is erroneous in their views, will we convince them of what we see to be sound by discouraging them on a personal level? Or through discussion of doctrine as found in Scripture? Do we not understand everyone is in a growing process and we ourselves play a large role in that? And the impact we have on our brothers and sisters will either be one of edification of one of discouragement?
How many people have become disobedient to the call they have because there was no-one there to encourage them?
How many, Tim?
Granted, the local church doesn't need to oversee every single evangelistic effort,
So everything you said prior to this were empty words?
Praise God for those who do not wait until their leadership appoints them a task before they are busy about preaching the Gospel.
Sadly, many have the idea that the only goal in the Great Commission is to enlarge the local body.
Paul didn't take that route. In fact, the routes Paul did take were many, all with a singular goal, to "...preach Christ and Him crucified."
but this ministry is somewhat different than that.
How so?
Please explain.
I feel it would be far more effective and helpful if it were under the guidance of elders or pastor or whatever.
And he actually went that route, only to be rejected, not because his Pastor told him his teaching was bad (at least I did not get that impression), but because...
...someone complained.
And I think we know how God feels about murmurers and complainers.
God bless.
