As a pastor in all my ministry I have only had to public disfellowship an unrepentant saint twice and it was very agonizing and traumatic to say the least. I hope to never have to go through it again. I cannot discribe the utter failure you feel to have to do this. All those questions what else could I have done? But sometimes it has to be or they will corrupt the assembly.
Have you ever "marked" certain individuals and "avoided" them like Rom 16 instructs? When did you do it, how did you do it, why did you do it? Is "marking" and "avoiding" the same as "excommunicating" like Paul suggests in I Cor. 5? Did you ever "mismark" someone and had to apologize or make it right later with the individual that you avoided?
I have been the recipient of 'mark and avoid'...I am so glad that Jesus loves me, and He alone can see my heart.
As a pastor in all my ministry I have only had to public disfellowship an unrepentant saint twice and it was very agonizing and traumatic to say the least. I hope to never have to go through it again. I cannot discribe the utter failure you feel to have to do this. All those questions what else could I have done? But sometimes it has to be or they will corrupt the assembly.
I know of one or two that should have been...but not many follow that principle any more because of the legalities as well as the flack they would have to take. I commend you for being able to do that...I know it must be a very difficult thing to do.
I understand your situation. Our church has recently experienced this phenomina. This is the first church I've been in where a public call to disfellowship followed biblical protocol. In our church the pastor read the scriptures regarding marking an individual. Then he read the scripture that dealt with the malicious gossip and the rumors and innuendos going around about the preacher. Would you know that those people marked themselves by publicly speaking out against the pastor? When you tell the pastor to shut up, you pretty well mark yourself.
You are correct. If you don't mark them, they will destroy your congregation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Epley
As a pastor in all my ministry I have only had to public disfellowship an unrepentant saint twice and it was very agonizing and traumatic to say the least. I hope to never have to go through it again. I cannot discribe the utter failure you feel to have to do this. All those questions what else could I have done? But sometimes it has to be or they will corrupt the assembly.
__________________
A religious spirit allows people to tolerate hatred and anger under the guise of passion and holiness. Bill Johnson
Legalism has no pity on people. Legalism makes my opinion your burden, makes opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation-Lucado
Some get spiritual because they see the light. Others because they feel the heat.Ray Wylie Hubbard
Definition of legalism- Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. TV
When the battle is fought in the heavenlies, the legalities take care of themselves. The people who were marked in our congregation still were coming to church. But they were ostracized. You can't tell anyone they can't come to church but you can make their life a living hell while they are there. Imagine going to a place where no one talks to you. No one acknowledges you are there. Eventually the person gets the hint and stops coming.
What we did at our church was high intense supernatural worship. Something about intense worship that drives out devils. This past Sunday was the first Sunday in ages we didn't have to fight those devils in service. It was almost a breath of fresh air. The battle isn't over, but the enemy is mortally wounded. We can't wait until those spirits are completely destroyed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhoni
I know of one or two that should have been...but not many follow that principle any more because of the legalities as well as the flack they would have to take. I commend you for being able to do that...I know it must be a very difficult thing to do.
Blessings, Rhoni
__________________
A religious spirit allows people to tolerate hatred and anger under the guise of passion and holiness. Bill Johnson
Legalism has no pity on people. Legalism makes my opinion your burden, makes opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation-Lucado
Some get spiritual because they see the light. Others because they feel the heat.Ray Wylie Hubbard
Definition of legalism- Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. TV
I counciled a pastor to do this to a saint. this person had done so many unspeakable things already that justificaiton would have been very easy. he did not. A pastors love for souls can be boundless.
after her son shot a church member with a pelet gun while laying in ambush, and the other church members present were witnesses against the little child of his mother, she decided she couldnt stay at the church because the pastor would not support her and her family.
it took someone getting shot with a powerful pelet gun and almost killing themself in the subsequent crash, but it seems God found his own way to move her.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I mark and avoid BEARS! IF I see one walking towards me, I won't make eye contact and avoid him (or her) at all costs!
I once took a fishing trip to Alaska, we were told to pack high powered pistols in case a bear got after us. I had a .44 mag.
on the plane ride up, i was reading a magazine about alaska and it told about how the natives laughed at the mainlanders that came up carrying their high powered pistols for bear protection.
the knew that such would not stop a mad bear. it would just make them madder. but hey, it made the yahoos feel safer!
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
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