Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / What If a Person Is an Unrepentant Troublemaker │ Msg 912

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What If a Person Is an Unrepentant Troublemaker │ Msg 912 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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Speaker 1: If there is any sound we're unfamiliar with in this
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Speaker 1: 21st century, it is the sound of silence. Everywhere we go,
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Speaker 1: there is noise. Or there is the feeling that some
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Speaker 1: kind of sound must fill the space. How tragic. How tragic.
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Speaker 1: Easy to move along at such a clip that you
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Speaker 1: don't realize what you have left behind. My sister sent
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Speaker 1: me a quotation just yesterday as we were describing each
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Speaker 1: other's rather hectic schedule. And I didn't commit it to memory,
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Speaker 1: but it had this idea. When you move so fast
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Speaker 1: and you are engaged in too many things, it is
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Speaker 1: easy for you to run on and leave your soul behind.
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Speaker 1: When you stop, your soul catches up. It happens each
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Speaker 1: time we open the word of God. When you read
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Speaker 1: this 46th Psalm and you get to the 10th verse,
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Speaker 1: you find the familiar words, be still and know that
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Speaker 1: I am God. Interesting, we use words in the English
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Speaker 1: to translate Hebrew terms that don't have that many words.
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Speaker 1: In this case, the Hebrew term is simply stop. Stop.
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Speaker 1: It's as if God is muzzling us, putting his hand
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Speaker 1: over our mouth and saying, would you for a few
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Speaker 1: moments just be still? I learned years ago that I
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Speaker 1: never learn anything while I am talking. I learn when
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Speaker 1: I listen, when I'm still. We're engaged in a very
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Speaker 1: interesting series of messages. I've called it just two words
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Speaker 1: for a title, What If? And we've covered a number
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Speaker 1: of practical subjects What if God wants to do something
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Speaker 1: great through you? It was one of them. What if
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Speaker 1: we suddenly lose everything? What if you are being stalked?
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Speaker 1: What if you're struggling with a permanent disability? What if
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Speaker 1: a longtime friend deceives you? What if someone kicks you
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Speaker 1: when you're down? And today, what if a person is
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Speaker 1: an unrepentant troublemaker? These are subjects that occur but rarely
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Speaker 1: are addressed. And this subject, thankfully, is addressed in the scriptures,
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Speaker 1: and we will hear what they have to say in
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Speaker 1: the message of the morning. What I have to say
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Speaker 1: is based on two sections. I'd like you to put
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Speaker 1: the outline of the message at Romans 16, if you
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Speaker 1: will locate that first. Romans 16. Just slide it in there.
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Speaker 1: And then put your finger at Titus chapter 3, toward
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Speaker 1: the end of that letter. Titus chapter 3. Verses eight
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Speaker 1: through 11, Paul addresses the subject of the unrepentant, the
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Speaker 1: one who causes dissension, makes trouble, and divides a flock
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Speaker 1: of people. Sometime it results in a church that splits
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Speaker 1: or a pastor who is run off. We all know
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Speaker 1: war stories. Maybe you have come from such a warring
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Speaker 1: congregation and you've found a refuge to recover and heal here.
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Speaker 1: I hope so. I don't know of a more healthy
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Speaker 1: flock than Stonebriar Church. Not a perfect one. If it were,
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Speaker 1: I wouldn't be the pastor and you probably wouldn't be
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Speaker 1: a member, but it's a church that has a healthy
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Speaker 1: and wholesome viewpoint on life. I want to read for
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Speaker 1: you from Titus chapter 3 verses 8 through 11 from
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Speaker 1: the New Living Translation. When you locate that out of
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Speaker 1: respect for the word of God and the God of
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Speaker 1: the word, may we stand together in silence as the
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Speaker 1: word is read for us. Titus 3 beginning at verse 8.
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Speaker 1: This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to
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Speaker 1: insist on these teachings so that all who trust in
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Speaker 1: God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are
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Speaker 1: good and beneficial for everyone. Do not get involved in
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Speaker 1: foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights.
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Speaker 1: about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and
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Speaker 1: a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you,
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Speaker 1: give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing
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Speaker 1: more to do with them. For people like that have
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Speaker 1: turned away from the truth and their own sins condemned them.
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Speaker 1: Serious words as we think today in this series on
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Speaker 1: what if. What if a person is an unrepentant troublemaker?
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Speaker 1: This chapter, this verse, and these verses along with Romans
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Speaker 1: will guide us to an understanding of the answer. Please
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Speaker 1: be seated. It was Isaiah who wrote, it shall come
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Speaker 1: to pass that before they call, I will answer. And
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Speaker 1: while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Call unto me,
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Speaker 1: invites the Lord, and I will answer you and show
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Speaker 1: you great and mighty things which you do not know.
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Speaker 1: Ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and
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Speaker 1: you shall find Knock and it shall be open to
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Speaker 1: you for everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who seeks
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Speaker 1: will find. Everyone who knocks, it shall be open. Join
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Speaker 1: me as we ask and seek and knock. Come, fount
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Speaker 1: of every blessing, and tune our hearts. to sing thy praise,
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Speaker 1: streams of mercy, call for songs of loudest praise. We
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Speaker 1: have sung our songs to you today, our Father, and
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Speaker 1: our hearts have harmonized with our words and lips. We
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Speaker 1: already have felt the presence of the Spirit of God
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Speaker 1: in our midst. We also realize, our Father, that within
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Speaker 1: these hearts of ours is a stubborn streak that makes
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Speaker 1: us prone to wander and prone to leave you, the
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Speaker 1: God we love. So we ask that you would guard
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Speaker 1: our hearts, take them and seal them to thy courts above.
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Speaker 1: We commit to you, our Father, the balance of this
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Speaker 1: worship hour. Give us ears to hear even the hard
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Speaker 1: sayings that come from the truth of your word. May
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Speaker 1: these black words that appear on white pages of our
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Speaker 1: Bibles become the living words that take root in our
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Speaker 1: hearts and make a difference in the way we think
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Speaker 1: the decisions we make, the direction we go, and the
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Speaker 1: relationships we cultivate. We commit ourselves to you, our Father,
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Speaker 1: in this decadent era, in a world that has lost
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Speaker 1: its way, in a nation that is awash in confusion.
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Speaker 1: We will not find guidance from leaders around us, above us,
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Speaker 1: who occupy places within the beltway. But we will find
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Speaker 1: direction from you, our God, making it all the more
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Speaker 1: important that we hear what you are saying. May we
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Speaker 1: be willing to adjust our thinking so that it squares
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Speaker 1: with your writing and your will becomes our wills. We
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Speaker 1: give our gifts today, Father, confident that you will use
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Speaker 1: them in special ways for special purposes. May integrity mark
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Speaker 1: the way these gifts are handled, and may we use
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Speaker 1: them wisely and well for the cause and mission of
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Speaker 1: Christ across the street, across the states, and across the seas.
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Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus, Our blessed Savior, we pray.
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Speaker 1: And everyone said, amen. Every minister of the gospel must
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Speaker 1: be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as
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Speaker 1: a dove. We who are engaged in ministry must be
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Speaker 1: both tough and tender. Not either or, but both and tender.
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Speaker 1: Both devoted and disciplined. Both compassionate and strong. Both understanding
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Speaker 1: and discerning. Both gracious with people and impervious to destructive criticism.
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Speaker 1: Full of genuine love and tender mercies. yet unwilling to
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Speaker 1: be controlled or dominated or manipulated by anyone. It is
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Speaker 1: not the role of a pastor to run for office.
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Speaker 1: It is not the responsibility of the person to please people,
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Speaker 1: but to help them. Not to tell them what they
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Speaker 1: want to hear, but to declare what they need to hear.
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Speaker 1: Sensitive and encouraging with the healthy sheep. Straightforward and unbending
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Speaker 1: with the carnal sheep. Honest and courageous with the wayward sheep.
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Speaker 1: Strong and stern with treacherous wolves. With tongue in cheek,
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Speaker 1: former pastor Stuart Briscoe offers these three qualifications for any minister.
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Speaker 1: The mind of a scholar, the heart of a child
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Speaker 1: and the hide of a rhinoceros. Sometime you must be
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Speaker 1: discerning enough to realize deceiving is going on, and you
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Speaker 1: must deal with it. Reminds me of a story of
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Speaker 1: a small church that was growing. It had a strong-hearted
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Speaker 1: pastor who preached the truth and wasn't afraid to call
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Speaker 1: a spade a spade. The church not only doubled, but
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Speaker 1: ultimately tripled in size, though the building was still small,
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Speaker 1: and they realized before long they simply must have a
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Speaker 1: new place of worship. After doing all the planning, they
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Speaker 1: realized that it would cost about $ 2 million, which was
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Speaker 1: an exorbitant amount of money for this dear little flock
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Speaker 1: to try to raise. In that same church were two
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Speaker 1: ornery and very wealthy brothers. One of them died. The
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Speaker 1: other reprobate brother came to the pastor in confidence and
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Speaker 1: said to him, I know you have my brother's funeral
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Speaker 1: in three days. I want you to tell everyone that
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Speaker 1: he was a saint. I want you to use those words.
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Speaker 1: He was a saint. Here's a $ 2 million check to
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Speaker 1: pay for the church. that you want to build. Pastor
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Speaker 1: thanked him, said he would do it, took the money
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Speaker 1: and deposited it. Remember, I told you that. The third
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Speaker 1: day arrived in the funeral and the pastor stood for
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Speaker 1: his part in the service. And he said, I want
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Speaker 1: all of you to know today that the man in
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Speaker 1: this casket was an unfaithful, unethical businessman. He was a
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Speaker 1: sorry husband He was a heartbreak to this church, but
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Speaker 1: compared to his brother, he was a saint. Wise as
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Speaker 1: a serpent, harmless as a duck. Being a faithful shepherd
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Speaker 1: means that you must sometimes stand alone like a steer
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Speaker 1: in a blizzard. You must endure being misunderstood without defending yourself.
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Speaker 1: You must press on, though others may walk out. You
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Speaker 1: must do what is right, even though there will always
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Speaker 1: be a few who are determined to do what is wrong.
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Speaker 1: To borrow from an old but very wise saying, there
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Speaker 1: have always been wolves in sheep's clothing. Martin Luther had
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Speaker 1: another analogy in his day. There are boars in God's vineyard.
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Speaker 1: Boers ravaging God's vineyard. Tragically, what was true in Luther's
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Speaker 1: day has always been true, including our own day. Which
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Speaker 1: brings up two very realistic facts, which is the place
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Speaker 1: we'll begin on the outline if you'd like to take notes.
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Speaker 1: Two realistic facts that we must not forget. Number one,
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Speaker 1: those who lead are very big targets. Never doubt it.
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Speaker 1: You know of a strong leader who is doing a
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Speaker 1: great job of leading. You can count on it. His
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Speaker 1: chest has a huge bullseye on it. He is a
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Speaker 1: big target. I like the way Oswald Sanders wrote of
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Speaker 1: it in his book Spiritual Leadership. No one need aspire
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Speaker 1: to leadership in the work of God who is not
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Speaker 1: prepared to pay a price greater than his contemporaries and
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Speaker 1: colleagues are willing to pay. True leadership always exacts a
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Speaker 1: heavy toll and the more effective the leadership, the higher
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Speaker 1: the price to be paid. Those who lead make very
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Speaker 1: big targets. Number two, those who follow are sometimes very stubborn.
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Speaker 1: In fact, there are occasionally those who are absolutely unwilling
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Speaker 1: to follow. Some seem to find delight in making the
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Speaker 1: pastor miserable, and they get very creative in doing so.
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Speaker 1: I love the old story. Whether it is apocryphal or not,
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Speaker 1: I cannot say. But I heard it from Roy Zook
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Speaker 1: years ago. He told of Governor Huey, who was running
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Speaker 1: for governor in North Carolina back in the 1930s. And
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Speaker 1: he decided that he would go to one of the
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Speaker 1: mountain towns and visit with some of the people out
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Speaker 1: there who would ultimately be casting their vote. He came
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Speaker 1: across a pastor of a church. The pastor was experienced
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Speaker 1: and seasoned. And he struck up a conversation and said,
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Speaker 1: how large is your church? The pastor said, well, we
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Speaker 1: run about 100. He said, really? That's a nice size.
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Speaker 1: How many of them are active? He said, oh, 100. Really?
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Speaker 1: You must be some kind of preacher. He said, no,
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Speaker 1: not necessarily. 50 of them are active for me, and
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Speaker 1: 50 of them are active against me. But they're all active.
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Speaker 1: Don't think that this sort of malady of chronic troublemakers
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Speaker 1: is unique to our times. As long as there has
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Speaker 1: been sin, there has been rebellion. And as long as
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Speaker 1: there has been rebellion, there have been those who seem
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Speaker 1: to take delight in working against the flock of God.
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Speaker 1: The problem comes when sheep take on sheep. And you
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Speaker 1: realize later they weren't sheep at all, they were wolves.
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Speaker 1: The Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote, for wolves to worry lambs
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Speaker 1: is no wonder, but for one lamb to worry another
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Speaker 1: is unnatural and monstrous. Sometime those who follow Do the
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Speaker 1: unnatural and monstrous thing. Perhaps you have come from a
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Speaker 1: troubled church. I sometimes refer to it as a toxic
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Speaker 1: church that breeds an unhealthy product. For whatever reason, you
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Speaker 1: have been under the thumb of other sheep and maybe
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Speaker 1: a few wolves, and you need time to heal. Let
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Speaker 1: me encourage you with the fact that as long as
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Speaker 1: there has been sin, there have been rebels. As long
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Speaker 1: as there has been leadership, there have been those who
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Speaker 1: have fought against leadership. It doesn't mean that every critic
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Speaker 1: is wrong or obstinate or stubborn, but you know what
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Speaker 1: I mean. Some critics are determined to have their way
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Speaker 1: or it's the highway. And when those people are turned
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Speaker 1: loose in a congregation, that obstinance creates. a horrible situation.
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Speaker 1: I have to pause here and say that one of
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Speaker 1: the joys of preaching on this subject at this church
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Speaker 1: is that this is a healthy place to serve. Not
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Speaker 1: blowing smoke, since I don't believe in doing that, this
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Speaker 1: is an enviable place to pastor. You people know how
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Speaker 1: to love a man and a wife. You know how
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Speaker 1: to accept people as they are. You are learning more
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Speaker 1: and more about grace, and it's beautiful to behold. You
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Speaker 1: are not legalistic. If you were, you wouldn't survive here.
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Speaker 1: This is not a place for legalists. They divide. They manipulate.
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Speaker 1: They don't want God's will. They want their will as
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Speaker 1: you keep their rules. Thankfully, there is none of that here.
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Speaker 1: If there is, It's so quiet, I hear virtually nothing
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Speaker 1: of it. And I'm so grateful. Thank you for maintaining
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Speaker 1: the health and the unity of this congregation. Thank you
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Speaker 1: for responding in such grace. Not just to me, but
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Speaker 1: to one another. Not just to me, but to our staff.
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Speaker 1: And what a great body of men and women they are.
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Speaker 1: Now let's do a quick review of chronic troublemakers Shall
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Speaker 1: we do that without turning? I come across it when
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Speaker 1: I come to Numbers chapter 12. In the very first verse,
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Speaker 1: I read that Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses. What makes
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Speaker 1: me chuckle is that they are brothers and sisters. Aaron
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Speaker 1: and Miriam are Moses' brother and sister. They made life
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Speaker 1: hard for Moses. Do you know why? Check the verse.
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Speaker 1: They didn't like his choice of a wife. They were
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Speaker 1: petty even then, as they are now. When you get
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Speaker 1: to the book of Joshua, you only get to chapter
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Speaker 1: 7 before you run into a man named Achan. Achan
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Speaker 1: made life miserable not only for his family, but for
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Speaker 1: his tribe, and ultimately he brought defeat to the nation
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Speaker 1: because he disobeyed God and didn't follow the leader, Joshua.
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Speaker 1: You come to Judges and it's a book that is
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Speaker 1: sort of shot through with rebels. You get to the
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Speaker 1: very last verse of Judges and you read, in those
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Speaker 1: days all the people did whatever seemed right in their
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Speaker 1: own eyes. Judges 21, 25. That's the description of a rebel.
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Speaker 1: I'm going to do what is right in my eyes.
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Speaker 1: rather than what is right according to what God says.
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Speaker 1: You get into the Kings and you learn that David's
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Speaker 1: son Absalom led a rebellion against his father. David's son
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Speaker 1: Amnon raped his half sister Tamar to talk about making
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Speaker 1: life miserable. And as David is running for his life,
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Speaker 1: having abdicated the throne to Absalom, there is a man
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Speaker 1: in the hills named Shimei who throws rocks at David
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Speaker 1: and curses him. We've looked at him earlier in this series.
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Speaker 1: When you get to Job, you find a man covered
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Speaker 1: in sores from the crown of his head to the
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Speaker 1: sole of his feet, and you meet up with four
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Speaker 1: men who only made life more miserable for him as
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Speaker 1: they criticized Job, trying to convince him that he had
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Speaker 1: done wrong, and that's the reason he was suffering so
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Speaker 1: terribly from all these boils and all the fever. You
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Speaker 1: come to Nehemiah, whose job is to build a wall,
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Speaker 1: and all through the building process, he has to deal
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Speaker 1: with Tobiah and Sanballat and Geshem, who make life miserable
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Speaker 1: for him and for his fellow workmen. When you get
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Speaker 1: to Daniel, his fellow workers hope to accuse him of
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Speaker 1: a false charge, and then they desire ultimately to bring
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Speaker 1: him to his death by having him thrown into a
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Speaker 1: den of lions. Throughout the Old Testament, leaders have around
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Speaker 1: them people who were stubborn and obstinate and uncooperative. You
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Speaker 1: get to the New Testament and of course the main
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Speaker 1: person there is Jesus. But of course he had no enemies. Oh,
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Speaker 1: you're smiling. The implacable Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes had
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Speaker 1: him on their target at all times. They were the
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Speaker 1: reason he ultimately was driven to the cross, humanly speaking.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't the Romans. It was the Jewish leaders who
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Speaker 1: wouldn't follow his direction as the Messiah. In the early church,
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Speaker 1: there were heretics who delivered their false teachings. There were
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Speaker 1: legalists who manipulated the flock of God. There were deceivers
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Speaker 1: and defectors who emerged. There were fighters who refused to
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Speaker 1: keep the unity of the Spirit. You get to John,
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Speaker 1: who was a lover, and he writes of love in
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Speaker 1: all parts of his gospel and letters. And you get
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Speaker 1: to 3 John and you meet up with a man
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Speaker 1: named Diotrephes. Someday you need to read the biography. It's
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Speaker 1: only two verses. 3 John, verses 9 and 10. If
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Speaker 1: it has more chapters, you're in the wrong book. Just
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Speaker 1: one book, just one chapter, verses 9 and 10, Diotrephes,
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Speaker 1: who is a church boss. He loves to have the preeminence.
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Speaker 1: He didn't want John to come. He didn't want prophets
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Speaker 1: to show up. He would determine who would come in
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Speaker 1: the church and who would be allowed to take an
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Speaker 1: office or play a role of leadership. Interesting, A.T. Robertson
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Speaker 1: writes in his word pictures in the New Testament, some
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Speaker 1: 40 years ago, I wrote an article on diatrophies for
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Speaker 1: a denominational paper. The editor told me later that 25
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Speaker 1: deacons stopped taking the paper to show their resentment against
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Speaker 1: being personally attacked in that paper. Guilty conscience, huh? Diotrephes
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Speaker 1: is still alive and well. I could name on both
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Speaker 1: hands and would need more fingers to tell you of
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Speaker 1: pastors right now dealing with a church boss. People who
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Speaker 1: are self-appointed Worry warts making life miserable for the shepherd
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Speaker 1: of the flock. Heartbreaking, isn't it? I know of one
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Speaker 1: pastor who dealt with a flock and he made a
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Speaker 1: decision and he brought it to their attention and he
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Speaker 1: wanted all of them to understand why he felt this
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Speaker 1: was best. A handful of people disagreed. That night they
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Speaker 1: stole the swing set from the backyard of the manse
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Speaker 1: and also sliced all four of his tires. Fun group, huh?
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Speaker 1: You wouldn't believe such a thing would happen because you're
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Speaker 1: not like that. But it does. It does. Paul had
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Speaker 1: Alexander the coppersmith. In his own words, he did me
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Speaker 1: much harm. You wonder what that would include. So much
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Speaker 1: so that he warns Timothy in his letter more than once,
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Speaker 1: watch out for Alexander. Watch out for Alexander. He did
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Speaker 1: me much harm, and the implication is he'll make life
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Speaker 1: miserable for you, Timothy. Be on guard. Which brings us
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Speaker 1: to the firm warning of Romans chapter 16. I'm so
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Speaker 1: grateful that when the apostle wrote the letter to the Romans,
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Speaker 1: he didn't simply write about the great doctrines. He certainly
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Speaker 1: does that all the way through the book, through the letter.
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Speaker 1: But when he gets to the end, it's very personal.
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Speaker 1: He names names here and he sends his greetings to
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Speaker 1: people whose names appear and we don't read their names
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Speaker 1: anywhere else in all the New Testament literature. When you
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Speaker 1: get to verse 17, the Apostle Paul pauses and offers
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Speaker 1: a firm warning to the readers. He begins, and now,
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Speaker 1: I'll make one more appeal, my dear brothers. Now watch
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Speaker 1: closely to what you are reading. Now, dear brothers and sisters,
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Speaker 1: Watch out for people who cause divisions. The word means dissensions.
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Speaker 1: It suggests divisiveness and polarization. The original Greek term is
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Speaker 1: found only here in Galatians 5.20, where Paul is describing
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Speaker 1: people who are under the control of the flesh, known
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Speaker 1: for breaking the unity of the spirit. They don't want
29:26
Speaker 1: there to be unity. They want unrest. They want dissension.
29:32
Speaker 1: And they find delight in stirring that in others who
29:37
Speaker 1: stand by and don't know the difference. Watch out for
29:41
Speaker 1: those people who cause divisions. I sometimes refer to folks
29:46
Speaker 1: like this as those who stir the pot. They like
29:50
Speaker 1: to stir the pot. A little struggle is going on
29:55
Speaker 1: and they love to get their big spoon in the pot.
29:59
Speaker 1: and begin to stir it and add their own exaggerated
30:03
Speaker 1: comments and critical remarks. The apostle says, watch out for them.
30:08
Speaker 1: I've written in my Bible observation. Pay attention. It is
30:15
Speaker 1: the duty of the shepherd to watch over the flock.
30:19
Speaker 1: It is to pay attention to what is being said
30:23
Speaker 1: and done, not to spy, but to make sure no
30:27
Speaker 1: one is being abused. or taken advantage of, or as
30:32
Speaker 1: I said earlier, manipulated. Watch out for people who cause
30:37
Speaker 1: divisions by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught.
30:42
Speaker 1: I love that. Who taught them? Well, the Apostle Paul.
30:47
Speaker 1: Go back to your outlines, he says, in so many words,
30:50
Speaker 1: go back to the notes you kept, go back to
30:54
Speaker 1: the things you heard me say, and review them And
30:59
Speaker 1: if someone is coming along saying something different, watch out
31:03
Speaker 1: for that person. Don't shrug them off. Don't just look
31:09
Speaker 1: the other way and ignore them. Pay attention. They're stirring
31:13
Speaker 1: the pot. Before long, they will mess the fellowship up
31:18
Speaker 1: that you enjoy. Now look at the next line. It's
31:21
Speaker 1: another command. Stay away from them. Pretty clear, isn't it?
31:31
Speaker 1: I've written next to that, isolation. First there's observation, and
31:37
Speaker 1: then there's isolation. The person who stirs the pot is
31:43
Speaker 1: a deceiver. In fact, if you go on to read
31:47
Speaker 1: verse 18, such people are not serving Christ our Lord.
31:54
Speaker 1: They are serving their own personal interest. Keep reading. By
32:00
Speaker 1: smooth talk and glowing words, they deceive innocent people. Well,
32:08
Speaker 1: that's a mouthful, isn't it? Words are so important. See
32:13
Speaker 1: the word smooth talk and glowing words? One of those
32:18
Speaker 1: phrases is from the Greek word eulogia, E-U-L-O-G-I-A. We get
32:24
Speaker 1: our word eulogy from it. I smiled when I read that.
32:28
Speaker 1: These are words of flattery, exaggerated, well-chosen, but often untrue.
32:37
Speaker 1: How many of us have sat through memorial services or
32:40
Speaker 1: funerals where a person speaks of an individual? Not like
32:44
Speaker 1: the pastor I mentioned earlier. I've never heard that. That
32:48
Speaker 1: would be an interesting thing to hear, especially watching the
32:50
Speaker 1: brother as he gets up and stomps out and tries
32:53
Speaker 1: to cancel the check that has already been deposited. But
32:56
Speaker 1: that's another subject. Eulogia. Smooth talk, flattering words. You may
33:03
Speaker 1: hear them at eulogies, but they have no place in
33:06
Speaker 1: the family of God. That's deceptive work. We were taught
33:12
Speaker 1: in seminary when you bury the rebel, you simply give
33:18
Speaker 1: the gospel of Christ, and you take advantage of the
33:21
Speaker 1: opportunity to tell people who were there of the joy
33:25
Speaker 1: of knowing Christ, and you do not address the life
33:28
Speaker 1: of the one being buried. May I address deception for
33:32
Speaker 1: a moment because some of you are indeed innocent people.
33:38
Speaker 1: I don't mean that in any way to sound critical,
33:41
Speaker 1: but you're inexperienced in the scriptures. You are young in
33:46
Speaker 1: the faith. You're just learning your way along, getting what
33:50
Speaker 1: we used to call your sea legs in this thing
33:53
Speaker 1: called the Christian life, and you can easily be taken in.
33:57
Speaker 1: You don't remember many things that have been taught because
34:00
Speaker 1: you weren't around when they were taught. And so you
34:04
Speaker 1: are gullible. You're the type of person who hears a
34:07
Speaker 1: knock at your door, and someone stands there offering you
34:12
Speaker 1: a wonderful Bible study in the neighborhood. They never tell
34:15
Speaker 1: you the cult that they represent, but they invite you,
34:18
Speaker 1: and they're always so gracious. And they say, we have
34:21
Speaker 1: a place for you. We'd love to have you join us,
34:24
Speaker 1: and you can be taken in by that. You don't
34:27
Speaker 1: know the questions to ask that would identify them as heretics.
34:32
Speaker 1: You're innocent of that. So you're easily deceived. Understand deception.
34:40
Speaker 1: It looks like the real thing, but it's counterfeit. Okay?
34:48
Speaker 1: If I were to present a counterfeit $ 50 bill at
34:54
Speaker 1: the counter of the grocery store It wouldn't be yellow,
34:59
Speaker 1: you know, in a circle with my picture on it
35:02
Speaker 1: that says 50 on it. It's not deceiving. That's not counterfeit.
35:07
Speaker 1: It would look just like a $ 50 bill. Just like it. Why,
35:14
Speaker 1: the angel of light is named Lucifer. His trademark is deception.
35:23
Speaker 1: He knows you better than you will ever know yourself.
35:27
Speaker 1: He knows exactly what it will take to get your
35:30
Speaker 1: ear to bend and to listen closely and to pay
35:33
Speaker 1: attention to something you ought to be saying no to.
35:37
Speaker 1: That verse said, stay away from them. So let me
35:41
Speaker 1: be very frank with you. Get rid of all deceivers
35:45
Speaker 1: among your friends. Don't run with deceivers. When you discover
35:52
Speaker 1: they're deceivers, stay away from them. They're going to take
35:57
Speaker 1: advantage of you. Oh, they won't act like that because
36:02
Speaker 1: they're deceivers. Remember, they will look like your best friend,
36:06
Speaker 1: but they'll steal from you. They'll take advantage of you.
36:12
Speaker 1: They'll steal your wife or husband. They'll prey on your children.
36:22
Speaker 1: Stay away from deceivers. The apostle doesn't mince words. He said,
36:28
Speaker 1: they deceive by their smooth talk and glowing words, innocent people.
36:34
Speaker 1: There's one other section we need to look at before
36:36
Speaker 1: we're through, and that's Titus. Go back to that little
36:39
Speaker 1: letter of Titus. We know something about the letters to Timothy,
36:42
Speaker 1: but we know very little about the letter to Titus
36:44
Speaker 1: because very little is ever said about it. First, it's short,
36:48
Speaker 1: only three chapters. Most people don't know who Titus was
36:53
Speaker 1: or why the letter was written. So let me help you.
36:56
Speaker 1: Verse 1, chapter 1, pretty simple. This letter is from Paul.
37:03
Speaker 1: So Paul wrote Titus, this three-chapter book, this letter. He
37:09
Speaker 1: calls himself a slave of God and an apostle of
37:12
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. To whom did he write it? Verse 4,
37:17
Speaker 1: go there. I am writing to Titus, my true son
37:23
Speaker 1: in the faith that we share. So he probably had
37:27
Speaker 1: led Titus to Christ or played a special role in
37:30
Speaker 1: Titus' growing up. He had certainly been a mentor to Titus.
37:36
Speaker 1: So he's writing a letter to a younger friend named Titus.
37:42
Speaker 1: For what reason? Keep reading. Verse 5. I left you
37:48
Speaker 1: on the island of Crete. Stop. Hold it. Titus receives
37:55
Speaker 1: this letter while he is ministering on the island of Crete.
38:00
Speaker 1: Some of you have lived on islands. I've only visited islands.
38:05
Speaker 1: I know pastors who serve on islands, and most of
38:07
Speaker 1: them tell of how difficult it is to minister to
38:11
Speaker 1: an island mentality. Roots are usually more shallow. People are
38:17
Speaker 1: often in a transition or transient kind of lifestyle. People
38:23
Speaker 1: come for vacation and leave. It's hard to build a
38:26
Speaker 1: church in that kind of setting. Titus is in a
38:30
Speaker 1: church on the island of Crete. He says, I've left
38:35
Speaker 1: you there, which means Paul went and when he left,
38:39
Speaker 1: he left Titus there. Why? Keep reading. so that you
38:47
Speaker 1: could complete our work there. Your Bible probably reads, set
38:53
Speaker 1: in order what remains. It's an interesting Greek term. It
38:58
Speaker 1: means to set right, to correct a defect, to amend.
39:05
Speaker 1: So we know this by implication. Paul was there, a
39:10
Speaker 1: work was begun, As they began the work and continued
39:15
Speaker 1: the work, some things were left incomplete. So Paul left
39:19
Speaker 1: Titus there to complete the work that he had begun.
39:24
Speaker 1: Some things had gotten skewed. It was Titus' job to
39:28
Speaker 1: bring them back in line. Not an easy job. Titus
39:32
Speaker 1: no doubt had others around to help him in the process.
39:35
Speaker 1: Notice also the last part of that verse. I've left
39:39
Speaker 1: you there to complete our work and appoint elders in
39:45
Speaker 1: each town as I instructed you. Now I'm going to
39:50
Speaker 1: risk something that is going to be a surprise to
39:53
Speaker 1: many of you raised in a church that had a
39:56
Speaker 1: lot of congregational voting elders are never voted on in
40:02
Speaker 1: a church in the new testament i've now offended all
40:07
Speaker 1: the baptists who are hearing me right now because you
40:10
Speaker 1: voted on elders or deacons all through your years in
40:14
Speaker 1: the baptister that's that's fine it's just unbiblical other than
40:18
Speaker 1: that it's not a problem But don't go too far
40:22
Speaker 1: with that. God blesses a number of people that disagree
40:26
Speaker 1: with me. So I don't want you to worry about it.
40:30
Speaker 1: The point is, I can find no place here or
40:32
Speaker 1: elsewhere where an elder is ever voted on. Well, then
40:35
Speaker 1: how do you get them? You appoint them. How do
40:38
Speaker 1: you appoint them? Very, very carefully. Very slowly. You investigate.
40:49
Speaker 1: You meet with and hold interviews. You talk with his wife.
40:53
Speaker 1: By the way, elders are always men. There are no
40:57
Speaker 1: women elders in the New Testament. The elders are men,
41:01
Speaker 1: and they are to be the leaders in this particular church,
41:07
Speaker 1: and you are to appoint them. Now, that's a tough job.
41:11
Speaker 1: Having appointed some elders, I will tell you, it is
41:14
Speaker 1: a time... taking job. You must be objective. You may
41:25
Speaker 1: really like an individual, but you find out after the
41:28
Speaker 1: interview time, it's not a matter of liking them. Everyone
41:31
Speaker 1: you talk to, you're going to like, or they wouldn't
41:34
Speaker 1: have even been a candidate. But you discover things that
41:37
Speaker 1: are true about them. Some people remove their own names
41:40
Speaker 1: when they realize the exacting requirements. The 15 characteristics mentioned
41:45
Speaker 1: in 1 Timothy 3 Congregations are blessed who have appointed
41:53
Speaker 1: elders if they are qualified for the appointment. You investigate
41:59
Speaker 1: their lives and you talk to their wives and you
42:02
Speaker 1: meet with their children. If the children are old enough
42:05
Speaker 1: to talk about their daddy, you learn about what he's about.
42:08
Speaker 1: You meet with people who do business with him in
42:11
Speaker 1: the business world. You learn as much as you can
42:14
Speaker 1: about him. You're going to appoint him to be an
42:16
Speaker 1: overseer of the flock. This isn't a popularity contest. This
42:23
Speaker 1: is a person who must commit himself to the teachings
42:26
Speaker 1: of the Scriptures. That right there brings it down to
42:30
Speaker 1: a precious few. This must be a man who is
42:35
Speaker 1: committed to Scripture. He must fill the qualifications that are
42:39
Speaker 1: set forth in the Bible. Here are a few. Verse 6,
42:42
Speaker 1: an elder must live a blameless life. Not perfect, but blameless.
42:49
Speaker 1: He must be faithful to his wife. He must be
42:53
Speaker 1: faithful to his children. And they must be believers who
42:56
Speaker 1: don't have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. Well,
42:59
Speaker 1: that cuts out the rest of us, huh? That's a
43:02
Speaker 1: rare individual. What am I saying? I'm saying it's a
43:07
Speaker 1: difficult task. Have we ever appointed elders we shouldn't? We have.
43:12
Speaker 1: Was it a difficult experience? It was. Thankfully, it didn't
43:17
Speaker 1: shake the flock up because you didn't know about it.
43:20
Speaker 1: Have I been in churches where there were elders that
43:23
Speaker 1: had no business being elders? Every church I've served has
43:26
Speaker 1: had that experience. It's easy for that to happen, often
43:31
Speaker 1: because they are voted on by people who happen to
43:34
Speaker 1: like them. They play golf with them. They happen to
43:37
Speaker 1: know they give a lot of money. Never is the
43:41
Speaker 1: issue of money mentioned in a qualification for elders. He
43:47
Speaker 1: certainly must be one who is generous, but rich, never
43:52
Speaker 1: said so. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or
43:55
Speaker 1: a heavy drinker or violent or dishonest with his money.
43:59
Speaker 1: That's a pretty severe list. That's why you appoint them. Titus,
44:06
Speaker 1: on the island of Crete, where there was a small
44:09
Speaker 1: community and the testimony of Christ It's going to run
44:15
Speaker 1: pretty free through people's lips. Be sure you have leaders
44:20
Speaker 1: who are qualified to lead. By the way, we have
44:25
Speaker 1: had some magnificent elders. We currently have some wonderful elders.
44:29
Speaker 1: And some who have been set aside from the role
44:32
Speaker 1: of elder, they're not active now, but magnificent individuals. So
44:36
Speaker 1: please understand, I'm speaking in the great, great, great minority,
44:40
Speaker 1: and I'm grateful for that. Because I have been in
44:43
Speaker 1: churches where the elders split the church. I've not been
44:47
Speaker 1: in them actually, but I've known of them, and I'll
44:50
Speaker 1: tell you it's a heartbreaking situation. Now, now you see
44:54
Speaker 1: why it's important that you be discerning. Go to chapter 3.
45:00
Speaker 1: Chapter 3, verse 8. This is a trustworthy saying. I
45:06
Speaker 1: want you to insist on these teachings so that all
45:10
Speaker 1: who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good.
45:17
Speaker 1: What teachings? You've heard me say it before and I'll
45:21
Speaker 1: repeat it. Every verse has a context. This is a
45:25
Speaker 1: classic example of a verse in the middle of a context.
45:29
Speaker 1: The context goes back to verse three, where the paragraph starts.
45:35
Speaker 1: Once we too were foolish and disobedient, we were misled
45:38
Speaker 1: and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives
45:42
Speaker 1: were full of evil and envy and we hated each other. But, but,
45:47
Speaker 1: listen to the teaching. When God our Savior revealed his
45:51
Speaker 1: kindness and love, he saved us. Not because of the
45:54
Speaker 1: righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy.
45:57
Speaker 1: He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth
46:00
Speaker 1: and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously
46:03
Speaker 1: poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
46:07
Speaker 1: Because of his grace, he declared us righteous and gave
46:10
Speaker 1: us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. That's a mouthful.
46:15
Speaker 1: These teachings, those things, Elders who are qualified to be
46:21
Speaker 1: elders embrace those teachings. We just finished our statement of
46:26
Speaker 1: faith at our radio broadcast ministry, Insight for Living. We
46:31
Speaker 1: put it in a small binder. We call it our
46:34
Speaker 1: statement of faith. Every year, all who work for us
46:38
Speaker 1: at Insight for Living must sign the statement of faith.
46:42
Speaker 1: Every year, all who serve as board members must sign
46:47
Speaker 1: the statement of faith. You say, well, Isn't that being
46:52
Speaker 1: pretty narrow? Yes. Yes, it is. As narrow as this book.
46:59
Speaker 1: Just as narrow. I mean, salvation is narrow. I am
47:04
Speaker 1: the way, the truth, and the life. The, the, the.
47:07
Speaker 1: No one comes to the Father but through me. One way.
47:13
Speaker 1: One Savior. One God. One mediator between God and man
47:18
Speaker 1: and the only basis of it is His grace. This
47:21
Speaker 1: is a strong statement. It's good and beneficial for everyone.
47:26
Speaker 1: You get people around you who are leading a ministry
47:29
Speaker 1: who don't embrace this, you've got trouble on your hands.
47:32
Speaker 1: You've got those who believe in a work salvation, you've
47:35
Speaker 1: got the makings of misery in the ranks. You have
47:39
Speaker 1: people who don't understand grace, you'll have legalism. That'll be
47:43
Speaker 1: shot through in the church before long. Legalists have a
47:47
Speaker 1: way of not keeping their mouth shut. They spread their
47:50
Speaker 1: venom and they bring other people under their thumb. No,
47:54
Speaker 1: it's by grace we are saved through faith. Because of
47:57
Speaker 1: his grace, he declared us righteous. That's the strong statement.
48:02
Speaker 1: I insist, says the apostle, that those who trust in
48:07
Speaker 1: God and devote themselves to doing good be a part
48:10
Speaker 1: of this fellowship. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
48:15
Speaker 1: Now he goes to the negative. You know that because
48:19
Speaker 1: of the first words in verse 9. Do not. Do
48:23
Speaker 1: not what? Do not get involved in foolish discussions about
48:31
Speaker 1: spiritual pedigrees. Or in quarrels and fight. Now that is
48:42
Speaker 1: a strong, strong statement. In fact, that's a severe warning.
48:50
Speaker 1: It is easy for a pastor who has strong convictions
48:54
Speaker 1: to be engaged in skirmishes, fights, where nothing is incidental
49:00
Speaker 1: and everything is important and worth fighting over. He's warning
49:04
Speaker 1: us against that. You do better if you're not a
49:09
Speaker 1: fighter by nature in ministries. You can be wise as
49:13
Speaker 1: a serpent, but you also must be harmless as a dove.
49:16
Speaker 1: You need to be careful about the things you roll
49:19
Speaker 1: up your sleeves and fight for some of those things
49:22
Speaker 1: you need to many of the things you don't you
49:26
Speaker 1: don't need to fight over them in fact he says
49:29
Speaker 1: these things are useless and a waste of time if
49:33
Speaker 1: you can look back on a fight and say it
49:35
Speaker 1: really wasn't worth my time it's too bad you went
49:38
Speaker 1: there and I've done that and regretted it later. Over
49:42
Speaker 1: the years, you learn what to be engaged in and
49:45
Speaker 1: what to leave alone and just pass it off. I
49:48
Speaker 1: will often say that's not worth arguing over. That's not
49:52
Speaker 1: worth our time. Now watch closely. Verse 10. If, however,
49:58
Speaker 1: people are causing divisions among you, sounds like Romans 16,
50:04
Speaker 1: they're causing divisions Among you, watch what you're supposed to do.
50:12
Speaker 1: Give a first and then a second warning. Pretty strong.
50:21
Speaker 1: I take it that he means this. Privately, go to
50:26
Speaker 1: the individual with another brother, someone else who has facts
50:32
Speaker 1: that you can use, individuals who are not given to hearsay,
50:37
Speaker 1: who are not there to beat up on somebody. It's
50:40
Speaker 1: not about beating up. It's about restoring this brother. So
50:45
Speaker 1: you go for the purpose of this individual acknowledging his wrong,
50:50
Speaker 1: that he's causing divisions. And you confront that. You offer
50:57
Speaker 1: a way for that to stop, and you encourage the
50:59
Speaker 1: person to stop doing that. Let's, for the sake of
51:03
Speaker 1: this passage, say that he turns you off. He's not
51:07
Speaker 1: going to stop doing it. He already has a small following,
51:11
Speaker 1: and he's not going to lose face with them. He's
51:13
Speaker 1: going to go right on. So you go with a
51:15
Speaker 1: second warning. See what it says? Give a second warning.
51:20
Speaker 1: May I interrupt and say this? Trust your Bible. If
51:25
Speaker 1: you don't know, keep reading. Just keep reading. Just stay
51:30
Speaker 1: at it. Go the second time. Maybe you take more
51:36
Speaker 1: people with you. There are other sections of scripture that
51:38
Speaker 1: talk about this confrontation. The goal is to bring the
51:42
Speaker 1: person to repentance and to ultimately see the individual restored
51:47
Speaker 1: to full fellowship. That really is the goal. I don't
51:50
Speaker 1: know when I've done this and I've had the unhappy
51:52
Speaker 1: experience of doing this a number of times. I don't
51:55
Speaker 1: know when I've done it without tears. It always breaks
51:59
Speaker 1: my heart. I never find delight in confronting anyone It's
52:05
Speaker 1: hard to do, lest the person think I'm some kind
52:08
Speaker 1: of judge or jury. You don't go with that spirit.
52:12
Speaker 1: You go with a gentle and gracious spirit. You know
52:15
Speaker 1: it could be you, given other circumstances. And so you go,
52:20
Speaker 1: and you go the second time, and let's say he
52:23
Speaker 1: doesn't repent. Now watch closely. Read your Bible. After that,
52:30
Speaker 1: have nothing more to do with them. I commend you
52:37
Speaker 1: for your silence, your thinking. You're thinking through what that means.
52:46
Speaker 1: May I tell you that this is a rare thing
52:49
Speaker 1: in the local church, certainly in churches I've been a
52:52
Speaker 1: part of. I don't want to leave the impression that
52:54
Speaker 1: every church I've been a part of, there have been
52:56
Speaker 1: fights that break out, all kinds of difficulties, but I
52:59
Speaker 1: will tell you there have been divisions. Unfortunately, this process
53:04
Speaker 1: was not always followed. When you follow it, good things result.
53:09
Speaker 1: And if they don't, you have nothing more to do
53:14
Speaker 1: with them. Now, there are going to be some people
53:18
Speaker 1: who say, I don't agree with that. And I say,
53:23
Speaker 1: I don't care. I don't care whether you agree with
53:28
Speaker 1: it or not. The next verse doesn't say, what's your opinion?
53:36
Speaker 1: My job is to teach the truth, sometimes the hard truth.
53:42
Speaker 1: And when you teach like this, people who are given
53:44
Speaker 1: to divisions keep their mouths closed or they don't stay
53:48
Speaker 1: because they know they'll be confronted. It's not meant to
53:53
Speaker 1: be a threat. It's just following through on this situation.
53:59
Speaker 1: Have nothing more to do with them. They're not a
54:01
Speaker 1: part of the fellowship of your church. That's another process
54:05
Speaker 1: I'll not get into. Look at verse 11. This one
54:08
Speaker 1: will really rock you. For people like that, like what?
54:16
Speaker 1: People who after a second warning don't repent. People like
54:20
Speaker 1: that have turned away from the truth. And their own
54:30
Speaker 1: sin condemns them. We need to unpack that. Extrepo is
54:44
Speaker 1: used only here in all the New Testament. It means
54:48
Speaker 1: to turn aside from what's considered true or morally appropriate.
54:59
Speaker 1: It is otherwise rendered in the lexicon pervert. I found
55:13
Speaker 1: it interesting that J.B. Phillips, of all things, in his
55:21
Speaker 1: paraphrase of the New Testament, refers to this person having
55:26
Speaker 1: a moral twist. And he knows it. You know now
55:36
Speaker 1: about as much as I do on this, but I
55:38
Speaker 1: have discovered that when an individual is left to deal
55:43
Speaker 1: with it on his own, the twist becomes known. There
55:51
Speaker 1: is something terribly wrong in that life that is unwilling
55:56
Speaker 1: to repent. Have I ever been confronted? I will be
56:02
Speaker 1: absolutely honest with you and tell you, yes, I have.
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Speaker 1: By mentors, by friends who loved me well enough to
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Speaker 1: tell me the truth, for whom I was very grateful.
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Speaker 1: And the result, I can tell you, I cried. I
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Speaker 1: was so convicted. These individuals loved me so much, they
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Speaker 1: couldn't stay silent. And it didn't take a second warning
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Speaker 1: for me, I can tell you the truth. They didn't
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Speaker 1: come to punch me around. They came to say how
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Speaker 1: disappointed they were to have known this or seen this
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Speaker 1: in me. And I told them I appreciated their bringing
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Speaker 1: it to my attention. And the humiliation was beyond my
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Speaker 1: ability to describe it. But not everyone responds like that.
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Speaker 1: This is the unrepentant individual who knows what he's doing
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Speaker 1: and won't stop. Maybe you don't like the analogy, but
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Speaker 1: that's what happens with a person who abuses children. They
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Speaker 1: don't stop. Even when confronted, they don't stop. They're dangerous.
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Speaker 1: Must be dealt with. This is certainly not in that
57:30
Speaker 1: category necessarily, but this is an individual who refuses to
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Speaker 1: take the warning and we're told don't try to rehabilitate
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Speaker 1: any further, have nothing to do with them. And there
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Speaker 1: is something about that individual who is warped, which is
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Speaker 1: the word used by John R. W. Stott, has a
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Speaker 1: distorted mind. There's something about that individual that is continually
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Speaker 1: skewed until the Lord breaks them and does a work
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Speaker 1: that no human being can do. Now, a timely reminder,
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Speaker 1: and we're through. A timely reminder. You want to know
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Speaker 1: the secret? I'm going to tell you the secret in
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Speaker 1: one word. You. Me. You want to have a church
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Speaker 1: that's healthy and wholesome and happy? It's up to you.
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Speaker 1: It's up to me. It isn't the class we teach
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Speaker 1: on unity. It isn't a group of people that believe
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Speaker 1: in loving others. I've heard that all my life. Love, love, love, love, love,
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Speaker 1: love everybody. Love the devil, love everybody. Don't love the devil.
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Speaker 1: Love has boundaries. Otherwise, it lacks discernment. And then it
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Speaker 1: floods like a river that's lost its banks. You don't.
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Speaker 1: Stop loving this individual, but you don't relate to them anymore.
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Speaker 1: And they're left for God to deal with them. So,
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Speaker 1: you and I are the secret. Happiness and wholesome churches
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Speaker 1: rest with us. We're the secret. So let me give
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Speaker 1: you a simple three lines that you're going to say
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Speaker 1: with me before we're through. In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty.
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Speaker 1: In all things, Charity. Isn't that great? I wish I'd
59:37
Speaker 1: originated it, but it goes all the way back to
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Speaker 1: about the 15th century. In essentials, the things of the faith,
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Speaker 1: we need unity. All those who join our church are
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Speaker 1: in unity with us in the doctrines of the faith.
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Speaker 1: In non-essentials, liberty. And there are a lot of non-essentials.
1:00:00
Speaker 1: The legalist makes the mistake of making everything essential. And
1:00:04
Speaker 1: if you don't agree with me, there's the door. Non-essentials,
1:00:09
Speaker 1: you've got liberty. You like tattoos? I may not. You
1:00:15
Speaker 1: can fellowship here covered with tattoos. I don't care. You
1:00:19
Speaker 1: like earrings? I don't necessarily like them on men. And
1:00:22
Speaker 1: so I don't wear them, but you may like them.
1:00:25
Speaker 1: That's fine. It's a non-essential. You like red? I may
1:00:28
Speaker 1: not like red. So you want to wear everything red.
1:00:31
Speaker 1: That's great. I don't care. You like shoes? Great. You
1:00:34
Speaker 1: don't like shoes? Barefoot. Fine. It's not an essential. Doesn't matter.
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Speaker 1: If I keep on, it's going to get real scary. Non-essential.
1:00:44
Speaker 1: Quit making non-essentials essential. And finally, in all things love,
1:00:48
Speaker 1: in all things charity, in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty,
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Speaker 1: in all things charity. You ready? In essentials unity, in
1:00:58
Speaker 1: non-essentials liberty, in all things charity. Some of you didn't
1:01:03
Speaker 1: even move your mouth. Let's do it again. In essentials, unity.
1:01:08
Speaker 1: In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. It's a great
1:01:13
Speaker 1: way to run your home, by the way. Dads, moms,
1:01:17
Speaker 1: lighten up. The lack of any of those may explain
1:01:22
Speaker 1: why your kids won't talk to you today. Just go
1:01:25
Speaker 1: back and look. Is it essential? Is it really worth that?
1:01:29
Speaker 1: Then it ought to be unifying. Is it non-essential? There's
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Speaker 1: a whole lot of those. We need to lighten up
1:01:35
Speaker 1: all things. Let's love them. Thank you, Father, for the
1:01:37
Speaker 1: things you teach us from books like Titus and Romans.
1:01:42
Speaker 1: Thank you for the things we learn when we sit
1:01:45
Speaker 1: and drink it in. Thank you for discernment that guards
1:01:49
Speaker 1: us from foolish extremes. Thank you for your love for
1:01:54
Speaker 1: us that goes beyond our imagination, accepting us as we are,
1:02:00
Speaker 1: to make us like your son, how grateful we are.
1:02:05
Speaker 1: Teach us, our Father, from the truth. May we be
1:02:08
Speaker 1: strong of heart and yet people of love and grace.
1:02:12
Speaker 1: Give us a backbone, but not with the loss of
1:02:16
Speaker 1: compassion and understanding. Remind us over and over that the
1:02:20
Speaker 1: goal is to bring about recovery and to rehabilitate individuals
1:02:26
Speaker 1: who have been caught in the trap of the enemy.
1:02:29
Speaker 1: What's over this flock can keep us healthy and wholesome
1:02:32
Speaker 1: and happy. May we maintain a walk with you that
1:02:37
Speaker 1: pleases you, not one another, but you, because all things
1:02:44
Speaker 1: equal to the same thing are in harmony with one another.
1:02:49
Speaker 1: May we tune our piano to your strings and may
1:02:53
Speaker 1: we play that kind of music in harmony together. In
1:02:57
Speaker 1: the name of Jesus, Everyone prays. Amen.
1:03:03
Speaker 2: The preceding message, What If a Person is an Unrepentant Troublemaker,
1:03:07
Speaker 2: was copyrighted in 2013, 2015, and 2017, and the sound
1:03:11
Speaker 2: recording was copyrighted in 2017 by Charles R.
1:03:15
Speaker 1: Swindoll, Inc.
1:03:16
Speaker 2: All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for
1:03:21
Speaker 2: commercial use is strictly prohibited.