Immorality Defiles the Church

It was reported in the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 5:1-8) that there was sexual immorality happening among them. Actually it was an incestuous relationship between a member of the church and his stepmother. This kind of relationship was completely forbidden by the Old Testament law (Lev. 18:8; Duet. 22:30) and also by Roman law. Paul used his phrase "his father's wife" instead of "his mother". The omission of discipline for the woman implies that she was not a believer. The church is responsible for disciplining only its members, not unbelievers.

This is rarely happening in the churches of today. Today you have almost anything going on, and no one gets disciplined. There could be several reasons for this..but one reason is that, ministers are wanting large churches, large crowds, a big name, and lots of tithes and offerings coming in.

Disciplining its members could cut out some big tithers, could cause some to quit the church and go elsewhere, or not go anywhere at all.

The reason immorality among members should be judged and disciplined is so that their soul may be saved..but in this day and age many pastors refuse to do this...and it just grows and grows in the church like a cancer.

The pastor and those in the church who know this is going on are going to be held accountable when their judgement day comes

..and I would hate to be in their shoes.

In 1 Cor. 5:9-12 it says that we are not even to keep company with sexually immoral people. Of course Paul did not mean the people of this world or unbelievers..he meant those you know are saying they are believers, they sing in the choir, they play instruments in the church, they usher, sometimes are associate pastors, or deacons, they could even hold the janitor job in the church. sometimes they could do nothing in the church except hold the pew down. If we know they are sexually immoral, even covetous believers, or extortioners, or idolater , a reviler, or a drunkard, we are not to keep company with them..and not to even eat with them.

Many will say we are not to judge anyone..they will use the words of Jesus.."judge not lest ye be judged." And Jesus is right we are not to judge those who are outside the church , but those who are on the inside of the Church we are to judge..Paul even says to put away from yourselves the evil person.

True revival cannot come to a church unless it has been cleansed.

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

by Mark Batterson

How you handle offense has the potential to make you or break you as a leader.

You will offend.

The only question is: who will you offend?

And you will be offended.

The only question is: how will you respond to offense?

As God expands your sphere of influence, you'll offend more and more people. It's inevitable. But there is a right way to handle it and a wrong way to handle it.

First things first: who are you offending? Some leaders are so afraid of offending people that they offend God instead. Let me tell you who you should offend: thou shalt offend Pharisees! That is who Jesus offended. And he did so regularly and intentionally. He could have healed on any day of the week, right? I think he chose the Sabbath to confront the Pharisees who couldn't see the miracle through the theological trees!

So go ahead and offend Pharisees, but while you're at it, make sure you aren't one of them!

How do you know? Well, read the Gospels and see the distinctives of Pharisaicalism. Self-righteousness is chief among them. Pharisees are low on humility and high on criticism. That critical spirit results in a focus on the letter of the law with very little room for grace.

Pharisees use, or I should say misuse, the Bible as a weapon.

And they have an uncanny habit of focusing on what's wrong instead of celebrating what's right.

They bring division instead of unity. The sow discord instead of peace. They aren't advancing the kingdom of God. They are actually undermining it by backbiting and infighting. And instead of building up, they tear down. That's the tip of the iceberg, but I think a pretty good caricature.

Can I just come out and say it?

If we quit fighting with each other and converted all of our sideways energy into forward motion, I think we'd win the world to Christ. But we've got to love each other first. After all, they shall know us by our love!

Now let me flip the coin...

Thou shalt offend Pharisees, but don't be offended by them!

Proverbs 19:11 says: "It is to the glory of a man to overlook an offense." Circle that promise.

The more offenses you overlook, the more glory!

If you get offended by an offense, you quit playing offense and start playing defense. And when you get defensive, you stop leading and start reacting!

I made a decision a long time ago that I don't play defense.

I have an advocate. His name is Jesus. And that's who I'm accountable to. And of course, all of us need human accountability, but it'll be to the people we're in relationship with.

We need to submit to the righteous rebuke of a brother and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. No one is above or beyond rebuke or exhortation.

But you also need to consider the source. Is it coming from a genuine spirit of love? Or is there a critical spirit or mean spirit? Is the rebuke a love offering or tough love? Or does it derive from wrong motives?

Do you know the person, and do they know you? Now, no matter who is doing the rebuking or how they are doing, if the rebuke is accurate, then you need to repent. But if it's not, don't swallow the poison. You need to shake the dust off your feet.

And whatever you do, don't become defensive! Play offense!

You need the emotional tenacity of Nehemiah who said to a couple backbiters named Sanballat and Tobiah: "I am doing a great work so I can't come down." Don't let anyone or anything bring you down! Let it steel your resolve! Don't get sidetracked by sideways energy!

Press on with the mission.

Press into the presence of God.

Play offense.

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., a multi-site church and a leading fellowship in the nation's capital. Meeting in movie theaters and Metro stops throughout the D.C. area, NCC is attended by more than 70 percent single twenty-somethings. Mark's weekly podcast is one of the fastest growing in America. His book, In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars peaked at #44 on Amazon.com's best-seller list. He has just released his newest book entitled, Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of Pursuing God. He and his wife Lora live on Capitol Hill. They have three children. Visit Mark at www.evotional.com/

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

by Mark Batterson

How you handle offense has the potential to make you or break you as a leader.

You will offend.

The only question is: who will you offend?

And you will be offended.

The only question is: how will you respond to offense?

As God expands your sphere of influence, you'll offend more and more people. It's inevitable. But there is a right way to handle it and a wrong way to handle it.

First things first: who are you offending? Some leaders are so afraid of offending people that they offend God instead. Let me tell you who you should offend: thou shalt offend Pharisees! That is who Jesus offended. And he did so regularly and intentionally. He could have healed on any day of the week, right? I think he chose the Sabbath to confront the Pharisees who couldn't see the miracle through the theological trees!

So go ahead and offend Pharisees, but while you're at it, make sure you aren't one of them!

How do you know? Well, read the Gospels and see the distinctives of Pharisaicalism. Self-righteousness is chief among them. Pharisees are low on humility and high on criticism. That critical spirit results in a focus on the letter of the law with very little room for grace.

Pharisees use, or I should say misuse, the Bible as a weapon.

And they have an uncanny habit of focusing on what's wrong instead of celebrating what's right.

They bring division instead of unity. The sow discord instead of peace. They aren't advancing the kingdom of God. They are actually undermining it by backbiting and infighting. And instead of building up, they tear down. That's the tip of the iceberg, but I think a pretty good caricature.

Can I just come out and say it?

If we quit fighting with each other and converted all of our sideways energy into forward motion, I think we'd win the world to Christ. But we've got to love each other first. After all, they shall know us by our love!

Now let me flip the coin...

Thou shalt offend Pharisees, but don't be offended by them!

Proverbs 19:11 says: "It is to the glory of a man to overlook an offense." Circle that promise.

The more offenses you overlook, the more glory!

If you get offended by an offense, you quit playing offense and start playing defense. And when you get defensive, you stop leading and start reacting!

I made a decision a long time ago that I don't play defense.

I have an advocate. His name is Jesus. And that's who I'm accountable to. And of course, all of us need human accountability, but it'll be to the people we're in relationship with.

We need to submit to the righteous rebuke of a brother and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. No one is above or beyond rebuke or exhortation.

But you also need to consider the source. Is it coming from a genuine spirit of love? Or is there a critical spirit or mean spirit? Is the rebuke a love offering or tough love? Or does it derive from wrong motives?

Do you know the person, and do they know you? Now, no matter who is doing the rebuking or how they are doing, if the rebuke is accurate, then you need to repent. But if it's not, don't swallow the poison. You need to shake the dust off your feet.

And whatever you do, don't become defensive! Play offense!

You need the emotional tenacity of Nehemiah who said to a couple backbiters named Sanballat and Tobiah: "I am doing a great work so I can't come down." Don't let anyone or anything bring you down! Let it steel your resolve! Don't get sidetracked by sideways energy!

Press on with the mission.

Press into the presence of God.

Play offense.

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., a multi-site church and a leading fellowship in the nation's capital. Meeting in movie theaters and Metro stops throughout the D.C. area, NCC is attended by more than 70 percent single twenty-somethings. Mark's weekly podcast is one of the fastest growing in America. His book, In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars peaked at #44 on Amazon.com's best-seller list. He has just released his newest book entitled, Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of Pursuing God. He and his wife Lora live on Capitol Hill. They have three children. Visit Mark at www.evotional.com/

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

Thou Shalt Offend Pharisees

by Mark Batterson

How you handle offense has the potential to make you or break you as a leader.

You will offend.

The only question is: who will you offend?

And you will be offended.

The only question is: how will you respond to offense?

As God expands your sphere of influence, you'll offend more and more people. It's inevitable. But there is a right way to handle it and a wrong way to handle it.

First things first: who are you offending? Some leaders are so afraid of offending people that they offend God instead. Let me tell you who you should offend: thou shalt offend Pharisees! That is who Jesus offended. And he did so regularly and intentionally. He could have healed on any day of the week, right? I think he chose the Sabbath to confront the Pharisees who couldn't see the miracle through the theological trees!

So go ahead and offend Pharisees, but while you're at it, make sure you aren't one of them!

How do you know? Well, read the Gospels and see the distinctives of Pharisaicalism. Self-righteousness is chief among them. Pharisees are low on humility and high on criticism. That critical spirit results in a focus on the letter of the law with very little room for grace.

Pharisees use, or I should say misuse, the Bible as a weapon.

And they have an uncanny habit of focusing on what's wrong instead of celebrating what's right.

They bring division instead of unity. The sow discord instead of peace. They aren't advancing the kingdom of God. They are actually undermining it by backbiting and infighting. And instead of building up, they tear down. That's the tip of the iceberg, but I think a pretty good caricature.

Can I just come out and say it?

If we quit fighting with each other and converted all of our sideways energy into forward motion, I think we'd win the world to Christ. But we've got to love each other first. After all, they shall know us by our love!

Now let me flip the coin...

Thou shalt offend Pharisees, but don't be offended by them!

Proverbs 19:11 says: "It is to the glory of a man to overlook an offense." Circle that promise.

The more offenses you overlook, the more glory!

If you get offended by an offense, you quit playing offense and start playing defense. And when you get defensive, you stop leading and start reacting!

I made a decision a long time ago that I don't play defense.

I have an advocate. His name is Jesus. And that's who I'm accountable to. And of course, all of us need human accountability, but it'll be to the people we're in relationship with.

We need to submit to the righteous rebuke of a brother and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. No one is above or beyond rebuke or exhortation.

But you also need to consider the source. Is it coming from a genuine spirit of love? Or is there a critical spirit or mean spirit? Is the rebuke a love offering or tough love? Or does it derive from wrong motives?

Do you know the person, and do they know you? Now, no matter who is doing the rebuking or how they are doing, if the rebuke is accurate, then you need to repent. But if it's not, don't swallow the poison. You need to shake the dust off your feet.

And whatever you do, don't become defensive! Play offense!

You need the emotional tenacity of Nehemiah who said to a couple backbiters named Sanballat and Tobiah: "I am doing a great work so I can't come down." Don't let anyone or anything bring you down! Let it steel your resolve! Don't get sidetracked by sideways energy!

Press on with the mission.

Press into the presence of God.

Play offense.

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., a multi-site church and a leading fellowship in the nation's capital. Meeting in movie theaters and Metro stops throughout the D.C. area, NCC is attended by more than 70 percent single twenty-somethings. Mark's weekly podcast is one of the fastest growing in America. His book, In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars peaked at #44 on Amazon.com's best-seller list. He has just released his newest book entitled, Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of Pursuing God. He and his wife Lora live on Capitol Hill. They have three children. Visit Mark at www.evotional.com/

Praying God's Word

Praying God's Word

Would you like your prayers to be more powerful? Pray the Scriptures. Hebrews 4:12 says that God's Word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword. When we speak and pray the Scriptures, we are coming into agreement with God, and His power is released to answer our prayers.

Maybe you feel like God doesn't hear your prayers? Or maybe you don't know what to pray for in certain situations. On the Prayer Promises page, I have gathered Bible Scriptures such as 1John 5:14, which tells us we can have confidence in God. Not only does He hear our prayers, but He also promises to answer them when we pray in line with His will. He hastens to perform His Word

Benefits of Praying the Scriptures

Praying the Scriptures will increase your spiritual growth. You actually learn what God says about certain situations, and by praying His Word you will see His results. Many people have testified that just by praying the healing scriptures they have been healed, physically as well as mentally.

You can live a stress free life if you will only just pray because when you pray, you are turning the situation over to God. You're taking the situation out of your hands, and putting it in His hands. You're releasing it to God. These Scripture Prayers are very easy to read, and if you'll read them every day, even within a week, you will have memorized Scripture and won't even realize it until a situation arises, or until someone asks you to pray for them.

Commitment to Pray the Scriptures

Most people when they hear the word commitment, their first response is, "I don't have time for another commitment." But if you want your circumstances in your life to change you need to make a commitment to pray the Scriptures out loud everyday. Then you will see how praying with the powerful force of God's Word will cause you to be praying in victory. You will have victory in your life, in your home, and be able to handle situations as easily as Jesus would have handled them.

It doesn't take long to read these prayers, and you can print them out and take them with you, and read them whenever you want. But it is important for you to pray the prayers outloud, even if it is in a whisper, the spoken Word, makes things happen! Why pray your prayers out loud? Read How to Pray the Scriptures--http://www.prayingscriptures.com/how-to-use-book.shtml

How to Pray the Scriptures - Praying God's Word

www.prayingscriptures.com

How to use scriptures to pray for spiritual direction, spiritual healing by praying God's Word, how to pray to God, how to pray the scriptures. Here's how you get victory from prayer