Poster | Thread | sermonindex Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11 Posts: 39795 Canada
Online! | The Ministry of Exposing Others - SI Forums Note | | Dear Saints,
I wanted to write a short note on this subject for the brethren on the forums here. I believe the men of God represented on this website are lovers of the truth who sought the Lord above all else including the entire world system and its way of thinking. Our desire also as moderators is to encourage the same spirit to be prevalent in the forums and in no ways do we encourage false teachings or anything that leads people the truth that is in Christ.
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Yet I want to address some errors that can come from a good desire such as proclaiming the truth.
We can be so caught up with being right in doctrine, in words, thoughts and scripture interpretations that we can actually be wrong. Meaning we can be right by the letter of the law but be wrong in our attitudes and in our spirit. There is a great need for us to be hearings of the word abut also those that obey the Word of the Lord. And thus we will be people who display the attitudes of Christ Jesus who is our example. Being right is not as important as being right. Said in another way, being right doctrinally is not as important and living right doctrinally.
Another error can be when we are so fixated about what is wrong that we are always thinking and writing about it. We are always looking for what is wrong and thus we can be walking in the darkness. The amount of errors in Christendom throughout the 2000 years is staggering, the amount of cults and false doctrines which the enemy has used to sway people. It would have to be a person's life goal to be able to master all this content. Yet the Biblical way the Lord has is for His people to walk in the light, think about the truth and not have to always point to the darkness. Thus when we live in the light and simply are speaking of "what is right" then we diffuse the darkness itself without even addressing it. If a lamp is lit in a room it dispels the darkness.
The sermons and articles themselves are light on this website and we encourage strongly for all members of the website to be reading, listening and watching sermons. Most of the problems on the forums are of those that are actively not learning and exposing themselves to the light of these wonderful men of God and their messages.
The Forums are a place were we want to firstly encourage others in their walks with the Lord. And secondly we want be learners and not teachers so it is a much better place to be in the place of learning from others and not teachers.
Thirdly, the forums are a place to encourage others in their walks and faiths and not question and confuse others. And fourthly, the forums are a wonderful place for biblical discussions to learn some of the depths of God's truth.
But may these forums not be a place where we accuse everyone. Where we feel it is our ministry to correct everyone. Some of the discussion threads that are started that turn into arguments and division could have been threads were rather they were full of encouragements and encouraging insights shared.
May we seek to be in prayer for the discussion forums, for all the members and visitors from around the world that read them and also for us the moderators who simply desire to guide these forums in the best way possible.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." (Philippians 2:3)
Thank you saints. _________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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| 2012/9/3 0:16 | Profile | HeartSong Member
Joined: 2006/9/13 Posts: 3179
| Re: The Ministry of Exposing Others - SI Forums Note | | Amen dear brother, Amen. |
| 2012/9/3 0:29 | Profile | elias7291 Member
Joined: 2011/12/7 Posts: 73 Los Angeles
| Re: The Ministry of Exposing Others - SI Forums Note | | Amen!
I had been contemplating these very same thoughts lately.
Thanks brother _________________ Elias
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| 2012/9/3 0:30 | Profile | AbideinHim Member
Joined: 2006/11/26 Posts: 5185 Louisiana
| Re: The Ministry of Exposing Others - SI Forums Note | | Thank you Greg for posting these helpful insights, and what I believe to be the heart of the Lord on this matter.
Many of the things that you posted have been on my heart for sometime, and the Lord has corrected me on many occassions on the very issues that you have dealt with.
We don't have to go out and hunt for error to find it. The light is going to expose the darkness. Walking in the truth will make the lie manifest, and speaking the truth in love will edify and build up the Church.
Much of the exposing of false brethren, teachings, etc. etc. is coming from brothers and sisters who truly have a love for the truth. However, not everyone that is in some error concerning doctrine is a false brother, teacher, or prophet. I cannot begin to tell you how over the years there are many things that I had believed to be absoulte fact, that in reality were not. The Holy Spirit teaches us through men, but He also lives on the inside of us to lead us and guide us into all truth.
If we could only see Christ in one another, and seek to build up and edify all of the saints, then the Church would grow. The emphasis on seeking the unity of the Spirit is all throughout the New Testament, and the work of the enemy is to bring accusuation and condemnation upon the brethren to bring disunity and division into the Body of Christ.
May Christ be glorified and may His nature and character be formed in us, and may the Holy Spirit have His way in this ministry.
Mike _________________ Mike
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| 2012/9/3 6:31 | Profile | KingJimmy Member
Joined: 2003/5/8 Posts: 4419 Charlotte, NC
| Re: | | Some think themselves prophetic and discerning because they pick apart this or that. It tickles their pride to be so scathing. But the apostle Paul said he determined to know nothing among us except Christ and Him crucified. It has long been my contention that if you show people the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, then that which is true shall become self evident. There is nothing more prophetic than preaching Christ. _________________ Jimmy H
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| 2012/9/3 8:39 | Profile | PaulWest Member
Joined: 2006/6/28 Posts: 3405 Dallas, Texas
| Re: | | Amen to this dear brother.
Nothing grieves my heart more on SermonIndex than encountering brothers (and sisters) who feel they must take it upon themselves to rebuke and accuse others. A doctrinally-incorrect Apollos can always have things "better explained" to him by a Priscilla and Acquila (Acts 18:26), but Satan is always the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10) and unable to be corrected. I would rather have Apollos in the forum than Satan.
We should seek to edify and build each other up. We all have so much to offer if we can only get past politics, doctrinal disputes and rebuke festivals. God's will is that we water each other, that our ministries and words promote life and spiritual health. Leadership is installed, firstly, to make sure this "life" principle flows most richly and unobstructed here. It is not primarily to rebuke, though at times rebuking and exposing is in order. Ironically, the most rebuking and exposing I have had to do in this forum has been geared toward those taking it upon themselves to rebuke others. The true heretics and wolves flee and abandon ship pretty quickly once exposed; the self-righteous accusers usually stay for months and rack up thousands of posts, endlessly rebuking and debating and undermining authority until finally asked to leave or are banned.
But my soul thirsts for true godly fellowship that lends to abundant life here. I love sharing the deep truth of God's Word, of learning from the ministry of all of you, from sitting and breaking the bread of peace through this online network of believers God has so blessed us with. The enemy will do all he can to disrupt it, but we are not ignorant of his schemes. The moderation ministry is dedicated to thwarting these schemes, regardless if they are manifesting from a wolf coming from the outside-in or an accuser from the inside-out.
My sole desire is that Jesus Christ continally be formed in us, unhindered. We all need room to grow. We all need God's grace. May this place be a safe haven for believers of all ages to experience both.
Brother Paul
_________________ Paul Frederick West
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| 2012/9/3 8:55 | Profile | KingJimmy Member
Joined: 2003/5/8 Posts: 4419 Charlotte, NC
| Re: | | Amen _________________ Jimmy H
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| 2012/9/3 10:23 | Profile | mama27 Member
Joined: 2010/11/20 Posts: 1482
| Re: | | I am so very glad to see this thread! May we all prayerfully take it to heart...may we represent Christ in every way here on this forum. |
| 2012/9/3 10:44 | Profile | wayneman Member
Joined: 2009/1/24 Posts: 453 Michigan
| Re: | | This is a good word. But I'm convinced that brawling over dogma is an addictive behavior. "Whosoever commiteth sin is the servant of sin." Some people have indulged in the sin of contentiousness for so long that they are in bondage to it and can't help themselves. Just watch and see: there are members of this forum who will not be able to restrain themselves from jumping into this thread and explaining that you're all wrong: it is necessary to "protect the flock" and bludgeon heretics and reprove apostates etc., etc., etc...
But it is an excellent word anyway. God bless. _________________ Wayne Kraus
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| 2012/9/3 10:50 | Profile |
| Re: | | Bro Greg writes..........
"I would rather have Apollos in the forum than Satan." Well thank you brother, what a kind sentiment. Oh, you said " Apollos," phewww, I thought you said " appolus." :)
Amen to everything you wrote brother. The sermons on SI are powerful and useful to every single Christian. I think, if you are a regular contributor, you should post in the devotioanl section at least once a week something beautiful and uplifting that would encourage your brothers and sisters. The devotional section should be the most commented upon section I think..............bro Frank
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| 2012/9/3 10:51 | |
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