Apostolic Friends Forum
Tab Menu 1
Go Back   Apostolic Friends Forum > The Fellowship Hall > Fellowship Hall
Facebook

Notices

Fellowship Hall The place to go for Fellowship & Fun!


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-26-2007, 08:58 AM
Truthseeker's Avatar
Truthseeker Truthseeker is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,888
The way church treats sinners.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n3414284.shtml



I've come to the conclusion the church could use some lessons on how to treat sinners, what ya think?



1 Thess 5:15

15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men .
KJV

Titus 3:2-4

2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
KJV
__________________
Today pull up the little weeds,
The sinful thoughts subdue,
Or they will take the reins themselves
And someday master you. --Anon.


The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-26-2007, 09:12 AM
DividedThigh DividedThigh is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: in the north unfortunately
Posts: 6,476
well our church is good about having compassion and reaching with love, but no kidding we could def use some teaching, dt
__________________
A product of a pentecostal raisin, I am a hard man, just ask my children
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-26-2007, 09:14 AM
Truthseeker's Avatar
Truthseeker Truthseeker is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,888
Quote:
Originally Posted by DividedThigh View Post
well our church is good about having compassion and reaching with love, but no kidding we could def use some teaching, dt
I'm telling you, you wear shorts you don't know anything! Now go get some pants!
__________________
Today pull up the little weeds,
The sinful thoughts subdue,
Or they will take the reins themselves
And someday master you. --Anon.


The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-26-2007, 09:29 AM
DividedThigh DividedThigh is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: in the north unfortunately
Posts: 6,476
Quote:
Originally Posted by Truthseeker View Post
I'm telling you, you wear shorts you don't know anything! Now go get some pants!
i never argue with the unarmed, you have a good day, you might actually be surprised what i know, lol,dt
__________________
A product of a pentecostal raisin, I am a hard man, just ask my children
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-26-2007, 10:40 AM
nahkoe's Avatar
nahkoe nahkoe is offline
Mama to four little angels.


 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,053
Ew....that group of people has bothered me for a long time. A very long time. Interesting how it can be for 2 very different reasons with a few months in between reading about them. lol

Now, more of a generalization. Oh yes...the church needs some education in how to treat, and just think about, sinners. Forgive me if I use "we"...but I find myself identifying far more with the unchurched than the churched when I think about this. (note since I haven't posted here much..I was raised AoG, I've been out of the church for 8 years and completely away from God for almost that long. I've been attending an Apostolic church since June of this year)

We are not all cut with the same cookie cutter. We're not even all cut from the same batch of dough. We have compassion and empathy and concern for our fellow humans. In a lot of cases (oh I want to say most...but I'm trying to stay away from overgeneralizations and most might be a little over...) we display more compassion and empathy and concern than the Church does. We don't care what you're wearing or what you had for breakfast (altho yes...the alcohol does stink tyvm) or what mistakes you made that led you to where you are. You're seeking help now, we'll help you help yourself and maybe even help you just because you are a human being and something lead you to the place you are. What hurt, pain, agony, anger, bitterness, frustration, or sorrow lies within your heart, we can't see. But we know it's there. We have our own pain, sorrow, hurt, struggles, battle with bitterness, anger, rage. We don't judge you. Our thoughts are only of how to help you, how to ease your pain, how to give you a hope and a reason to pick yourself up and make something of your life. We do think of you when we go home at night. We think of the homeless man sitting on a bus stop bench asking for work to buy food and medication. We think of the mama sleeping in a shelter with her babies, hurting and terrified of what might come next, what will her husband do to her when he finds out she left again? We think of the people who, no matter how hard they work, just can't get caught up. Our heart's desire is to see these people move past this place in their lives. To see them have hope again. We don't ask anything in return. Not even that they use our help to move past this. Oh, we'd love it if everyone would, we rejoice when someone makes it out of whatever past they carry with them, but we know most will slip time and time again. We know the journey out of one's past is bumpy and rocky and not at all smooth. We anticipate, even expect, people leaving us without a goodbye. We know we did what we could. We think of them. We hope someday, they find their way out of their pain and past. What we don't have, is Jesus. We know we don't have the answers, but what we see of the Answer is judgement and conditional help. We hear things like "come to church and we'll pray for you" when we need someone to say "we see your need, this is what we can do to meet it". We hear "God loves you, but not like you are right now, you need to change". Sometimes we hear "God loves you just the way you are, but we don't, get cleaned up then come to church". Sometimes we hear "you're not welcome here because of what you are". We see the needs of people, and big fancy stained glass covered church buildings. We know what the Bible says. We know what it says Jesus was like. We wonder how a group of people who claim to follow Jesus can stand pouring money into buildings and expensive clothing (oh don't tell me Apostolics don't...I've been around enough to know better..lol) and excessive things. It appears to us they don't see the needs of those nearby. If they do see the needs, that makes us angry. How can you see a need that you're able to meet, and refuse to meet it for whatever reason? Most of us know Jesus is our ideal. But we don't know Him. We may strive to be like Him, but we don't strive to know Him because we don't want to be like those who say they do. We know everyone works hard for what they have. We don't bedrudge anyone nice things, houses, cars. We just don't like seeing people forget about the people around them. If the world needs Jesus, then take Jesus to the world.

Bah..I'm preaching now...lol I don't like what I keep hearing about seperating from the world. I won't do it. The world needs Jesus. I know Jesus. I'm staying firmly planted in the world. What I do has changed, how I act, what I wear, my close friends have changed, but who I talk to, my desire to relate to them, my desire to help people, my compassion for those hurting, hasn't changed. I know plenty in the church who say they feel the same way, but their actions don't follow. I know a lot of it is a culture issue. And yep, I'm being judgemental. lol I see a raw honesty in the world that I rarely see in Church. If we could get ahold of some raw honesty, some REALNESS, the world wouldn't be so turned off by us.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Truthseeker View Post
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n3414284.shtml



I've come to the conclusion the church could use some lessons on how to treat sinners, what ya think?



1 Thess 5:15

15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men .
KJV

Titus 3:2-4

2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
KJV
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-26-2007, 01:24 PM
Praxeas's Avatar
Praxeas Praxeas is offline
Go Dodgers!


 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,791
Quote:
Originally Posted by Truthseeker View Post
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/...n3414284.shtml



I've come to the conclusion the church could use some lessons on how to treat sinners, what ya think?



1 Thess 5:15

15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men .
KJV

Titus 3:2-4

2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
KJV
Uh...THE church or THAT church., Come on, you are not seriously comparing THE church to the Phelps???? WE do not all need to learn a lesson. We treat sinners pretty good.
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:


  1. There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  2. The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
  3. Every sinner must repent of their sins.
  4. That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
  5. That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
  6. The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-26-2007, 01:35 PM
RandyWayne RandyWayne is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: AZ
Posts: 16,746
We have some churches (or at least "A" church) like that around here. We were walking down main street in the WI Dells and a group was outside of a bar where they had their kids holding signs with all sorts of inspirational messages like "God Hates Fags!" and similar uplifting sayings. Of course the adults stood behind them using their kids as human shields.

It made us sick.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-26-2007, 01:44 PM
Truthseeker's Avatar
Truthseeker Truthseeker is offline
Registered Member


 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,888
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas View Post
Uh...THE church or THAT church., Come on, you are not seriously comparing THE church to the Phelps???? WE do not all need to learn a lesson. We treat sinners pretty good.
No I'm not saying we all need lessons on treating sinners. But alot do.
__________________
Today pull up the little weeds,
The sinful thoughts subdue,
Or they will take the reins themselves
And someday master you. --Anon.


The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
What is a Happening Church to you? What is a Dead church? Praxeas Fellowship Hall 139 09-04-2007 06:30 PM
What Percentage of your Church is New Converts or From another Church? revrandy Fellowship Hall 19 07-08-2007 02:32 PM
Ever live next door to the Church and run out of oil... and run over to the Church... revrandy Fellowship Hall 14 06-06-2007 04:48 PM
New Church Plant and Church Growth ThePastorsCoach Fellowship Hall 8 04-27-2007 03:25 PM
Comparison -- Today's Church vs Early Church Malvaro Deep Waters 30 03-13-2007 12:08 PM

 
User Infomation
Your Avatar

Latest Threads
- by Amanah
- by Salome

Help Support AFF!

Advertisement




All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:28 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.