Re: An abuse of authority????
 

I understand what you are saying. I agree with the whole Parent and Pastor difference.

As to correction or general warning...not sure of what the motive was.

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

The words that the preacher said was not bad in themselves, however if you have a issue with a brother, your supposed to leave your gift at the alter and go make it right.

A personal message could have been sent to the individual for correction or reproove. Or even better done in person.

If the pastor took time to reword what he stated, there may not have been a fall out in such a way, but it was directed at some one specific.

sure the Guy who confesses he is a christian and does these things, i would even question there walk.

Its not the we cant warn other saints of this, but when you target someone specific and do it publicly, your actually not helping. your not helping them your self or other people

as the old saying goes with many business. Rebuke reproove in private, reward openly.

He could have said something alog these lines smoking will kill ya and they make ya stink
next day. bars full of alcohol, bible qoute.

he could have broken it up.

You cant really down the man for getting upset, but it doesnt give him a right to flare back in such a vulgar way, and the pastor should have addressed it in private manner and been very general to not offend the person in question with open messages to his friends church etc.

I understand the Gospel will be offensive to sinners, but sometimes you have better results when they are more personal and behind closed doors.

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

Well surely this Pastor had to know this individual would probably see his post.

The best thing to do is, if you are trying to correct this individual, start privately and humbly

If you are warning the saints of your congregation to avoid such public banter for fear of distorting our Christian witness, do it at church not on FB. (this person was not a member of the Pastor's congregation)

Lastly the Pastor could have made a public address without the obvious specifics that alerted this individual to the fact the Pastor was speaking about them. If, having done that, this individual still took it personally I'd say the issue was them and not the Pastor. They probably already felt what the did was wrong and rather than be humble about it, they were obstinate

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

I wasn't mentioning this specific example. I was thinking about the past when I have heard stories of pastors who would drive around people's houses to see if they could see a TV light on in their house or other such behavior.

The fact that a pastor would even feel the need to be on top of folks "sins" like this just makes me wonder, why?

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

THAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOU. I think that this is the point we are all drawing. I agree with what you have stated. It could have been handled/worded in a better way. Perhaps not so direct. I also agree with the other Christian's witness being hugely compromised by their behavior in response to the status. I actually think that the greater offense was not in WHAT the Pastor said, but in the fact that he felt that the Pastor was abusing his authority, in which I don't think abuse was in question. He felt "picked on" although his behavior WAS totally uncalled for.

The question arises though, when do we humble ourselves, realize that our behavior IS ungodly and repent, instead of defending our actions with more of the same ungodly behavior? If this Pastor was someone he respected (before all this of course) then perhaps the Pastor thought he would see the general post and take the hint. *shrugs*

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

He has a control issue?

He thinks the way to keep saints on the straight and narrow is to preach on sin over and over and over instead of feeding the flock in such a way as to nurture and nourish them that they will automatically be avoiding these sins?

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

Ya know, I hear these stories so often about pastors doing stuff like this that I am wondering if it is nothing but urban legend. However if it was or is true I would join a church who had a pastor like this just to give him stuff to be paranoid about. LOL

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

Why? Saving them from hell maybe? lol Again if they are fb friends he can see what the person is doing, pictures they have posted, and status updates. If the person has a habit of posting ungodly content the Pastor thought it was just time to say something. Keep in mind, this Pastor does not go around "stalking" people though...I would highly doubt that.

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

I'd put a bunch of lava lamps in front of the curtain just to see if he stops thinking it was a TV

But seriously....that never happens around here. I have to wonder where some people went to church at

Re: An abuse of authority????
 

Bump