Quote:
Originally Posted by tstew
Grace, I know what you're saying. However, often whenever I hear people talking about being upset because they really just wanted to be uplifted and encouraged and not feel railed at, it sometimes makes me think of 2 Tim:
3:
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
4:
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
I do not know you well enough to even begin to accuse you of this personally, and I do recognize that we must be careful in how we apply and preach the Word. However, at the end of the day, the Bible is very clear that it is to be used in ways that often include rebuke and chastisement. That goes against what we want sometimes, and certainly flies in the face of where the church is headed, but I just get nervous whenever I hear people getting upset because all they wanted was uplifting messages and did not want rebuke or correction.
Again, I' not accusing you in particular, this post just kind of touched on what I hear a lot these days.
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Don't you think these verses apply to actual sin? Adultery, fornication, stealing, cheating, lying, etc? Paul dealt with churches that were putting up with adultery and fornication and doing nothing about it.
Too often our pulpits are used as places for men to air their personal opinions and grievances. If someone had brought a sinner to this meeting, hoping to introduce them to Jesus, do they need to hear about the in-squabbling of an organization? That might have been the only opportunity some people ever had to be introduced to a Pentecostal church. Hopefully they got a good impression.
I agree that campmeetings are not the place for this.