Lead Positively...Or Else

Revelation 2:12-17
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.



I want to focus on the last part of verse 14 today. It says Jesus holds the fact that the church has a group of people there that are stumbling blocks to His children against the church. I think it is important to point out that His attention here was not on the ones who were stumbling blocks, but on the church for allowing those to lead the children away. This is pretty tough information here. It requires the church to deal with stumbling blocks. God deals with those individuals that lead people astray; however, here He says that what He has against the church of Pergamos is that they have those individuals present in their assembly with no correction. They are allowing them to lead the others astray. It is one thing for sin to be in your church. Obviously, if we are going to be a spiritual hospital to a hurting world, we will have individuals in our midst that will have sin in their life and may be struggling with every ounce in their being. The question the church has to ask is in what direction are they headed and what direction are they leading the children of God. What direction are you leading those who God has just begun to draw? We cannot, absolutely cannot allow these baby christians or any child of God to be lead astray. So what has to happen, church discipline 101!

Matthew 18:15-2015 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.



Titus 3:10-11
10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

You see we have a responsibility to address individuals in such a way as to restore them and show the love of God; however, there is a time when you have to do more, if the individual will not respond.

Romans 1:28-32
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,unmerciful;32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.


We don't like to think of God or God's people as being this harsh, but when you think about it, it is not harsh. We are not talking about doing this from jump street. We are not talking about doing this right off the bat. You give a person a chance to turn from their wicked ways; however, when their unwillingness to adhere to what God is teaching begins to infect and cause those children of God around them to stumble they cannot be allowed to continue to influence. The church at Pergamos had compromised in so many ways Jesus said He had enough. You know if come here and proclaim the name of Jesus and you claim to love Jesus, then do right. If you can't do right then when your sin causes others to fall you have to do what you do somewhere else. The best for everyone is to adhere to the "or else." mentioned throughout Revelation 2. That is right, repent and live for Jesus Christ, surrender to Him and love Him.

RAK CHAZAK,

Brother Big Daddy

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