Where does he set up camp?
-- In the Pulpit:
* 2 Cor. 11:15 - Just being a professed Christian, moral man, and seminary graduate does not guarantee he is a true believer and servant of Jesus Christ. Remember Saul of Tarsus persecuting the church, thinking he was doing it for God till he met Christ.
-- In the Pews:
* 2 Cor. 11:13, 11:26 - False apostles and false brethren. Tares in the wheat can take office also, and depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1) to teach doctrines of demons.
-- In the Worship:
* 1 Cor. 14:23, 33, 40 - Every church has some order of worship, either good or bad. Worship must be tied to both the Word of God (anchor) and the Spirit of God (rudder). Must be balance and discernment (1 Thess. 5:19-21). Beware both dead formalism and uncontrolled fanaticism.
* 2 Cor. 6:14 - 7:1 - Beware idolatry (being ecumenical without compromise to accept fashionable falsehood).
-- In the Offering:
* Acts 5 - Ananias and Sapphira
* Mat. 6:1-4 - Blowing a trumpet when we give to show others.
-- In the Singing: Music is the war department of the church
* Eph. 5:18,19; Col. 3:16 - Not just entertainment, but with both emotions and truth to result in a dedicated will that obeys God's Word.
* A singer has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher to preach a lie!
-- In the Business Meetings:
* Js. 3:13-18 - Wisdom from above vs. wisdom from beneath.
* Acts 15:5,19-20 - “It is
necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Church council that was wrong.
"Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who
are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by
idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood." Paul set
them right.
-- In the Selection of Leaders:
* 1 Tim. 3:6, Titus 1 - Should pay attention to life outside of church, and to allow to serve in smaller ministries before putting into leadership positions. Not schooling or age alone.
-- In an Unforgiving Spirit:
* Eph. 4:15 - Practice "speaking the truth in love", and look to the Lord for
unity in truth and forgiveness.