Who Are Our Fathers?
I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can't have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
Now some are inflamed with pride, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those whoa re inflated with pride. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but power. What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? 1 Cor 4: 14-21
Although Paul's intent is not to shame, I am sure shame would result. Shame can lead us to repentance. Paul is speaking as a father. Today we have fathers in the body of Christ and they are needed more than ever. I am grateful for my pastor, he might be younger than me but I still respect him and the authority and mantle of God upon him. I can trust the Lord to use him. I can trust those he places in authority and can pray for them. My pastor's wife is a great lady in her own right and is only 36, but God uses her.
Belonging to a structure, a god-ordained structure is so important. I am not in isolation, I am in church community and this is my safety. I must have an ear to hear and a heart to respond to the Lord though this structure. When I struggle emotionally I especially need the anchor of this structure, it holds me in the storm.
Correction is a part of leadership. It is done in gentleness and love. If I have an ear to hear I will not be offended. If I am an offended person ready to attack I need to repent and come with a clean heart. I also cannot afford to be inflated with pride and self-righteousness and again miss the mark. If I think I can see something and believe my pastor is missing it, I need to pray. Prayer can show me the truth, maybe I am missing it, and guide us into all truth.
We are here to build the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self. Scripture is full of right living. We are fortunate for Paul, he wrote most of the new testament. The people Paul is addressing were rejecting his authority. When they stood before God, hopefully they had sorted things out otherwise they would have know real shame. This truth is always before me: am I wanting my own opinion above that of my church or am I willing to function as I should, a part of the body of Christ?
Death and Life are always before us to choose. Amen!
Now some are inflamed with pride, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those whoa re inflated with pride. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but power. What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness? 1 Cor 4: 14-21
Although Paul's intent is not to shame, I am sure shame would result. Shame can lead us to repentance. Paul is speaking as a father. Today we have fathers in the body of Christ and they are needed more than ever. I am grateful for my pastor, he might be younger than me but I still respect him and the authority and mantle of God upon him. I can trust the Lord to use him. I can trust those he places in authority and can pray for them. My pastor's wife is a great lady in her own right and is only 36, but God uses her.
Belonging to a structure, a god-ordained structure is so important. I am not in isolation, I am in church community and this is my safety. I must have an ear to hear and a heart to respond to the Lord though this structure. When I struggle emotionally I especially need the anchor of this structure, it holds me in the storm.
Correction is a part of leadership. It is done in gentleness and love. If I have an ear to hear I will not be offended. If I am an offended person ready to attack I need to repent and come with a clean heart. I also cannot afford to be inflated with pride and self-righteousness and again miss the mark. If I think I can see something and believe my pastor is missing it, I need to pray. Prayer can show me the truth, maybe I am missing it, and guide us into all truth.
We are here to build the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self. Scripture is full of right living. We are fortunate for Paul, he wrote most of the new testament. The people Paul is addressing were rejecting his authority. When they stood before God, hopefully they had sorted things out otherwise they would have know real shame. This truth is always before me: am I wanting my own opinion above that of my church or am I willing to function as I should, a part of the body of Christ?
Death and Life are always before us to choose. Amen!
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