[Linux4christians] I need some advice.

Mon May 16 19:17:21 EDT 2011

You don't understand what I think or what I'm getting at. I'm not upset with 
structure. I think structure is great.

I read this book called "So you don't want to go to Church?" and it's a great 
book. At one point a man comes in to their Church Group and asks how can this 
work if no one is called Pastor or Leader? No one is assigned a title?

The answer was very simple. 

A man walked in and asked the man if he could fix his car. He said no but that 
guy can and pointed to him. His talent was being a mechanic. Some are leaders, 
some are cooks, some are mechanics, some fix computers, but we all are 
ministers. Every Christian is a minister because we all have a ministry.

As Matthew 23 says Jesus / God is the leader / teacher so if we are being led by 
the Spirit and we are in a community then God will speak threw us to one 
another. I've seen this work in person. The only problem with the Church I went 
to that was like this was that one of the "leaders" wanted glory and physicality 
prompted their children to start faking the manifestation of the Spirit. "Holy 
Rollers". 

No one confronted the issue because she was a "leader" and so I left the group. 

When you make someone a "leader" they are put up on a pedistol of pride. Either 
they will put themselves up there and keep trying to climb higher or the people 
will keep praising them in the wrong way and try to put them up there and keep 
making them climb higher. This makes it very hard for a "leader" to resist 
taking the Glory and not reflecting it back to God. 

Humility is what it's all about. 

it's fine to have a leader as long as he / she is reminded that they are human 
from time to time and are not encouraged to become more than an equal. Leaders 
need to listen to their brothers in Christ in their body as well that they are 
put over because God will speak and does speak threw everyone and to everyone 
who listens and seeks Him.

----- Original Message ----
From: "dcolburn at bibleseven.com" <dcolburn at bibleseven.com>
To: Linux for Christians <linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net>
Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 3:56:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Linux4christians] I need some advice.

This is kinda out of full context - please add the considerable teaching
about "elders" and the Biblical *gift* of teaching - then try to reassemble
the construct - if you would?

Is there someone or some book(s) you are hearing or reading that has
prompted you along this path, please?

Humans mature at different rates, learn in different ways, and require a
social 'container' to keep them from anarchy.

There is a reason why Jesus taught us to honor and obey 'leaders'.

We met for a brief while with some 'home fellowship' folks who
took the no leader(s) and no agenda view - it was a mess because
when one creates a vacuum -- the enemy-manipulated flesh fills it.

Think of the intertestamental period "Where each did as he saw
best."

Also note in the NT:

Jesus was a teacher.

Paul was a teacher.

Peter was a teacher.

John was a teacher.

Timothy was a teacher.

Titus was a teacher.

And others ...

And they were instructed to multiply themselves, to create
structures for accountability and order within the fellowships.

There simply is no Biblical way to justify a boundary-free
and/or structure-free Biblical fellowship.

OTOH, to build a fellowship where the boundaries and structure
do not "wag the dog" of Bible learning and Biblical living is an
equal challenge.

We have worked inside cell, house, home, and a wide variety
of associational fellowships -- they were *all* imperfect.

The best were always where those with leadership gifts and
responsibilities viewed themselves as coaches and mentors
rather than as celebrities and/or dictators.

>  8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher,
>  and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’
>  for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be
>  called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The
>  greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt
>  themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
>  exalted." What Church follows this and calls everyone brother?
>
>  That's what I call Open Source Christianity.

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! Startpage.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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