Who Is A Disciple Part Three. RCCG SOD Year Two

 

 

BEING LIKE JESUS:

LOVE SINNERS BY CHASTISING

 

 

THERE must be love among disciples, and this love goes hand in hand with discipline.

 

If you are in a denomination and you are so big that the leaders of such a denomination cannot correct you, you must relocate to where you can be corrected.

 

In a congregation where there is genuine, divine love, the following ‘brethren’ must not be spared:

(1) Those indulging in sin (2 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Timothy 5:20)

 

(2) Blasphemers (I Timothy 1:18-20; Titus 3:10)

 

(3) Preachers of false doctrine (Deuteronomy 13: 6 – 11 )

(4) Hinderers or those who slow down the propagation of the gospel (Acts 13:6-12)

 

(5) Deceivers and hypocrites (Acts 5: 1 – 11 )

 

WHY WE MUST BE FIRM WITH THESE PEOPLE

We must be firm with this kind of people because if we are not, they will gradually destroy the entire congregation.

 

They will gradually introduce the killer germ’ into the congregation hence, they should be gotten rid of before they destroy the whole church.

 

Any of these brethren is like cancer in the body. If you locate cancer, and the affected area is removed, then there is hope for the rest of the body.

 

That is what the Holy Spirit did to Ananias and Sapphires, so that the rest of the church can continue to grow, Jesus Christ said if your right hand will cause you to sin, cut it off, so that the rest of your body can go to heaven.

 

He said you should do the same with your right eye.

 

Any brother or sister that will cause himself to be a cancer in the body of Christ must be dealt with.

The question now cones, Is it wise to put oneself under someone who can discipline you rather than enjoy your freedom?

The Bible let us know that it is wise to put yourself under someone who can punish you when you go wrong because of the following reasons.

 

DISCIPLINE BRINGS WISDOM

If anyone does wrong and is punished for his wrong doing, He will become wise. In Proverbs 29:15, the Bible says:

 

“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother shame.”

 

In Proverbs 15:5, the Bible says:

“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction:but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”

Proverbs 25: 5 also says:

“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”

 

If you take discipline whenever it becomes necessary, you must be a prudent fellow. As a matter of fact, the Bible says discipline is a desirable thing.

 

In Psalm 141:5, David said:

 

“Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head.”

 

The Bible says if you are wise and somebody disciplines you, you will love the fellow. However, if you are foolish, you will hate him for it.

 

Proverbs 9:8 says, “Reprove not a scorner lest he hate you, rebuke a wise man and he shall love thee.”

 

If you are disciplined and you hate the person who disciplines you, then you must know the type of person you are a scorner! but if you are a wise man, whoever disciplines you becomes your friend.

 

Those who are under a leader must joyfully receive discipline from him, and they must even fall in love with him for doing so.

 

HOW CAN THE LEADERS BE DISCIPLINED?

Now the question arises, ‘What about the leader himself? From whom will he receive his own discipline?’

 

Unfortunately, there is none except God. This is one of the reasons you must always pray for your leaders.

 

If you make a mistake, your leader will punish you and God will leave you alone. In the case of your leader, there is nobody to punish him.

 

For forty years, Moses led the children of Israel in the wilderness. Whenever they sinned, he would run to God to go and beg and God will forgive them.

 

When Moses sinned only once, there was nobody to beg for him. And that was the end of his own story.

 

In Revelation 2/1 God says that leaders are like stars in His hand. He is holding them like stars in His palm; they have nowhere to run to. If they make a mistake, all He has to do is close His hand.

 

That will be the end of such a leader. He said, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand…”

 

The seven stars stand for the seven leaders in the Seven churches.

 

God does not need to search for the leaders before He can catch then. It must be a good idea if only for two minutes, you pray for your leader, so that God will not destroy him.