Pastor, Father, Grandfather who loves Jesus
Pastor,
Is it a bundle of contradiction to say “very Rev” or by using that expression does one mean “rev rev”?
~ Naa Oboshi, Ghana
Dear Naa,
All glory, honor, and praise should go to Jesus Christ and not to His servants (Psalm 30:4; 48:1, 10; Revelation 5:12-13).
Titles should be identifiers and not status symbols.
~ Pastor Chris
Pastor Chris,
Thank you for taking time to answer our questions. My name is Prince from Southern Africa. I am a member of a certain Christian church. It is a good Christian church that preaches the true word of God, but somehow there are times we are not taught the word properly, actually many times. There is another church where I have seen that the word of God is taught much more definite and accurately. I have always followed the teachings of that other church. I have gotten to the point where I am inspired more in that other church than in my church. I have been thinking of moving to the other church. Now my question is how to know the right church for me. Do I stay or do I move?
Prince
Dear Prince,
I am thankful that you take your church membership seriously. The church is the body of Christ and a vibrant congregation is a powerful witness to a dark world in need of the light of the Good News.
It is obvious to me that you already have your heart with the other church. There is nothing wrong with that. Just make sure that your motive is to glorify Jesus Christ by maturing in the faith so that you may serve Him effectively and well.
A good book that I recommend for you is I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference by Thom S. Rainer. You will find many helpful insights in this book.
Pastor Chris
Our college pastor California said three things I disagree with and would like to get your perspective. These things are very important to me as the youth that hear his sermons i care for and want to make sure arent being mislead.
His statements…
1. if you skip a bible study, sunday church service or dont read your bible for a day then God doesnt hear your prayers that day.
the verse he used, -God detests the prayers of a person who IGNORES the LAW. (Proverbs 28:9 NLT)
2. God doesnt hear the prayers of a fallen away believer or a prayer for a fallen away believer.
-the verse he used, Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people “ANYMORE.” (Jeremiah 14:11 NLT)
3. God doesnt hear your prayers if you have a unconfessed sin of any kind
-the verse he used If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. (Psalms 66:18 NLT)
(all other versions use cherished or regard, literal translations is if i had seen lawlessness… which leads me to believe that if i have a sin im not willing to forsake or try to justify God doesnt hear my prayers i.e. some one i know going to church and not willing to give up smoking weed after 2+years of accepting Christ then God doesnt hear that person.
i would like to hear what you think about the matter and what i should do about it i have calmly and respectfully confronted him alone only to be shut down and him backing up his views with out other scripture other than the book of Nahum saying God is a God that needs to be feared and revered…
David,
Your next step is to take your concerns to the Senior Pastor of your church.
God gives responsibility to pastors to shepherd His people which includes caring for them, feeding them, and protecting them. Acts 20:28-31, NIV, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!”
Ephesians 4:11-16 is also an important passage in regard to your concerns. It states additional responsibilities of pastors. “It was he (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Pastor Chris
Pastor,
A friend of mine who is gay asked if she and her friend can go to church with me and my husband this sunday, my husband is hesitant, what should we do?
~ Cathy
ANSWER
Cathy,
What are her motives? Is your friend genuinely interested in spiritual matters? Is she honestly interested in Christ? Or is she looking to make a scene? Is she seeking to try to justify her lifestyle? Is your church family spiritually mature enough to “love the sinner and hate the sin?”
Ask your pastor about this before proceeding in either direction. He needs to have time to prepare himself and the church leadership because this kind of thing is a spiritual battle (Hebrews 13:17; Ephesians 6:10-12) . The enemy has deceived these two young women and will use them to divide the church if possible. One pastor I heard about told a homosexual couple that they were welcome to attend but that he was not going to change the message of the Bible or permit them to teach or have a place of leadership in the church. I do not know if they decided to attend that church or not. Be upfront with the two young women and be upfront with your church leadership.
I remind you that Jesus was called a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19). Several of His disciples were social misfits. Many of the church members at Corinth came out of immoral lifestyles.
I pray that your church will find a way to minister to these two young women and help them find the Savior who is the only one who can meet their deepest needs for forgiveness, genuine love, and authentic relationship. Jesus wants to heal their hurting souls.
Pastor Chris
Pastor Chris,
What does the bible say about women pastors?
~ Misty
ANSWER
Misty,
The Bible records women actively serving God in a variety of roles. However, the New Testament assigns the office of pastor to men
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). For a deeper look into the subject I recommend these books:
Pastor,
I am a born again Christian but my problem is I don’t go to church, I do everything that God requires us to do. I study the word of God at home and very prayerful and even preach to others, but I have a weakness of not going to church, how do I overcome such a weakness.
Marshall,
1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV, reads, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Just as a body needs all of its parts to function properly, so the church needs all of its parts to function at its best (see 1 Corinthians 12). In other words, you need the church and the church needs you.
An excellent book for you is Church: Why Bother?
Pastor Chris,
I am looking for A PLACE WHERE I CAN RESEARCH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF NON DENOMINATIONAL CHURCHES. ( ASSEMBLY OF GOD. FULL GOSPEL.. WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS IN ALL OF THESE? AND WHICH ONE OF THEM ARE THE CLOSEST TO RELIGION… WHICH I WANT TO KEEP MYSELF AND FAMILY FAR AWAY FROM.. WHICH ONES ARE GOING TO BE THE CLOSEST TO BEING OPEN TO THE SPIRIT AND IT MEMBERS WORKING AS A BODY AND WITHOUT THE FEELING THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY CHURCH THAT IS RIGHT.. RECOGNIZING IT’S MEMBERS GIFTS AND DEVELOPING THEIR GIFTS IN THE SPIRIT . CHURCHES WHICH DO NOT HINDER THE SPIRIT .. FAR FROM A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT.
~ Cherie
Cherie,
As I read your email I see that you are already on the right track. Here are some additional thoughts for you to consider when looking for a church home:
Do they accept the Bible as authoritative for all matters of faith and daily living? Joshua 1:8
Do they preach Christ as the only way to God? John 14:6
Do they preach salvation by grace through faith in Christ? Ephesians 2:8-9
Do they seek to share Christ with others both here and around the world? Acts 1:8
Are they a loving fellowship? (love God and love others – Mark 12:30-31)
Do they worship in spirit and truth? John 4:24
Beyond these basics, you can only know a church by actively involving yourself in the life of that congregation. God will give you discernment as you seek His will in this matter. A good book on the subject is Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman.
~ Pastor Chris
