DISCOURAGMENTS (With the Church)
DISCOURAGEMENT (Especially within the Church)
“Now the just shall live by faith;
but if any man draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are
not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38-39.
I have written this blog as an attempt to help any who may have been
hurt, especially in the service of the Lord, lest they draw back, or even turn
away. May the Grace of God and the love of Jesus keep you in the palm of His mighty
hands.
INDEX:
- WITHIN THE CHURCH LIFE
- LET DOWNS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
- BETRAYAL
- FAILED EXPECTATIONS
- THE ENEMY THAT BLINDSIDES US
- IGNORANCE AND CARELESSNESS
- IMBALANCE
- UNHEALTHY PURSUITS AND AMBITIONS (personal testimony)
INDEX:
- WITHIN THE CHURCH LIFE
- LET DOWNS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
- BETRAYAL
- FAILED EXPECTATIONS
- THE ENEMY THAT BLINDSIDES US
- IGNORANCE AND CARELESSNESS
- IMBALANCE
- UNHEALTHY PURSUITS AND AMBITIONS (personal testimony)
- OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANS
- ELEVATING LEADERSHIP
- DANGEROUS LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION
- STUMBLING BLOCKS AND STEPPING STONES
- CONCLUSION
WITHIN THE CHURCH LIFE
THE CHURCH – DEFINITION from the Greek word EKKLESIA – called out = the believers and followers of Jesus (called out of the world and unto Him)
- ELEVATING LEADERSHIP
- DANGEROUS LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION
- STUMBLING BLOCKS AND STEPPING STONES
- CONCLUSION
WITHIN THE CHURCH LIFE
THE CHURCH – DEFINITION from the Greek word EKKLESIA – called out = the believers and followers of Jesus (called out of the world and unto Him)
The Church in the Biblical terms
are all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (and are in covenant with
Him).
THE CHURCH - Man’s Organizations – most have begun with a move of God’s Holy Spirit, but over the years
may have sunk into traditions and doctrines of men. Within each of these
organizations are genuine believers, and that includes the leadership. I do not
wish to be arrogant here, but having spent almost all of my life being involved
in churches of some kind or another I am merely speaking from what I have
observed and experienced, and I am speaking in the great fear of the Lord.
I have also found that in the
churches that uphold the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, one tends to find a
higher percentage of genuine, born again believers, and the leadership are
usually strong disciples and more capable at feeding the flock of God. I have
also found ‘born again’ believers in the older, traditional, churches, even
though they would never call themselves that, or even recognize themselves as
such. But, in every church, as with any human gathering, there are always
problems.
“We know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother
abides in death.” 1
John 3:14
“The discretion of a man defers his
anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression (offense).” Proverbs
19:11
“These things I (Jesus) have spoken
unto you, so that in Me you might have peace; in the world you shall have
tribulation, but be of good
courage: I have overcome the world.”
John16:33
In life, even in our pursuit of Christ, we must expect to face
discouragements, let downs, frustrations, disappointments, along with all the
other trials and tribulations that a believer should anticipate. What may be
more difficult is attempting to reconcile the sources from which they can come.
The apostle Paul, even while approaching the time of his death, before he
appeared before Nero the second time wrote Timothy, “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I
pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord
stood with me, and strengthened me…” 2 Timothy 4:16-17 Here he is abandoned, after the multitude of
things he has already endured, and now nearing the end of his ministry and life
when he has to face the tyrant, Emperor Nero, he is left on his own. We often
may think that at the end of our lives things should be good now, but that may
be a little presumptuous . This world is not our home – our true home is yet to
come. Jesus said, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13
BETRAYAL
Joseph, who was betrayed and sold by his
brothers is a tremendous example of persistent faith bearing up under severe betrayal
and hurt. He continued serving the Lord with all his heart at whatever task he
was given and did not allow bitterness and resentment to consume him, in spite of all
the injustices he faced, and he ended the event with gracious forgiveness. What
is more, because of his servant’s heart, he brought the blessing of God into
every situation he was found in in spite of the pain which had doubtlessly haunted him.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was
betrayed by His own disciple “For it was
not an enemy that reproached Me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he
that hated Me that did magnify himself against Me; then I would have hid myself
from him. But it was you, a man My equal, My guide, and My acquaintance
(friend). We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in
company. Psalm 55:12-14 Although
likely a personal experience of David’s, it is also a prophetic verse foretelling
of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. We can see, and certainly know, that Jesus really
loved him. What is more, Jesus own people betrayed Him, and His disciples
abandoned Him, and so did we all… But what was His loving and gracious response
while they crucified Him…? “FATHER,
FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.” Luke 23:34 He has
called us to endure and respond in the same way when we are afflicted, and by
His grace and Holy Spirit within us, we can.
Whether concerning people or things, our expectations, unless they are by
a revelation from God, can end up in a deep disappointment leading to
discouragement or worse. We can assume to know or believe something and then
feel let down when it does not come to pass as we expected, or when we
expected. This can be very dangerous. “Hope
differed makes the heart sick.” Proverbs 13:12
As with so many things, a hope or an expectation
misplaced, whether by assumption, incorrect information, treachery, or
deception, can lead us to a disastrous conclusion. All our hopes must be
finally grounded in an unconditional trust in the Lord Jesus Christ regardless
of what turns out, He is our Prize, He is our Shield and Exceeding Great Reward
(Genesis 15:1). “…And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received
not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they
without us should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40. There are always reasons why things do not
work out the way we anticipate, hope, or think/believe. The world and God’s
Kingdom, are so much bigger than ourselves, so we do not know all the reasons
why things turn out the way they do, but we must trust God’s Goodness, and that
He is surely doing what is best. As a side note, Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe was
reproved by the Lord because he felt that he was getting a raw deal even though
he had been faithfully serving the Lord all along: however, he was not taking
into account the state of affairs that Judah was undergoing at the time. “…Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, that which I
have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up,
even this whole land. And you seek great things for yourself?’” Jeremiah 45:4-5
THE ENEMY THAT BLINDSIDES US
We must never forget that we are in a battle, and have an enemy who continually
endeavors to thwart our best intentions, and blessings that can come our way. “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even
I Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Perhaps far too often when things go
wrong, fail, or what not, we turn around and blame those closest to us, including
the Lord, or anyone that we figure is involved. True the devil uses people
(including us), and no doubt they, and even we ourselves are oblivious to it. Oh
how we need the understanding, wisdom, and discernment of God, to perceive when our
adversary is up to something. He (the devil) loves it when we point fingers and we inflict
hurt on each other, and he wins if we give in.
Therefore, we are to endure
hardship as a good soldier of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Timothy 2:3, and, “In your
patience, possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19
IGNORANCE AND CARELESSNESS
Our ignorance is a dangerous enemy.
Poor judgment, wrong conclusions, improper evaluations, all which lead us to hurt, bitterness, resentments,
disillusionment. Look friends, we all struggle with these at times, and yet
often blame the Lord, or precious friends, and even family, for letting us
down. “A man’s own folly ruins his life,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.” Proverbs 19:3 NIV.
The ignorance and carelessness of others can cause much harm, as
we have all experienced, and no doubt have done. In such cases we need to be
gracious and patient even as the Lord is patient to us, and likely many others have been with
us. “Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
Colossians 3:13
IMBALANCE
This is a common tendency for believers. Zeal, enthusiasm, dedication, if
not harnessed carefully can produce various problems and even hurtful
situations; neglect of other responsibilities, neglect of family, and health. Exhaustion…burnout
follows closely behind along with other breakdowns. If we continually drive our
vehicles without giving it the proper maintenance, what should we expect? Jesus
said, “Come unto Me all you that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn
of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your
souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 If we
over extend ourselves we not only hurt ourselves, but also those dependent on
us – our families, especially the children. Please be careful and make sure you
are being directed of the Lord, and are allotting time for all your needs and
responsibilities, including rest. Develop the ability to say, “No.” when
necessary (except to the Lord). Often, when things go wrong, we blame others first.
UNHEALTHY PURSUITS and AMBITIONS
Another lethal deception that can
creep in ever so subtly and lead to disaster are pursuits that are out of
balance. There may very well be nothing wrong with the object pursued, it may be
in the Lord, like the ministry, doing charity work, or even a wholesome
career. The issue may be just in our
heart, and we have no one else to blame. When I was a young man and had met the
Lord, I felt totally satisfied and that all I was looking for in life I found
in Him. John 6:35 became my reality since that time; however I felt that there
was something that I should be doing with my life, but I had no idea what. Now
I had gotten saved on my own outside the church, so to speak, by reading just a
few chapters in the Bible. At the time I was not going to any church.
I was raised Roman Catholic, and had since ceased to go to Mass. One day at a
new job I noticed that there was something different about the janitors, and
they played strange music (Christian rock in its early days). So I cornered one
of them and asked if he was a Christian, which he obviously was. He told me
that I should be serving the Lord. That was it! That was what I was looking
for. I had always wanted to serve the Lord since I was a young boy. Anyways, to
keep the story short I dropped everything and gave myself wholly to serving the
Lord.
Now the church they had invited me
to was an independent Charismatic full Gospel fellowship. It was radically
different from anything I experienced. People were getting saved, healed, and
filled with the Holy Ghost. It was absolutely exciting. I couldn’t get enough.
What is more, the Senior Pastor, a very godly man, was intending to train and
'ordain' leaders for the ministry. That was precisely what I was looking for. I
dropped everything (except work), and jumped in with both feet. I went to every
meeting, every class, every event, every outreach opportunity, and in my spare
time did outreaches on my own. I could do all this because I was not married.
This went on for over a decade. I was actually living at the church as the
caretaker, and I was hoping to help the pastor so that he would be freed up to
do all the outreach he had planned. What I couldn’t figure out was why things were
dying and going backwards instead of forward (conflict had entered the fellowship). I was mad at him because I felt
he was not fulfilling his God Given Vision to spread the Gospel throughout the
Yukon Territory. We were located in Whitehorse. Then one day the pastor took me
aside and told me that he was retiring, and he was passing the church on to the
former assistant pastor. Not only was I shocked, because I felt that he would never retire, but I did not like that idea of this other pastor. Although he was an excellent pastor, I felt that he did not have the same vision to make this work a training base to send
teams throughout the north. Then he went on to tell me that he did not want me
to take over the work because he felt that I would hurt people (he was right
there). Now I never thought of myself being pastor, let alone lead pastor,
especially there, but he also suggested that I move on and leave. That
devastated me. Here I had given the best years of my life, my strength, all my money, all my time and
energy with the hopes of getting ordained and being a part of an on fire for
God ministry to reach the world for Jesus, and I was being sent away empty
handed and humiliated. I had explained to my parents and family what I was
doing, and now I am being turned away with nothing to show for all my work,
dedication, and sacrifice. Instead I was being turned away like a fool (so to speak) with nothing but
the clothes on my back. I had no interest in any other career or pursuit. I
will not mention temptations that tried to overtake me at that point, but for the grace of God and because He had become my Life and Mainstay before I began
this pursuit, I could have perished with my dream.
The Scripture says, “For you are
dead, and your life is hid with CHRIST in GOD.” Colossians 3:3
Without even realizing it, we can take up our
lives in this world again if our hopes, desires, and affections are attached
to anything in this world. And should it go down, we can go down with it. When
the stock market crashed in the 1920’s, business men jumped out of high rise
buildings because their lives were bound to their financial investments. So
when their investments crashed, so did they - literally. The following verse
says, “When Christ, Who is our LIFE,
shall appear, we shall appear with Him in Glory.” Colossians 3:4
Christ Jesus is to be our Life,
and not even anything we do for Him. He is a Jealous God, and will take second
place to NONE. “…and thou shalt have no
other gods before Me.” Because He is
the true and Living God, anything we put in His place, by default we are making
that a god.
I did not realize I had drifted
that far off course. I thought that everything I was doing was for the Lord,
and to an extent it was. But I was also serving a personal ambition that I was
not consciously aware of, and did not recognize it until it came crashing down.
There were warning signs which I did not recognize, nor was likely able to
because of my arrogance. Arrogance was one warning sign which is blind to itself
since it has an overinflated value of self. Along with that was an increasing anger and
hostility toward those who were not doing what I thought they should be doing.
Resentment and bitterness were also thriving. What blinded me the most was my
self-justification. After all, I was using the Bible. I had some slight
suspicions regarding the growing lack of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in some of my
attitudes towards the brothers in Christ. Nonetheless, the Lord mercifully
spared me, and many others from me - praise His Holy Name!
I have written this with the hopes
that if you have drawn back, and are struggling with bitterness and resentment
because of past disappointments or let downs, and are holding God’s people, or
even the Lord Himself responsible. Perhaps this may be of assistance to
help you see from a different perspective. There are times when others are at
fault, but do not neglect to consider any of our own guilt that we are liable for.
Nor forget to be gracious, because more times than we realize, we have hurt
people, most likely unintentionally, and have been oblivious to it. We may have
even been used by the devil thinking we are serving God, and have caused real
harm. Matthew 16:22-23, John 16:2. As the Scriptures says, “He shall bring forth judgment unto
truth/victory.” Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20 When we see from His perspective, He liberates us and brings us to His
place of healing, love, forgiveness, peace, joy, and forgetting those things
that are behind so we can reach toward what is ahead.
OFFENSIVE CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES
There are definitely people and situations that have done untold damage through the Church. As Jesus said, "Offences will come...", and some by ignorant and well meaning people right from within the church, and some by just vicious and ignorant people who claim to be believers. The apostle Paul called them false brothers. I would not dare to be quick to call someone a false brother, because God alone knows the hearts. The behavior of a careless and ignorant person can be every bit as damaging and hurtful as that of a false brother, yet they may very well be a earnest believer in Jesus. Nonetheless, we must never allow the actions of people, saint or sinner, to shake our faith in Jesus, nor hinder our obedience to God our Heavenly Father. Jesus said that offences will come, and woe to the person through whom they come. That is why we need to pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us, and be ever so careful we do not do so to others. EXPECT IT, YOU WILL GET HURT. People are people, in the house of God and outside the house of God. What makes it worst, is because we are suppose to be family, and more than that, we should know better."Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:7 FORGIVE!!! This is non negotiable command from our ALMIGHTY GOD AND FATHER, "Forgive, just as God in Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 Our failure to forgive can lead to our own destruction. Please, let us forgive!
Sometimes, especially if the offense is from a church group, we still forgive, but it may be best to cancel the debt, walk away, but follow Jesus from another standing point. Some situations may be unhealthy, and there even may be a violation of the Scriptures, as in a legalistic church fellowship, where there is abuse and an un-Christlike treatment of people who do not meet the standards of adherents. Yes, the best thing that may have happened to you is being excluded from their midst. But in all of this, stay close to Jesus, be on guard against bitterness and unforgiveness, and abide in the love of Christ. He loves you so much. Keep your heart tender and keep following Jesus.
ELEVATING LEADERSHIP
We are to hold leaders in honor,
even double honor “1 Timothy 5:17, submit
ourselves to them in the Lord Hebrews
13:17, but we are to be disciples of Jesus only. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13, Matthew 23:8-10. Everything has its place,
and so does everyone. When something is out of place or someone is out of order,
that can cause serious problems. God places people in our lives to help
disciple us in Jesus, and help us grow into a place of maturity where we can
help others grow in Christ. The leaders God places in our lives are there for
our benefit from the Lord, but we must be careful not to place them in our
hearts and minds above where they should be. That can harm not only ourselves,
but them as well. What is more, people will fail us, even if we are not
elevating them out of place, but by being in a place of submission
through a bad decision on their part, carelessness, and whatever else, we can be vulnerable
to be hurt by them, and they may be completely unaware of it. At this point there
are several things we can and should do:
1 – let them know Matthew 18:15-18 Actually this applies to whoever hurts us.
1 – let them know Matthew 18:15-18 Actually this applies to whoever hurts us.
2 – Forgive them from your heart regardless if they acknowledge your hurt
or not. This is a non-negotiable Matthew
6:12, 14-15 As Jesus said in verse
14, we must completely cancel their debt, even the way God does for us.
3 – Do not spread bitterness! Hebrew
12:15
4 – Keep faithful in serving Jesus the way Joseph did, and do not let
bitterness and resentment, destroy your love, faith, joy, and service.
5 – Be careful not to let yourself be in a vulnerable position for
another hurt. Notice how David would not allow Saul to be close to him, even
after he (Saul) earnestly admitted that he was in the wrong for hunting and trying to
kill him. This happened twice, and David could see that the thing that caused
Saul to hunt him did not change, so he was careful not to leave himself and his
men vulnerable to him.
One other concern about elevating
someone unwisely, is the possibility that they may fail you and your
expectations, and without knowing it, you were actually following them and not the Lord, and then feel disillusioned about serving Jesus. They are not God, and we are to “Let us fix our eyes on JESUS, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:2 NIV
DANGEROUS LEADERSHIP
There are also times when a leader
can be dangerous. If we find ourselves excited about a leader or some ministry
more that Jesus, first check your own heart, and then here are some things to
consider about the leader/leadership:
a. Flattering individuals and or the congregation
b. Promising greater liberty and more of the Lord than other churches and
implying or stating outright that they are ‘the people’ and everyone else is deceived
c. Not allowing his people to listen to other ministries or acknowledge
other churches
d. He is not subject to other authority
e. Exalting his own teachings above the Bible
f. The gospel is about performance and gain, and not grace
g. If there is a tolerated level of sensuality or lust
h. Belittling the people who are not fully co-operating, and using
manipulative tactics like guilt, and saying they are failing God if they do not do such and such…
i. Drawing disciples after themselves
WARNING!!!
These are extreme cases, and this list is not meant for it to be held
up against leaders because of evil suspicions or
bad attitudes you may have. Then you will surely find ‘grievous’ faults, (“Love thinks not evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:5),
especially if you have been offended in some way. When we are not acting in
love we become blind and do shameful, hurtful, and evil things, ourselves.
“And this is my prayer: that your
love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you
may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day
of Christ…” Philippians 1:9-10
RECOGNITION
We all want people to acknowledge and appreciate us, but that too must go
to the cross, remember, “…you are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God…” Colossians 3:3 2 “…but unto your
Father which is in secret: and you Father, which sees in secret, shall reward
you openly.” Matthew 6:18 There are times when a simple ‘Thank you’ or a
note of appreciation given is nice, but in our hearts we turn and give all the
glory to the Lord. After all, everything we do is for Him and through Him, and
being able to serve and glorify Him is reward in itself. Really, in the end, everything we do is out of faith, love, and thankfulness, and
the privilege and honor is ours. Thank You Lord Jesus!
Dear friends, I want to acknowledge that the answers I have given will seem to be simply 'pat answers', especially if you have been severely hurt or wounded, and I fully understand. Please bear with me as I give a little advise from my own experience. Be steadfast! Be steadfast in your most private and personal time with the Lord. Take time to be with Him alone and do so constantly. Stay in the Word/Bible. Keep it fresh within your spirit, it is a defensive weapon. Run to Jesus for your healing "He heals the broken heart, and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3 And any of us who have walked with Him for any time can testify to this. Next, find a place of refreshing in Him, and helpful, God fearing, company. And if you can, and it is the Lord's will, remove yourself from the hurtful situation, at least until the Lord binds up the wound and changes the circumstance.
- STUMBLING BLOCKS AND STEPPING STONES
All events in our life are a trial of faith, and they can either be stumbling blocks, or stepping stones, and an opportunity to glorify the Lord. The choice is ours, and how we respond to adversity will determine what they will be. Let us stay humble and close to Him.
CONCLUSION
Discouragements, disappointments, and let downs are a part of life and a test of our faith. Expect them, keep you eyes and heart fixed on Jesus, and walk in Love. He is waiting for you on the other side.
CONCLUSION
Discouragements, disappointments, and let downs are a part of life and a test of our faith. Expect them, keep you eyes and heart fixed on Jesus, and walk in Love. He is waiting for you on the other side.
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