Even Pastor hurt and grow weary

Every church and ministry has to deal with personality conflicts and intermittent discord. The writer of this book considers that normal. However, what he deals with in The Wounded Minister is the “growing phenomenon”, “major problem approaching crisis proportions” of “pathological antagonists” and their allies and sympathizes who launch systematic and sustained attacks on the leader of a church or ministry.

Dr. Kenneth Haugk, a clinic psychologist, defines pathological antagonists as “individuals who, on the basis of non-substantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity.” G. Llloyd-Rediger describes these antagonists as “clergy killers”, who have as their one major objective, to abuse or hurt the minister to the degree that they will leave the ministry. Rediger notes that this abuse is “increasing in epidemic proportions … it is a phenomenon that is verified by both research and experience.” He identifies clergy killers as “people who intentionally target pastors for serious injury or destruction.” (more…)

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I wonder how many testimonies you will hear from Pastors like myself who also got tired of the church game, didn’t know what to do about it, and when I prayed, there was great silence in Heaven (as well as on my part of the earth) so I quit!!

I pastored Foursquare churches fifteen years and an Assembly of God for eight. I finally got tired of pouring my heart out to people who just didn’t seem to “get It.” Oh, there were some with a good degree of zeal, but they went right off to Bible school and became ministers in their own right. This is not bad, but it left me with no one to help me. We had “glorious song services”, exiting prophecies, messages in tongues, testimonies, special singers and all the rest—but it didn’t seem to have any lasting effect on anybody. If we should have a rather dull service following one of the “glorious” ones, people were ready to leave. (more…)

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#4 in a series on THE 7 CHURCHES
Revelation 2:18-29Revelation 2:18-29
English: World English Bible - WEB
18 “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things: ¹⁹ I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first. ²⁰ But I have this against you, that you tolerate your TR, NU read “that” instead of “your” woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I will throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great oppression, unless they repent of her works. ²³ I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ²⁴ But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you. ²⁵ Nevertheless, hold firmly that which you have, until I come. ²⁶ He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations. ²⁷ He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots; as I also have received of my Father: ²⁸ and I will give him the morning star. ²⁹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

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Hebrews 10:24Hebrews 10:24
English: World English Bible - WEB
24 Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,

WP-Bible plugin “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Because of the love of Christ we are to encourage one another toward godliness.

How do you measure godliness?

• not by personal revelations, enthusiasm or lack of, not sacrifice
• it’s giving God no less love, submission, obedience, worship than he deserves.

TO GIVE TO GOD NO LESS OF OUR LIVES THAN HE DESERVES.

“In view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your reasonable act of worship.” Romans12:1  In View of God.

A. Who is Jesus?

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#6 in a series on the 7 Churches of Revelation
Gerry Peters
Revelation 3:7-13Revelation 3:7-13
English: World English Bible - WEB
7 “To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: “He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things: ⁸ “I know your works , that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name. ⁹ Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹ I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. ¹³ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

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If you’ve watched the news this past week (November 28, 1993r 28, 1993
English: World English Bible - WEB
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

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The Philadelphia Church cannot be charged with the same complacency. They saw a world without Christ. They saw friends and acquaintances destined to an eternity without Christ. They were small in number, little in strength, but rather than shrug it off, they persisted in doing what they could do. This is the Church Jesus loved. I challenge you to examine it closely with me.

A. The City (7)

The City was named Philadelphia by King Attalus II of Pergamum. He named it as a tribute to his brother whom he loved. As you may know the meaning of Philadelphia is “Brotherly Love”. At the time of this writing, the city and hence this Church was virtually new.

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1 Thessalonians 1:1-101 Thessalonians 1:1-10
English: World English Bible - WEB
Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians ^{1 1} Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ² We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father. ⁴ We know, brothers The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” loved by God, that you are chosen, ⁵ and that our Gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead— Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

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All the basic ingredients that our Lord wants in a church were in this Thessalonian congregation. The Epistle that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to lay out for them and us the pattern of the church that Christ builIt. The pattern contains no reference to the number of members.  Paul didn’t us about the programming, the kind of sermons that were to be preached, or the music we should sing.  Neither does he ell us about the Sunday School or the style of Worship Service.

However, it does tell us about the spiritual elements of the Thessalonians and what should be ours.

A. Our Heart Qualities

When Paul sat down to talk to the Thessalonians, just good thoughts, blessings, reason to glory came to his mind.

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1 Peter 2:4-101 Peter 2:4-10
English: World English Bible - WEB
4 coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. ⁵ You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.” ⁷ For you therefore who believe is the honor, but for such as are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected, Has become the chief cornerstone,” ⁸ and, “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. ⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: ¹⁰ who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

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A. As You Come To Him (4)
1. “Come” is an action of continuance
Constantly coming.  This is not referring to that moment of salvation when you come to Christ.  This is not referring to the person that thinks he’s arrived. This is speaking of those that are practicing 1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 ¹ Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,

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a. You’re either in rehab or denial.
Which sin are you struggling to get rid of?
b. You can’t come without grace.
Why?  Because the risk is too great.  The root of your sin is selfishness.  Your glory and reputation is what’s all important (1:24). “If I take off the mask, they’ll see me as I really am.” If you allow yourselves to be exposed without grace you are left standing naked and pitiful.  Might as well jump in a wolves den basted in barbecue sauce. 

In a Church without grace (legalism) nobody would dare expose themselves as they really are.  Sin is either excused or abused….both are deadly.

That’s why it is of ultimate importance to:
(1) Understand who are God is.
(2) Understand who man is.

c. You can’t come without brokenness.
A quote from “The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning. “Getting honest with ourselves does not make us unacceptable to God.  It does not distance us from God, but draws us to him–as nothing else can–and opens us anew to the flow of grace.  While Jesus calls each of us to a more perfect life, we cannot achieve it on our own.  To be alive is to be broken; to be broken is to stand in need of grace.  It is only through grace that any of us could dare to hope that we cold become more like Christ.” (p.85)

d. You can’t come alone.
And that’s why, in the picture of grace, Peter shows a picture of the SPIRITUAL HOUSE, the Church Universal.  Not an organization of religion and rules and liturgy. A house, moulded by grace, to extent praise to God.

B. The Living Stone. (4)
Matt. 16:15-18Matt. 16:15-18
English: World English Bible - WEB
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ I also tell you that you are Peter, Peter’s name, Petros in Greek, is the word for a specific rock or stone. and on this rock Greek, petra, a rock mass or bedrock. I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

WP-Bible plugin, Jesus is asking Peter.  “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

1. The solid rock is Peter’s confession.
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter’s thoughts may be back to that day when he writes these words.
a. A Living Stone.  The basis of what the Church is all about.  What WBC is all about. My faith.  lt’s living in that it is personal.  

A first-nation tribe was receiving some ancient artefacts from a museum.  They touched them and wept.  “These are living emblems to us.”

b. A Life-giving Stone (5)
“You also are like living stones.”  My life is Christ. For me to live is Christ.  Our faith is not dead but alive and growing.  We are an alive, spiritual houses that is giving life to those without.

c. A Corner Stone. (7)
The most valued stone.  The focus.  He’s what holds us together. It’s with his strength and resources that we go on tomorrow.  It’s like Him we seek to grow to become.

C. The Living Stones
Understanding, we can only be this by God’s grace.  With the grace measurement scale we look from God’s eyes. 

1. Two Types of Teaching

2. The reality of who you are a. You are Living Stones
b. You are a Chosen People
c. You are a Royal Priesthood
d. You are a Holy Nation
e. You are a People Belonging to God

3. The ramifications of grace.
a. You are being built (5)
There’s a place of significance in God’s framework for you.  He values you in His house
b. Your sacrifice is pleasing (5)
What did you bring to the Lord today.  If you are a child of God, He shed tears of delight.
c. You have the right. (8)
Because you belong to the family of God, through the eyes of grace, you can declare the praises of God.

Grace in the Church.
1. Is Broken
2. Allows others to be broken.
3. Practices Servant Leadership

The Lord’s Supper is the greatest expression of grace.  Jesus gave Himself.   Without a fight. Without pointing a finger.  He loved and forgave.  He served us.   Looked at us and asked, what is their need…I’ll supply it.

Our Deacons distribute the bread and the cup, saying, “I want to serve you….what is your need?”
You in turn pass the bread and the cup, symbolic of saying, “I want to serve you…what is your need?”

4. See others as God sees them.

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