Would you fellowship part three

With the exception (I think) of people who work for the IRS, I've worshiped with all the above at our local mission. Most of the folks are dirty, smelly, hungry and cautious but we volunteered to help with the music portion of the church service once a week.

Just like us, they need the Lord. Most of them warm up to you eventually. And many are saved through the effort.

Doing mission work is quite a blessing. Much better than just reading about or discussing missions. It's refreshing to get your hands dirty in it. :thumbs:

 

If you cannot fellowship withthe lost, then you are not doing God's will and their souls will be on your shoulders, and you will answer to God come judgment.

 

Quoted by LaymensTermsPlease
Quoted from unknown Bible

What I've studied of early Church Fathers like Origen of Alexandria, the early church put new prospective church members on probation under the mentorship of Christians selected for the purpose. The tutoring period was TWO YEARS. So from the time that a person said the believer's prayer, there was a two year period to adjust to proper Christian behavior.

My trailer Verse trumps 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. :laugh:


-

 

What in the world is the difference between hanging out with them and discussing biblical things, and having biblical fellowship???

 

I put all of the above except IRS agent as a joke, I have actually worshiped with an IRS agent before.
He was also a pastor and a friend of my dads. I was good friends with his sons until i was about 12 or so. Haven't seen them in years.
Since the pastor at our church and the jail chaplain are one and the same, we get a lot of people in our church from the jail. Most are professing Christians.
A few show evidence over time.
Most all have commited most of the sins listed.
Most are probably still struggling with some of them.

 

the difference

The difference is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. My unsaved neighbors are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit.

 

I have no problem with your statement ... but I do not think it answered the question. Originally Posted by corndogggy
What in the world is the difference between hanging out with them and discussing biblical things, and having biblical fellowship???. :wavey:

 

If you do any witnessing at all, at some point in time you are going to be sitting side by side with an unchurched individual. Praise God that your witness has got that individual into services with you. If you got that person into church it stands to reason that you have already given the plan of salvation to them. They may have even responded to the call of salvation in your own private session. That being the case, they are probably there to get more understanding and to make a decision for Church membership.

The issue I see with the choices are that if any of these are church members and their sin is open before men, they are to be brought before the Church and admonished. If their activity continues then the Church is to turn them out.

However there is no doubt that any congregation of any size will have members that have hidden secret sin. No one, outside of the Holy Spirit, will have any ability to convict or judge them. When the Holy Spirit convicts and there is repentance they are to be restored to full fellowship in the spirit of brotherly love.

By the by, why should I fear the tax man? :laugh:

I would have a harder time sitting next to a reprocess agent.

 

All of the above

 

Imagine what it would be like if the world saw an open rebuke against the health-wealth folks who preach a false gospel while they live lavishly off of the money given to them?

I cannot help but think that the world would applaud us and come closer to seeing real Christianity. Instead, they often see the false teachers and what they call "idiots" who are deceived and follow those false teachers.

 

Jesus called a tax collector to follow Him.

I wonder if he was a re-publican?

 

Does that mean that you talk about different things, or that you just have a holier-than-thou attitude towards them now and are expecting that to go away, or what?

 

gb93433 has given a good question. One that I'd like to see happen as well.

 

Ok.....I have a question. Not to totally diss the author of the thread, but I am wondering what the purpose of the question is? Seriously. It might infact be a good question, depending on the intent. Is it to say that we somehow are doing something good by worshiping with these types of people? Does the thread author feel that grace is somehow imparted to those who worship with the most "bottom of the barrel" members of society? Besides, how are we to know that folks fit into these categories. Many professing Christians might be part of some of these groups of people.

Why is it that we feel the need to worship with the lowly unregenerate? Why not simply witness to them and love them, then go worship with the saints of God?

Again, I fail to see the logic in the question.


-Kevin

 

Some people don't realize that my trailer scripture is REALLY, REALLY something about which we should be serious.


IMHO. But in your heart - you know I'm right!. :saint:

-Saint Ed

 

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?


2 Corinthians 6:17-18*
*17 Therefore
“ Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “ I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”


While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 9:9-

Jesus said to the Pharisees-The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" (Matthew 21:31)

Jesus fellowship with these types of people yet with one goal in mind. Imo, If we are to hang out (fellowship) with these folks, witnessing to them needs to be our ultimate goal. Otherwise, we could be unequally yoked.

Imo, we usually need to spend social time with people in order to win them to the Lord. People who say otherwise probably haven't won too many souls. Your heart must be involved in the process, otherwise you could come off as caulice like JW's at someone's doorstep.

Last summer when we lived in our hometown for just a year, I or my wife would go on short walks with a married Lesbian who was new to the area. She was highly educated, held a good job, but certainly not someone we would normally spend social time with. She reminded me of Roseanne Barr, with a little more class.

I believe she meant to start a new life as a lesbian in this town, but God intervened.

She hinted about pushing "the agenda", talked of gay day at school, but I would change the subject. It was going to come to a head, but I postponed it until we got to know one another better. By then, she was so fond of us, it didn't matter what we said.

She brought up arguments, we refuted it, and I lost patience with her at times. We couldn't witness to her effectively and bring her to our own Baptist church, no way. So we went visiting 3-4 times to the local Lutheran church with her, where we know many of the members already.
Her 14 yr old daughter came around quicker than she did, ended up witnessing to her own mother due to what she learned from us. We didn't even have them all over for dinner. We always had planned activities outside our home.
Her husband was to retire in a year and move with the family but you could see, she was trying to make up excuses for him not to come. To break free in starting a new life, and indoctrinating her kids into believing this lifestyle was acceptable. She was doing a good job of it.

Now the good news- Her husband moved up early, and their whole family are now members of the Lutheran church. She said no one there is aware she ever had those struggles, so that's a good thing. She got out of that phase pretty quickly when she got saved.

Her Pastor and I ride bikes together, he said she has grown her hair long. Husband is coming around also, and asked about baptism.

When I first met her, I knew she was looking for reasons to divorce her husband. You never know what God has planned for others, so they may just come around quicker than you expect.

 

Wonderful!

This was very exciting to read this!

 

I checked yes to every one of them.

Last time I checked I still commit sins sometimes...so, its a no brainer.

Of course I would worship with them. What else is one to do...SHUN them?

I think we all know what Christ has to say about that attitude.

Mike

 

Luke 30-31 (TNIV = Today's New International Version /Zondervan, 2006):

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."




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