What's right?

[Southernscotty]

This is a question for all denominations to consider and help me to understand if I am off track somewhere here.

Paul says in 1 Cor, that I have become all things to all men that I might win some.
I get this.. Ok -- To the weak I became as one weak, To the strong, as strong. I understand "reaching" people is the goal in evangelism. and we accept people without accepting their sin.

BUT I was ask yesterday, to soften" my approach on sin because "times have changed" and sin is "just" sin...

Should I soften the Word of God when I preach to keep from hurting someones feelings or making them feel uncomfortable around others, I am talking about Someone who is involved in blasphemy, Someone who is in direct violation of God?.

I am sorry, but I refuse to water down the Word just to make someone feel good or not be offended.
The reason; because it is conviction and people need the truth so that they can repent and get right with God.

I have to tell the truth, because I am going to stand before God one day and I do not want to tell Him that I was afraid to share His Word because I might hurt someones feelings and that is why they are in hell.

Romans 10:14 -- How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
I am an equal opportunity minister in that if it is a sin, I will tell you. YET, I will never judge you for it [Not my job]
I will wrap an arm around your shoulder, Tell you I love you, Pray with you and do my God given best to help you to grow past it. But I will never tell you that it is ok.
Am I wrong here in standing for what I know to be truth? If I am, then obviously I have misunderstood the Word and do not need to be preaching it.
Our jails and prison systems are getting to where you cannot preach the truth without getting a violation or being thrown out. God help us as evil has taken over pulpits around the world and is currently preaching heresy to the masses.

1 Timothy 5:20
Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

[URL='https://www.biblestudytools.com/asv/2-timothy/4-2.html']2 Timothy 4:2 (ASV) preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.[/URL]

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Should I soften the Word of God when I preach to keep from hurting someones feelings or making them feel uncomfortable around others, I am talking about Someone who is involved in blasphemy, Someone who is in direct violation of God?.

No.
Always speak the words the Father Creator in heaven gives you to speak;
as HE does, right and true, perfect and gentle, just and correct, with uncompromising righteousness always.
Not as if quenching a smoldering wick, or breaking a weak twig- but realize the difference by the intuition/ revelation from Yahweh in spirit, and live and speak as He does, as Jesus Says to do.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

"OPEN REBUKE" ...... is better than hidden love (devious mischief) .....

 

[Dave-W]

I am sorry, but I refuse to water down the Word just to make someone feel good or not be offended.
The reason; because it is conviction and people need the truth so that they can repent and get right with God.

It is the Holy Spirit that brings conviction, not us. And He (the Spirit) brings things up in HIS own time frame. If we start trying to get ahead of HIM, we put people into condemnation. There is no grace to change until HE gives it.

1 Timothy 5:20
Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Written about those ALREADY in the church, not to outsiders.

 

[Albion]

I would say that being considerate of the other guy's feelings does not require us to water down anything.

If effective witnessing is the objective, it probably is best to choose ones words carefully when delivering the message.

 

[Southernscotty]

It is the Holy Spirit that brings conviction, not us. And He (the Spirit) brings things up in HIS own time frame. If we start trying to get ahead of HIM, we put people into condemnation. There is no grace to change until HE gives it.


Written about those ALREADY in the church, not to outsiders.

When standing behind the pulpit and preaching the Word, Should you rearrange the Word to keep from offending people?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

When standing behind the pulpit and preaching the Word, Should you rearrange the Word to keep from offending people?

What do you think.
People are and were offended by Jesus.

He said "Blessed are you if you find no offense in Me"

sinners (unrepentant) always think He is insulting them.

 

[Dave-W]

When standing behind the pulpit and preaching the Word, Should you rearrange the Word to keep from offending people?

That depends.

If you are preaching to the members, you can blast sin; as long as it is done in the proper way.

If you are preaching to mostly non-believers; talk about the need for salvation, and how HE died for us.

 

[Doug Melven]

Sin is "just" sin.
I would explain to the person who said that and tell just what sin is.
Just sin will take you farther than you want to go.
Just sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Just sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
.
Just sin has some serious side effects. Disease and death being just 2 of them.
I can tell you from personal experience that addiction is no fun at all. But it started out as "just sin".

I would urge you to stay the course. And every time you preach against sin, make sure they know the Cure.

 

[Southernscotty]

That depends.

If you are preaching to the members, you can blast sin; as long as it is done in the proper way.

If you are preaching to mostly non-believers; talk about the need for salvation, and how HE died for us.

See the problem is, That when you preach in jail or prisons, It is always a little different because you have guys who have never attended a church and they do not know how to behave, So they interrupt and they ask you questions. Hard ones too. lol This is why I ask this, because anything other than truth is a lie so I answer them as the Word says and I get in trouble.

 

[Southernscotty]

Sin is "just" sin.
I would explain to the person who said that and tell just what sin is.
Just sin will take you farther than you want to go.
Just sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Just sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
.
Just sin has some serious side effects. Disease and death being just 2 of them.
I can tell you from personal experience that addiction is no fun at all. But it started out as "just sin".

I would urge you to stay the course. And every time you preach against sin, make sure they know the Cure.

Yes Sir I do that, I tell them why sin is death. Course many of these guys are more interested in finding ways to beat it. They think they can beat the system God has in place somehow and slip in.

 

[LoricaLady]

I think it went like this with Paul.... "Okay this guy is a Jew, so I will put my first emphasis on how Messiah was a Jew, and the ways in which that was demonstrated, talk about fulfilled prophecies and so on. Now, with a guy or lady who is a pagan I would not emphasize those things to begin with. For example I pointed to the 'unknown god' of some pagans to help them see the One that represented."

It's a matter of emphasis, a matter of where you start in your discussion, not about changing the Word at all.

I do not feel we are to shout the truth from the rooftops all the time. We are told in Proverbs to be discrete in evil times. In fact, Messiah told us NOT to toss our pearls before the "swine." How do you know who the swine are and who the future saved will be? You probably don't have a clue. Therefore, as in all things, it is best to pray and let the Holy Spirit guide you to whomever, in whatever style is best for that person.

 

[Root of Jesse]

This is a question for all denominations to consider and help me to understand if I am off track somewhere here.

Paul says in 1 Cor, that I have become all things to all men that I might win some.
I get this.. Ok -- To the weak I became as one weak, To the strong, as strong. I understand "reaching" people is the goal in evangelism. and we accept people without accepting their sin.

BUT I was ask yesterday, to soften" my approach on sin because "times have changed" and sin is "just" sin...

Should I soften the Word of God when I preach to keep from hurting someones feelings or making them feel uncomfortable around others, I am talking about Someone who is involved in blasphemy, Someone who is in direct violation of God?.

I am sorry, but I refuse to water down the Word just to make someone feel good or not be offended.
The reason; because it is conviction and people need the truth so that they can repent and get right with God.

I have to tell the truth, because I am going to stand before God one day and I do not want to tell Him that I was afraid to share His Word because I might hurt someones feelings and that is why they are in hell.

Romans 10:14 -- How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
I am an equal opportunity minister in that if it is a sin, I will tell you. YET, I will never judge you for it [Not my job]
I will wrap an arm around your shoulder, Tell you I love you, Pray with you and do my God given best to help you to grow past it. But I will never tell you that it is ok.
Am I wrong here in standing for what I know to be truth? If I am, then obviously I have misunderstood the Word and do not need to be preaching it.
Our jails and prison systems are getting to where you cannot preach the truth without getting a violation or being thrown out. God help us as evil has taken over pulpits around the world and is currently preaching heresy to the masses.

1 Timothy 5:20
Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

2 Timothy 4:2 (ASV) preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

I believe you need to be honest. A good coach recognizes his players' weaknesses and helps them overcome them. Michael Jordan didn't make his high school basketball team, and asked his coach why. The coach told him that his free throw needed a lot of work, so Jordan set about to practice MAKING 500 freethrows a day. At first it took him all day into the night. As he got better, it took a couple hours. Then he went back to the coach and tried out again. He continued to probe his weaknesses to become arguably the greatest BB player in history.
In the same way, you should be honest. The ones who hate it the most, though, are the ones who wouldn't ask you about them, so with them, be honest but gentle. Some of us need a kick in the pants, and we should give them that, too. It just depends on the person. But honesty above all.

 

[LoricaLady]

When standing behind the pulpit and preaching the Word, Should you rearrange the Word to keep from offending people?

That would depend on how you were "offending" them. One can administer the truth with love or with a scowl and a sense of condemnation. Sometimes no matter what we do, no matter how gently we may present the truth, it will be rejected by some. Oh well. What matters to the Father is that we hold true to His Word with, again, love.

 

[Doug Melven]

See the problem is, That when you preach in jail or prisons, It is always a little different because you have guys who have never attended a church and they do not know how to behave, So they interrupt and they ask you questions. Hard ones too. lol This is why I ask this, because anything other than truth is a lie so I answer them as the Word says and I get in trouble.

That is a whole different scenario than preaching to a congregation of believers who chose to come to church.
You must be talking about one of the services where inmates can just come to the service without a pass.
I attended very few of these.
Most of the ones I attended were services that I had to make it a point to get a pass prior to the service.
The ones you are talking about I only attended those in jail and that was 10 years ago.
The CO's would open all the doors in that cellblock and whoever wanted to could go.
Some just wanted to get out of there cell.
If there is a way see if you can deflect the question for later and see if you can answer it one on one and don't let the service be interrupted.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

See the problem is, That when you preach in jail or prisons, It is always a little different because you have guys who have never attended a church and they do not know how to behave, So they interrupt and they ask you questions. Hard ones too. lol This is why I ask this, because anything other than truth is a lie so I answer them as the Word says and I get in trouble.

What specific trouble ?
Talking directly with criminals I find more 'refreshing' and honest and true in a way
than talking with 'churchies' who always seem to have an agenda and be hiding something, OR who sin and know it and don't want to give it up.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Stay with the Word.I don't go into prisons, but have won people by emphasizing God's pure love demonstrated by Lord Jesus' blood shed on the cross that cancels out our sin.
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Christ who knew no sin became sin taking away our sin through the shedding of His blood.
I could go further but you understand. People want to know how to be saved.They don't want to be beat over the head with their sin, especially if they have murdered someone and they want forgiveness. I have no idea what you sound like when you are preaching, but, just give the the truth in love, not in beating them across the head about their sin. Maybe this is what the person who spoke to you was talking about.Go in with hope for the hopeless, love for the loveless.They are in prison. They know all about sin, believe me. They are looking for a way out. Show them the way out.



]

 

[Southernscotty]

What specific trouble ?
Talking directly with criminals I find more 'refreshing' and honest and true in a way
than talking with 'churchies' who always seem to have an agenda and be hiding something, OR who sin and know it and don't want to give it up.

LOL Believe me, I love these guys and girls. They are awesome and are so hungry for the Word. However they can put you in a place sometimes. Instance: The [Homesexual group] sits together and some of the guys will look at them and think hey I better bring this up in church, So they say hey Chap, Does a homo go to heaven? So now I am in a situation to explain the bible viewpoint.
This is what I am specifically talking about.
It doesn't stop there, They call out everyone and I have to explain, The thoughts as bad as the action thing. etc etc: That Jesus loves them and is forgiving. But I will not lie. I tell what the Word says when ask.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Most people even out in 'freedom' may not want to hear nor accept the Truth of Scripture.

Just always tell the Truth, no matter what, and REJOICE at the opportunity to tell the BIBLE VIEWPOINT.

If someone saves a sinner from judgment, there is great rejoicing by all the angels in heaven for that one !

 

[Southernscotty]

It's just cons being cons you see. There is nothing taboo because everything is talked about in prison very openly. I appreciate the honesty and was only offended because [a group] answers these questions based on human reasoning and not the Word of God.
The bible is good news and conviction is a wonderful thing when the Holy Spirit works on someones heart. Who are we to try and stop it by not applying God's Word?