Making Distinctions and Breaking Fellowships

[tsth]

1 Corinthians 5

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

Are we willing to acknowledge this command? I don't believe that today's church wants to, because it would hinder the money flow, that is now required to keep the doors open.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[refugepsa91]

Would you care to say "why" you broke fellowship?  Biblically, why and did you state your standing when you did?

There is something about rebellion that we as the church do not want to acknowledge, and I'd be curious to hear if any have encountered this, and what they did.

In His Love,

Suzanne

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes I will tell why.....I broke fellowship with a "name it and claim it" church. We all know its God's will not our own. And yes I did tell why and backed it up with the bible...I was not recieved very well at all....and friends that I had for years stopped talking to me because of my stance...I cried for days over this....and at one point even thought I should have kept my mouth shut...but now I realize that the best thing I did is speak up...for in the last month one friend that stopped talking to me because of choice to stop fellowship at that church has contacted me again...I found out she stopped going there too. She is not ready to talk about it yet...but I am kind and patient she will eventually. So I believe making my decision and voicing the why's opened the door to further discussion at a later date in her walk.

I'm a firm believer in stating a case gently then walking away, pray that what you said stays in their head. I will never beat someone over the head over and over and over again, I feel this will mostly push them away and causes unecessary anger at times.

Love and Blessings,

Angel

[tsth]

Thank you Angel,

Yes, that is the type of circumstance I'm speaking of. Some are of a bigger scale than others. Sometimes it will involve a group of people/church, and other times it will be in regard to one who professes to be a believer.

It is always good to speak the Truth, in regard to God's Word, and a body of believers. I do know how devastating this can be, especially in regard to a church family. My family has gone through this as well, and the persecution was tremendous. We know that the Lord will use what He laid on our hearts to speak, for His purposes, even though it was VERY painful for us to do, and STILL IS. We are heartbroken, but the Truth burned within, to be spoken of. Now we are just prayerful about what is to take place. It is in God's Hand, but in these times of trials, He is revealed to us the most. We have been greatly experiencing His presence and comfort from His Word during these times.

I hope this is the same for you, but it sounds as though it is! God is faithful and just.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[refugepsa91]

Your Welcome....

And yes after leaving that place I could feel His presence so much...don't get me wrong I truly always felt it...but it was like he was just whispering to my heart....and when I left He truly spoke clearly for the first time.

Love and Blessings,

Angel

[Guest nkhd]

Good Morning. First of all I want to say that I am new to this site and wish to ask your patience as I stumble my way through.

I have to jump in to this thread as I was lead to 1 John as I contemplated the postings that I read yesterday. It seems to me that our fellowship with each other as believers and with the LORD is totally contingent on our walk. Futhermore, it appears that we are expressly commanded to break fellowship with a brother as a last resort, in order to bring him to repentance (I Cor 5). I believe that this concept is to be expanded and applied to the Church Body as a whole.

I John 1 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. [/color]4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Then on to the command to break that fellowship. (ICor. 5)1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named* among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

I think these passages expressly command us to break fellowship in order that conviction and repentance might be brought out of that experience. I know this seems like a hard line but are we not told to confront? I also agree with Suzanne that is concept is rarely practiced in the church as a whole today.

Thanks for hearing me out.

In Him,

Kay

[tsth]

Good Morning.  First of all I want to say that I am new to this site and wish to ask your patience as I stumble my way through.

I have to jump in to this thread as I was lead to 1 John as I contemplated the postings that I read yesterday.  It seems to me that our fellowship with each other as believers and with the LORD is totally contingent on our walk.  Futhermore, it appears that we are expressly commanded to break fellowship with a brother as a last resort, in order to bring him to repentance (I Cor 5).  I believe that this concept is to be expanded and applied to the Church Body as a whole.

I John 1    1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. [/color]4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Then on to the command to break that fellowship.  (ICor. 5)1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named* among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

I think these passages expressly command us to break fellowship in order that conviction and repentance might be brought out of that experience.  I know this seems like a hard line but are we not told to confront?  I also agree with Suzanne that is concept is rarely practiced in the church as a whole today.

Thanks for hearing me out.

In Him,

Kay

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear Sister Kay,

I saw no stumbling, only the Truth of God's Word proclaimed!!! There is nothing purer, nor better. Your post was an encouragement to me this morning. I pray that this Word would not return void, but that it would be taken to heart and practiced IN LOVE.

I find myself REALLY examining within and wondering where else have I neglected God's Word in action??? What other Word have I not partaken of, because it was uncomfortable? What have I not seen? Oh Lord Jesus, that we might SEE today those dark places that have not had Your Light shone upon them yet, and may we walk in the places that you set before us to walk, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest colonialpresident]

Romans 2:14 - For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

[Guest jina]

Would you care to say "why" you broke fellowship?  Biblically, why and did you state your standing when you did?

There is something about rebellion that we as the church do not want to acknowledge, and I'd be curious to hear if any have encountered this, and what they did.

In His Love,

Suzanne

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hopefully I am doing this correctly.I have posted in several boards on Christian sites before, unfortunately all the formats seem to differ somewhat lol...

I can say from experience my own rebellion and downfall it is not an easy issue.I am a seperated christian woman who is now seeking a divorce. I was youth leader, youth choir director Sunday school etc... I seperated from my husband because of physical violence and drug abuse on his part. I didnot want a divorce. I merely wanted my husband whom I married in the church where we met to return to me. It was almost as if he woke up one day as a different person.I found out he was seeing a friend of ours within two weeks of my leaving. But I still didnot seek a divorce. I poured myself into my work and my church and into God. He was the only thing that saw me through those terrible months.About a year after this whole thing started I "hooked up" with a boyfriend from WAY back who was not saved nor even remotely familiar with any kind of scripture..Needless to say in a matter of months we were sleeping together. I was like a deer caught in the headlights.My pastor of course knew I had begun seeing someone yet he didnot intervene at first. I was growing increasingly convicted in the Lord and I believe The Holy Spirit let my pastor know.I was asked over to their house for a meeting I think I knew what was coming..My pastor and his wife came point blank to the point and asked very candid questions and then left it to me to do the right thing. Which of course I did..I immediately stepped down from anything to do with ministry at all. I however chose to stay away from a church where I had spent a good many years for about four months.When I was away I received phone calls and letters and cards from my family in the Lord.I was never judged nor treated harshly in any way what so ever...But I was called on my sin and I saw it for what it was ACCOUNTABILITY!!! I was being held accountable because I was loved. Not only by my church but by The Lord.. I have finally filed for divorce and broke all sexual relations with my "Friend" and guess what he is still hanging around. He is even doing bible study and allowing me to witness the right way...I guess I just want people to see that when we continually sin and if left unchecked it can and will grow. The hardest thing I have had to do is convince the teenaged kids I once led is that the church didnot do this to me I allowed sin to take root and I did it to me. Thank you for your time, Jina

[Guest jina]

Would you care to say "why" you broke fellowship?

[tsth]

Dear Jina,

Thank you so much for your honest testimony. You spoke of the biblical accountability, but I am too sorry, that no one stepped up sooner, especially with your husband (or maybe they did?) I am sorry for your hardship and situation, but I appreciate your upfront honesty in regard to it. I do wish that your husband had been held accountable in the church, and that your marriage could have been restored.

I do however understand the need to be out of harms way. You should never be abused.

In His Love,

Suzanne