Hillsong: We haven't shifted at all.

I made the point that public statements condemning people will place a barrier between the church and the world

John 15:18
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.....

I believe it is a Pastors job to tell it like it is but to keep their own views out of it, do not add and do not take away, many will add their own views which will keep people from even seeking the truth which does become a barrier.

Just preach the words Jesus spoke and then if the world hates you remember that Jesus said that it would be so.

Pastors also should be very cautious when preaching from the words of Paul and remember that Paul `s letters were to established Churches who`s members were already part of the church and should have known better than to do some of the things they were doing or condoning, such as 1 Corinthians 5:1

I am not sure which disturbs me the most, those who say that sola scripture is wrong or those who claim to believe in sola scripture but prove they don`t by going away from it in both directions.

re: “We are too quick and to public to ‘accuse our brethren’. Jesus was quick to call out hypocrites, and we often justify ourselves when doing the ‘same thing’. Gotta remember, Jesus died for those sins. I think we identify these mega-church guys as the enemy, and instead of being ‘numbered with them’ in their ‘transgressions’, we like to separate ourselves from them - more as the hypocrites would do than the one who laid his life down...”

I hear what you are saying, but here again, what Pastor Hillsong originally said was in public, just as your response/rebuke to several freepers here was in public.

Be careful in using the “hypocrite” label because we do not know the hearts or motives of all who expressed their opinion regarding Pastor Hillsong’s remarks. We are not all members of this particular pastor’s church. We are not all members of each others churches here on Free Republic, so it’s kind of difficult to not say anything at all with statements made in a public forum, which is what Pastor Hillsong did.

I’m not accusing Pastor Hillsong of anything, I’m just saying that his remarks were in public, to the general public, so I don’t see the scriptural command to rebuke him in private applies unless you personally are a member of his particular church.

I also do not see pastors of mega-churches as “the enemy”. God bless them because they have an opportunity to reach people that other churches may not (and visa versa).

So, I guess I must disagree with you, respectfully, on this particular issue. I think ministers who give public statements can be called to account, also in public. In fact, I think that may be required in order to show the lost world that truth must be defended. However, the manner in which the truth is defended should be done with love, with respect, and with humility. Not with name calling, disrespect, or animosity.

I don’t think we are ever to start any correction in public. A former pastor of mine has received more than 1 ‘open letters’ written by well-intentioned fellow pastors. If they came to him beforehand to ‘raise their concerns’ in private, he never told me about that.

Peter denied Jesus publicly and loudly. Made no doubts about it. Jesus gave him a glance, then restored him later - no correction needed - in a more private setting than where the offense was committed.

I didn’t mean to respond/rebuke to any 1 freeper, I thought I responded to the initial post. I am trying to learn how to handle these things, and you probably wouldn’t have to go far back in my posting history to see where I haven’t handled things well. I am trying to re-learn some of this stuff, so it is fresh in my mind. A pastor named Larry Jackson from North Carolina (I think) wrote a book called ‘Numbered With the Transgressors’. It was a great read, and I need to hit it again...some of it echoes within me, but not near enough of it.

I explained that this struggle for relevance was vexing as we did not want to become ostracized by a world that needs Christ.

I'm sure if we phrase the message just right thousands will come to Christ just like the day of Pentacost. And we must be careful for we certainly don't want OUR message to be ostracized by the world. /sacm

What ever happened to the idea that Christians will face persecution?

LearnsFromMistakes,

You are obviously trying to follow our Lord with all your heart, and I certainly do not want to discourage you in that and I totally respect you for it.

But, I think you may be taking a truth further than is meant in the Scriptures. Yes, in normal circumstances, we are to reprimand a brother in private first. However, under certain situations, I do not believe the Bible teaches that we never correct a brother in public. The Apostle Paul confronted Peter publicly in Galatians 2:11-17 when Peter was afraid of offending Jewish Christians by associating with Gentile Believers. Why did Paul do that? Because Peter, being such a tremendous leader in the early church, would influence so many new Christians with a wrong idea. Paul felt he had no choice but to correct him right there in front of everyone in order to stop a serious error in its tracks.

I believe this relates to Pastor Hillsong because this homosexual issue is causing many Christians to be afraid to take a stand. When leaders of the Christian community make public statements that might be in error, that needs to be called on - even publicly if necessary - why? Because the whole community, Christian and non-Christian needs to hear the truth. Not a character assassination, but a sincere question as to what he meant by his public remarks.

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