I think we all have made judgments, predictions and assumptions based on our pass experiences, which we call hindsight. We may have made them when we were still immature in our understanding and wisdom, and sometimes because we were easily deceived.
Some who believe they have hindsight tend to expect others to have common sense like theirs but fail to realize that some people may still be naïve or gullible.
We all form viewpoints from our pass experiences, by a family member, friends, biases, peer group, the news, those we believe are learned, the famous and the very rich.
These become our world viewpoints. Jesus rebuked Peter for having a worldly viewpoint telling him he had the mind of man and not the mind of God.
So do you capture your every thought and make it obedient to Christ.
John points this out in his words in:
1 John 4: 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
When I first started going to church as a new believer, I was naïve and gullible in my complete trust in church and what the pastor was teaching and doing. I still had my worldly viewpoints with me and tried to define it in church.
One thing that is very important for all believers is to mature in their knowledge and understanding of God’s will, so they are no longer naïve or gullible. When you have the mind of God and no longer the world’s you then are called to do what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 5 that you are judge those inside the church and not the world and especially testing yourself to see if we all are in Christ being united in one faith in the complete knowledge of Jesus as our Lord and as the head of the church.
Jesus will hold accountable those he called to be his watchman, gate keepers, servants he put in charge, overseers, pastors responsible to teach his church how to remain on the narrow path and enter the narrow door to his Father.
There are those who say pastor’s message needs to be entertaining, thought provoking and applicable to their daily life or they will look for one that those.
I was told that a pastor’s message needs to capture the thought of its audience within the first 10 minutes, or you will lose their attention. To do this we needed to be humorous, tell interesting personal stories or tell a joke to keep people interested in you.
There will also be people who seek churches where they will be astonished and awed by wonders, signs, miracles, visions and future prophecies and not a church the choose to obey God’s will to listen to his Son.
Read Jesus’ sermon on the mount and you will find that Jesus did not say or do anything to keep his audience attention with humor, jokes or interesting worldly stories nor did he do anything miraculous when he spoke. Only after out of compassion he fed the 5000.
I think there is a big difference why people gathered to hear Jesus’ teaching in the Bible and why some people gather in church today. In Acts the believer gathered to hear the apostles’ teachings. The apostles did not entice people to their church only those who feared God and wanted Jesus to be their Savior and Lord came and joined other believers in the church.
I know when Jesus returns, he will not judge you by what pleased you, the pastor you followed, the church because of its size, ministries, worship team, its building he will only look for hearts that truly loved him. He will praise those who obeyed his teachings and commandments and welcome them in to his kingdom as his good and faithful servants.
Paul teaches what a pastor must be teaching in church.
Titus 2: 1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Pastor’s must teach sound doctrine that is true to God’s word and not made up, twisted or misdirected to gain a following or to tickle their ears.
Paul told Timothy that he must live and persevere in his doctrine because it will save him and those who hear it.
Only sound doctrine that is true to Jesus will save you. Pastor’s must do this because the Holy Spirit has given them the flock so that they only recognize the voice of Jesus and go to him when he calls.
Titus 2: 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Pastors need to teach men to be content in all situations, to do all thing as if serving the Lord Jesus, to think of things above, to be true in their faith, love, and endurance by resting in the eternal hope they have in Jesus and love others as Christ has loved them.
Titus 2: 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Pastors must teach women to live with the wisdom that comes by fearing God and not being weak willed always learning and not acknowledging God’s truth. To love their husband and children, to be self- controlled, pure, care for their household, be kind, and submit to their husband like Sarah all out of love for Jesus as their Lord.
Titus 2: 6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Pastors must teach young men to be self-controlled and example it by their integrity, seriousness, and their sound teaching so that others cannot refute them. They never teach to please or to win favor they only teach to make hearts obedient to Christ. We are friends with each other only when Jesus calls us his friend by being his disciples and not when we are friends with the world.
Titus 2: 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Paul teaches we all need to be examples of Christ all the time especially in our place of work not only with our employer but also with our fellow workers so that in every way they may become attracted to Jesus that dwells in us. This is the same for employers and managers they must example Christ to make Jesus attractive to those they oversee.
Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
This doctrine pastors must teach and remind church members and make it the foundation of their salvation to obey Jesus and turn from sin so that they will be ready to go with Jesus when he calls them to take them home.
Titus 2: 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Paul wants all pastors to teach these things and encourage and correct only with God’s word to save and not condemn and always with the love of Jesus.
Be the mind of Christ, your brother in Christ, Glenn.