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Church
Administration
Church,
Discipline in
If someone has cancer, an
operation is usually performed to cut out the malignancy. The reason is simple:
if left alone, it will metastasize; that is, it will spread. No one wants a
cancer to spread, so it is cut out or otherwise removed from the body so that
the patient can be healthy again. And, of course, when the doctors tell the
patient, “We got it all,” everyone is encouraged and rejoices.
The same thing should be
true in the church. The reason to excommunicate the one refusing to be
disciplined is to protect the rest of the body from being infected with that
disease. Sin, like cancer, needs to be cut out so it will not spread. ──
Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Church,
Discipline in
Discipline in the church is
kind of like a vaccination. You get a little dose of the disease and then you
fight against it. And that builds immunity, whether it be against germs or
sinning. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Church,
Discipline in
If our physical bodies were
like the body of Christ—the church—we would be in intensive care twenty-four
hours a day. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
Church,
Service to
This is a story about four
people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
The church had financial
responsibilities and Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that
Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But you know who did it?
Nobody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done.
Then the church grounds
needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help. But Somebody got angry about
that, because Anybody could have done it just as well and, after all, it was
really Everybody’s job. In the end the work was given to Nobody, and Nobody did
a fine job.
On and on this went.
Whenever work was to be done, Nobody could always be counted on. Nobody visited
the sick. Nobody gave liberally. Nobody shared his faith. In short, Nobody was
a very faithful member.
Finally the day came when
Somebody left the church and took Anybody and Everybody with him. Guess who was
left. Nobody! ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
In his little book Illustrations
of Bible Truth, H.A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He
related an incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was
sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went
on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him.
After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and
inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's
safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege,
but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other
berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very
trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables
and remarked, 'It's all right, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them
for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same
reason!'"
Our Daily Bread.
As books vary from one to
the other, so too do bishops. Some bishops, in fact, resemble eagles, who
sail loftily with solemn documents. Others are nightingales who
marvelously sing the praise of the Lord. Others, instead, are poor wrens,
who only twitter as profound subjects. I belong to the last category.
Pope John Paul I in a
letter to Mark Twain.