Pray for some Fire to Stir.

I am asking for prayer because the Lord has laid on my heart a sermon and I would just like prayer for discernment, guidance, and a soft teachable heart as I prepare the message God has given me.

Its about Correcting a Brother/Sister in Christ the proper way. Why I feel lead to preach this is probably because I just received a rebuke from the Lord on this and I want to warn people of my folly, this seems to be what God does to me when I preach :).

My folly of course was talking to other brothers and sisters in Christ about our pastor saying how he is wrong but never actually going to him and discussing why we feel he is wrong. This I believe is something that my church needs to hear because we all mean well and good but done in the wrong way we will reap judgment for this terrible folly.

Another focus of my sermon will be the Critical Religious Spirit and I believe that in my church this will be some major spiritual warefare. We had a lady preach (it was for womens ministry week) She advised the Church if they had something wrong with her that they needed to take it up with God because she had enough problems of her own.

I just ask for protection as I endevour to slay the religious spirit in my church with Love and Kindness and in the Spirit and in Truth! But my main reason to preach this message is that Christ Jesus be glorified even if I am the only one that is touched by the words and the truth of it all. Thank You for your support and prayers.

God Bless,
Matthew

Matthew,

I was listening to Zac Poonen's conference messages: Preserving a Pure Testimony. Eight messages listed under page 15 called [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=157&min=280&orderby=titleA&show=20](Pure Testimony)[/url].

In one of those messages, he stated that when he started their fellowship 30 or so years ago, he determined within himself and before God to "Do all things without murmurings and complainings (disputings)." And because he has honored the Lord in this way, he said that he could see in his life where the Lord has graciously honored him.

Phil 2.14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Jude 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

I've spent the last few years having to apologize to people for the things I've said, after listening to that message, I was thinking that it would be so much better if I didn't even have to apologize to people!

Anyway, God bless you in this, I pray the Lord is all over you when you step up on that pulpit and the people tremble at the Word of God presented in love and in light of the judgment it reveals to them.

God bless you in your walk with the Master,

I listened to the Way of Cain sermon and it definitely rocked my theological boat, He made the point that Satan tells God the truth when accusing the brethen and so we as Christians can speak the truth while doing it in the wrong additude, while Christ Jesus is always quick to intercede for us in heaven. Praise the Lord that we have one that intercedes for us in Heaven and may we take this role for our brothers and sisters on earth! Thank you for your prayers, I will have to listen to the Pure Testimony series, I am pretty young in the ministry and want to start off on the right foot.

God Bless,
Matthew

HA ha, I started reading this thread and from the first sentence of what you wrote I was going to recommend listening to "The Way of Cain." But alas...the Spirit works better than I!

"...a soft teachable heart"

Matthew, I was meditating on our need for tender hearts today. I think it was last night I came across this short word from D.L. Moody [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=5998]Critics Beware[/url]. Maybe as it is short it will be useful to you in addition to what you already found.

Agreeing with you for the things you asked,

Chris

I think a soft heart is one of the best things we can ask for.

Thank you brother Chris for the prayers and that was a great read and I agree I have been working on memorizing the Beattitudes and living them out as well, This past week the beattitude I have been working on is Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

We see this as a humble individual with a soft and teachable heart, It could be said Blessed are the Teachable or blessed are the Humble in heart and we see that humility is one of the attributes we see in our Dear Lord Jesus, how we ought to long for Humility! I have been asking myself this past week Am I teachable?

God Bless,