"And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:16, ESV).
"If a man doesn't keep pace with his companions, perhaps he hears a different drummer." --Henry David Thoreau
On the last day Jesus will finally separate the sheep from the goats--we cannot do this ourselves--and their eternal destiny will finally be determined, though they grew together while in this world.
It has been said that rebels just march to the beat of a different drum. Quakers believe in listening to the "inner light" and New Age believers listen to the "God within." Jesus, however, said that there are two types of people: Sheep and goats. Sheep recognize their shepherd and are followers and easily get lost without him. Goats are independently minded and recognize no leader or a particular owner as a rule. Jesus said that His sheep know Him and hear His voice (cf. John 10:27).
Today we have the phenomenon of revolution, politically wise people who feel they have a leader for their social gospel, and yet they refuse to take his advice and be followers along with him. Paul said to follow him as he follows Christ. We are to imitate the faith of our spiritual leaders and not be spiritual Lone Rangers or lone wolves-there is no such thing! The wise listen to advice and learn from other believers and the fool trusts in himself and his own wisdom.
We should never feel or think we know it all and don't have some lessons to learn from each other, no matter how mature we are. The great danger in people not under authority is that they have a tendency to fall into heresy and even apostasy. We all need to be under authority and no one is an island to himself. Being subordinate is not inferiority (Christ became subordinate for our sake), and we are meant to submit to one another in the Lord--there's no ruling class or elite per se in the church by and large.
The church itself is an organism and not an organization and everything is to be done decently and in an orderly manner and according to the leadership (not dictatorship) of the church elders, deacons, pastors, et cetera, who are not to lord it over the flock. We all function best under the authority and don't have the right to exercise authority unless we have learned to submit to it and are under authority ourselves--there is no, Head of the church besides Christ Himself. No one of us should speak ex-cathedra or pontificate. Christ is our leader and He rules through the authority of the church body that we are to submit to.
We witness today that many believers are doing that which is right in their own eyes, just as Israel did in the book of Judges and people are beginning to question authority rather than submit to it. The Bible is the highest authority (sola Scriptura) and we are to test the spirits and search the Scriptures to see if the teachings are kosher just like Bereans (cf. Acts 17:11). Soli Deo Gloria!
"If a man doesn't keep pace with his companions, perhaps he hears a different drummer." --Henry David Thoreau
On the last day Jesus will finally separate the sheep from the goats--we cannot do this ourselves--and their eternal destiny will finally be determined, though they grew together while in this world.
It has been said that rebels just march to the beat of a different drum. Quakers believe in listening to the "inner light" and New Age believers listen to the "God within." Jesus, however, said that there are two types of people: Sheep and goats. Sheep recognize their shepherd and are followers and easily get lost without him. Goats are independently minded and recognize no leader or a particular owner as a rule. Jesus said that His sheep know Him and hear His voice (cf. John 10:27).
Today we have the phenomenon of revolution, politically wise people who feel they have a leader for their social gospel, and yet they refuse to take his advice and be followers along with him. Paul said to follow him as he follows Christ. We are to imitate the faith of our spiritual leaders and not be spiritual Lone Rangers or lone wolves-there is no such thing! The wise listen to advice and learn from other believers and the fool trusts in himself and his own wisdom.
We should never feel or think we know it all and don't have some lessons to learn from each other, no matter how mature we are. The great danger in people not under authority is that they have a tendency to fall into heresy and even apostasy. We all need to be under authority and no one is an island to himself. Being subordinate is not inferiority (Christ became subordinate for our sake), and we are meant to submit to one another in the Lord--there's no ruling class or elite per se in the church by and large.
The church itself is an organism and not an organization and everything is to be done decently and in an orderly manner and according to the leadership (not dictatorship) of the church elders, deacons, pastors, et cetera, who are not to lord it over the flock. We all function best under the authority and don't have the right to exercise authority unless we have learned to submit to it and are under authority ourselves--there is no, Head of the church besides Christ Himself. No one of us should speak ex-cathedra or pontificate. Christ is our leader and He rules through the authority of the church body that we are to submit to.
We witness today that many believers are doing that which is right in their own eyes, just as Israel did in the book of Judges and people are beginning to question authority rather than submit to it. The Bible is the highest authority (sola Scriptura) and we are to test the spirits and search the Scriptures to see if the teachings are kosher just like Bereans (cf. Acts 17:11). Soli Deo Gloria!
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