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NASB | Matthew 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 18:17 "If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile (unbeliever) and a tax collector. [Lev 19:17; Deut 19:15] |
Bible Question: I'd like to thank you for your response Parable. I am still somewhat confused. What if my problems aren't with any one specific person, just a general feel I get when I walk through the doors? Are you saying I should go to each congregation member and tell them that I don't feel like they care about me or anyone else in the church? Or should I go to each deacon and tell them I don't think they've done a good job of preparing the church for hardship because they're not reaching out to the congregation they're supposed to be leading? Honestly, I don't know where to start! This is why I just thought it's a pride issue for me (they really just won't listen to me because I'm young)and I need to work it out in my heart with the help of His Word, and see how the Lord will lead me. |
Bible Answer: Your welcome, samnlucysmom. I agree that your feelings probably reflect as much about you as about your church. Given that, perhaps it would be helpful to consider your purpose for being there. Each of us is called to be discerning: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." -- Philippians 1:9-11 One path of action would be to make your concerns known, by speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). You could talk with the senior pastor or pastor who is charged with congregational care, or you could talk privately with individuals to see how they feel. How others respond will likely tell you what you need to know in order to decide what you will do. In any case, prayer, counsel, fasting and waiting for the Spirit's lead would be good ways to prepare yourself for whatever the next step may be. Ultimately, you will have to decide what is the right thing to do, and then do it. |