{"id":294,"date":"2012-05-28T14:57:04","date_gmt":"2012-05-28T14:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthlifelight.wordpress.com\/?p=294"},"modified":"2022-04-05T11:56:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T11:56:23","slug":"grow-up-into-christ-my-pastor-said-versus-the-scriptures-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunesishq.com\/notes\/grow-up-into-christ-my-pastor-said-versus-the-scriptures-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Grow up into Christ: \u2018MY PASTOR said&#8217; versus \u2018THE SCRIPTURES say&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Today I would like to discuss what may be a contentious issue for some readers but I encourage every reader to<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">check out the scriptures<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">mentioned in this post and if they have<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">not<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">been misquoted or misapplied, then let us all honour the Word of God above whatever we may have believed prior to reading this post. God bless your study and open His word to you.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">It is a very noble and essential desire to choose to be persuaded by nothing except scripture illuminated by the lovely Holy Ghost. Indeed scripture is the only foundation upon which our every doctrine must be based because scripture testifies about Jesus (Jn 5:39).&nbsp; Such a disposition keeps us clear of laziness and deception. But who teach us us the scripture? It&#8217;s the men and women that God himself has given as gifts to His body. For this reason, some folks learn to build their faith and doctrines on what these Pastors have said rather than personal study of scriptures for themselves. This might be ok for new believers but this should not continue to be the case after being in Christ for a long time.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;background-color:#f9fdff;\">I have witnessed many &#8216;christian&#8217; discussions among saints and it is common to hear &#8216;<\/span><span style=\"color:black;background-color:#f9fdff;\">some&#8217;<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">use as a basis for their arguments, assertions like, &#8220;Bro\/Sis so and so says&#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;my Pastor says&#8230;&#8221; Before I continue, let me set the record straight by saying I respect Pastors. For all you know I might be one of them<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/truthlifelight.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/05\/052812_1456_growupintoc1.gif\" alt=\"\">.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">As noble as such assertions like &#8220;my Pastor says&#8230;&#8221; may sound, that must never be the basis of your doctrinal beliefs or faith. Only one is worthy of such honor and His name is Jesus. I will explain what I mean shortly with scriptures.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Maturity demands that pattern of life that Jesus exhibited whiles on earth as attested to by scripture be the singular basis for all New Testament doctrine. Jesus is our example. A Christ-ian is a Christ<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;background-color:#f9fdff;\">discipl<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;background-color:#f9fdff;\">e&nbsp; i.e. one<\/span><span style=\"color:red;background-color:#f9fdff;\">discipl<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">ined to live like Christ lived.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">There is<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">absolutely nothing wrong<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">with listening to and being taught by Pastor(s).&nbsp; There is nothing wrong with even citing them in your conversation. God gave them to you for the purpose of shepherding you and 1Timothy 5:17 says that elders who direct the affairs of the church are well worthy of<\/span>&nbsp;<strong>double<\/strong>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">So it is perfectly Ok and good to listen to Pastors and to honor them doubly. What then is the problem I am trying to address? It is what we do after we have heard the sermons. Listening to Pastors alone is not sufficient for you to build your faith and doctrine upon. Pastors are not the foundation of God&#8217;s Church. The foundation of anything is always the head. The foundation of woman is man because she was taken out of man. The foundation of a home is the husband and likewise the foundation of God&#8217;s church is the head\u2014Jesus Christ. If Pastors are not the foundation, what<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">then<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">is their purpose? That is a loaded question that I cannot cover for now but one of their job descriptions is to point saints to the head. Their job is to lift up the head because Jesus said, if He be lifted up, He will draw<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>all men<\/strong><\/span>&nbsp;to himself (Jn 12:32).<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Put differently, after you hear your Pastor teach or preach the Word, go and search out the scriptures for yourself, do your own bible study until your spirit captures that revelation taught by the Pastor for yourself. There is an element of that revelation we receive by impartation but that does not negate and excuse the believer from personal bible study at the feet of Jesus&#8217; through His Spirit. Let us carefully consider the following scripture:<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;margin-left:28pt;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#0070c0;\"><strong>more noble<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">character than the Thessalonians, for<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">they<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#3366ff;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">received<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;background-color:#f9fdff;\">the message with great eagerness<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">and<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#3366ff;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">examined<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;background-color:#f9fdff;\">the Scriptures every day<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">to see if what Paul said was true<\/span>.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\">What made the saints in&nbsp;Berea&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#0070c0;\">more noble<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;than the saints in&nbsp;Thessalonica?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Two things made them<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#0070c0;\"><strong>more noble<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">:<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<div style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:red;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">they received the message<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">with great eagerness<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">they<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">examined the Scriptures every day<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">to see if what Paul said was true<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Most people pass the first condition of nobility. I am not sure all of us pass the second which is daily searching of the scriptures until we own the revelation taught for ourselves&#8211;until we see that what was taught is true.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">This is an awesome piece of scripture because it shows us the heart of Paul. Some other Apostle, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist or Pastor may have preferred that their hearers hear and obey without even<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">examining or scrutinizing their messages<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration:underline;\">to see if what they had taught is true<\/span>. But Paul did not care. He called such behaviour<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#0070c0;\"><strong>noble<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">. Brothers and sisters, for those of us who have not yet adopted this noble behaviour of eagerly receiving the Word<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:black;\"><strong>plus<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">searching the scriptures for ourselves, let us begin today. I respect Pastors who  promoting independent study of the scriptures after the services and crusades. This is soo important if we will ever grow into mature sons of God.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Pastor&#8217;s or teachers can show us the way to Christ but we must seek Christ for ourselves earnestly. No one can seek God for us and we cannot parrot men of God forever without owning these revelations ourselves in our hearts. I believe this is one of the reasons why daily devotionals are given to saints\u2014to teach saints how to study the word for themselves hence owning its riches and treasures for themselves. This is also why Pastors encourages saints to take notes in services. So they can revisit those scriptures at home and do what the Bereans did.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">There is a sad portion of scripture which I wish for no one. It speaks about people who parrot &#8216;Apostles&#8217; or use the name of Jesus but to no avail. Failure to own the revelation of scripture for themselves was what caused this situation.&nbsp;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;margin-left:28pt;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Acts 19<\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-13.htm\"><\/a><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-13.htm\"><span style=\"color:#0092f2;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>13<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#001320;\"><span style=\"background-color:yellow;\">tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, &#8220;In the name of Jesus,<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>whom Paul preaches<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#001320;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">, I command you to come out.&#8221;<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-14.htm\"><\/a><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-14.htm\"><span style=\"color:#0092f2;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>14<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">Seven sons of&nbsp;Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-15.htm\"><span style=\"color:#0092f2;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">[One day] the evil spirit answered them, &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"color:#1f497d;background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you<\/span><span style=\"color:#001320;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">?&#8221;<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-16.htm\"><span style=\"color:#0092f2;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>16<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-16.htm\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-16.htm\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">This story is about the sons of a high priest i.e. a Pastor in those days. They had<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:red;\">seen<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">God do extraordinary miracles<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#548dd4;background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">through Paul<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">,<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12). After seeing this, they did not search out the scriptures to own this revelation for themselves or even get to know Jesus personally for themselves. Instead, they tried to cast out a demon<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#001320;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">&#8220;In the name of Jesus,<\/span>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;text-decoration:underline;\"><strong>whom Paul preaches<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">. Of course this did not work and they ended up getting beat up. Quoting men of God is not enough. We must get to know the God of these men of God for ourselves personally through examining their sermons and through studying the scriptures.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">WHO ARE YOU?<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;background-color:#f9fdff;\">Let us learn from what the demon possessed man told these sons of the high priest. &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"color:red;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Jesus I know, and I know about Paul,<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;text-decoration:underline;\">but who are you<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">?&#8221;<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">We must know who we are in Christ experientially<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">and personally<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">and not through what<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">someone said.<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Know who you are. That is why Pastor encourages us to say &#8216;I know who I am&#8217;. Know who you are from the scriptures as illuminated by the Holy Ghost. Know your identity in Christ.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">Darkness already knows Jesus, Paul and maybe your Pastor but do they know you? If you yourself do not know you, how can someone else know you?<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">To be known is very simple. Get into the Word and allow the Word to get into you. That is the simple secret of spiritual authority.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;margin-left:28pt;\"><span style=\"font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"color:teal;\">Joh 15:7<\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp; If you live in Me [<\/span><span style=\"color:gray;\"><em>abide vitally united to Me<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">] and&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#0070c0;\"><strong>My words<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#333333;\">&nbsp;remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask&nbsp;<span style=\"background-color:lime;\">whatever<\/span>&nbsp;you will, and it shall be done for you.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;\"><span style=\"background-color:#f9fdff;\">When his words abide in you, the Word of God will cause a metamorphosis inside you and you will begin to grow up into the fullness of the stature of Christ and look more and more like Jesus. When you abide in Him, they will know you because they know Him.<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:#333333;font-family:Corbel;font-size:12pt;background-color:#f9fdff;\">The summary of this plenty writing is this. Doubly honor your Pastors and leaders, eagerly receive the Word from them. But do not stop there. Search out the Word and become the Word. Own the Word for yourself in your heart. Capture the Word and let the Word capture you so that the foundation of your doctrine and faith will be the Word alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.cc\/acts\/19-16.htm\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today I would like to discuss what may be a contentious issue for some readers but I encourage every reader to&nbsp;check out the scriptures&nbsp;mentioned in&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[56,59,150,232],"class_list":["post-294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith-formation","tag-christ","tag-christianity","tag-growth","tag-pastor"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Grow up into Christ: \u2018MY PASTOR said&#039; 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