Take Heed Lest You Fall
This sermon brings up an important topic in Christianity today. We need leaders. Not more pastors, youth ministers, and musicians. We need leaders: men and women of integrity to step up and lead the way. These leaders will not be perfect, for no man is. However, there is a great difference between someone who is fighting the battle with sin in their life, repenting daily and taking steps to grow closer to the Lord and someone who lives in secret, unrepentant sin without taking the proper steps to rid themselves of it. Too often those in positions of power in our churches today can be described by the latter. God designed the church to be a community, and He designed this community for good reason. His reasoning is not so that we can have bigger potlucks but instead that we can strengthen one another and unite for the furtherance of His kingdom. We are not meant to keep our struggles to ourselves. In doing so, we block the very help we need from our friends and family. So many sit in pews Sunday after Sunday saying to themselves, “I wish there were a way out of this problem” whenever the way out is all around them! But the people around them are saying the same thing themselves! How beautiful it is to see people rise up, confess sin, and move forward fighting the daily fight with sin. Truly His mercies are new every morning! (Lamentations 3:23) We need a movement of conviction, repentance, and transparency. Without it, who will be able to help those on the verge of opening up to take the step of courage and actually do so, and when they do who will be able to help them through their struggles? Leaders lead not only in their conduct but also their confession. Without this, we will continue to have churches full of secrecy and unrepentant sin.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:1-2
How can we carry each other’s burdens if we do not know what they are?
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16
Take heed lest you fall.
Commanded and Called,
Matt Atwell
