Command AND Teach

"These things command and teach."

1 Timothy 4:11

These are the two necessary compenents of successfully passing truth. We are ineffective as preachers if we err to one side to the exclusion of the other. We all have a tendency to one side or the other. Which ever of these two aspects of leadership we lack we must prayerfully ask God to give us grace to produce it.

OVEREMPHASIZING COMMANDING

• To err to the side of commanding makes one a dictator.
• To err to the side of commanding is lazy; it is much easier, but it puts truth in noones heart. A person who is only commanded, but not taught, will soon rebel.
• Erring to the side of commanding will quickley get you external compliance, but will never produce interal faith.
• Erring to the side of commanding will produce fear of man, but never faith in God.
• Erring to the side of commanding will compliment the preachers image, but will not conform to Christ's image.

OVEREMPHASIZING TEACHING

By this I mean the tendancy of some to say, "My job is to just teach. It is then left up to them to comply." While I agree this is the approach to some, however it cannot be the approach to all. A true leader will insist that at least his leaders comply. You cannot have a strong church when everything is optional, and nothing is absolute.

• Erring to the side of only teaching is cowardice.
• Erring to the side of only teaching will never produce responsible leaders.
• Erring to the side of only teaching will never produce a faithful foundation.
• Erring to the side of only teaching will produce crowds, but not disciples.

COMMAND OR TEACH

I must also point out that some things are meant to be taught and some are meant to be commanded. God give us the discernment to know the difference.

• We are to teach what concerns Christian liberty.
• We are to command and teach what concerns Christian doctrine.

We need ministries that have grace and strength to command and teach, and to know when to do what.

Poem By Judge Roy Moore

America the beautiful,

or so you used to be.

Land of the Pilgrims' pride;

I'm glad they'll never see.

Babies piled in dumpsters,

Abortion on demand,

Oh, sweet land of liberty;

your house is on the sand.

Our children wander aimlessly

poisoned by cocaine

choosing to indulge their lusts,

when God has said abstain

From sea to shining sea,

our Nation turns away

From the teaching of God's love

and a need to always pray

We've kept God in our

temples, how callous we have grown.

When earth is but His footstool,

and Heaven is His throne.

We've voted in a government

that's rotting at the core,

Appointing Godless Judges;

who throw reason out the door,

Too soft to place a killer

in a well deserved tomb,

But brave enough to kill a baby

before he leaves the womb

You think that God's not

angry, that our land's a moral slum?

How much longer will He wait

before His judgment comes?

How are we to face our God,

from Whom we cannot hide?

What then is left for us to do,

but stem this evil tide?

If we who are His children,

will humbly turn and pray;

Seek His holy face

and mend our evil way:

Then God will hear from Heaven;

and forgive us of our sins,

He'll heal our sickly land

and those who live within.

But, America the Beautiful,

If you don't - then you will see,

A sad but Holy God

withdraw His hand from Thee..

~~Judge Roy Moore~~