Should Christians Judge???

(Re: Restoring Non-Coercive Church Discipline )

In numerous conversational exchanges on the subject of "Restoring Non-Coercive Church Discipline " numerous ideas have been postulated based on a presumption that may have little basis in fact concerning what the "Church" is or should be. After 2000 years the confusion and misrepresentation of truth is as rampant as it was in the time of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Rome. There should be no doubt that preconceived and false notions accepted on blind faith is nothing more than a continuation of the blind leading the blind.

Jesus preached a kingdom, a government, not a Sunday go to meeting Church.

From Cain and his first city State to Nimrod and his world ruling tower of Babel; Or from the statutory or corvee bondage in Egypt to the commercial and military control of Judea by Rome, Herod and the Sanhedrin of the Pharisees the Bible is about man and his relationship with governments, gods, and God. Israel was a government not a religion. Yes the Kingdom of God was a system of faith or faith in a system where homage and allegiance was to God alone.

In early Israel as in the early Church your tithing and free will offerings were given by a voluntary choice of and by each individual of the congregations of the people, to the minister of his choice. Your contribution to that early Republican form of government was given according to the service of its ministers by the liberty of choice. ^[1]

Some believe that Jesus only preached a spiritual kingdom but "God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth." John 4:24

In truth is from aletheia which means "of a truth, in reality, in fact". ^[2]

But what does the word worship mean?

The word worship is often translated from proskuneo which was a word used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank. It is clear throughout the text of the Bible that neither God nor Jesus sought to have men ruling over other men with exercising authority except within the family structure instituted by God the Father where love should be the chief and ruling motive. Call no man Father
http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/fatherabba.php

To obtain better idea of what worship means in the Bible see:

Worship http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/worship.html

Some think that the message of the kingdom of heaven was postponed. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

There are a number of things this politically controversial King Jesus said that are regularly overlooked by those who claim to believe in him. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 He appointed that kingdom as he said He would. ^[3]

"And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;" Luke 22:29

See: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/kingdomofheaven12.php

His disciples (students) became Apostles from the word Apostolos which was a political term meaning a delegate, an ambassador. Even the word Church came from a specific political term Ekklesia, called out.

See: What is the ekklesia?
http://www.restoreallthings.com/ekklesia.php

The Ministers of His Kingdom in turn appointed men chosen by the people to do the work of daily ministration in that government of God. Israel always had been a government, doing the business of government, not just a religion within a government. Most people do not understand the difference between "pure religion" and impure religion, or even religion. ^[4]

Acts 6:3 "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."

Yes, that kingdom was not a part of the world but it was on this planet.

My kingdom is not of this world
http://www.restoreallthings.com/news/articles/world.php

The ministers of his kingdom were always called bondservants but served the people under the perfect law of liberty.

Their appointment was comparable to becoming kings or princes of Christ's kingdom minus at least one important element commonly seen in other forms of governments.

EXERCISING AUTHORITY

That kingdom was not to be like other kingdoms who exercise dominion and authority over the people.

Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

They were not to rule over the people and exercise lordship or authority. Mark 10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: They were not to become benefactors of the people where by they could demand the contributions of the people to guarantee the entitlements of social services.

Luke 22:25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

They were to be servants of the people, of the congregations, of the nation and Kingdom.

This was the "non coercive Church". It could not exercise authority. If they could do that they would be like the rulers of the gentiles, the other nations and other governments, who appoint other gods over men.

What other gods?

There are gods many
http://www.restoreallthings.com/news/articles/romeus.php

If Jesus was preaching a religion he would have said that you were not to be like the other religions. He would not have said I appoint unto you a kingdom which is at hand.

All governments are systems of faith, homage, allegiance and trust.

AND Yes, and even worship.

http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/worship.php

A minister of the Church is a servant of the congregation of the people just like the administers of gentile governments are supposed to be servants of the people. The Church works to bring people together, inform them, help them, serve them, but not rule over them. It is a true republic. ^[5]

Why!

So that they may be whole as a body, as a nation, as a kingdom, through a system used by the early Levites before the time of Kings, when each man was king and prince of his own family. How does a society of free families based on liberty bind its people together into one nation under God of Heaven and earth? It is not done by Constitutions, Covenants and Contracts. ^[6]

Men have continuously lost their access to liberty by making contracts with men who seek power and control because of the inerrant hope of personal gain or security, usually at the expense of others but always ending in their own bondage. Israel was a free nation before the voice of the people elected Saul. What they thought was for their security and welfare brought them into bondage. ^[7]

The freedom that once lived in Israel, god's Republic, ended long before the corruption and distortions of Hasmonians, Pharisees, and Sadducees.

Now we have been deceived again and it is worse than before.

"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Luke 9:2

Heal is from iaomai means "to heal or to make whole". Sick is from astheneo meaning "to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless or to be weak in means."

They were to preach a kingdom and bring it together and make it strong.

No one "dictates" to the members of the congregation including the majority of the congregation. It is not a democracy where the majority rule over the minority. Each man must come into agreement in the matter of disfellowship or disassociation or shunning or forgiveness and reconciliation.

Each man is responsible under the perfect law of liberty to do the right thing. He must be as concerned about his neighbors rights as his own. Each man must judge for himself who he will shun and who he will associate with.

Man does not have the inherent right to exercise authority over other men as to who they can associate with, support, sacrifice to or for. Governments require consent to obtain the right to choose and freedom requires that we carry the weight and responsibility of liberty to maintain a free state. Each man may and should judge, discern and distinguish what he believes is right, but none of us may exercise judgment over others unless they enter into or infringe upon our own personal dominion or rights.

To regulate our neighbors rights or make law for them is to covet their right to choose and oppose their liberty. ^[8]

"The civil law is what a people establishes for itself." ^[9]

Many people complain about the exercising authority of the modern governments which they have chosen for themselves, but they cannot resist exercising authority over their neighbor and brothers when it comes to their personal benefit. Until they are willing to let their neighbor be fre they will not be free.

One of the jobs of the minister of the Church is to maintain an entrance to that kingdom of God, where men are ruled by God instead of other men. An entrance is a narrow pathor way in which we may come together in righteousness to form a nation or kingdom as a strong and viable body of men and women who care about their neighbor as much as they care abut themselves. ^[10]

"For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:11

The modern ministers of the modern Church have been delivering men and their churches into bondage for quite some time. Saying that God's kingdom is not at hand, but is only spiritual, is the antitheses of Christ. They not only do not provide for the need of their congregations in pure religion, but they send the people to the men who call themselves benefactors. Those men exercise authority one over the other and bring the people back into the bondage of Egypt and Babylon and under tribute. ^[11]

See: The Prime directive of the Church Polity by Christ.

"Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD." Ezekiel 7:26

Today, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God on earth is a scattered flock, a disjointed body of dry bones.
Like the Israelites of Egypt they are physically and mentally in bondage. They need to come out, but before they do that they should learn to come together according to the patterns laid down by the prophets from the beginning.

This also means they must come out of the spiritual bondage created by our desire to exercise judgment upon one another, our obsession with ruling over our neighbors and the coveting our neighbors rights and goods in systems of a compelled socialistic state.

It is time to repent and began to return and live according to "the perfect law of liberty" by faith, hope, and charity in God's kingdom in spirit and in truth. We began by turning around and seeking that kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we will come together in congregations pursuing the weightier matters of law, justice and mercy and stop coveting our neighbors goods through the agency of governments we create for ourselves then there will be hope.

Exodus 20:17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's."

It is the desire for benefits and security at our neighbors expense that has made us surety for debt, merchandise, and human resources.

A system based on forcing your neighbor to pay for or do what you want is a system that is not only covetous, opposing liberty but it is anti Christ. Whether a dictator is a single man or the majority of the people it is still tyranny of the heart. We are to forgive so that we may be forgiven and we are to free our neighbor so that we may be free. Until the people are as concerned about their neighbors' rights and property as they are about their own they will not be safe from tyranny of despots and the dictators of democracies.

"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." 2 Peter 2:3

There are many governments in the world today but few like the government of God's Kingdom. The Church. abiding in the precepts of Romans 13, Lets every soul be subject unto the higher powers that they choose to make in their own lives by application, participation and acquiescence.

ROMANS 13 verse 1
http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/Romans13.html

We do not establish the Church, Christ did. It is His Holy Spirit that must establish itself in us. We do come together in His Name to form Congregations by His authority. We must clean the temple God has given us, submitting our hearts and will to His ways. For the Church and the congregations of the people the precept of God's law and kingdom must be etched in their hearts and mind.

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Romans 13:9

Footnotes:

[1] Numbers 7:5 "Take [it] of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service."

[2] aletheia 1) objectively 1a) what is true in any matter under consideration
2) subjectively 2a) truth as a personal excellence

[3] Luke 12:32 "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

[4] James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world. http://www.restoreallthings.com/news/articles/religion.php

[5] Historians referred to the early Church in Rome as a viable republic. http://www.restoreallthings.com/study/gods/cog7rvd.php

[6] Exodus 23:32 "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods."
Study series on Contracts and Covenants...http://www.restoreallthings.com/study/covenants/index.php link?

[7] Psalms 69:22 "Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap."
Romans 11:9 "And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:"

[8] Romans 13, Opposing liberty is opposes God.http://www.restoreallthings.com/sermon/romans13.php

[9] Jus civile est quod sibi populus constituit.1 Johns. N.Y.424, 426.

[10] Leviticus 19:18 "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD."<br>
Matthew 22:39 "And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

[11] Proverbs 12:24 "The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."