Pastor Joel Laswell

Message 404-2: ”Our Reaction to a Church in Sin” part 2

In most cases when this is talked about more time is spent showing how Saul behaved toward David than David toward Saul but we can learn a lot by looking at David's reactions toward Saul and how the true church should react toward the professed. What always starts the process of apostasy is when sin is not dealt with as the Lord says it should be and that little leaven then pervades the entire church.

Message 404-1: ”Our Reaction to a Church in Sin” part 1

Now lets say that in your personal situation you have pointed out sin in your church, your church turned against your call for repentance of sin and you have obeyed the Lord and separated from that assembly--that organization. What is your attitude now to be toward that church organization?

Message 403: What About a Church in Sin?

I learned a life lesson from my coaches when I was young and participated in sports and that is the fundamentals are what will get you through the tough spots. So I was drilled every day in practice with the fundamentals of the game and found by experience that my coaches were correct. God teaches the same thing in the Bible about fundamentals. If we understand the fundamental principles of God's word, they will get us through the tough spots in our life. And this is important for us to believe because this particular topic is a very hard one for many to hear and if applicable to their church, to accept. And sad to say, it is applicable to most all church organizations today.

Message 402-3: What About Sin in the Church part 3

There are a couple of other things to consider in regard to these principles in Matthew 5 and 18. The first deals with the ‘time’ element involved… such as ‘when do you take witnesses with you?’ and ‘when do you take it to the church?’ etc… The second has to do with ‘how’ you contact the one who sinned against you. How to start the process outlined by Jesus.

Message 402-2: ”What About Sin in the Church?” part 2

What do you do if someone sins against you? How do you deal righteously with such an issue? We are to do as God has done towards us who have sinned against Him, and Jesus tells us how that is to be done. So I want to start by looking at the biblical principle we are to use when someone trespasses against us personally, and not necessarily in public though it could be. It is found in Matthew 18, and Matthew 5...

Message 402-1: What About Sin in the Church? part 1

So what are the Biblical checks and balances in God's word that are to protect the church from the ravages of sin and apostasy, and promote the welfare of its members and the corpus itself? That is the topic of this study. How do we deal with the sin issue in the corpus--the body, the church? What are the principles and right motivation needed to rightly handle the Sin Issue in the church?

Message 401: Treasure Finding Tools

Twelve basic Bible study principles that can and should be used by the first time reader to the scholar.

Message 400: Is Perception Reality?

Jesus gave several warnings to His followers concerning their future and the closing scenes in the great controversy between good and evil. One such warning is found in Matthew 24:24, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Now we could spend a lot of time just on this verse but what I want to bring to your attention is the part of this verse that concerns the reaction to perception. Is what we perceive necessarily the truth? Are we seeing what we are seeing or is it a skewed perception? And do we jump to conclusions upon that perception before it is verified?

Message 399-3: Corporate Sin Conclusion

Not until we can see the sin of someone else as our sin too can we learn to love him as Christ has loved us. The reason is that in loving us Jesus took our sin upon Himself. When He died on His cross, we died with Him—corporately--in principle. If this seems to be bad news, there is also good news: Christ forgave His murderers (see Luke 23:34), and that means He also forgave us..... those who have become a part of His corporate identity!

Message 399-2: Corporate Sin part 2

In part one I asked a very important question about this succession of the corporation of Christ and it was this: is this succession organizational, or is it the succession of truth? In other words, do we find the truth by submitting to the Church, or do we find the Church by submitting to the truth? The concept as to what constitutes succession in the Corpus Christi--the body of Christ--the church of Christ, whether it be organization, or whether it be truth, is vividly contrasted in the confrontation between Paul and the lawyer for the hierarchy of Jerusalem in his arraignment before Felix. Let's see what the Bible says......