See, when you're reproving people, when you're rebuking people, you have to remember to be
long-suffering.
You have to realize, people make mistakes.
You have to realize, in many ways, the church is like a hospital.
People come in here that are not spiritually perfect, and they're trusting you as the leader
to help them out.
People come in here with problems.
People do things that are wrong, and it doesn't mean that you never reprove.
It doesn't mean that you never rebuke, but you must remember to be long-suffering.
Ephesians 4, verse 1, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy
of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering
forbearing one another in love.
Now, what does it mean with all lowliness and meekness?
What he's basically saying is that you have humility, that you're not arrogant.
You see, when you preach sermons, you cannot have this attitude that you're better than
the people that you're preaching to.
If that is the mentality you take, people are going to leave.
They're going to leave the church.
Honestly, it takes experience to really think of this as your preaching.
To the best of my ability, I try to bring myself in a situation saying, I also struggle
with this.
I'm not just preaching to you today.
I also struggle with this.
Or when I end prayers, I say, you know, just help all of us at this church, including me
and my family.
And I don't just say that vainly.
I actually mean that.
I mean, it could be the people that you're preaching to, they just got saved.
It could be they didn't have the opportunity to be around so many people that are godly
to help them grow.
And you must be long suffering with people and realize we're all in different places
in life.
We're going at different points.
And you can't just be mean to them.
You also have to show them love.
You also have to be long suffering toward them.