The Error Of Compelled Obedience/Service In The Name Of "Christian Ministry".

 

Where obedience or service to God is compelled by men & not flowing from a willing heart full of love and affection for the Lord, it is unreal and at best an unreasonable obedience/service.


The Lord is after winning our hearts first; He does not seek/command service, obedience/loyalty first but seeks to win & flood our hearts with undying love & affection for Himself.

True service in unreserved obedience/loyalty, will most spontaneously spring & flow from a heart saturated/filled with affection for the Lord.

At the sea of Tiberias where Jesus manifested himself to his disciples the third time following his resurrection, the test he set before them as he engaged Peter, was a test of love/affection for Himself.

It's important for us to take note of the order of that which the Lord was seeking at the Sea of Tiberias as he engaged Peter.
He did not first say to Peter "feed my sheep" but rather asked these all important and fundamental questions of love: "

"lovest(agapao) thou me more than these? ......Feed my lambs."
lovest(agapao) thou me?...Shepherd my sheep".

Art thou attached to/fond of (phileo) me?.....Feed my sheep"
See John 21:14-17.

As serious as the work/service of feeding/shepherding his lambs/sheep is to the Lord, the first thing he seeks from his servants above all things, is their love and affection for Him.

Service in itself makes no sense if it's not flowing from love/affection for the Lord.

The Lord says if you love me, keep my commandments and does not say if you keep my commandments love me. True service, loyalty & obedience is impossible without affection for the Lord.

Where this is compelled as instituted & ordered by the hands of men, the best you can have is an unreasonable and false service; feigned obedience & loyalty to the Lord, which in actuality is loyalty to men & their religious traditions/systems.

In 1st Corinthians 16:12, we see the case of brother Apollos, whom the apostle Paul begged/beseeched to visit the Corinthian saints with other brethren, but it was not his will to go, yet Paul didn't consider him as being obstinate or rebellious in service/ministry, but said he will come when he has opportunity to do so 👇🏽

"As touching our brother Apollos, I begged him much to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have good opportunity".

Note: Apollos didn't even claim to have heard from God telling him not to go, the apostle simply said it was not his(Apollos) will to come.

These are men who understood that any service done to God must be on the ground of a willing heart, for it is accepted if there be first a willing mind (2 Cor 8:12).

You don't compel men against their own will to serve God, just as Paul said we do not exercise dominion over the faith of men, as to determine what they believe or do no believe, this is the only way their faith can stand in God and his power and not in the influence or fear of men 👇🏽

"Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand" (2 Cor 1:24).

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