Tumors in the Body: Am I Promoting or Preventing?.

Tumors in the Tumors in the Body:Body:

Am I Promoting or Preventing? Am I Promoting or Preventing?

Tumors: Promoting Tumors: Promoting or Preventing?or Preventing?


Are You Are You PromotingPromoting or or PreventingPreventing Tumors in the Tumors in the Body?Body?


The danger to the Church body in The danger to the Church body in leaving this mass of death attached leaving this mass of death attached without remedy is multi-faceted. without remedy is multi-faceted.

The worst things tumors do is obscure The worst things tumors do is obscure the glory of Jesus Christ. the glory of Jesus Christ.


QuestionQuestion: Did : Did their “solution” their “solution” prevent the tumor prevent the tumor of division or of division or promote it?promote it?


And you? Are You And you? Are You Promoting or Promoting or Preventing Preventing Tumors in the Tumors in the Body?Body?


Self-evaluation concerning behavior and Self-evaluation concerning behavior and attitudes that produce tumorsattitudes that produce tumors::

1. Do you gossip, slander, spread rumors and talk 1. Do you gossip, slander, spread rumors and talk negatively behind the backs of others? (i.e., “negatively behind the backs of others? (i.e., “prayer prayer requestsrequests”) Romans 1:28-32--”) Romans 1:28-32--Furthermore, just as they Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderersgossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and , God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.who practice them.


Do you Do you LISTENLISTEN to gossip/slander to gossip/slander without putting a stop to it? without putting a stop to it? (Proverbs 17:4) (Proverbs 17:4) "" The evildoer is The evildoer is paying attention to the lip of paying attention to the lip of hurtfulness. A falsifier is giving hurtfulness. A falsifier is giving ear to the tongue causing ear to the tongue causing adversities."adversities."


2. Do you care more about 2. Do you care more about taking control than giving up taking control than giving up control? (“control? (“My way or the My way or the highway”) Ephesians 5:21—highway”) Ephesians 5:21—submit to one another in the submit to one another in the reverence of Christreverence of Christ


3. Do you care more about your 3. Do you care more about your “convictions/traditions/opinions“convictions/traditions/opinions” (and “being right”) than about ” (and “being right”) than about loving others? (loving others? (win/lose win/lose situations with all the focus on situations with all the focus on winning); Rom. 14—15:7winning); Rom. 14—15:7


4. Are you strong in speaking 4. Are you strong in speaking truth (as you understand it) but truth (as you understand it) but not speaking it in love? not speaking it in love? (“The (“The Truth hurts”; “The fact that I am Truth hurts”; “The fact that I am telling you the Truth proves I telling you the Truth proves I love you”); Eph. 4:15--love you”); Eph. 4:15--speaking speaking the truth in lovethe truth in love


5. Do you give offense and 5. Do you give offense and don’t care who gets hurt don’t care who gets hurt (“That’s just the way I am”; (“That’s just the way I am”; “They are too sensitive”; “They are too sensitive”; “They can’t handle the “They can’t handle the Truth”);--PhariseesTruth”);--Pharisees


6. Do you take offense and 6. Do you take offense and refuse to forgive because of refuse to forgive because of hurt? hurt? (“But what (“But what HE/SHE/THEY did was so HE/SHE/THEY did was so WRONG!”WRONG!”) Matthew 18:35) Matthew 18:35


7. Do you refuse to give up 7. Do you refuse to give up the “me” for the “we”? the “me” for the “we”? ((unwilling to sacrifice for the unwilling to sacrifice for the team); Jesusteam); Jesus


8. Do you think in the “us vs. 8. Do you think in the “us vs. them” mentality more than the them” mentality more than the “one another” mentality? “one another” mentality? (“us” (“us” always being right and/or always being right and/or righteousrighteous); there are 59 “one ); there are 59 “one another verses” in NT another verses” in NT


9. Do you think “straightening out” 9. Do you think “straightening out” the church is your job instead of the church is your job instead of God’s job? God’s job? (“If I see something (“If I see something wrong shouldn’t I say something?”) wrong shouldn’t I say something?”) Perhaps, but the right person (Gal. Perhaps, but the right person (Gal. 6:1), in the right way (Matt. 18:15-6:1), in the right way (Matt. 18:15-17), at the right time (Ecclesiastes 17), at the right time (Ecclesiastes 3:1) 3:1)


10. Do you refuse to submit 10. Do you refuse to submit to the authorities that God to the authorities that God has instituted? (“has instituted? (“If they If they aren’t godly it isn’t God’s will aren’t godly it isn’t God’s will for them to be in charge”for them to be in charge”) ) Romans 13:1-7Romans 13:1-7


11. Do you give more energy and 11. Do you give more energy and attention to lobbying others to attention to lobbying others to your point of view than to prayer your point of view than to prayer (“Well, I think…”; “Well, MY (“Well, I think…”; “Well, MY opinion is…”;opinion is…”; “ “We cannot let this We cannot let this happen to our church! We must happen to our church! We must do something!”do something!”); Lord’s prayer in ); Lord’s prayer in Matt. 6:10: “…Thy kingdom come, Matt. 6:10: “…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” Thy will be done…”


12. Are you more prone to 12. Are you more prone to criticize than to encourage? criticize than to encourage? (the gift of (the gift of “discouragement”)“discouragement”)


13. Do you “courageously” 13. Do you “courageously” point out problems without point out problems without creativelycreatively providing providing solutions?solutions?


14. Do you isolate yourself 14. Do you isolate yourself instead of integrating with instead of integrating with others? (others? (intentionally or intentionally or unintentionally) Prov. 18:1unintentionally) Prov. 18:1—”—”He who separates himself He who separates himself seeks his own desire.”seeks his own desire.”


15. Do you stay in your 15. Do you stay in your comfort zones without comfort zones without venturing into new territories venturing into new territories of of serviceservice and and relationshipsrelationships? ? ((no post-birth growth takes no post-birth growth takes place in the comfort zone)place in the comfort zone)


16. Do you care more about 16. Do you care more about “maintaining” status quo of “maintaining” status quo of church meetings than about church meetings than about growing and developing growing and developing community? (community? (relationshipsrelationships) I ) I Peter 4:8--Above all, love each Peter 4:8--Above all, love each other other deeplydeeply


17. Do you see yourself more as a 17. Do you see yourself more as a teacher of others than as a learner teacher of others than as a learner of others? of others? (“I can only learn from (“I can only learn from people I respect”) people I respect”) I Cor. 14:21 “With I Cor. 14:21 “With other tongues and through the lips other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Is. listen to me, says the Lord.” Is. 28:11,1228:11,12


18. Do you take more than 18. Do you take more than you give? (you give? (do you think more do you think more about what you about what you getget out of out of church than what you put into church than what you put into it?it?))


19. Do you use the Bible to bash 19. Do you use the Bible to bash rather than heal? (2 main ways: rather than heal? (2 main ways: I do something you don’t like and I do something you don’t like and you use a verse to make me feel you use a verse to make me feel bad or guilty; OR you do bad or guilty; OR you do something mean and unloving something mean and unloving and use a verse to justify it)and use a verse to justify it)


20. Do you let financial 20. Do you let financial issues take priority over issues take priority over relationships? (top issue of relationships? (top issue of divisiveness in marriages, divisiveness in marriages, families, and churches)families, and churches)


Are You Are You Promoting or Promoting or Preventing Preventing Tumors in the Tumors in the Body?Body?


What about What about YOUYOU??


Promoting or Promoting or Preventing?Preventing?

Tumors in the Body: Am I Promoting or Preventing?.

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