Usurping the Holy Spirit is Sin

No man has a right to dictate who we witness to or when we should do it Usurping the Holy Spirit in another believer is sin.

Many years ago we attended a church that was picketed by the local homosexual group. The reason we were targeted was because there was a program within the church that helped homosexuals move beyond their addiction to become cleansed from it. There were former homosexuals attending the gathering who witnessed the changed life and spoke openly about it.

Sadly though, when the picketers came the pastor issued an edict to the congregation to refrain from witnessing to the picketers while they were circling in the street in protest.

There were believers who were assigned to watch over the crowd to keep the church attendees from engaging with the homosexuals. There were refreshments served to the protesters while no one gave them the gospel. We were to be friendly but not to lecture them about Christ.

Ignoring this edict I entered the picketers to speak to them about Christ. As I approached their protest a church goer grabbed my arm to prevent me from speaking to them. I turned in anger and rebuked her in the name of Jesus Christ and she immediately backed off.

As I marched in the procession to speak to the leader of the group who was carrying the long banner, I appealed to her to consider her lifestyle according to the Bible. As I spoke to her in loving and soft tones she began to cry. She told me she tried Christianity but found no love there. As I explained the great love of Christ and what He did for her, the tears began to flow.

It was interesting to me that all around me were hostile and shouting homosexuals who remained quiet the entire time I was speaking to the leader. God restrained them and closed their mouths for the time I was with her.

I don't know what happened after that, the group disbanned while we went into the services. The pastor praised the people who didn't approach them, those who served them cookies and drink with big plastic smiles, but said nothing to them.

There were a handfull of others out in the street defying the pastors edict, those were the faithful ones, the ones who placed Christ above the flawed and disobedient rule of the one man pastor.

That pastor had no right to command anyone in the gathering not to witness Christ. He had no authority to dictate to the believers what they should say, where they should go or to whom they should speak. That pastor was usurping the leading of the Holy Spirit to keep his church out of trouble.

Shame on him, shame on him.

Acts 5:29
"29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

God never told us to comfort sinners in their sin, nor did He teach "friendliness evangelism." Yes we are kind when we speak to people, but we do not manipulate them to cause them to accept the truth, we state the truth in love and leave their response to the Lord.

There is no faith in remaining silent to keep out of trouble. Sure some people many have been angry at the witnessing that was going on that day, so what!!! They hate the apostles and Christ, they were martyred for their faith.

People do become angry often when we speak truth no matter how we say it. People don't become angry because of our delivery, they become angry because they don't like the message or the conviction they feel over their sin.

2 Corinthians 7:8-10
8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—
9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death."