Ignore the Intimidation and Go with God

If you are in a system that intimidates you to follow their rules that are not in the Word, get out of there. When we are under bondage to the legalism of those who wish to dominate us, then we have an idol in our lives, that idol being the "church system."

We cannot grow spiritually under the domination of ungodly leadership, oppression will keep us stuck in a spiritually child like state while diminishing the gifts and abilities Christ has given us.

Those who adhere to human rules to fit in, will be stunted in their growth and often will give up their gifts for the sake of acceptance.

How do we know if we are in a group like this? Its quite simple, a domineering group will become agitated when you find something to be an unnecessary rule or unbiblical and speak about it.

The group that relies on traditions rather than the Bible will always ignore challenges to correct things according to the Bible. If they cannot ignore you, they will warn others against you so that you have no influence or friends within that gathering, even gossiping behind your back that you are a trouble maker.

If we are not free to express our thoughts in order to discern truth, then we are in a cultic system. Anyone in our gathering ought to be excited to learn our thoughts and respond to them Biblically. Even if we might disagree, there ought to be an enthusiasm to go to the Word together and find the answer or at least to prove our assertions through Bible verses that come to mind.

The domineering gatherings in which only the "pastor" is allowed to speak of the things of God will always silence anyone who brings truth. Intimidating others into silence to maintain the status quo is a favored tactic to keep the congregation under control.

God never told the elders to control the people, He told them to lead by example, preaching and teaching.

1 Peter 5:2-3 "…2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."

Those who use intimidation to silence others are not leading, they are forcing, they have created their own following. We are never to follow any man, we are to follow Jesus Christ.