What Is Our Responsibility?

What is our responsibility? What does God expect of us when He says “preach the Word” or “preach the Gospel”? When we are faithful and obedient to preach God’s Word, we will either be accepted or rejected. As in the parable of the sower, the Gospel will be received different ways. When the Gospel is rejected, we are commanded not to cast our pearls before swine. “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6) “But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:5-6) Our responsibility to unbelievers includes not bringing their abominations into our house. “You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and like it come under the ban; you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is something banned.” (Deuteronomy 7:26)

We are not to go out and burn and destroy people and things we disagree with. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  (2 Corinthians 10: 4-5)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

“And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” (Mark 16:20)

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)

“Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.” (Colossians 1:25)

” [ “Preach the Word” ] I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1, 2)

But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,”
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones;
And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it. (Jeremiah 20:9)

“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (Acts 20:27)

So how are we to deal with those who claim to be believers but who are dividing the church? “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning” (Titus 3:10)

What happens when these people have positions of authority in the church? “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.” (3 John 9)

If we are invited to another assembly that does not believe as we do, we should take the responsibility to preach truth and correct error. We don’t go there to gain advantage, to raise money, to enhance personal reputation. We don’t go there to create problems or make trouble but we have to deal with obvious disobedience. To ignore open sin is to commit sin. Remember that God Himself says, “These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes. Now consider this, you who forget God, Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.” (Psalm 50: 21-22)