Weekend Meeting | United State | November 2-3 2024 |

So we welcome everyone this morning to uh the minowa congregation and we're going to begin by giving attention to our talk for this morning it's entitled is your confidence in Jehovah our speaker is Sam melowski from the Washingtonville congregation in 2010 a French newspaper reported about a 12-year-old boy that was hospitalized in West Africa the reason well this boy had gotten malaria but that's not what put him in the hospital the medicine he received to treat malaria turned out to be fake and he got more sick from taking this fake medicine than if he had

just had the disease itself well this story highlights an issue that virtually every human must face today where can we put our confidence Without our trust being betrayed this has become an especially important question now as our world continues to face crisis after crisis with increased frequency and intensity with so many problems to face our need for safety comfort and protection is greater now than ever before so where can we turn can we really put our confidence in government religion or social movements to permanently solve our Problems well this issue has faced humans for a

very long time so can we learn something from the past to help us answer that question today let's do just that by turning to the Bible we'll consider the uh attitude that exists among political and religious leaders in ancient Israel and we can read about them in Isaiah chapter 28 as we read verses 14 and 15 of Isaiah 28 notice how the leaders in that day felt about the issues they faced and Then try to find some parallel with today's leaders it says so hear the word of Jehovah you boasters you rulers of this people

in jerus Jerusalem for you men say we have made a covenant with death and with the grave we have made an agreement when the Raging flash blood passes through it will not reach us for we have made a lie our refuge and we have hidden ourselves in Falsehood did you notice the attitude of those leaders they felt Invincible they thought uh no flash flood not even the grave itself could take them down and they knew problems would come up for themselves and their people that they looked over but despite all their best efforts it wouldn't

be enough to protect themselves and those looking to them for help does that sound Familiar Mankind's leaders today still boast in their accomplishments and make big promises we are hearing a lot of that right now how however catastrophic issues continue to overwhelm people like a raging flash flood in some cases that is literal with natural disasters but there's Wars that are going on and other uh challenges that people are facing that continue to go unsolved so what do you think is it wise for us to put our confidence in world Leaders not as long as

they continue to put their trust in a lie the lie that mankind can reliably solve their own problems so if we choose to trust in human leadership we can expect to be disappointed just like that young boy who thought he was taking medicine for malaria now if human leadership isn't the answer what's the alternative is it reasonable to expect God to provide trustworthy assistance when we need It well we're going to look into the Bible to prove today that Jehovah is the best place to put our confidence and to understand how to do so if

that's our choice so to start our discussion let's talk about two reasons why we can say Jehovah is the best place to put our confidence the first reason is that those who put their full confidence in Jehovah live with less fear and our second reason is God can always help us With our problems let's start with our first reason then those who put their full confidence in Jehovah don't fear challenges that others commonly do now that's a bold statement so what supports that claim it may help to know what a person's life is like when

they put their confidence in Jehovah those who do so listen to God's advice found in the Bible that helps them not Just do good things with their life but also avoid bad things here's two examples of the advice Jehovah gives in the Bible at Galatians 6 and verse 10 we're encouraged to be impartial by working what is good toward all people I'm sure you'd agree the Earth would be a better place if more people tried to do that second example Matthew 24:14 God asks us to communicate people in a Communicate with people in a positive

way by sharing the good news of his kingdom with them true worshippers of God around the world who live by just these two scriptures are both United and happy they're not afraid of the bad things that go on around them and they're not afraid of the future they don't need to be afraid because they know God's advice always works for them and they have a real hope for the Future well this room is filled with people who experience that unity and joy and that's a rare achievement in this world have you ever had a relative

or a workmate comment about how you're different from other people that they know well the reason they notice that is because your confidence is in Jehovah you trust that his advice always works and you're convinced of the second reason why he's the best place to put our confidence he can always help us With our problems to see how this is true notice how God is described at Psalm 46 verses 1 through3 and as we read these verses notice what Jehovah can do for us and why it says God is our refuge and strength a help

that is readily found in times of distress that is why we will not fear though the Earth undergo change though The mountains topple into the depths of the sea though its Waters Roar and foam over though the mountains rock on account of its turbulence were you able to pick out something that God can do for you well in verse one it says that Jehovah is two things for us a refuge and a strength a refuge is a protection so when we Face Problems having Jehovah as our refuge protects us from being overtaken overwhelmed by them

and the extent of this protection is Illustrated in verse two with the description of mountains falling into the sea imagine the level of intensity of an earthquake it would take to make a mountain collapse and all of that land falling into the sea would create a huge tidal wave well as humans we don't stand a Chance on our own against forces as powerful as earthquakes and tsunamis but the same could be said of some of the problems that we personally face today which problem in your life makes it feel like the ground you stand on

is shaking or like a wall of water is about to crash over you is it your health have you or a family member been affected by a serious illness What about your personal safety do you worry about whether your children or your spouse will come home safe at the end of the day as a family head do you worry about how you'll provide for your family in difficult Economic Times or do you miss a loved one you've lost in death it's not an exaggeration for us to say that problems like these can rock our world

and each day we may have to Face new things that add up and bring us to the Limit or beyond the limit of what we can handle on our own we're not immune to problems as humans but when we have Jehovah as our refuge we are protected from being overwhelmed by them but what else can Jehovah do for us we mentioned the second thing that he's our strength that means that that when we are facing these problems we can have God's holy spirit to help us keep getting back up when we're knocked down and we

might even have the strength to overcome certain challenges in life but at the very least we'll be able to endure them the effect for those who put their confidence in Jehovah is described in Psalm 462 we will not fear even if things that seem as stable in our life as a mountain completely Collapse nothing will change the fact that Jehovah is our refuge and strength a help readily found in times of distress so how does this strength and protection really work well here's a recent real life example we have pictured here u a young man

uh named rustam John norov and in 2020 at the age of 19 he was put in pre-trial detention in Tajikistan he was later sentenced to 3 and A2 years in prison for Conscientiously objecting to military service thankfully he was released after one year uh due to a new law that allowed him to be pardoned despite his difficult circumstances though brother norof gained an excellent reputation while in prison for his good behavior and integrity so what helped this young man to cope with this challenge well here's what he says reading the Bible every day and praying

Helped me a lot many Bible verses greatly strengthened my faith and encouraged me not to give up when I was afraid or had doubts I prayed to Jehovah for peace in my heart and for strength beyond what is normal after praying I always felt very calm so that's what worked for this young man prayer and Bible reading simple but what's the lesson that we can take well it highlights our two reasons Why Jehovah is the best place to put our confidence those who do so live with less fear and Jehovah can always help us with

any problem those truths apply to all of us including those who are young our children here uh may not be in prison but school isn't always the best environment either both kids and parents can learn from rustam John that Jehovah will help us with any challenge when we put our Confidence in him so what about each of us do you and I have the confidence in Jehovah that brother norof does well no matter what our confidence level is now let's talk about how to make Jehovah our source of confidence and then how to demonstrate that

we've done so so if we're going to do that put our confidence in Jehovah where do we start how can we perhaps overcome the Apprehensions we might have about trusting God or maybe find the motivation that we need to increase our confidence in him we're going to discuss three steps based on the Bible on how to do just that our first step will be to learn more about our source of confidence Jehovah second we'll need to listen to him and third we must remember him for our first step let's see how we can increase our

confidence in Jehovah Based on what we read at Proverbs 22 and: 19 there it says for your confidence to be in Jehovah I am giving you knowledge today so knowledge if we're going to really trust Jehovah we have to know him personally and that makes sense uh like with our example of brother norov he he formed a bond of trust with Jehovah because he got to know him through prayer and Bible Reading and for us too it's easier to be confident in things that we know people are more likely to buy the same brand of

cell phone over and over again because once we get to know it and use it we just feel confident that it works for us Jehovah too knows the good effect of Us coming to know him but is simply acquiring knowledge enough to put our confidence fully in Jehovah not necessarily we have to do something with That knowledge in order to experience the benefits that come from having confidence in Jehovah let's see what that is Proverbs 1 and verse 33 that says but the one listening to me will dwell in security and be undisturbed by The

Dread of Calamity so this is our second step to increase confidence in Jehovah as we learn more about him we have to listen to him so how do we do that and how does That lead to Greater confidence in God well as we learn about him in the Bible we're going to begin to understand that it's not just enough for us to believe that God exists we have to believe that the advice he gives us is always what's best for us and that belief is demonstrated by obedience so when we listen to Jehovah by obeying

him we're guaranteed to see good Results and as we see the good results our confidence in him will grow that's what happened to a 17-year-old girl in Korea when she began to serve Jehovah her family was so angry about it that they forced her to move out of the house well how did she react she applied Galatians 610 working what was good toward her family instead of getting angry back at them she prayed to Jehovah about the matter and let God's word and spirit mold her thinking this moved her to write letters to her family

and Express how much she still loved each of them well how did they respond to this first her two older brothers began to study the Bible and became dedicated Christians next it was her mother and younger brother that accepted Bible truth and lastly her father who had been the most bitterly opposed had a change of Heart because this girl listened to God by showing genuine love to her family she coped successfully with the fearful situation of being cast out for her faith and now she has 23 members of her family that serve Jehovah with her

can you imagine the effect that this outcome must have had on her confidence in Jehovah we can experience something similar and our sister's example shows that some Of the greatest blessings may come when we listen to God even though it is really hard for us one thing that can be particularly hard is forgiving one of our brothers that's offended us so why do it well of course there's many reasons but one is the effect that it has on our relationship with Jehovah restoring Unity with our brother by following Jehovah's advice draws us Closer to God

and when we experience that when we listen to God when we obey him and we see the benefits our confidence in him is sure to grow because we are feeling and experiencing his protection and blessing but sometimes even after we've been taking in knowledge of God and listening to him him perhaps for many years we might forget about why we should have confidence in Jehovah life's pressures and distractions can push our memories of Jehovah's goodness into the back of our mind that's what happened to the Jews who were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem after returning

from Exile in Babylon and their example highlights why after we've taken in knowledge of God and listened to him we have to do our third step remember Jehovah during this building project Nehemiah was serving as governor of the Jews and as the people started to face some serious challenges in their project like death threats from their neighbors Nehemiah realized his brothers needed some encouragement let's see what he told them uh to help strengthen their confidence in Jehovah at Nehemiah 4 verse 14 here Nehemiah says when I saw their fear I immediately Rose and said to

the people or the Nobles and the deputy Rulers and the rest of the people do not be afraid of them remember Jehovah who is great and awe inspiring and fight for your brothers your sons and daughters your wives and homes so what does Nehemiah tell his fellow workers remember Jehovah that's pretty simple it seems like so why did he remind them of this well these were people who had knowledge of God they had been listening to him but they were risking their lives To support this project and understandably this weighed heavily on some of them

to the point where they felt like giving up were there the threats that they were facing from their neighbors concerning yeah they were but it wasn't anything that their God couldn't help them with if some of the Jews had forgotten that fact Nehemiah hadn't and so he gave this timely reminder to the People this worked remembering Jehovah thinking about how great great and a inspiring their God was renewed the strength of the workers and increased their confidence in him to the point where they were able to get the work done so why was Nehemiah unfazed

by these problems while so many around him were discouraged by them well like brother norov and our Korean sister Nehemiah prayed often and was a good student of the Bible likely it was this routine that helped Nehemiah not just himself to rely on Jehovah but also allowed him to encourage others to do the same so what about us how can you and I remember Jehovah today well let's first talk about nehemiah's example for overseers in verse 14 of Nehemiah 4 we see that Nehemiah was attentive to the needs of the people he oversaw and he

was quick to to provide Encouragement when he saw they needed it why he remembered Jehovah he remembered how much Jehovah loved the people and that moved Nehemiah to show similar love Elders in the congregation today imitate Nehemiah by remembering Jehovah as they shepherd as they prepare talks and as they pray for the congregation when we strive to imitate Jehovah's care and interest in people people will help everyone to feel secure And safe in the congregation of course all of us can learn from nehemiah's good example as we cope with life's pressures it will be easier

to rely on Jehovah when we remember him by what our sister is doing here regular prayer and Bible reading can you think of ways that Jehovah has has helped you personally overcome challenges no doubt you can remembering those times will prevent Us from displaying a lack of confidence in Jehovah by becoming self-reliance when we face those problems or just in trusting in other humans as we go about our day then it will be helpful for us to think of Bible principles or characters that can help us make good decisions and to deal with the problems

that we're facing so remember to pray to Jehovah ask him for his help and thank him when following his advice works for You really as we perform our three steps for developing full confidence in Jehovah learning about listening to and remembering him we're going to get to a point where we can't help but show we have confidence in God that's because when we perform these steps properly we're going to want to give Jehovah our best every day now that concept giving almighty God our very best every day of our life can sound Daunting that may

be especially hard for us to feel good about our worship When we struggle with the idea that what we're giving him isn't always enough any of us can have feelings like that and it's so easy for us to compare what we can give to what others can give Jehovah or even what we're giving now to what we were able to give him in the past so how can we be sure that Jehovah will be happy with our personal best today well thankfully he tells us in his Word think of the way Jesus reflected his father

father's feelings in the following two examples first consider what Lazarus Sister Mary did for Jesus not long after he resurrected Lazarus as an act of deep appreciation we see here that Mary poured very expensive perfumed oil on jesus' head and feet how did Jesus react to this at Mark 14 and: 6 Jesus described Mary's actions as a fine deed worthy to be remembered for a long time but why was this gift so special to Jesus because it was so expensive well no in verse 8 of Mark 14 Jesus said that Mary did what she could

she just gave her best for our second example think of jesus' reaction to the poor Widow who gave two small coins of little value as a donation at the temple as Jesus looked looked on at this Widow and saw what she gave did he find it to be insignificant cuz it was worth so little money no at Mark 12:43 Jesus said he viewed all the larger donations of the wealthier people as less valuable than that of this poor Widow why because Jesus could tell she had given everything she had so what do we learn from

these two Examples we learn that Jehovah is happy when we give him our best he understands everything that we have to go through to give it to him Mary might never have been able to give such a generous gift again in her life and that poor Widow might have been used to giving Jehovah a lot more while her husband was alive to help provide for the family but that's not how Jehovah deals with us he doesn't hold us to what we could do For him in the past or expect us to give him more than

we actually have and Jesus didn't compare the gifts he just valued that they both gave their best so for us as our circumstances in life change we can have confidence that when we give Jehovah our best he will appreciate it don't We Love Our God for that well it's right for us to feel that no matter what we're doing for Jehovah he deserves our best effort at it so we Can show we have full confidence in Jehovah by doing the following learning what he requires of us listening to his advice and remembering him as we

give him our best each day as we do these things no challenge that we face in life will overtake us so after discussing why it's best to rely on Jehovah and how we can do so fully let's think back briefly to our young boy who got fake malarial medication if he could go back and redo It do you think he would choose a different medicine to take or a different doctor to go to of course you and I may face a similar opportunity now to put put our confidence in the right place whether we fully

trust in Jehovah now or not it is vital that we have our confidence in the right place before it's too late very soon the human organizations that many trust in today won't just be proven unreliable they'll be put out of Existence Jehovah describes how this will happen at Psalm 2 and verse 9 please read that with me here Jehovah says you will break them with an iron scepter and you will smash them like a piece of pottery yes for Jehovah one strong blow to human rule will render it completely useless so we're wise then to

put and keep our confidence in Jehovah now as his iron scepter draws within inches of Smashing human Rule and if we do we have a lot to look forward to notice the future blessings that await God's servants as we turn back to Psalm 46 this time we'll read verses 7- 11 Jehovah of armies is with us the god of Jacob is our secure Refuge come and witness the activities of Jehovah how he has done astonishing things on the earth he is bringing an end to Wars throughout the Earth he breaks the bow and shatters The

spear he burns the military wagons with fire give in and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in the earth Jehovah of armies is with us the god of Jacob is is a secure refuge for us from these verses we can see there's a lot that's about to change on the earth getting rid of war and violence is something humans have wanted for thousands of Years but something else is also about to change soon everyone will know that Jehovah is God and that he's the right and

only place to put our confidence will you choose to willingly put your trust in God now or will you put your confidence elsewhere and be forced to acknowledge that mistake once it's too late if you keep your confidence in Jehovah one thing will never change he Will always be our secure Refuge so prove where you stand trust completely in Jehovah give him your best then without fear here we will witness the astonishing things he does to protect his people [Applause] [Applause] forever thank you very much brother Makowski for helping us to really see why and

how we can place our confidence in Jehovah so we thank you very much for That fine lecture this morning now let's give our attention to our Watchtower Study we're going to give attention now to Brother John Layman but I just remember I didn't announce the talk for next week let's do that next week we're going to look forward to a talk that's going to be given by our own local Brother Scott gust the theme is do not be deceived by spiritism you look forward to that now brother Layman you have our Attention friends let's introduce

our watar lesson by standing and singing Together song number 107 it's entitled The Divine pattern of Love on to our Watchtower lesson this morning and what an interesting lesson we have it's entitled responding to sin with love and mercy the theme scripture for this lesson is Romans chap 2 and verse 4 where it says God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance so what can we expect in Today's lesson we're going to set our discussion around this question how can congregation Elders imitate Jehovah's desire to lead a wrongdoer to repentance this is

such an important subject we look forward to your comments heartfelt comments on this issue so let's begin our reader today is brother lucies follow along please with paragraph one in the preceding article we saw how the Apostle Paul handled a case of Serious wrongdoing in Corinth The Sinner was unrepentant and had to be removed from the congregation however as our theme text shows some who have committed a serious sin can be reached they can be led to repentance how can the elders help them to repent here's our first question what is true of some who

commit a serious sin let's begin with sister suriati yes uh Those who commit a Serious sin can be still to repentant like Jehovah said in Rome 2:4 Jehovah out of kindness and love he tried to lead them back that is a great start sister uh Gerson in harmony with that it's beautiful to know that Jehovah doesn't give up on us even when we've gotten into difficulties and as was already commented on Romans 2:4 says that God exercises forbearance or in other words he's holding back and showing patience With us for the purpose of our repentance

which can lead us to restore a good relationship with Jehovah that is heartwarming is brother Divine so there's no place for serious sinful conduct in the congregation however the conduct can go and the person can stay if they're willing to repent and the elders can help them then uh lead them to repentance that's a beautiful way to look at it paragraphs 2 and Three before the Elder can help they need to be aware of the matter so what should we do if we come to know that a fellow believer has committed a serious sin something

that could result in his being removed from the congregation we should encourage the wrongdoer to go to the elders for help what though if the wrongdoer refuses to speak to the elders then we would go to the elders ourselves to make sure that the person Will get the necessary help that is the love thing to do because we do not want to lose our brother or sister if the wrongdoer continues in his course he will further impair his relationship with Jehovah he may also damage the reputation of the congregation so we courageously take action out

of love for Jehovah and for the wrongdoer two and three what should we do if we come to know that a fellow believer has committed a serious sin and Why see sister basil we can encourage the wo to the to go to the elders for hope so um The W do is continue with the course but he will further impair his relationship with Jehovah that's exactly right let's go to zoom and sister Mahan Isaiah 1:8 fits very well here it says come now and let us set matter straight between us says Jehovah though your sins

are Like Scarlet they will be made as white as snow though they are as red as Crimson cloth they will become like wool that is such a powerful scripture let's stay on zoom and go to brother rice so really it's an act of love to help this wrongdoer because if he continues in his wrongdoing course he will have or further impair his relationship with Jehovah and also he would damage the Reputation of the congregation so there's two very important re reasons why this should be brought to the elders attention so the wrongdoer can be helped

to R write the wrong that he's done in the past yes serious indeed sister Krueger the paragraph also mentions that if someone isn't getting theirselves help that it would then be our responsibility to give them some help the sister gave me a good piece of advice one she said that a lot of times We tell ourselves things like well I don't want to get this person in trouble and she said well the fact is is that that person's already in trouble so it's a kindness on our part to give them the help they need that

is so true brother uh Schuster and acts chter 20: 28 Paul refers to the elders in the congregation as Shepherds uh she in the flock under their care so their interest is not just A judge that is part of the responsibility but primarily their shepherds are interested in helping those who may be lost to return to the congregation and not lost causes they're just lost sheep that need some tender care yes and we appreciate that let's go to Sister Schuster and so we appreciate that it's a necessary thing that we must do but nonetheless it's

not an easy thing to do and that's why the scripture there in Psalms 27:14 tells us to be courageous and strong of heart so we need to take action out of love and we need Jehovah's help to be able to do this yes and thank you for highlighting the scripture brother Roga so in connection with that verse as well that what sister Schuster brought out is sandwiched by hope in Jehovah and then yes Hope in Jehovah so where's their hope lie when you're made a Serious mistake whether they see the need to go to the

elders or not their only only hope is with Jehovah so we've got to do it for them and we've got to do it for the congregation may we never forget that let's look at our first subheading together now how the elders assist those who get involved in serious sin paragraph 4 when someone in the congregation commits a serious sin the body of Elders Selects three qualified brothers from among them who will serve as a committee these men need to be modest and humble while they try to get try to help the Airing one to repent

they recognize that they cannot force someone to change the elders acknowledge that not all wrongdoers will respond in a positive way as did King David some wrongdoers may choose to ignore Jehovah's admonition nevertheless the elders goal is to lead the wrongdoer to repentance If at all possible what principles guide them as they meet with the wrongdoer in paragraph four there's a footnote you may choose to comment on but let's get the answer to the question first here is what is the elders goal when they meet with someone who has committed a serious sin brother gusterson

they want to if at all possible to be able to reach this individual's heart and help them to repent um but sometimes As H has happened before if a if an individual does not want to listen to Jehovah they may not let allow their heart to be reached and that has happened in the Bible Jehovah reached out to Cain and tried to admonish him and let him know you need to change this course did he listen know but sometimes uh the individual does listen and their heart is reached as as was happening with King Davis

so that's really the goal for why these Elders meet with These individuals yes it is and sister uh Austin and they're imitating Jehovah who's trying to lead us to repentance scripture doesn't say Jehovah drags us to repentance so the elders recognize they can't force someone to make changes but their goal isn't to force them out of the congregation either their goal is to imitate Jehovah and Lead that person to repentance if at all possible that's a Beautiful Point uh brother basil I like how Deuteronomy uh chapter 319 sort of supports that um they help us

to to recognize that there's a choice the choice is up to us but our choices have consequences choosing life choosing God's uh requirements can can lead to a life that's happy and fruitful whereas if we make the choice not to listen to biblical Direction it could end up in our in our death and and and the a bad situation between our the relationship That we have with our father so that's what they're they're trying to help the individual to do is make the right choice yeah it's clear isn't it uh and our visiting sister right

here yes um I appreciated how in this paragraph it mentioned that uh we no longer call this committee a Judicial committee uh because the main purpose of uh coming together to to meet with the wrongdoers not to judge that person but to Shepherd them and to help them to Show love and uh guide them to repentance that's a nice adjustment isn't it and please uh our sister right here in the front sister Marte okay so now instead of being called a Judicial committee it will be called um just um a committee of Elders yes brother

the Duan well I'm really enjoying this series of Articles as the help that Elders need to help you know the expression uh leading to repentance made Me think of you can lead a horse to water can't make them drink so you could lead a person to repentance you can't force them to change but instead of feeling like well there's the water trough if you want some uh these articles really help us put our heart into it and come up with sound uh loving scriptural principles to try to help a person want to make the change

yeah it's heartwarming isn't it let's move on to paragraph Five the elders view the wrongdoer as a precious lost sheep therefore when they meet with the individual they are not harsh in their speech attitude and approach nor do they view the meeting as a mere routine in which they follow a set procedure instead they will display the qualities found at se 2 Timothy 2:2 24-26 the elders remain mild gentle and kind as they strive to reach the wrongdoer heart let's put up the picture that's associated with this paragraph And we also also have a read

scripture it's 2 Timothy 2: 24- 26 and sister Weck on Zoom would you read that for us please for a slave of the Lord does not need to fight but needs to be gentle toward all qualified to teach showing restraint when wronged instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of Truth and they may come to their senses and Escape From The Snare of the devil Seeing that they have been CAU Alive by him to do his will thank you for the good reading here's our

question what counsel will the elders have in mind when they meet with the wrongdoer sister guer what the scripture we just read in second Timothy uses words such as gentle restraint mildness and we see why those qualities would be necessary when you look at the picture and you look at the sheep that sheep has its back against The wall it has been beat it's hurt it's it's crying for help so when Elders remember what that sheep has gone through and use those qualities that sheep's going to make its way home and really captures it sister

Watson and along with sister guyer's comment I was also thinking the Sheep is also entangled it's not just hiding or gone it's entangled so you couldn't pull it out quickly you would actually tear the skin puncture it or Worse even kill it So the elders do the same to um have the utmost care taking care of them not to damage them further and remembering this is Jehovah sheep it is and brother Turner so that means it's not the time to ask sheep all these questions how did they get to this spot they were told not

to go this direct all these different things that's not going to help but being gentle um can help them to it says come to their senses um in that scripture in Timothy so they the Sheep Is going to have to want to come out of that position with uh coaxing and gentleness beautiful Point uh sister Duhan and years later the Sheep they might not remember the council but they're always going to remember how they were treated and how they felt and if the elders were kind with them and so that will draw them back too

if they decide they will leave the truth but they'll always remember the bad if it's bad so we're going to make a big change Here the the Sheep are always going to know that they're welcome back yeah that's human nature isn't it a sister stock and having worked at vets for many many years injured animals act in really really dangerous ways sometimes and they don't know what they're doing they're they're very afraid and so with this advice that the elders look at the long the wrongdoer as a precious sheep something an an animal a little

lamb could hurt you in in a fearful state so When we have the when the right attitude is towards the the person who's done the wrong and who's in an injured State they really are mentally and emotionally injured um we can help them better that's some good Insight thank you sister chamora and if this was a different type of animal it might be able to get out of that situation but the elders keep in mind that Jehovah used the example of sheep because on their own they're Relatively helpless and vulnerable but that's how um that's

why he's provided Shepherds to gently lead them back and find them if they're lost that's important details sister Roma and I was thinking um just what a stark contrast this is from the religions of the world um my mom grew up not in the truth and you know when you did something wrong you were really uh made to feel bad about it and um you know Jehovah's counsel to be my gentle And kind it really does help lead people back to repentance and it shows it shows them that Jehovah really does love you and he's

not a God that wants to condemn you for what you do great contrast we need to move on to paragraph six the elders prepare their own heart they try to imitate Jehovah in all their dealings with a sinner remembering Paul's words go in his kindness God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance the elders must remember that They are primarily Shepherds under the direction of Christ before meeting with the wrongdoer the committee will prayerfully consider their goal to lead the wrongdoer to repentance they will do research in the scriptures and in our

Publications and will pray for discernment they will consider what they need to know about the indivi individual's background that may have contributed to his thinking attitude and conduct we're going to take a close look At our theme scripture now who'd like to read Romans 2:4 for us sister van duen or do you despise The Riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience because you do not know that God in his kindness is trying to lead you to repentance thank you our question how will the elders prepare the their own heart before meeting with a wrongdoer

uh brother gustas they'll note that um that they as Shepherds got appointed that way by Jehovah and Jesus so Jehovah and Jesus is watching carefully over how things are going to be handled they'll do research in the Publications and ask for discernment so that they can hopefully see through prayer what uh Jehovah sees about situation and act the way Jehovah would want them to act yes serious indeed brother Ellison I just love this paragraph if if I needed a doctor and I knew that one took the time before I even got there to Do research

on me uh to look at my background my history and then had a goal of he was going to do whatever it took to help me I'd get there pretty quick and so how nice it is even though this lesson is directed to the elders but for individuals that have committed wrongdoing or even if that's going to be coming up in our in our future because we're imperfect uh we can have confidence after going over this lesson that these individuals their Elders are Here to help us no matter what it takes and that is a

great illustration sister Roga I think this thought here about praying for discernment is so important because we as humans we can't read another individual's heart so being able to pray to Jehovah to give us that discernment so that way we can really slow down we can get to know the person ask them these questions um taking into account their uh background how this affected their thinking their conduct That way then we can really try to help them yes certainly and in our auxiliary classroom brother clag this is really helpful because if a person's gotten into

trouble they know what they're looking forward to they know the mindset of the individuals that are going to meet with them they know what they're going to be like they're not going to go into a situation where they feel like they're being judged heavily in a negative way they're going To meet with people who have are going to look to see what their circumstances are like who are trying to help them and that's going to be a a differen maker for them in in this sort of situation this spells fear doesn't it brother colel and

the idea there in Isaiah 11 is a gentle reminder to Elders about how Christ views people he says he does not appear judge by what appears to the eyes nor by what his ears here and the reality is each one of us as individuals Has our own personal biases and hearing certain sins may affect us deeply as individuals more than maybe others or more than they should so preparing our own hearts before talking with a person is critical that way the elders arrive at a decision that's made by Jehovah and Jesus Christ and not one

that's based on our own personal belief systems yeah so important uh sister Medina and that is what is shown in Matthew 18: 18- 20 that any decisions That are made by the elders would be to follow the decisions already made in heaven and so therefore would lead one to repentance knowing that the decision harmonizes with what Jehovah has directed thank you for making that connection let's get a comment on Proverbs 20:5 and how it applies sister Turner sometimes a person's feelings and thoughts are so deep that the elders have to use discernment um even when

asking questions they want to take into Account that person's feelings and makeup it's important scripture isn't it let's go on to paragraph seven and eight the elders imitate Jehovah's patience they keep in mind how Jehovah dealt with wrongdoers in the past for example Jehovah reason reasoned patiently with Cain warning him about the consequences of sin and offering him hope of restoration Jehovah admonished David by means of the Prophet Nathan who used an Illustration that touched the heart of the king and Jehovah kept sending the prophets again and again to the Wayward nation of is Israel

he did not wait for his people to repent before helping them rather he took the initiative by urging them to repent Elders follow Jehovah's example when trying to help those who have gotten involved in serious sin as 2 Timothy 4:2 directs they reason with all patience when dealing with a troubled fellow believer a study note on that Verse says of such an elder he would always need to show restraint patiently appealing to the sinner's desire to do what is right if the Elder were to give into annoyance or frustration he might alienate or even stumble

The Sinner seven and8 how can the elders imitate Jehovah's patience when they meet with a wrongdoer sister gustus so we can learn something from the wording of the verses we've been Considering over these few articles Romans 2:4 doesn't say God and His kindness is waiting for you to repent inste he's trying to lead you um in Psalms 865 doesn't simply say Jehovah you are willing to forgive it says you are ready so Jehovah is so ready that he takes proactive steps and at the point when Nathan approached David David still was in Den he had

not admitted to Jehovah the wrongs he committed he was withering away inside but Jehovah sent His Prophet to wake him out of that state and start the healing process so how loving he is yes he is and uh sister fromer so we can see how um they remember how Jehovah treated sinners in the past and brought out the C the example of C who he offered the opportunity to regain the approval while warning him of the consequences of his action also as he repeatedly sent the His prophets to Israel to urge them to repent so

the Elders they don't rush to conclude that a person doesn't want to change but rather they may meet with him more than one time giving them time to reflect and repent that's Jehovah's example isn't it sister colbrook and we see this also in the case of the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 7 in verse 2 says they walked in their own scheme stubbornly following their wicked heart and they went backward not forward but we see that Jehovah did not Give up on them and he did not wait for them to repent but he took the

initiative and he kept sending His prophets to them trying to uh urge them to repent important indeed and sister cich and as a paragraph stated it said again again and again this made me think of how much work and effort goes into just one uh one call with somebody for that personal person how much study is going in how much effort and then for them to still sin in the end even if it Wasn't just once we might feel hurt inside of how we tried our best but for Jehovah he goes no it's okay you

can come back I still love you so for us we want to have Jehovah's thinking on things that no matter how much we tried it's between them and Jehovah yes that's a good point brother Bas so the implication of these two paragraphs is that the elders may find themselves in Jehovah's position which is a situation that could be frustrating And that's that the person isn't listening as we give them the counsel and try to help them avoid or come back from the wrong course that they're involved in so as a human though we don't have

Jehovah's Outlook and so these things can get under our skin and it can kind of make us feel impatient or frustrated but we have to be very careful that we don't give into that we want to keep applying Jehovah's patience and the reason is we don't want to cause Any stumbling block that could impede their return to Jehovah whether it's now or in the future we certainly want to just make that way open for them yes that's the reality and uh sister REITs and along the lines with that the paragraph talked about Ed the word

restoration so we see that it's a a delicate situation it requires Great care and how it's handled and it made me think of you know sometimes you go into A museum and there's somebody that's working on restoring a painting right there in front of you and it requires a lot of patience well if they were to get frustrated or annoyed they might ruin that restoration so in in 2 Timothy 4:2 it says that the brothers they might be working in difficult times but even so they would need to use all patience in art of teaching

nice illustration let's go to our next two paragraphs 9 and 10 the elders try to determine the circumstances that led up to the sin for example did the Christian slowly become weak because he neglected personal study or the ministry have his prayers to Jehovah become infrequent or superficial has he been allowing wrong desires to guide him has he made unwise choices in his associations or entertainment how might such choices have affected his heart does he recognize how his recent decisions and Actions have affected his father Jehovah by asking meaningful questions without being unnecessarily intrusive the

elders kindly draw out the wrongdoer and help him to reason on his course in addition they might use illustrations to help the person to reason and to see the wrongness of his actions as did Nathan did with David perhaps during the first meeting the person will begin to feel real sorrow over the course he has followed he may even Repent nine and 10 how can Elders Help The Sinner reason on his course uh brother Jung Elders can use some meaningful questions to inquire about the person and help them um reason on his course that may

help him reach a a conclusion yes indeed and sister AAS I was thinking about our illustration of the little lamb again um often animals like that just kind of follow their nose and nibble their way They're not even sure how they got into that situation so these gentle meaningful questions over time can help draw them out and understand maybe they don't even know how they got where they were but those gentle questions can help them understand what happened and how they can avoid that in the future yes so effective brother too and the question question

s can focus on the wrongdoer spirituality had he been neglecting Personal study prayer the ministry they can also focus on decision's choice they have made regarding entertainment Association and the related matters yeah things don't happen in a vacuum do they uh brother guby and this is why the the prayer for discernment is definitely key Proverbs 25 is talking about the Deep Waters and in order for them to be repentance there has to be a change of mind or a change Of course so we we need to understand their mind we understand what led up to

to what this is but primarily the goal is we we understand that there was a sin we want to re help them to reason on the course and it's nice that it mentions here it doesn't say perhaps during the meeting it says the first meeting because may be another one so all we're doing is of course remembering a goal to lead them to repentance so we're looking for everything uh that could lead in Us In that direction lead them in that direction yeah that's the desired outcome brother def Francis an elder could also skillfully use

uh illustrations to maybe parallel physical health along with spiritual health to kind of drive home the point of um needing needing assistance and getting well yeah Nathan did sister lafy yeah Nathan's illustration focused on David's sense of right and wrong and he he brought out David's righteous Indignation at a wrong like that and helped him so much to see and the end result was that their friendship continued David was very thankful to him in the in the long run for helping him and he even named a son Nathan afterwards so that is the result that

the ERS are going for to help someone so that they remain friends and think of them as a friend all through the rest of their life yeah Nathan was outstanding we'll take one more comment uh let's go To zoom and sister leit saww and um as mentioned this is already the second time that they cited this scripture in Proverbs 25 and especially during ancient times drawing up water was was not easy and to put in perspective one reference brings out that when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman she was hauling up water from Jacob's fountain

that was uh more or less 75 ft deep so it may require some time and a lot of effort but the way That these hardworking Elders use questions can determine how much a person may be willing to share that's some helpful background thank you let's go to paragraph 11 the elders strive to imitate Jesus when dealing with Saul of Tarsus the resurrected Jesus asked a probing probing question Saul Saul why are you persecuting me Jesus thereby helped him to reason on his wrong course and in the case of that woman Jezebel Jesus said I Gave

her time to repent number 11 how did Jesus deal with Sinners brother buckwald it was nice here that um Jesus didn't start off the conversation by saying you're doing this wrong because or you're a bad person because no he um reasoned with him he asked him a question he said why are you persecuting me to try to get him to realize what he was doing was wrong and that's a great example for elders today when reasoning With a wrongdoer to try to get them to realize what they're doing is wrong and to repent yes it

is and what's the other example brother Makowski and with the person described as that woman Jezebel in the congregation in thyra Jesus showed patience he said I gave her time to repent important Point paragraphs 12 and 13 please in Imitation of Jesus the elders are not Hasty to conclude that a Wrongdoer will not repent while some may repent during the committee's first meeting with them others may need more time so the elders May arrange to meet with the sinner more than once perhaps after that first meeting the heiring Christian will begin to think seriously about

what he has been told he may approach Jehovah in Humble prayer thus at a subsequent meeting The Sinner may have a different Spirit from the one he showed at the first Meeting to help lead the sinner to repentance the elders show empathy and kindness they hope and pray that Jehovah will bless their efforts and that the Wayward Christian may come to to his senses and repent let's put the pair of pictures up that are associated with these two paragraphs and here's our question how might the elders give a wrongdoer time to repent please sister Jung

some people may repent during that First meeting with the committee but others may need more time so the elders meet with them again so the that wrongdoer has time to to think about what he heard at the first meeting yes and sister kruer well we know realistically that there's a Time For Everything Under the Sun so things don't happen because we plan on them doing something at this appointed time like it's a schedule that they're going to emotionally suddenly Come to a certain conclusion that that does take time and we have to be patient with

people people and as you can see in the photo um the fact that the man is even at the table if you spend any time in the truth you know some people never even come to their committees they no interest so the fact that he showed up shows that there's something there that he's trying to be worked with good catch uh brother guer and really it it really illustrates How um this individual is um he's really shut down you can you can just read the body language um and so that being said it's anyone here

it would be very difficult to show the patience and to show this person love and try to ask these these questions that we talked about uh in a way to help to draw them to repentance but as we see in the other picture here we see it worked because it might have seen when that meeting ended that Nothing sunk in however it did because we can see that he went home however long it's been he thought about it and we see a completely change in attitude and yet these brothers are still say showing that same

love and that same patience they're not all uh shut up and uh statues like he was they're they're there to help draw him to repentance yeah it's a process isn't it uh sister Ellison the psalmist the psalmist said there in um 32:5 finally I confessed my sin so initially like the brother there not even following along with his Bible there he was not ready to confess maybe or um allow them to reach his heart but finally in the next picture like the psalmist he had a change of heart and was more open to the councel

yeah the story board captures it doesn't it let's go to paragraph 14 if the sinner repents that is a cause for Great Joy who deserves the credit Do the elders recall what Paul wrote about Sinners perhaps God may give them repentance a study note on that verse comments the credit for such a change in thinking and attitude goes not to any human but to Jehovah who helps the Wayward Christian make this vital change Paul goes on to mention some of the beautiful results of such repentance it leads the sinner to a more accurate knowledge of

the truth it helps him come back to his proper senses and it enables Him to escape from Satan's snares there are some great scriptures in this paragraph that we can comment on uh question who deserves the credit when a sinner repents and why brother Roma the credit for such a change in thinking and attitude goes not to any human but to Jehovah that is exactly the point uh sister costek and as much as we appreciate so much the elders tender care and help um Their best efforts are limited when compared to Jehovah and his spirit

so it's this that it's Jehovah's spirit that helps only read their hearts but as the scripture in second Timothy says that brings them back to their proper senses and actually changes their hearts that's the big picture sister Lopez it's very clear the elders work very hard in cases like this to give encouragement but it's not the elders who can bring a person back going back To our theme scripture it's God In His Kind is trying to lead you to repentance and he uses the elders to help encourage this person to attain to repentance but it's

only Jehovah who can really reach their heart and encourage them to come back yeah that's how it works sister Hawkins we know it's certainly Jehovah because even this enlightened information for us is from Jehovah he's being patient with us so of course we need to be patient with one another But what a loving provision now Jehovah has never changed he's helping us to come to his light and his understanding and it's beautiful to see that yeah so true uh brother colbrook and again to another way in which it can be said that Jehovah another reason

why it can be said that it's Jehovah who's leading the person to repentance is because remember the elders are following the principles that Jehovah provided um that as they Endeavor to assist the person so again that's why it can be said at the end of the day if the person repents it's Jehovah who led that person to repentance thank you for connecting that and a final comment uh sister Layman we see from second Timothy 2:26 this is a life or death life course that the elders are helping the the uh repentant ones to change uh

if they don't they'd be caught alive by the devil to do his will so um those that Don't repent will uh not inherit God's kingdom and that's why the elders work so hard to help them make these changes yes life and death 15 please when a wrongdoer repents the committee will arrange for shepherding visits so that the person can continue to receive the help he needs to fight against Satan's snares and to make straight paths for his feet of course the elders do not reveal to anyone the details of the sinner's Course about what though

might the congregation need to be informed 15 how may the elders continue to help a repentant wrongo her brother Costa they would want to continue to read to receive or to give shepherding visits maybe even referring to how Jehovah views them um helping them imagine how Jehovah feels uh taking that he's taking a deep interest in them that he is really dra he's honing in on their prayers he cares so much about them and Thinking back to the photo of the sheep often times it's it's the branches it's being stuck against The Rock that's the

Learning lesson it's not being ridiculed after the fact so treating them gently giving them the shepherding visits allowing them time to heal and remembering that it's not where they were but it's where they can continue to go very nice uh see uh is that sister Gilmore yes yes it is while on a Shepherding call it's a good opportunity for a person to open up to the elders and let them know what type of foundation they're dealing with they might want to give them some context of their background if they're dealing with trauma or if they

just didn't grow up in a spiritual household that might explain why their their journey is different than someone else who may have come from a loving home or who's had a support system and so the the end game or excuse Me end goal of all the elders is to help that person become a better person and draw close to Jehovah yeah that openness is so important uh our visiting sister right here well that's sister Richards not you're not visiting you live here okay um the scripture in Hebrews is so encouraging because these ones are in

a weakened state so they need to have continued help and so it says strengthen the hands that hang down in the feeble Needs knes thank you for touching on the scripture brother Ramirez Billy KAS earlier talked about that image that we had at the beginning I was thinking about that too how the shepherd didn't go and find the sheep that was lost and entangled and hurt and he' say okay I found you come on let's go back more than likely he had to take time to make sure that the Sheep was no longer caught and

then he healed or he Bandaged the wound that he had and still carried that sheep back to where the flock was at and even being with the flock Wella I kept continue keeping the Sheep warm and and uh and close to him well the same thing would be in this situation uh where again it's going to take time for that person to be able to recover we're glad they repented but it's going to take time for them to be able to build that relationship again with Jehovah so again the elders have to Be willing to

continue to help out yes true indeed let's go to our next subheading reprove before all on Lookers and you're going to follow along with our reader as he covers 1 Timothy 5:20 to begin the paragraph reprove before all onlookers those who practice sin as a warning to the rest the paragraph Paul wrote those words to his fellow Elder Timothy in connection with how to handle those who practice sin what did he mean he did not Necessarily mean that the whole congregation were the onlookers rather he was referring to those few who might already know of

the sins they could be eyewitnesses or they could be Those whom the wrongdoer confided in the elders would discreetly make them aware that the matter was handled and that the sinner was corrected number 16 according to 1 Timothy 5:20 what onlookers does Paul refer To let's see I see a hand but I don't see the face that in the last r that's sister Albright Paul is referring to those who might already know of the sins which is usually just a few they might be eyewitnesses or Those whom the wrongdoer confided in so true and our

sister right along the the wall there and um this is um a very nice balance um because it dignifies the wrongdoer and Not um necessarily having uh something private um spread amongst those in the congregation and so we see just how loving uh this Arrangement is it surely is and on Zoom let's go to Sister Winslow I was thinking that all three paragraphs that are under this subheading reprove Beyond before all onlookers reminds us back to the footnote that you had us consider about the uh the uh Committee of three uh is no longer to

be Called a Judicial committee because overall they're working at much more than that but in that footnote it said that judging is an aspect of the committee's work so they have to be judging as they're going along this and that and judging what they hear and with Jehovah's help and then they may have to even make decisions and pass judgment that has been decreed or helped them by Holy Spirit but but the footnote did say That judging is an aspect of their work yes thank you for making that connection uh brother laferty so this is

a a very practical and kind thing to let those know that that have been affected maybe by the the sin know about it and so forth that the congregation now is uh clean and everything is uh handled that can feel safe in the congregation it's comforting to know isn't it paragraph 17 please in some instances the wrongdoing May have become widely known in the congregation or is likely to become known in such a case the onlookers would include the entire congregation so an elder would announce to the congregation that the brother or the sister has

been reproved why Paul answers as a warning to the rest not to fall into SIN number 17 if a serious sin is widely known in the congregation or is likely to become known what announcement would be made and why Sister Krueger that the sinner has been reproved and is a warning for all not to be fallen to the Trap of sin yes it's that simple and uh please is that sister Rodriguez the the gem there in that scripture it mentions that this fear isn't a morbid fear it's actually a healthy fear of sin so it's

a to help the onlooker see what steps need to be avoided and to have a respect for Jehovah and his standards yes and sister gustason yes we want to maintain our um standing not only in the congregation but also in a community if it didn't become widely known of some um wrongdoing it could easily be thought well this person didn't get into trouble for it so maybe I could do this as well so in little ways we show uh and and having this be made public shows to the everyone that we are upholding Jehovah Standards

and such things would not be tolerated yes it's a just way to deal with things uh our brother visiting right here and uh I love love the footnote uh that goes with reproof in 1 Timothy 5:20 um because the reproof is still not a completely negative outcome it says that the goal um of reproof is positive of moving a person to acknowledge and correct his mistake so even if it comes to that point there is still a positive Outcome that Jehovah sees in it and just helping them to continue to move towards the correct goal

nice Point paragraph 18 what about baptized miners those under 18 years of age who engage in serious wrongdoing the body of Elders will arrange for two Elders to meet with the minor and his Christian parents the Elder will F Elders will find out what steps the parents have already taken to help their child come to repentance if The minor has a good attitude and the parents are reaching him the two Elders might decide that it is not necessary to take the matter any further after all it is the parents god-given responsibility to provide loving correction

to their children the elders will thereafter occasionally check with the parents to make sure that the minor is getting the help he needs however what if a baptized minor unrepentantly persists in a wrong course In that case a committee of Elders will meet with him along with his parents his Christian parents let's put up the Family scene that's in paragraph 18 and our question how will the elders handle situations involving baptized miners sister def Frances if a minor is involved with the serious sin two Elders will arrange to meet with the minor and his Christian

parents to find out the steps the Parents have already taken if the sinner wants to repent and if he has a good attitude on it exactly how do the scriptures that are cited in the paragraph support this direction sister def Francis it brings out at Proverbs 226 train a boy in the way he should go even when he grows old he will not depart from it so again Jehovah gives parents that loving direction to correct their children um but we do also have the help Of the elders that's where the responsibility lies isn't it sister

to Uso and of course we hope that the outcome is positive but in the event that the individual continues to persist in a wrong course Jehovah does have standards and those standards have to be upheld so at this point uh a committee of Elders would meet with the minor but the parents would still be involved yes that is the bottom line brother Lopez and so for baptized miners they're They an integral part of the congregation where they bring unique praise to Jehovah uh but they're also under the congregation's protection so uh parents uh were not

the exclusive source of spiritual care for our baptized children uh so responsible parents wouldn't Shield their children from correction or discipline uh that the congregation lovingly and merely provides through the elders thank you for detailing that sister uh Velia so we can see the difference between this picture and the last picture the other one was uh an adult uh meeting with three brothers in the Kingdom Hall this is a minor he's at home there's two brothers the parents are visible and and there and so we see the difference of how Jehovah is handling someone who's

a minor versus someone who's an adult thank you for pointing that out and uh brother bogas so this is a nice adjustment that Helps us all to reflect on the headship arrangement that Jehovah has put into place so now the elders aren't usurping the headship of the parents and the father of that family like Jehovah has instructed but also like brother Lopez pointed out the parents will want to recognize the scriptural principle of James 5:14 so the elders are still there to provide this spiritual healing when it's needed and they'll welcome them into the situation

and allow that to Happen yeah it's a loving Arrangement isn't it we need to go to our last subheading now Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful Elders who serve on committees have a responsibility before Jehovah to keep the congregation clean they also want wrongdoers to be moved to repentance if possible to that end Elders maintain a positive hopeful Outlook why because they want to imitate Jehovah who is very tender in affection And merciful note how the Aged Apostle John showed such a spirit he wrote my little children I am writing you these things

so that you may not commit a sin and yet if anyone does commit a sin we have a helper with the father Jesus Christ a righteous one 19 how do elders strive to imitate Jehovah when dealing with wrongdoers sister Rivera you could truly sense the deep love in the Apostle of John's word is in First John where he concludes if anyone does commit a sin we have a helper with the father Jesus Christ the righteous one so here Jehovah is not portrayed as a disciplinarian or father who scolds but rather as a father who's eager

to help us and this compassionate supportive approach truly reveals Jehovah's love so showing that he comes to us from a place of help rather than judgment could truly make a world of difference yeah paints a heartwarming Picture and sister faring and I loved how John had a addressed them at the beginning calling them my little children I'm writing you these things so that you may not commit a sin but then he says and yet if anyone does commit a sin we have a helper so John was genuinely concerned with the congregation like they were his

own children and he really reflects Jehovah's attitude because although the elders do reach out if they see us down A wrong path it's not that they view us as a lost cause if one does commit a serious and they still want you to go to Jehovah and them for help yes absolutely and uh our business sister right here I also liked how the Apostle John realistically added yet if anyone does commit a sin um because it's realistic that we are going to commit sins because we are imperfect but again Jehovah lovingly as he always is

have stepped up and made a provision for us if we do sin Yes our last paragraph now number 20 sadly there are times when a Christian refuses to repent if so he must be removed from the congregation how do the elders handle such serious cases we will consider that matter in the final article of this series thank you so much for reading today brother Luc we enjoyed it our question what will we consider in the final article of this series sister Harris We consider how it um how the congregation handles um a situation when a

Christian refuses to repent and needs to be removed good so please come back next week let's look at our review questions for our article today here's our first according to Romans 2:4 what goal do the elders have when meeting with a wrongdoer sister white the goal wouldn't be to um pass judgment or necessarily punish a Wrongdoer but it would be to Shepherd them and to lead the wrongdoer to repentance and they do this by praying for Jehovah's Direction and doing their best to imitate Jehovah's kindness his love and his Mercy it's just touching isn't it

and sister basil looking at Romans 2:4 the um like for El show kindness and we want to be patient with all our brothers and sisters so we see Jehovah that we are that they he proud with all the elders in all Different congregations It's a Wonderful Council for them our second question what guidance does 2 Timothy 2:2 24-6 provide for elders Sister Larson well Jehovah does use the elders but the credit for the changes in our thinking and attitude it goes to Jehovah not any human of course and let's go to brother Medina on Zoom

yeah we appreciate the council there in second Timothy uh dealing with Mildness those not Fally disposed where God can then lead them to repentance so as Elders we want to be precious be consider them precious deal with them as lost sheep and then Jehovah's Mercy he can then lead them back to the congregation yes well summarized our last question what does it mean to reprove before all onlookers sister Boule well in some cases onlookers would include the entire Congregation uh onlookers in that V verse does not necessarily mean the entire congregation it could be a

small group of people who were affected by or aware of the wrongdoing or those who are eyewitnesses to the sin and the elders in those cases would discreetly make them aware that the matter was handled that the sinner was corrected yes well said so friends we've spent four weeks on this subject of how Jehovah is loving and merciful and dealing with Sinners we Have one more week to go please come back as we wrap it up ministry we'll ask brother uh malikowski to say our closing prayer but before that let's stand and sing the closing

song it's song 103 Shepherds gifts and men but for those who are contentious and disobey the truth and Obey unrighteousness there will be wrath and anger Romans 28 in this verse the Apostle Paul warns Us about the consequences of living out of harmony with Jehovah's will this message is clear and direct establishing a profound contrast between those who pursue righteousness and those who choose a path of Disobedience let's examine each part of this verse and what we can learn from it the expression those who are contentious refers to individuals who rather than accepting the truth

are driven by self-sufficiency or a desire to go Against God's teachings this attitude is not merely a disagreement but an active form of rebellion that reflects pride and a lack of humility by being contentious these individuals choose a path of constant conflict resisting Divine standards to cling to their own reasoning Paul also mentions those who disobey the truth in the Bible the truth refers to The standards and principles Jehovah has set for our benefit to disobey the truth means to reject the path that he has established to guide and protect us this disobedience is a

conscious Choice a deliberate preference for desires and values that do not align with Divine principles it is a decision to prioritize one's own desires over Jehovah's guidance furthermore Paul states that These individuals obey unrighteousness this phrase shows that those who reject God's truth not only oppose it but also actively choose the path of unrighteousness by obeying unrighteousness they live in a way that turns their back on Jehovah's principles and instead follow selfish desires that often lead to suffering and Discord it is as if they prioritize temporary Pleasures or material gains Disregarding the eternal values and

purpose that God has prepared for his servants finally Paul explains the outcome of this lifestyle there will be wrath and anger this reminder shows us that while Jehovah is a loving and patient God he is also just his wrath and anger are not manifestations of irrational rage but of his Justice in action Jehovah will act against unrighteousness because it is contrary to his perfect nature and his Desire for peace and well-being for all following this thought let us now examine 1 Timothy 5:20 reprove those who practice sin before all as a warning to the others

1 Timothy 5:20 nwt in this letter the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy on how to handle situations within the Christian congregation particularly when there are individuals on a course of deliberate sin this council is strong and direct aiming to protect the congregation and Serve as an example for others first Paul refers to those who practice sin here he is not speaking of an isolated mistake or a momentary weakness but rather of those who persist in a course of sin adopting practices that go against God's teachings this distinction is important because it reflects a state of obstinacy

in sin and a lack lack of genuine repentance for the congregation to Remain a pure and safe place for spiritual growth measures must be taken when someone refuses to correct their course Paul instructs that these individuals should be reproved before all this type of public reproof is not a common measure it is applied in serious situations where sinful conduct could negatively influence others by carrying out this proof publicly the congregation receives a visible reminder of the consequences of living in contradiction To Jehovah's principles in this way the correction not only seeks to help the individual

in question but also protects the entire congregation creating a spiritual and moral Safeguard finally the purpose of this reproof is clear as a warning to the others this phrase emphasizes our responsibility within the congregation to learn from others mistakes in order to avoid the same Conduct by observing the example of those who did not correct their course others in the congregation may be motivated to strengthen their relationship with Jehovah and adhere more firmly to his principles in summary 1 Timothy 5:20 teaches us about the importance of discipline within the Christian congregation it is not about

punishment but about protecting the spirituality of of all members and encouraging them to Live according to God's truth this correction aims to prevent the negative influence of those who practice sin and ensures that the congregation remains a place where each one can advance in their faith and service to Jehovah in an environment of Purity and mutual respect to conclude this analysis let us reflect on God's mercy and his willingness to forgive qualities that perfectly complement his Justice Although Jehovah establishes standards and discipline he is also a god of immense mercy and compassion always willing to

forgive those who sincerely repent Jehovah is merciful and compassionate patient and abounding in loyal love Psalm 103:8 these words remind us that the discipline and warnings we find in the scriptures are not rooted in a desire to punish but in a profound and protective love Jehovah knows our human weakness And understands that we all make mistakes however his Mercy has no limits for those who acknowledge their faults and seek his forgiveness he is like a loving father who corrects his child not to make them suffer but to help them grow and protect them from future

pain Jehovah's Mercy becomes even more evident when we consider his willingness to completely erase the sins of those who approach him with a a humble and Repentant heart as far off as the East is from the West so far off from us he has put our transgressions Psalm 103:12 this verse assures us that Jehovah does not hold grudges when we repent and change our course he welcomes us with open arms allowing us to start a new without remembering our past mistakes this Readiness to forgive fills us with hope and helps us to move forward Trusting

in his loyal love additionally God's mercy reminds us that we are never too far from receiving his forgiveness although Romans 2:8 and 1 Timothy 5:20 emphasize the importance of discipline and reproof they also underscore the need to return to Jehovah even when a person has made wrong choices Jehovah offers them the opportunity to correct their course and restore their relationship with him if we confess our sins he is faithful And righteous so that he will forgive us 1 John 1:9 this verse shows us that God is faithful not only to his justice but also to

his Mercy he promises us forgiveness when we acknowledge our mistakes giving us the chance to live in peace and in alignment with his purpose in conclusion Jehovah's mercy and forgiveness encourage us to keep striving to live by his standards Knowing that even if we fall his compassion is always available to lift us up he invites us to come to him in prayer when we fail and to trust in his love and forgiveness Jehovah is just and corrective but he is also a profoundly merciful god who wants the best for us by valuing his Mercy we

can feel motivated to live in a way that pleases him knowing that we have a heavenly father who understands us cares for us And is always willing to give us a new opportunity God's love is a fundamental quality that defines his relationship with Humanity throughout the Bible we are reminded that Jehovah is merciful and compassionate patient and abounding in loyal love Psalm 103:8 this love does not depend on what we can achieve but on his desire to care for us and guide us toward a fulfilling and meaningful life Jehovah shows his Love in many ways

but one of the most evident is his willingness to forgive us when we fail or stray he is ready to receive us if we sincerely repent his love encourages us to draw close to him with confidence knowing that he understands our weaknesses and desires to help us grow moreover God's love is not only limited to forgiveness but is also manifested in the daily blessings and care he provides he supplies what is needed for Our life and happiness and invites us to live under his guidance to experience true peace this love gives us a solid foundation

to trust in and motivates us to respond to him with devotion and gratitude