“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so dthat his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.”1 Corinthians 5:4
This man had taken his fathers' wife, presumably this was his step-mother and his father had died, but even so according to the Mosaic law he dishonored his father's name and was considered incestuous, which punishment was to be cast out from the people. We see this was brought before the Church, and before Paul, and later in the next letter we see the mention of reconciliation to be given to such a man for his repentance. We see the Mathew 18 process of discipline is for such purpose to save the soul of a man who walks in error, the law of Christ is to the lift the burden of such a person. It would be terrible injustice to do this to someone without this process, I know I have experienced such, this is my story.
As a new believer, less than a year God asked me three times if I would die for him. He then called me to a country in Central Asia. Muslims in this country are being persecuted and thrown in prison for their confession in Christ. The possibility of a becoming a human target and so forth was real. Though a challenging thing I had determined I would lay down my life for Christ, and for those ho came with me. I would never have imagined that the persecution and discouragement that would follow, would not come from Central Asia but from within my on Church. Have you ever been punched in the belly, it takes your breath away, this is what the events that transpired would do to me.
Not long having accepted Christ I was involved in a homeless ministry. The things that Christan do and say about such people, was discouraging but more so, no one helped me in my path to grow in Christ, they just came against me. We don't won't these people in our Church, they don't take baths and might get people sick, they are alcoholics and might get angry and hurt someone, they lust after our women. I came to Christ later in life, forgiven much, the grace of God was very profound to me, I could not understand, why they treated them this way nor why they treated me like a drunkard. I was discouraged so I went on a short trip to Alaska helping a small Church build a new building. I remember the pastors wife saying “he is going.” I guess they did not think to highly of me. It was but a short time there when God spoke to me on a fishing boat fishing for halibut. in a powerful way, on a boat fishing, “come follow me, I will make you a fisher of men.”
During the time in Alaska Jesus would ask me three times, “would you die for me.” It was a similar experience as in the scriptures where Jesus asked Peter “do you love me, ” as was my response, I had determined within my soul I would. A few months later things would begin to develop that would bring about this opportunity to go to Central Asia. A person came from an organization and begin to establish support specifically he was attending a Sunday school group who supported various missionaries and he began to attend a men's ministry small group which I was a part of. Later two things would become evident about this, the mission was more important than the people, and teachings of authority that would just run over people.
“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” John 7:18
The Bible says we are to submit to all authority, so when is this allowed or broken? Can I break the laws of a foreign country in the name of Jesus? What if I justify such things but at the same time require absolute submission and obedience to authority within the organization, is not such hypocritical? Yes, at a great level. We also see in the nature of such a trips much secrecy and even justification of lies, and the lack of accountability, which contradicts greatly the scriptures. It is a house divided and does not such countries see breaking their laws as evil? Would not we do the same? Yes, I have learned there are legal means to accomplish such things, without the deception.
This organization leader was attending a small group of young college students at our Church, God was doing great things through this small group leader. I at the time was in discipleship class with the men's minister and was chosen to lead this trip, though being new a believer the calling was evident, and no one else came forward. Trips at this Church required a pastor to go, but no one went on this one. I decided to attend the small group also with this organization leader, I could feel the tension between him and the small group leader. I asked him to go to another group, he refused, and I said something to the men's minister about it also. There was a men's retreat I was not able to attend, the small group leader would leave the Church shortly after this, the tension hit its point but more important was no one had his back, they allowed this person to run all over him.
This small group of young men was like nothing I have seen since, it is no longer. I would later understand what he experienced as this person turned on me. Since he had lost support in this small group, he begin to consolidate to the Sunday school group. This excluded me, he made someone from this group co-leader, which is a very strange thing, and here we were weeks out from our trip, everything is in my name, visas etc... and he is excluding me. I said something politely to him about this, he attacks me, how dare you question my authority, you have a problem with authority,... The men's minister did not do anything for his small group leader, but I thought I would try again, surely he will stand for me, he is discipling me.
So I went to him, about this, and was the same, I will not seem to come against his authority, I do not want to loose my job... I raised my voice and said to him, your ministry is all about standing as a man, why don't you stand for your people? He didn't like that to much and went to the missions minister, saying I got angry and was loosing it... he threw me under the bus that day, he lost my trust and would not gain it back. Later the mission minister would follow suit. I woupd not fault the men's minister for trying to work within an organization that teaches authority that doesn't allow men to stand for truth, except he preaches the same. The battle is not flesh and blood, but principles and principalities, teachings of authority that justify mistreatment of men based upon sovereignty of God's authority, that would fire you if you stand for truth. You can't go to a brother that walks in error, if he is in authority and speak truth in love, if you do you are now the bad guy. Such is total lack of accountability and can only lead to evil things.
During my trip to Central Asia an event occurred. My co-leader had been offered to come to a hotel room for a drink, he and a young man were in the room when I arrived, he would later say he didn't know it was alcohol, but what would you think if someone offered you to come to their room for a drink? . I was told of the situation. I went to the room and the young man had drank so I made a split decision and drank a shot, thanked the man for it and asked everyone to go to their rooms to prepare for the next day. I was a new Christian, I did not realize what I had just done, my co-leader had been a deacon, I believe if the fighting had dealt with beforehand, this would not have taken place at all, he would have had my back. I would be punished for drinking alcohol, I had sinned I was told, I was removed from discipleship, and leadership in the Church, so I was to be cast over to Satan. It was an amazing thing, I would have given my life for Jesus going off to some foreign country to die, and here I was being cast-over to Satan.
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child to stand among them.…"Matthew 18:1
Now, I was a new believer, so where does one go to find truth? To the scriptures and this is what I did, so in away this was great motivation to seek the truth. It is a principle of truth that it is placed upon a lamp-stand for all to see. Those who wish to cover the truth, these walk in darkness and do not love the truth. This is a core problem with this type of teachings of authority, it hides the truth. I was told I was a sinner, cast over to Satan for my sin, I was called angry, bitter, a rule breaker, and a lawbreaker. Now, the Bible doesn't say that drinking is a sin, it does say drunkenness is a sin, did I get drunk, did I sin? No, it was one ounce of alcohol, not much different that drinking a night time sleep medicine.
“They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”1 John 4:5
Oh, but you broke our rule of drinking alcohol on a trip. Now, can you break a rule you do not know about? Surely you can but to punish without giving someone any requirements of is against scriptures. A process in Matthew 18 is outlined for such, counsel in private, counsel with witnesses, counsel before the Church, then cast over to Satan. To do this to someone without this process is a cruel thing, the Bible says you treat this person as a heathen to save his soul. It is ironic that they did this to me and I don't even have a problem with drinking. People in the Church treated me as a heathen, one pastor from this church who I hired to work on my home took $4400 from me and did not do the work I hired him to do, I guess he was treating me as a heathen like everyone else, when I tried to get help he too called me angry, bitter, unforgiving... Even the person who had invited me to Church would not stand with me, he too would call me names. A false witness, the scriptures say is a an abomination, I feel they falsely accused and slandered a brother, even a little child in faith. Such caused great discouragement in my life.
"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to to do harm, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers."Proverbs 6:16-18
Despite there being no witness to any counseling for the presumed alcohol problem I was now cast out over to Satan for, the mission minister would not relent. So I gave more evidence of my innocence, on the trip to Alaska previously people had drank alcohol. I had even drank with the trip lead at a restaurant. He was the man they were renting the building from for their new satellite church. When I brought this to his attention, he then said he had punished him, but I asked why he had said nothing to anyone on trip about drinking? I would have known by this that it was a rule and not allowed. He told me he often has to have big shoulders, to sacrifice for the organization, getting little credit himself, he wanted me to do so with this, sacrifice for the team. This is opposite of the kingdom of God, it protects the little children in faith, they are first, not the leadership. I thought about this, I had come to him in private, as the Matthew 18 process states, I want to move to the next step, mediation with a witness, I ask for his senior.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."Matthew 18:15-17
He would not now calling me a law breaker. I broke the law in this country, this itself is ironic, as I broke laws there without even knowing of such, I could have went to prsion just for breaking sanctions. He would no longer meet with me, so I was resolved to going up to him at the end of the service. On the third trip down, he said something hateful to me, it angered me and I want to speak my mind but I remember the Spirit warning me, careful, so I stop and I noticed him smiling and looking toward the back, so I glanced, I had been set up, he had witnesses, but as before I did not sin. The men's minister who would not stand for his people, he had accused me of getting angry and coming against his authority, so the mission minister would have a witness with him, and was using this to his advantage. When he brought a false witness against me at the altar he justified such as protecting the church, but I felt a presence there not of God. I call it a spirit of authority, demonic that has a stronghold in teachings, doctrine of demons. He got up in the pulpit and asked for prayer, Satan was coming against the church. Of course he was.
"it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”Matthew 15:11
`
I was cast over to Satan, I guess now I was being called Satan. Someone later posted a note, it read don't let Stan in the Church, I think he meant to say Satan. I believe this event has caused much discouragement in my life, and is what the Bible says about causing little children to stumble. God sees the heart of men, I am not their judge, He is. I have forgiven but I do stand for what I believe to be the truth and as I seek to walk in truth, there can be no lies in the truth, it must be placed upon a lamp-stand for all to see. So I place upon a lamp-stand teachings of authority that would cover truth, that would make it about authority and not about receiving little children, that would lord over others demanding obedience while at the same time doing evil, destroying trust within the organization. Trust and rest is the fruit of righteousness sown in peace , so those who leaders are servants of all, leading children into young men by proving they are honorable and trustworthy servants of Christ.
“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”John 7:51
It is a sure sign of injustice, a trial without mediation, without a hearing. These who lord over His children, would not care about such things. These do not lead children unto sanctification, thus they do not build men, but destroy children, puffed up in knowledge, having gone astray by the cravings of money, personal gain, whatever the reason, they do not lead men unto Life. Do not follow someone who would continue to walk in error, you will both end up in a ditch, such is a trustworthy saying. A lying tongue is an abomination to God, so is a false witness, one who lies to cover his wrong gets caught in a web of lies, a lie begets a lie. Someone who falsely accuses a brother will never admit truth as it incriminates him. So we place the shoe upon the other foot so to say, a brother who walks in error, and continues to walk in a lie, who does not repent, is not walking in truth, and what does the Bible say to do? You have tried to resolve the issue, you have sought mediation, and such is denied, what is left to do? Bring it before the Church, God's people. If he then continues to walk in error, cast his body over to Satan for the saving of his soul.
“If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”John 7:17
The truth is the truth, those who walk in truth do not walk in lies. Truth is to be placed on a lamp-stand for all to see and debate. Truth is not hidden, not gotten in secret rooms by a few, the truth is Christ his words, and the Holy Spirit guides all men unto the truth. The truth states that if you love a brother you will fulfill the law of Christ and help lift his burden, you will point out he walks in error. Do not accuse a leader without witnesses, if they walk in error it would be easy for them to cover it by false accusing you. But what happens if authority attacks you, falsely accusing you to cover wrong, what do you do? Truth is equated to Light, those who love the truth come to the Light, those who love darkness do things in darkness but where there is Light the darkness is expelled.
“We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 john 4:6
It is the nature of those who love truth, they do not hide behind authority nor behind secret committees, these don't mind mediation, they applaud that you would want to seek truth, not squash you like a bug, or cast you over to Satan to avoid such. As the young person abides in the words of Christ, he overcomes the evil one by abiding in truth, there can be no lies in truth, such is a spirit of error, of the evil one. It is a terrible thing to cause a little child in faith to stumble, Jesus said what you do to him, the least of these his brethren, you do unto Him. He is the good shepherd that laid down his life for the the little lamb, that leads them unto green pastures and still waters, who gives them rest for their souls. He proves that He is good and trustworthy. And yes, I have had to lay down my life for Him, but in a much different way.
It Is Well
This man had taken his fathers' wife, presumably this was his step-mother and his father had died, but even so according to the Mosaic law he dishonored his father's name and was considered incestuous, which punishment was to be cast out from the people. We see this was brought before the Church, and before Paul, and later in the next letter we see the mention of reconciliation to be given to such a man for his repentance. We see the Mathew 18 process of discipline is for such purpose to save the soul of a man who walks in error, the law of Christ is to the lift the burden of such a person. It would be terrible injustice to do this to someone without this process, I know I have experienced such, this is my story.
As a new believer, less than a year God asked me three times if I would die for him. He then called me to a country in Central Asia. Muslims in this country are being persecuted and thrown in prison for their confession in Christ. The possibility of a becoming a human target and so forth was real. Though a challenging thing I had determined I would lay down my life for Christ, and for those ho came with me. I would never have imagined that the persecution and discouragement that would follow, would not come from Central Asia but from within my on Church. Have you ever been punched in the belly, it takes your breath away, this is what the events that transpired would do to me.
Not long having accepted Christ I was involved in a homeless ministry. The things that Christan do and say about such people, was discouraging but more so, no one helped me in my path to grow in Christ, they just came against me. We don't won't these people in our Church, they don't take baths and might get people sick, they are alcoholics and might get angry and hurt someone, they lust after our women. I came to Christ later in life, forgiven much, the grace of God was very profound to me, I could not understand, why they treated them this way nor why they treated me like a drunkard. I was discouraged so I went on a short trip to Alaska helping a small Church build a new building. I remember the pastors wife saying “he is going.” I guess they did not think to highly of me. It was but a short time there when God spoke to me on a fishing boat fishing for halibut. in a powerful way, on a boat fishing, “come follow me, I will make you a fisher of men.”
During the time in Alaska Jesus would ask me three times, “would you die for me.” It was a similar experience as in the scriptures where Jesus asked Peter “do you love me, ” as was my response, I had determined within my soul I would. A few months later things would begin to develop that would bring about this opportunity to go to Central Asia. A person came from an organization and begin to establish support specifically he was attending a Sunday school group who supported various missionaries and he began to attend a men's ministry small group which I was a part of. Later two things would become evident about this, the mission was more important than the people, and teachings of authority that would just run over people.
“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” John 7:18
The Bible says we are to submit to all authority, so when is this allowed or broken? Can I break the laws of a foreign country in the name of Jesus? What if I justify such things but at the same time require absolute submission and obedience to authority within the organization, is not such hypocritical? Yes, at a great level. We also see in the nature of such a trips much secrecy and even justification of lies, and the lack of accountability, which contradicts greatly the scriptures. It is a house divided and does not such countries see breaking their laws as evil? Would not we do the same? Yes, I have learned there are legal means to accomplish such things, without the deception.
This organization leader was attending a small group of young college students at our Church, God was doing great things through this small group leader. I at the time was in discipleship class with the men's minister and was chosen to lead this trip, though being new a believer the calling was evident, and no one else came forward. Trips at this Church required a pastor to go, but no one went on this one. I decided to attend the small group also with this organization leader, I could feel the tension between him and the small group leader. I asked him to go to another group, he refused, and I said something to the men's minister about it also. There was a men's retreat I was not able to attend, the small group leader would leave the Church shortly after this, the tension hit its point but more important was no one had his back, they allowed this person to run all over him.
This small group of young men was like nothing I have seen since, it is no longer. I would later understand what he experienced as this person turned on me. Since he had lost support in this small group, he begin to consolidate to the Sunday school group. This excluded me, he made someone from this group co-leader, which is a very strange thing, and here we were weeks out from our trip, everything is in my name, visas etc... and he is excluding me. I said something politely to him about this, he attacks me, how dare you question my authority, you have a problem with authority,... The men's minister did not do anything for his small group leader, but I thought I would try again, surely he will stand for me, he is discipling me.
So I went to him, about this, and was the same, I will not seem to come against his authority, I do not want to loose my job... I raised my voice and said to him, your ministry is all about standing as a man, why don't you stand for your people? He didn't like that to much and went to the missions minister, saying I got angry and was loosing it... he threw me under the bus that day, he lost my trust and would not gain it back. Later the mission minister would follow suit. I woupd not fault the men's minister for trying to work within an organization that teaches authority that doesn't allow men to stand for truth, except he preaches the same. The battle is not flesh and blood, but principles and principalities, teachings of authority that justify mistreatment of men based upon sovereignty of God's authority, that would fire you if you stand for truth. You can't go to a brother that walks in error, if he is in authority and speak truth in love, if you do you are now the bad guy. Such is total lack of accountability and can only lead to evil things.
During my trip to Central Asia an event occurred. My co-leader had been offered to come to a hotel room for a drink, he and a young man were in the room when I arrived, he would later say he didn't know it was alcohol, but what would you think if someone offered you to come to their room for a drink? . I was told of the situation. I went to the room and the young man had drank so I made a split decision and drank a shot, thanked the man for it and asked everyone to go to their rooms to prepare for the next day. I was a new Christian, I did not realize what I had just done, my co-leader had been a deacon, I believe if the fighting had dealt with beforehand, this would not have taken place at all, he would have had my back. I would be punished for drinking alcohol, I had sinned I was told, I was removed from discipleship, and leadership in the Church, so I was to be cast over to Satan. It was an amazing thing, I would have given my life for Jesus going off to some foreign country to die, and here I was being cast-over to Satan.
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child to stand among them.…"Matthew 18:1
Now, I was a new believer, so where does one go to find truth? To the scriptures and this is what I did, so in away this was great motivation to seek the truth. It is a principle of truth that it is placed upon a lamp-stand for all to see. Those who wish to cover the truth, these walk in darkness and do not love the truth. This is a core problem with this type of teachings of authority, it hides the truth. I was told I was a sinner, cast over to Satan for my sin, I was called angry, bitter, a rule breaker, and a lawbreaker. Now, the Bible doesn't say that drinking is a sin, it does say drunkenness is a sin, did I get drunk, did I sin? No, it was one ounce of alcohol, not much different that drinking a night time sleep medicine.
“They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”1 John 4:5
Oh, but you broke our rule of drinking alcohol on a trip. Now, can you break a rule you do not know about? Surely you can but to punish without giving someone any requirements of is against scriptures. A process in Matthew 18 is outlined for such, counsel in private, counsel with witnesses, counsel before the Church, then cast over to Satan. To do this to someone without this process is a cruel thing, the Bible says you treat this person as a heathen to save his soul. It is ironic that they did this to me and I don't even have a problem with drinking. People in the Church treated me as a heathen, one pastor from this church who I hired to work on my home took $4400 from me and did not do the work I hired him to do, I guess he was treating me as a heathen like everyone else, when I tried to get help he too called me angry, bitter, unforgiving... Even the person who had invited me to Church would not stand with me, he too would call me names. A false witness, the scriptures say is a an abomination, I feel they falsely accused and slandered a brother, even a little child in faith. Such caused great discouragement in my life.
"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to to do harm, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers."Proverbs 6:16-18
Despite there being no witness to any counseling for the presumed alcohol problem I was now cast out over to Satan for, the mission minister would not relent. So I gave more evidence of my innocence, on the trip to Alaska previously people had drank alcohol. I had even drank with the trip lead at a restaurant. He was the man they were renting the building from for their new satellite church. When I brought this to his attention, he then said he had punished him, but I asked why he had said nothing to anyone on trip about drinking? I would have known by this that it was a rule and not allowed. He told me he often has to have big shoulders, to sacrifice for the organization, getting little credit himself, he wanted me to do so with this, sacrifice for the team. This is opposite of the kingdom of God, it protects the little children in faith, they are first, not the leadership. I thought about this, I had come to him in private, as the Matthew 18 process states, I want to move to the next step, mediation with a witness, I ask for his senior.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."Matthew 18:15-17
He would not now calling me a law breaker. I broke the law in this country, this itself is ironic, as I broke laws there without even knowing of such, I could have went to prsion just for breaking sanctions. He would no longer meet with me, so I was resolved to going up to him at the end of the service. On the third trip down, he said something hateful to me, it angered me and I want to speak my mind but I remember the Spirit warning me, careful, so I stop and I noticed him smiling and looking toward the back, so I glanced, I had been set up, he had witnesses, but as before I did not sin. The men's minister who would not stand for his people, he had accused me of getting angry and coming against his authority, so the mission minister would have a witness with him, and was using this to his advantage. When he brought a false witness against me at the altar he justified such as protecting the church, but I felt a presence there not of God. I call it a spirit of authority, demonic that has a stronghold in teachings, doctrine of demons. He got up in the pulpit and asked for prayer, Satan was coming against the church. Of course he was.
"it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”Matthew 15:11
`
I was cast over to Satan, I guess now I was being called Satan. Someone later posted a note, it read don't let Stan in the Church, I think he meant to say Satan. I believe this event has caused much discouragement in my life, and is what the Bible says about causing little children to stumble. God sees the heart of men, I am not their judge, He is. I have forgiven but I do stand for what I believe to be the truth and as I seek to walk in truth, there can be no lies in the truth, it must be placed upon a lamp-stand for all to see. So I place upon a lamp-stand teachings of authority that would cover truth, that would make it about authority and not about receiving little children, that would lord over others demanding obedience while at the same time doing evil, destroying trust within the organization. Trust and rest is the fruit of righteousness sown in peace , so those who leaders are servants of all, leading children into young men by proving they are honorable and trustworthy servants of Christ.
“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”John 7:51
It is a sure sign of injustice, a trial without mediation, without a hearing. These who lord over His children, would not care about such things. These do not lead children unto sanctification, thus they do not build men, but destroy children, puffed up in knowledge, having gone astray by the cravings of money, personal gain, whatever the reason, they do not lead men unto Life. Do not follow someone who would continue to walk in error, you will both end up in a ditch, such is a trustworthy saying. A lying tongue is an abomination to God, so is a false witness, one who lies to cover his wrong gets caught in a web of lies, a lie begets a lie. Someone who falsely accuses a brother will never admit truth as it incriminates him. So we place the shoe upon the other foot so to say, a brother who walks in error, and continues to walk in a lie, who does not repent, is not walking in truth, and what does the Bible say to do? You have tried to resolve the issue, you have sought mediation, and such is denied, what is left to do? Bring it before the Church, God's people. If he then continues to walk in error, cast his body over to Satan for the saving of his soul.
“If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”John 7:17
The truth is the truth, those who walk in truth do not walk in lies. Truth is to be placed on a lamp-stand for all to see and debate. Truth is not hidden, not gotten in secret rooms by a few, the truth is Christ his words, and the Holy Spirit guides all men unto the truth. The truth states that if you love a brother you will fulfill the law of Christ and help lift his burden, you will point out he walks in error. Do not accuse a leader without witnesses, if they walk in error it would be easy for them to cover it by false accusing you. But what happens if authority attacks you, falsely accusing you to cover wrong, what do you do? Truth is equated to Light, those who love the truth come to the Light, those who love darkness do things in darkness but where there is Light the darkness is expelled.
“We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 john 4:6
It is the nature of those who love truth, they do not hide behind authority nor behind secret committees, these don't mind mediation, they applaud that you would want to seek truth, not squash you like a bug, or cast you over to Satan to avoid such. As the young person abides in the words of Christ, he overcomes the evil one by abiding in truth, there can be no lies in truth, such is a spirit of error, of the evil one. It is a terrible thing to cause a little child in faith to stumble, Jesus said what you do to him, the least of these his brethren, you do unto Him. He is the good shepherd that laid down his life for the the little lamb, that leads them unto green pastures and still waters, who gives them rest for their souls. He proves that He is good and trustworthy. And yes, I have had to lay down my life for Him, but in a much different way.
It Is Well