Operation Mindcrime Part 3: Divide And Conquer
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 New King James Version (NKJV)
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
The subject of division in the church is something I’ve preached on several times since stepping into ministry work about four and a half years ago. In fact, it was the subject of one of the first sermons I ever wrote. This message on the subject will be short and to the point.
First of all, we’re still caught up on denominational dogma. This church believes in predestination, this one in freewill, that one in communion, this one in spiritual communion, that one on baptism by submersion, this one in sprinkling of water, and so on and so on and so on. We’re so caught up on being Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, and so on, that we lose sight that we are all parts of the body of Christ.
Second, we’re tearing each other to shreads over what each other’s opinion of the truth of the gospel is. Of course, we must always be on guard for the preaching of false doctrine and non-biblical teaching. We must also keep in mind how we address these issues. Right now, in the American church, the hottest topic is homosexuality and the adjoining issue of same-sex marriage.
I know what belief I gain from the scriptures on this issue is, but that’s not the subject of the hour. The real issue here right now is ‘how do we deal with this in a civil manner?’ This is the issue that tearing our churches apart at an alarmingly rapid pace. The arguments have gotten venomous and far from Christian. On one side, we have those who believe that homosexuality is sin and that marriage in strictly one man and one woman. On the other side, we have those who believe that there can be no evil in one person loving another and that everyone has the right to be happy with the partner of their choice.
While those who feel they are defending the truth of the gospel have good intentions and are dedicated to standing their ground, they are often given bad reputations by others who are preaching intolerance and hate toward homosexuals altogether. So, they are often labeled as hatemongers because of the actions of a few simply for standing up for their beliefs. On the flip side, those who are compassionate toward homosexuality are often labeled as unchristian and faithless for their views. Both cases are hurtful and unacceptable!
We must find a way to resolve our differences peacefully and respectfully. We must find a platform for productive conversation.
Lastly, I want to touch on the tragic division between clergy and laity. In today’s church, we have many levels of beaurocracy in every denomination. The ‘higher ups’ are more concerned with salaries and church expansions than with spiritual growth. They’re all about the numbers. They encourage and almost force local clergy to preach messages that will attract more people to the membership and increase tithing. They don’t want messages preached that will upset anyone and drive away potential church income. I may sound cynical, but it’s the truth. This often does a great disservice to the laity’s spiritual health.
Another rift between clergy and laity has to do with degrees hanging on the wall or lack thereof. We have many clergy who have an attitude that they either ‘know God’ or are ‘closer to God’ than the congregation simply because of their degree from a seminary or divinity school. There’s often a sense of arrogance and a condescending attitude toward spirit filled laity who are serving God in big ways and some clergy are threatened by it. They believe that only someone ‘trained’ to minister and ‘officially ordained’ are qualified to preach the gospel or lead outreach. This is causing in increasingly wide rift in the American church. It has to be addressed and dealt with.
Ok, let’s wrap this up. There’s a plethora of other divisions we could discuss in the church, but these are the ones that I’ve witnessed for myself. We must address these issues and put them to rest. When we spend our time and energy debating and degrading each other, we turn people away from the church and from God in droves. This is all a work of the enemy. He is the one stoking the flames of division. I recently told everyone via Facebook that while Christians are tearing each other apart, arguing like they are, Lucifer is smiling at them.
Remember what Jesus taught us:
John 10:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
We must find unity once again and stop tearing apart God’s church. We are dividing the body of Christ and falling into the enemy’s plan; divide and conquer. We must put these arguments to rest and get back to doing what Jesus commissioned us to do:
Matthew 28:19-20 New King James Version (NKJV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
God bless you my friends, Pete.
