We are Divided!

I am not sure where to start this week on this subject.  Considering all through church history there have been so many wars and battles over things we disagree on in the Bible.  Christianity from the fourth century on has been filled with violence and blood shed.  Sometimes it makes me ashamed to be called a Christian.  Growing up in church, there are countless stories I could tell you about Christians fighting and church splits. (Maybe next week I will share a few) I could even share of some personal events that have happened to me, just because I may have believed something a little different or conducted a worship service differently.

This last weekend I attended a wonderful conference in Austin, TX.  One of the speakers, whom I enjoyed, shared some early church history and the shaping of church doctrine.  Early church history was filled with violence and mayhem.  Leaders were corrupt, thugs, and murderers, and the church today puts their trust in what these men came up with as orthodox doctrines?  We have blinded ourselves to the truth and refuse to take a fresh look into the word of God, maybe to find that we might have been wrong all these years.  I know that would take a lot of courage to do so.  A book I read last year was display of such courage, as the author admitted he was going against everything he knew before and what his own father had preached.  Yet, in a search for truth he admitted he had been wrong.

Today, Christianity makes up 33% of the worlds population.  Now, that includes every group that may be called Christian, even though there may be a few some would dispute wither they are Christian or not.  That 33% comes to about 2.1 billion Christians.  Of that 2.1 Billion Christians there are a little over 38,000 verified denominations worldwide.  This number does not include all the independent fellowships and affiliations.  This also does not count the thousands of organizations, and unaffiliated independent churches and ministries.  With about a major majority of these they can not get along with each other over some kind of believe and scriptural interpretation.  No wonder the world scoffs at us and think Christianity is a joke.  We all say we have the love of God but we hate each other.  What did John have to say about this?

 (1 John 4:20-21 NIV)  If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. {21} And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 I thought about the brief list I gave last week and considered talking about them, but after some thought and prayer I think it would be best served to leave my own thoughts about some of those things alone.  I am not writing this to get any person angry towards me over what I would believe to be right or wrong.  For at the very core of the matter many of the things that have divided us through the centuries has not been worth the heart ache it has caused the body of Christ.  Instead I want to stir your mind with some thought and scripture to lay down the weapons we have used on each other.  Tear down the walls that have divided us, and let’s be willing to peaceably talk these things through.

First let’s take a fresh look at the word of God and see what it has to say on this subject.  We will let Paul show us how he dealt with divisions.  At the core of all the church problems is one common element, us humans.  It is an amazing thing, all through history God does a wonderful thing and gives it to man, then man messes it all up.  I guess until that day comes when that which is perfect has come (I Cor. 13.10) there will always be flaws in what we do.  I know that is hard for a lot of us to admit, but none of us has it all figured out, that is why we must put our trust in the one who does, God.

(1 Cor 3:1-4 NKJV)  And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. {2} I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; {3} for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? {4} For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

In my experience in church, I have found that every person I have met is still a human.  I would tell each and every one of you, run as fast as you can from people who try to make out that they have it all figured out.  If they say they have been given a special revelation, run.  Our history is full of people with special revelations that birthed cults and destruction.  Gather to those who are humble and willing to admit their human failings and are still on a path searching for truth.  The other thing I have learned in church is power corrupts humans.  Never give a person power over you; it will always lead to yours or their corruption.   

Let’s look a little further into what Paul had to say about our subject:

(1 Cor 1:10-13 NIV)  I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. {11} My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. {12} What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ." {13} Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

(1 Cor 11:17-19 NIV)  In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. {18} In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. {19} No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

Notice what Paul was saying to the church at Corinth.   There must have been power hungry leaders in the Corinth fellowship trying to prove to everyone they were approved by God.  These kinds of leaders have power by making everyone around them feel less approved than they.  I have seen this done over and over in churches.  The greatest fuel to this kind of thinking has been the misused and improper teaching of the five fold ministry. Notice the following verse.

 (Rom 16:17-18 NIV)  I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. {18} For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites (for Power). By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. (for power, added by me)

(Jude 1:18-19 NIV)  They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." {19} These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

In the context of Paul’s subject from the beginning of 1 Cor. through most the book you could even say the core reason for chapters 12- 14 is still dealing with divisions and the things that were causing them. Even the use of the spiritual manifestations and of the gifts may have been causing divisions in the church.  Right in the middle of him teaching about spiritual things he deals with divisions even more. 

 (1 Cor 12:13-27 NIV)  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. {14} Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. {15} If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {16} And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. {17} If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? {18} But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. {19} If they were all one part, where would the body be? {20} As it is, there are many parts, but one body. {21} The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" {22} On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, {23} and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, {24} while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, {25} so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. {26} If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. {27} Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Then Paul stops to say that Love must be at work in all we do, this is how true ministry should work.  Should we be able to celebrate each other and not fight over our differences? Yes and many times yes.  Should we be able to talk about our differences and allow a true flow of ministry?  Yes and many times yes.  Could this be what is stopping a true flow of God’s spirit and ministry in today’s churches, us not getting along with each other?  I think it is a strong possibility.  We all have been hurt and seen many of God’s truths misused, but that should not make us afraid to step out and set a new standard for others to see.  Actually it should be a return to the old standard, the teachings of Jesus.  

The true church of Jesus Christ must come together in unity of the faith.  Like I said last week, our main faith must reside in the knowledge of who God is and who Jesus is. 

 (John 17:3 NIV)  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

(Eph 4:1-6 NKJV)  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, {2} with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, {3} endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord(little L, authority, added by me) , one faith, one baptism; {6} one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

(Eph 4:13-17 NKJV)  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; {14} that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, {15} but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; {16} from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

It’s time for the church to grow up.  Put away our childish behavior and build the church of Jesus.  What is at stake?  This lost and dying world is what is at stake.  We have been told that the world we live in is just its fallen nature.  They tell us we have to accept the changes in our world and let what is sinful and ungodly be. The only ones interested in church are church goers.  What if we started showing true unity and love first among ourselves, then to others?  What do you think might happen? What if all believers got on the same page as to who God is and who Jesus is?  What if we all shared the same true gospel message instead of all the junk we see in many churches and television?  What if we were able to start reducing the number of denominations, organizations, and fellowships there are?  Do you think the rest of the world would maybe start paying attention to the church of Jesus Christ?  I read in the book of Acts that this is what exactly happened and what an impact it made on the whole world. 

Let’s stop majoring on the minors and minimizing the majors.  Let’s come together on what is most important, who God is and His son Jesus the Christ.  Then let’s let God deal with all the rest.  Let nothing be between us but love.  Don’t let the human side of you and Satan divide us.  Unite for the Kingdom!