September 20, 2009
Week 2
Community and Conflict
The Corinthian Story
“Tearer or Mender…Which Are You?
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
There’s a Methodist minister named J. Gordon Melton who had an interesting hobby. He collects lists of church denominations in the United States. His research has revealed there are 1517 different recognized denominations in the USA. This group includes churches considered cults and other “religious” type groups. Additionally there were a few “peculiar” groups in this list such as:
“The Church of the Mystery of Universal Wisdom”
(They believe they can communicate with alien and they seek guidance from flying saucers.)
A Northwest church from Strayton Oregon…
“The Embassy of Heaven”
Considers all earthly governments illegitimate and issues its own license place for cars!
This is the Strangest…
“The Nudist Christian Church of the Blessed Virgin Jesus”
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth – a church that he had founded about 4-5 years earlier. He begins his letter with some good news! Addressed them as the “the church of God” “Called out ones!” he calls that holy and sanctified. He promises these young believers that God would “keep them strong to the end.”
I am claiming that over my own life! Listen to this great promise…
1 Corinthians 1:8
8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Don’t you just LOVE good news! Happy news!
But Paul quickly changes his tune with a word of correction for this young church…Paul begins to speak to them about the number of reported problems in the church…The first one being …#1 DIVISION!
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
I know that Sharon’s family was a part of a church for many, many years and it experienced a “Split” that caused a lot of heartache in my families. I was asking Sharon about it…and she remembers how much it all hurt. Church Divisions Hurt! It was hurting the Corinthians church it hurts all churches.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Pyrrhic Victory”. It was named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus – who reigned about 300 years before Christ. While he was a successful king – in his greatest battles he suffered irreplaceable causalities. Though he may won the battle – the loss outweighed his victory.
You Lose Even Though You Win! That’s’ a Pyrrhic Victory. I’m afraid it happens in churches, among believers all the time!
Q: Do you know why? The church becomes your family. It becomes your social group, your support group, your spiritual group. In Sharon’s case – the families that her family was closest to all had children that grew up together, traveled on choir tour together, shared fund raisers together. THEY WERE FAMILY!
If you enter into fellowship like you should – like God intends you to. If you participate in a small group, Bible Study, invited people to your home for a meal, accepted them as your friend on “FACE BOOK”… they become part of the fabric of what you are all about. If you’ve found safety there – and have been able to let down your guard, share your needs, joys, hurts, YOU ARE IN A GOOD PLACE! (You see it’s far bigger than who the preacher is…and more about your relationship with your brothers and sisters and the common relationship you have with Jesus!)
Then suddenly there’s conflict, a breach, literally a tearing apart. (Well talk about that in a moment.) And it’s painful!!! Feels like a divorce! The closer you are to the people…the more it hurts!
Sharon mentioned and all of the families that she grew up with, all of her friends – every one of them went to different churches in the Seattle area. It was sad for many of them. And even now when we get together for a party of some kind – some of these families are there – and you can tell that they love each other and have rich history together.
The truth is somewhere along your “church journey…you’ll experienced some church problems! Because the church is made up of imperfect humans…imperfect leaders…and because of sin! In fact listen what Paul says to the Corinthians believers…Look at chapter 3 in your Bibles…
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Q: Why do so many churches have splits and problems getting along?
Listen even the 12 Apostles didn’t always get along with each other.
To live above, with saints we love,
Will certainly be glory!
To live below, with saints we know,
Well, that’s another story!
I recently read a very sad statistic, 3800 churches close their doors every year. I’ve see believers use the SACRED WORD OF GOD to bludgeon one another to death. We preface it with “God said” or “The Lord showed me”…The Word can be used to manipulate others, used inappropriately and unkindly to get our own way!
The reality is, every church experiences a measure of conflict in some way or another. Churches are made up of people, and anywhere people are involved in anything, there's the potential for disagreement and conflict.
Church conflicts frequently have to do with "power struggles" within the congregation. That is, a contention for influence or control. Sometimes church conflict is caused by angry, troubled people who redirect their personal unhappiness toward the church or its leaders. Those who are discontent in their marriage, their jobs or any number of problems, may take it out on other people — they may be especially quick to find fault with the church, or make mountains out of molehills. HURTING PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE!
In addition, statistics tell us that one out of every five people in the average church struggles with emotional/mental problems. What I am not saying is that everyone who ever leaves a church is crazy or dealing with some deep seated unhappiness. Sometimes it’s just time for a change!
One thing is tragically clear, those who become the source of problems will only bring trouble upon themselves.
SLIDE
Proverbs 6:12-15
"A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy"
Look back at Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians. Beginning with V.10
“10I 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. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ."
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into[b] the name of Paul? 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
V.10 Paul pleads with the Corinthians believers in the name of the Lord Jesus - to “agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you”.
The word Paul uses for “division” is shismata – recognize that word? Schism – it literally meant “To tear a garment” To tear a cloth. A tearing is exactly what people feel when there’s strife in the church. I’ll SAY IT AGAIN DIVISION IN THE CHRUCH HURTS! Because it’s family. Much like a divorce! There is a tearing.
Contrast that to what Paul says next…
“…that there may be no divisions among you
and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
Interesting that Paul would use the word “United” because it comes from the word that means to “Mend”. Divisions mean “To Tear” – United means “To mend”. It was used for fishermen who mended their nets. When the fishermen were out there casting their nests, sometimes their nets would tear from use. They would spend hours in the evening hours mending those net so no fish would escape.
In fact Matthew 4:21 speaks of James and John “mending their nets” same word that Paul uses here. Remember what Jesus would say to two other fishermen (Peter and Andrew) just a few verse earlier… “Come and I will make you fishers of men”. That word picture should be in our minds. As we Christian are focused on keeping our nets Mended…Work at being in unity – so we could be busy about catching fish – winning souls, loving people, encouraging the discouraged.
It’s why I asked the question in the title of this message:
TEARER or MENDER…Which are You?
You are either part of the problem of your are part of the solution! I want to be a mender don’t you? I want to seek solutions, reconciliation, seek unity, be a mender of relationships, LOVE PEOPLE.
V.11 tells us that Paul has heard from someone in the Corinthian church (specifically someone from Chloe’s household that there were quarrels going on the church!
The report from Choloe’s household exposed that the problem of division was a split over their leaders. Here was the problem…Look at V.12
12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas[a]"; still another, "I follow Christ."
Some of the member of the church loved Paul, there was another group who declared “Apollos” as their leader, a third group said, “I love Peter”, and the last group of course declared their allegiance to Jesus! One church divided!
Q: Why this strange allegiance to their leaders.
PAUL
Why Paul? He had not been there for almost five years. Here’s why…PAUL WAS THEIR FOUNDING PASTOR! He was the one who introduced them to Jesus! He was brilliant, convincing, courageous.
1 Corinthians 4:15
“In Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”
He was their “Heart Song”! When they thought back to their beginning – it was Paul who brought Jesus to them! Remember where you accepted Christ? Remember who led you to Christ? That place, those people will always have a special place in your heart! Even the music…that’s part of our heart song! “I’m so Glad I’m A Part” part of my heart song! The songs that I often pull out of my mind at the end of the service are part of my heart songs. Pastor Dickson…attending C.A.’s, singing in the Christmas Cantada! Making out in the back of the church bus…All part of my heartsong!
Paul had been gone for several years now, but his memory lived on. Paul had many admirers in the church who were always looking back at the “good ol’ days”. Though Paul was Jewish in heritage – he had been called to take the Message of the Gospel to the Gentiles! So there may have been a large number of Gentile believers who felt a bond with Paul. They shouted… “Paul’s our man!”
APOLLOS
Why Apllos? Then there was “Apollos” – We learn that Apollos was the man who would follow Paul in Corinth. And he was very different in style and personality. Apollos was a bright, articulate Jew with a great skill in debate. He would be a natural leader for those who attempted to intellectualize Christianity – The Bible says that he was “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.” According to Acts 18:24 - Apollos was an “eloquent” preacher. Apollos is OUR man! We like his style!
CEPHAS (PETER)
We don’t even know if Peter ever went to Corinth. The believer would have heard of him from the day of Pentecost. 3000 saved after one sermon! Who wouldn’t love to have Peter as their leader! Jewish, charismatic, one of the original 12 disciples…HE HAD BEEN WITH JESUS! Love this guy! Paul on the other hand had got beaten nearly to death after he preached…chased out of cities, thrown into jail.
They followed Peter…though they had never sat under his ministry! The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence! NO…Peter was human too! It doesn’t take very much reading to see that Peter was just an ordinary man also!
Finally the fourth group…followed…
JESUS
This group may have boast of some special relationship to Jesus. They may have been positioning themselves above the fray, saying that they had chose to follow Jesus – and didn’t follow any human leader. All I need is Jesus – Yes Amen! We all need Jesus!
But has established the church to hold us accountable, provide us with support, love, encouragement. He has set some as leaders, pastors, teachers, evangelists…
AND LISTEN THE TV DOESN’T DO IT! We all have our favorite TV Preachers…Charles Stanley, Joel Osteen, John Hagee…they are not going to visit you when you are in the hospital! They are not going to pray for you when you are sick!
Believers can get caught up in the same game of “my preacher is better than yours.” “My apostle can beat up your apostle!” People can fall prey to following personalities and even change churches based on who is popular.
Then Paul goes on to ask them three rhetorical questions…the answer of course being NO!
13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?
Were you baptized into[b] the name of Paul?
There’s that word again – “Torn” Is Christ torn in two?
When the man divides the church – who really gets divided? Or as Chuck Smith says, “When the body of Christ gets divided, who bleeds?”
DIVISION HURTS THE CHURCH, IT HURTS PEOPLE,
IT HURTS THE GREAT CAUSE OF CHRIST
WE LOOSE EVEN IF WE THINK THAT WE WIN!
Listen if in your life time . . . if there’s ever a church split on the horizon…
• KEEP A SWEET SPIRIT!
• PRACTICE “HIGH ROAD” LIVING.
• PURSUE LOVE AT ALL COSTS! (Keep loving people! Even the people who are causing the heartache!)
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GET EVEN! (Keep our mouth closed…even if you want to talk bad! You lose even if you win!
• KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!
Psalm 133:1
“How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!”
Romans 15:5
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus…”
Ephesians 4:3
”3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Colossians 3:12-14
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Saint Augustine wrote…
“IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN OPINION LIBERTY,
IN ALL THINGS LOVE.”
ILLUSTRATION
George Whitefield was one of the greatest open-air evangelist in England and the American colonies in the 1700’s. He remained a member of the Church of England throughout all his life, yet he counted many Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and even Baptists, as his closest friends. He was also a strong Calvinists. One day someone asked, “Mr. Whitefield, do you think that we will see John Wesley in heaven?” (John Wesley, of course, was the found of the Methodist church, and was a vocal opponent to the Theology of George Whitefield.) Whitefield responded, “No, I doubt we will see Mr. Wesley in heaven. He will be so close to the throne of god that we will be fortunate to even catch a glimpse of his back.”
When John Wesley was asked, “Rev. Wesley, will there be Presbyterians in heaven?” Wesley replied, “No, there won’t be. There won’t be any Baptist, Lutherans, Catholics or Episcopalians in heaven either. In fact, there won’t be any of us Methodists. There will only be Christians in heaven.”
TEARER or MENDER…Which are You?
You are either part of the problem of your are part of the solution! I want to be a mender don’t you? I want to seek solutions, reconciliation, seek unity, be a mender of relationships, LOVE PEOPLE.
Closing / Prayer