Dealing With Tensions And Conflicts In Churches And Church Organisations – Part 1 Series

DEALING WITH TENSIONS AND CONFLICTS IN CHURCHES AND CHURCH ORGANISATIONS – AS I UNDERSTAND IT OVER 65 YEARS – PART 1

[A]. INTRODUCTION

This coverage will apply not only to the church fellowship of believers, but also to any committee, business meeting, or ministry operating in or by a church.

Dealing with conflicts and disharmony is never a pleasant thing. Prevention is better but that also has its problems. Often loyalties are stretched and the one who has to deal with problems is emotionally affected but must remain impartial, and I am telling you, as you most likely know, that is extremely difficult to do.

Satan strives for conflict and loves warring factions. He hates God’s people and does everything to engender strife and division. A church fellowship is like a perfect meal in the open, a picture of the world, for the church is in the world. If the meal is left unattended then along comes Beelzeboul [Beelzebub], (a name for Satan) and ensures his agents, the blowflies, try every means to contaminate that meal. Safeguarding God’s heritage is a matter we will take up later on.

Paul was conscious of a problem in the group at Philippi, and wrote this to a trusted friend in the church – {{Philippians 4:2-3 “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in HARMONY in the Lord. Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.”}} What this verse teaches us is that no one is immune from the deceptions of the devil, even those who are in leadership and work hard for the Lord.

However any ongoing problem left unattended will often not go away, but magnify itself to the detriment of more people until there is a serious concern that can even split fellowships. We are going to look at some practical issues here in an effort to dissipate a problem before it can take hold.

[B]. THE PERSONAL STATE IS THE PRIMARY ISSUE

We all know what the bottom line is, when it comes to the cause of tensions and that is the old nature we all have. The old nature (Paul sometimes called this “the old man”) remains with us and is in conflict with the new nature in Christ. There is a very informative passage in Galatians that we must consider carefully –

{{Galatians 5:16 I say, WALK BY THE SPIRIT, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh,}}

Paul begins this section with the solution rather than lay out the problem and then state the solution. Walking in the Spirit, that is, under His control and direction, might appear simple but it is not. It requires a commitment and surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Many scriptures would cover that.

{{Galatians 5:17 “for the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh for these are in OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER, so that you may not do the things that you please,”}}

Now Paul gets to the problem, which is the conflict of the two natures. You have all heard about that but might I add that ministers and pastors must preach and teach in this area more than what is done. The bible must be reinforced in this regard and people’s attention drawn to the important concept here. There is a war going on all the time in Christians’ lives. This is why sometimes we slip and tensions result. Just one tooth damaged in the cog can cause disruption to the machine. Pastors and Ministers, build your people up to attain the correct Christian character and you will prevent some of the tensions that arise in churches.

{{Galatians 5:18 but if you are LED BY THE SPIRIT, you are not under the Law.”}}

Because this teaching is in Galatians Paul matches up Law and the Spirit, where there is also a conflict but we will keep to the two natures and the conflict there. Problems in churches arise from inner, personal conflicts and then the old natures prevail.

{{Galatians 5:19 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, Galatians 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, STRIFE, JEALOUSY, OUTBURSTS OF ANGER, DISPUTES, DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS,”}}

In the last two verses here, the Apostle begins listing some of the ugly features of the flesh, which is the old nature, and every one of us is prone to those because we will not shed the old nature this side of glory. As a result, they can manifest themselves in our church settings and fellowships. Please take note of the 6 that I have highlighted in capitals, for they are the ones that become prominent in churches were there is tension.