Galatians 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Strife - factions, contentions
Seditions- disunion, dissension, division, sedition
Heresies choosing disunion creating sects.
Much is said about most of the items in the list of works of the flesh. The last three words are pandemic in the Body and not spoken to as much as they should.
No church split happens without these items being the cause. Most new plants are also in some way affected by these issues. These things are so common that we have become comfortable in them as if they are a normal thing and we even rejoice in a new church being started in town though there are already viable works.
Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.
O, that more men would follow Paul's example and seek out areas that have no viable Gospel witness rather than seek to cull some of the disgruntled or ill sheep from another flock.
Paul says that we are all to speak the same thing since we are of one Lord, one faith and one baptism having gifts given by one Spirit whose mission includes leading us all into the truth and there is only one truth per issue. The Word is of no private interpretation so the division we have is because we are not all walking the Spirit as He is one with the Father and the Son. They agree on everything so there is not one interpretation for one group and another for a different group. Regardless of your take on 1 Cor 11 and there is only one answer, Paul did say that he had no such tradition and neither did the churches of God. One ruling for all despite locality, local culture, etc.
The problem with American churches, though it is all over, is that we feel like we get an opinion. We are in a spiritual state of "I'm OK, you're OK" and we agree to disagree. We are not as adamant about contending for the faith or being Bereans as in the 1st Century. Even the Reformers did not reform enough and since then we have added untold numbers of theories and interpretations not based on sound doctrine.
Hence we have factions, contentions, division and heresies. We often think of heresy only in the area of false doctrines, but it really means to choose disunion creating sects. Indeed, the non-denominational movement created more heresy by division than doctrinal heresy before the movement.
True, false doctrine causes division and rightly so because unity can only be based on truth. Yet, a church with sound doctrine can also split over personal opinions or agendas. This is the heresy of sedition, which is a high crime in the secular world. If the world finds it heinous, do you think Jesus is happy about people who do it in His Body? It is His Church and He set the rules and had the Apostles inspired to write what the Body is to believe and how it is to function.
Those who cause disunion and split the Body into pieces to their own liking not only cut off a toe or arm, but they cause those parts to be cut off from The Head or at least keep them from receiving communication from Him. Indeed, this may well be why so many churches are dying because they were not created by Him or decided they were smarter than Him doing their own thing.
It is time to be reconciled within the Body or we have no hope of bringing reconciliation to the World. They are neither impressed nor fear a Body that has been blown apart by an IED or Independent Ecclesiastic Determination. I will say it two billion times if I have to that ten or more churches of the same faith in a town or reasonable drive area is not what Jesus prayed for when He asked that "they would be one as We are one."
Two of like faith in one town is one too many. Most of the myriad of churches in a town are twenty or less. Some might make thirty. A new plant that does not win new converts, but is only a new fold for wandering, ill or disgruntled sheep is not what God called. It was man called. If God called it then their would be an abundance of new sheep for His fold. A handful of sheep meeting together when there are viable churches in the area may well point to a form of pride or dissension that needs to be reconciled not praised.
Reconciliation will come in the form of mergers. It will mean putting aside all racial issues. We are all one blood and only eight got off the Ark so there is only one race. Cultural issues are only for this earth as there will not be such things in Heaven. Some things might be shared if they are useful for the mission. Otherwise, in building His Kingdom, they must be put aside and practiced at home or some other gathering. We gather for worship, to learn how do to the work of the ministry and to show our loving unity to a hateful, divided world. Whatever gets in the way of that must be put aside.
This can start in churches of like faith. Bringing everyone into agreement on some issues to where all sects disappear will probably not happen until Jesus returns and straightens us all out about where we missed it. Mergers have happened on a small scale in some areas, but it needs to engulf the world. Get back on mission.
If you church has no pastor, this is an opportune time to seek a merger with a larger church. If you have one that is only hanging on to keep the doors open then you may need to just come out and find a larger church to join. He may find a staff position in the larger church, but do not struggle to keep a building going when your baptistry has been dry for year and few people in town would even notice if you closed the doors. If both you and the church that broke off from you are struggling then it may take eating some crow and reconnect or both of you need to close and find another church. Whatever it takes to end the travesty of a divided Body.
Jesus cares nothing about buildings so I do not suspect He will be pleased that you poured all of your manpower and resources into a building that should have closed twenty years ago.
Pastors, you are to care for the sheep in your charge. Is it good to keep them chained to a decaying building and in a state of apathy or despair because the numbers keep dropping? Do you really want to be the last man standing? Is that what you were called to do or are you to lead them to a greener pasture and still waters? Think His Kingdom, not your position. Maranatha!
