Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
There is nothing new under the sun. If you look at the three things the devil used men to split up the Body in Bro Clarke's commentary you will see the same thing today, which is why we have so many churches in one area, Brother Clarke died in 1832 and nothing has changed.
Churches are especially vulnerable to division when the pastor dies or moves on. Sometimes, the pastor stays, but a wolf steals some of the flock splitting Body contrary to what God intended. I am confident that 99.9% of all splits have nothing to do with doctrine. They are about angry flesh or a wolf dividing the flock.
One need not be in a church to cause a split. A needless new church plant when there are good churches in the area also causes splits. Weaker Christians can be drawn away by curiosity. The upside is that the new church may get the complainers and the carnal who are not getting their way where they attended. We sometimes call that backdoor revival, but still it creates a Consumer Christianity and keeps people from working out problems like mature Christians. Instead, they just carry their issues to the new church where they usually cause or are a part of the problem they had at the old church.
Beware of wolves. If you are without a pastor, beware of the ones that might rise up in your church. If you have a pastor, do not be part of a split that is not from doctrinal error. If there is just fleshly frustration stay away from the wolves that would drag you into destructive behavior.
Finally. do not be like those at Mars Hill seeking to hear some new thing. Beware of church plants promising new things as they have nothing new except some flash or fad that will fade as will the church when the newness wears off.
All the major doctrines have been worked out for centuries so if there is some new thing it is unlikely a true thing. We waste so much of God's resources on things that are not needed. Doctrine is far more important than entertainment or technology. Of there doctrinal statement is no different than where you are then the new church is redundant. If God only had one temple for a nation it is unlikely He needs two churches teaching the same thing in the same town.
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"Acts 20:30
Also of your own selves, etc. - From out of your own assembly shall men arise, speaking perverse things, teaching for truth what is erroneous in itself, and perversive of the genuine doctrine of Christ crucified.
To draw away disciples - To make schisms or rents in the Church, in order to get a party to themselves. See, here, the cause of divisions in the Church:
1. The superintendents lose the life of God, neglect the souls of the people, become greedy of gain, and, by secular extortions, oppress the people.
2. The members of the Church, thus neglected, oppressed, and irritated, get their minds alienated from their rapacious pastors.
3. Men of sinister views take advantage of this state of distraction, foment discord, preach up the necessity of division, and thus the people become separated from the great body, and associate with those who profess to care for their souls, and who disclaim all secular views.
In this state of distraction, it is a high proof of God’s love to his heritage, if one be found who, possessing the true apostolic doctrine and spirit, rises up to call men back to the primitive truth, and restore the primitive discipline.
How soon the grievous wolves and perverse teachers arose in the Churches of Asia Minor, the first chapters of the Apocalypse inform us. The Nicolaitans had nearly ruined the Church of Ephesus, Rev_1:2, Rev_1:6. The same sect, with other false teachers, infested the Church of Pergamos, and preached there the doctrine of Balaam, Rev_2:14, Rev_2:15. A false prophetess seduced the Church of Thyatira, Rev_2:20. All these Churches were in Asia Minor, and probably bishops or ministers from each were present at this convocation." - From Adam Clarke's Commentary
