"THE WALK OF HARMONY PART I"
"HARMONY IN THE CHURCH, WHEN CHRISTIAN DISAGREE"
TEXT: EPHESIANS 5:21-6:4/ROMANS 14 & 15
INTRODUCTION
THE THEME VERSE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF PAUL’S LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS IS EPHESIANS 4:1,
"AS A PRISONER OF THE LORD, THEN I URGE TO WALK (TO LIVE A LIFE) WORTHY OF THE CALLING YOU HAVE RECEIVED.."
WE ARE COMMANDED TO WALK IN A WORTHY MANNER.... WE ARE TO WALK WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES, TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN A WAY THAT BRINGS HONOR TO THE LORD... PAUL IN THE 2ND HALF OF EPHESIANS DESCRIBES IN GRETA DETAIL 4 WALKS WE MUST WALK IF OUR LIVES ARE TO BE LIVED IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE LORD.
IN EPH 4:1-4:16 -- PAUL EXHORTS US TO WALK IN UNITY... UNITY IS A WALK THAT BRINGS HONOR TO THE LORD. TO WALK IN UNITY IS TO WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE CALLING WE HAVE RECEIVED...
AND THIS WALK OF UNITY IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH OUR -- DEVOTION TO A CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR (IF WE ARE MORE LIKE JESUS THERE WILL BE GREATER UNITY) -- THROUGH AN AGREEMENT ON ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES (IN ESSENTIAL UNITY -- IN MATTER OF OPINION LIBERTY AND IN ALL THINGS LOVE) -- THROUGH A COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL SERVICE (IF WE EACH ARE BUSY SERVING THE KING, WE WON’T HAVE ANY TIME LEFT TO CRITICIZE HIS SUBJECTS (ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE OR ARE NOT DOING) - AND IF WE ARE EACH COMMITTED TO PERSONAL SERVICE THE FEW WILL NOT BE OVER BURDENED -- "FROM HIM THE WHOLE BODY, JOINED AND HELD TOGETHER BY EVERY SUPPORTING LIGAMENT, GROWS AND BUILDS ITSELF UP IN LOVE, AS EACH PART DOES ITS WORK..")-- EPH 4:16. AND THIS UNITY IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A DEVOTION TO A COMMON PURPOSE...(TO BRING -- BUILD AND SEND).
THEN IN EPHESIANS 4:17-5:20 PAUL EXHORTS US TO WALK IN PURITY -- TELLING US TO TAKE OFF OUR GRAVECLOTHES.... TO TAKE OFF THOSE ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS THAT ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH CHRISTIANITY... AFTER WHICH WE NEED TO GET OUR CLOTHES ON --- WE NEED TO CLOTHES OURSELVES WITH THE JESUS CHARACTER OF CHRIST....
IF YOU WERE PRESENT DURING THESE 2 MESSAGES ARE YOU NOW TO A GREATER EXTENT:
STRIVING TO WALK IN UNITY?
STRIVING TO WALK IN PURITY?
TODAY, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT A 3RD WALK THAT WE MUST WALK, "THE WALK OF HARMONY"...
HARMONY IS DEFINED IN WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY AS: A TUNEFUL SOUND, THE COMBINATION OF SIMULTANEOUS MUSICAL NOTES IN A CHORD, PLEASING OR CONGRUENT ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS, ACCORD (IE LIVING IN HARMONY WITH ONES NEIGHBOR), INTERNAL CALM; TRANQUILITY..
HERE IS MY DEFINITION; HARMONY IS WHEN THINGS ARE RUNNING SMOOTH, WHEN THEY ARE WORKING IN THE WAY THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK...
AND IN EPHESIANS 5:21-6:9 PAUL EXHORTS US TO WALK IN HARMONY AS HE TALKS ABOUT 2 AREAS OF OUR LIFE WHERE WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT HARMONY REIGNS -- IN THE HOME AND IN THE WORK PLACE...
NOW, THERE IS A 3RD PLACE WHERE HARMONY NEEDS TO ABOUND THAT IS NOT MENTIONED BY PAUL IN THAT PASSAGE, BUT THIS HARMONY IS CERTAINLY ALLUDED TO IN PASSAGES LIKE EPH 4:3; "MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH THE BOND OF PEACE..."
THE 3RD PLACE WHERE HARMONY NEEDS TO PREVAIL IS IN THE CHURCH.. PETER THAT GREAT FISHER OF MEN WRITES IN 1 PETER 3:8;
"FINALLY ALL OF YOU, LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER...."
THERE IS TO BE HARMONY IN THE LORD’S CHURCH...
THIS IS THE WK OF HARMONY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY - HARMONY IN THE CHURCH, NEXT WEEK WE WILL TALK ABOUT HARMONY IN THE HOME AND IN THE WORK PLACE....
NOW WHAT IS IT THAT WILL LEAD TO HARMONY (UNITY) IN THE CHURCH, WELL ONE ESSENTIAL KEY WE TALKED ABOUT DURING OUR DISCUSSION OF "THE WALK OF UNITY" -- THERE WILL BE HARMONY IN THE CHURCH WHEN EACH OF US IS DEVOTED TO A CHRISTLIKE BEHAVIOR; PAUL DESCRIBES SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS BEHAVIOR; "BE COMPLETELY HUMBLE AND GENTLE, BE PATIENT, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE..."
WHEN WE EACH ARE MORE LIKE JESUS -- THERE WILL BE HARMONY.
BUT THOUGH THIS IS TRUE AND IS A GOOD KEY TO HARMONY, IT HAS ONE BASIC FLAW TO IT; WE ARE NOT LIKE JESUS -- WE DO NOT ALWAYS CLOTH OURSELVES WITH HIS CHARACTER (HIS ACTIONS, ATTITUDES AND MOTIVES).
AND THIS LEADS TO PROBLEMS WITH UNITY BECAUSE ANYTIME IMPERFECT PEOPLE TRY TO WALK TOGETHER -- THERE WILL BE DISAGREEMENTS. DISAGREEMENTS OVER OPINIONS AND DISAGREEMENTS OVER PERSONALITY...
WITH THIS IN MIND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A SECOND KEY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE HARMONY IN THE CHURCH -- THIS KEY IS TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE TO DO WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH HARMONY -- TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE TO DO AND HOW WE ARE TO WHEN CHRISTIANS DISAGREE...AND WHEN THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS AMONG CHRISTIANS...
AND WHAT CHRISTIAN ARE TO DO WHEN THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS IS TO BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THEN WHAT THE WORLD,
THE WORLD GETS: MAD/ANGRY/EVEN OR WITHDRAWS, BREAKING OFF ALL LINES OF COMMUNICATION THUS WIDENING THE GAP AND BREAKING OFF ANY HOPE OF RECONCILIATION....
The title for the message today is; THE WALK OF HARMONY; When Christians disagree.
Disunity or disharmony (and I will use these 2 terms interchangeably today) is not something new, there has always been a problem with disunity among God’s people. We see examples of this truth throughout the pages of the Old Testament. We see Family fights; Cain and Able, Joseph and His brothers, Jacob and Esau, Jonathan and Saul and David and Absalom. And we also see Examples of Civil Wars; The tribes of Dan and Ephraim had it out with each other, as we read in the book of Judges, and the once Mighty Kingdom of David and Solomon was split right down the middle after Solomon’s death, with many wars and skirmishes resulting.
And almost every church mentioned in the New Testament had problems with unity.
The Corinthians were divided over human leaders "some said we’re of Paul, others said we’re of Apollos". Many of the Corinthians were also suing each other (I Corith. 1:10-13,6:1-8).
To the church in Galatia, Paul writes "If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will destroy each other". (Gal. 5:15)
And Paul had to remind both the church in Colossae, and the church in Ephesus, of the importance of unity in the Church (Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 2:1-2).
And as Paul writes to the church in Philippi he pleads with 2 woman to agree with each other in the Lord.
And in the book of Romans we find that the foundational theme of the entire letter centers on the Apostle Paul urging the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome to accept one another (to stop the fighting), because as Paul teaches throughout the book of Romans, there is no distinction, we (all Christians) are all the same to God, He shows no partiality.
Since unfortunately there is such a history of disagreements among Christians -- it should therefore be no surprise, that the church today has to constantly fight and constantly be on guard against, the problem of disharmony.
And let’s understand this -- we are not here talking about major doctrinal issues dividing God’s people, But Rather, disunity in the church resulting simply from the fact, that people sometimes, just can’t get along and because sometimes, people make matters of opinion, a test of fellowship.
TODAY, to help us study this walk of harmony in greater depth we will look to Romans chapter 14-15:13, which will help us understand and give us 7 principles about what it is we need to do when Christians disagree, and when there are disagreements between Christians...
1. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM (14:1; 15:1)
A. For us to really understand this verse, we need to first summarize what Paul was teaching in the 14th chapter.
Many of the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians did not get along in the Roman Church, the problem in Rome that Paul addresses in this letter is broken fellowship..
They were different, they came from different places, different backgrounds. And probably the place where these difference came to light the most, was when they had a meal together. When they sat down to have a meal together, there were some who would not eat meats and would only eat vegetables. They felt that in eating meat that was sacrificed to an idol, that they were, in fact paying honor or worshiping, that idol. And there were others at the meal who ate every piece of meat they could get their hands on, "Hey fellow, could you pass the pork chops".
B. Let’s note here that Paul does not say that this was a Gentile problem or a Jewish Problem. Whether or not a Jew or a Gentile is involved is immaterial. Because, the real problem is this, a faith problem, a faith problem in the way they handled matters of opinions and disagreements in the Roman church.
Paul says that there were some Christians, who had a strong faith -- and that there were other Christians who had a weak faith. Not all of the Christians in Rome, were on the same spiritual level.
C. Within the Lord’s church today, not all are on the same spiritual level, not all have the same faith. And ETCC is no exception, within the body here are believers at many different levels of spiritual maturity. And because we have people who are at different levels, this many times leads to disagreements.
And when Christians disagree, we need to understand the problem. When Christians in the church can’t get along, when they are constantly at each others throats, when they bicker and fight, slap and bite, we need to understand that in most cases the problem is a weak faith on someone part.
D. Let me say this: the Christian in Rome who had a pork chop hanging out of his mouth, and who had six more of those little guys on deck on his plate (because he knows that God has made all things clean), is not necessarily strong in the faith. Many times his attitude towards his brother (in this case the one who thinks it is wrong to eat meat), and the way he handles his quote "superior faith" makes him weak in the faith as well. You see a strong faith, does not put down a weak faith, but seeks to Build up a weak faith. Do you get my point.
E. Are we having a disagreement with a brother right now.
If so are we the weaker or stronger brother? We better not answer too fast.
We need to understand that the problem many times in our disagreements with brothers and sisters is a lack of faith -- not a lack of knowledge (head faith) but a lack of living out that knowledge in a tangible way.
2. WE NEED TO REALIZE OUR POSITION (14:1,4,9-10)
We need to remember that Paul is talking about areas where there is not a divine command. God did not say you have to eat meat, nor did God say you can not eat meat. So what we have here are areas of opinion. And in areas of opinions we need to realize our position.
A. First of all, the brother with the stronger faith is not to look down upon the brother with the weaker faith. He is not to have a "holier than thou" attitude. The brother eating the pork chop is not to look down upon the weaker brother and say "I’m just so much more spiritual than you, if you were as close to God as I am you would eat a pork chop too. You poor, poor weak Christian."
The strong in faith are not to belittle the weak.
B. And second we need to realize that we are not the JUDGE!! read [14:4]
1. The weaker brother is not to judge the stronger brother, the one who eats. Why? because the stronger brother is God’s servant. And because in this matter (eating meat) He will be able to stand before God uncondemned, because God has made all things acceptable for eating.
2. In like manner the stronger brother, is not to judge the weaker, and condemn Him for having a weak faith. Why? Because the weaker brother is God’s servant. And because, he is acting upon his present level of faith.
C. We are not to judge our brothers in sisters in Christ in matters of opinion..
We are not to have a attitude that says, "well if you had the faith I have, you would do such and such or be such and such". Paul says that we are not to judge those who are weak in the faith, but rather we are to accept Him (or her) whose faith is weak.
2. WE NEED TO EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES (14:5-8, 14:20,22)
MOST Disagreements THE DIVIDE CHRISTIANS AND SPLIT CHURCHES ARE OVER MATTERS OF OPINION... RARELY DO WE FIND CHRISTIANS CHURCHES SPLITTING OVER DOCTRINAL ISSUES.
WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT -- AND THE RESULTING TRUTH OF THIS IS WE ALL WILL AT TIMES HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS... WE SHOULD EXPECT THIS...
NOW HAVING AN OPINION IS NEITHER BAD OR GOOD IN AND OF ITSELF... IT IS WHAT WE DO WITH THAT OPINION THAT REALLY MATTERS...
PAUL IN ROMANS 14 GIVES 4 PRINCIPLES THAT WE NEED TO EMBRACE IN REGARDS TO OUR PERSONAL OPINIONS... THIS ARE GOOD PRINCIPLES, I’VE SHARED THEM IN S/S & LEADERSHIP RETREAT...
ROMANS 14:5-8
1. WE MUST BE FULLY CONVINCED IN OUR MINDS THAT THIS IS BEST FOR THE KINGDOM...
>>>> NOT SIMPLY WHAT WE LIKE OR DON’T LIKE -- BUT RATHER A CAREFULLY AND FULLY THOUGH OUT OPINION THAT WE SINCERELY BELIEVE IS WHAT IS BEST FOR THE KINGDOM...
2. DONE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD....
HE WHO EATS DOES SO TO THE LORD...
HE WHO ABSTAINS DOES SO TO THE LORD....
IF WE LIVE WE LIVE TO THE LORD....
IF WE DIE WE DIE TO THE LORD......
WHEN WE ACT ON OUR OPINIONS IT MUST BE DONE TO THE LORD -- FOR HIS GLORY -- NOT OUR OWN BECAUSE WE ARE FULLY CONVINCED IT IS WHAT PLEASES HIM...
3. DO NOT DESTROY THE WORK OF GOD FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR OPINION..
(ROMANS 14:20)
NO OPINION IS WORTH DESTROYING YE WORK OF GOD...DESTROYING HIS CHURCH...
4. AND THE 4TH PRINCIPLE GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE 3RD -- IF VOICING YOUR OPINION WILL DESTROY THE WORK OF GOD -- KEEP YOUR OPINION TO YOURSELF...
ROMANS 14:22)
IF YOU KNOW IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING AND ONLY CAUSE DIVISIONS AND NEGATIVES FEELINGS KEEP IT TO YOURSELF...
WE CHRISTIANS DISAGREE...
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM
REALIZE OUR POSITION
EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES
AND
3. WE NEED TO HUMBLE OURSELVES IN PRAYER
We must recognize the necessity of prayer in dealing with problems of disunity.
A. As Paul writes to the Christians in Rome about accepting one another, as he considers the importance of unity in the church, Paul humbly gets on his knees and offers a prayer to God on their behalf. Read [5,6].
B. Paul prays for them to have a spirit of unity, He prays that they will, with one heart and one mouth glorify God.
In the church it is -- TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!
C. However, Paul was not the first one to pray for unity in the Church. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on the night He was betrayed, on the night before His crucifixion, went down on His Knees in prayer to the Father. Jesus had been praying for the 12, praying that God would protect them and sanctify them in the truth.
And then Jesus prayed:
[John 17:20-23]
Perhaps, as Jesus knelt there before God, knowing full well the pain and sacrifice that awaited Him. Knowing that He was going to suffer greatly, so that our sins could be forgiven, and so that there could be a church.
Perhaps, His eyes could see how man and woman through the years, would cause divisions and hurt the church he died for.
How, many Christians would let insignificant things, breed strife and disunity within His bride.
Perhaps As Jesus’ KNELT THERE IN THE GARDEN IN PRAYER HIS eyes looked through the years of time. And He saw a Church whose fellowship was broken because someone didn’t get their way or the glory they thought they deserved. And he saw another lacking harmony because it’s members just refused to get along.
And perhaps Jesus shed even more tears as he saw so many put their pride, hurt feelings, personal ego’s put little petty things above the Unity of Bride of Christ, thereby hurting/crippling the Church, that He would the next day, hang on a cross and died for.
And Jesus prayed fervently that they would be one. He knew if there was disunity in the Church ,that it would seriously damage the witness of the church. And the world wouldn’t know, or believe that God sent Jesus to save them.
Jesus knew that His people would have a problem getting along, and so even as the soldiers were marching to arrest Him, He prayed for THEM/US, He prayed for unity.
D. I hope you agree that Unity is a serious matter. And if we believe that it is a serious matter. And if It matters to us, that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prayed for unity in HIS Church. We need to do 2 things in regard to prayer.
1. Pray for unity within the Body of the Lord here at ETCC. Pray that we will be one. And, if you know of any Bros or Sisters having a problem with unity, pray for them specifically. Pray that the spirit of God living within them will convict them of their sin.
2. Pray for ourselves. Pray, that we will be answer to the prayer of Jesus. Pray, that God will make us more aware of any wrong attitudes we may have that lead to disharmony.
Pray, that He will bring them to the surface, so that we can deal with them.
Pray, that God will help us swallow our pride, so that we will build up HIS KINGDOM and not tear it down.
WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM
REALIZE OUR POSITION
EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES
HUMBLE OURSELVES IN PRAYER
AND
5. WE NEED TO KEEP SIGHT OF OUR PURPOSE
Our purpose is to build up not tear down.
[14:19,20; 15:2]
Our purpose is to build up. We are to build up:
A. Our brother; the strong in faith are not to cut down, tear down or belittle those in the body whose faith is weak.
No, they are to seek to build him or her up in the Lord. They are to strive to build up the weaker brothers faith. We are not here in the church to kick people, when they are down, but help them grow and help them get up.
B. We are to build up the Kingdom of God.
[14:20]
"Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food."
We better not destroy the work of God for the sake of our own opinion, OR for the sake of our nasty attitude or our condemning and critical spirit.
We better think before we ACT, and think before we TALK.
C. Our purpose is to Build up our Bros and Sisters.
And to Build up the Kingdom of God.
LET’S NOT ever LOSE SIGHT OF THAT PURPOSE.
6. WE NEED TO CONFORM TO THE PATTERN
{15:2-4, 7-9}
A. In verse 7 Paul tells the Christians in Rome and He tells us, to accept one another.
Why? Because Christ accepted us!
And we were not exactly perfect were we?
B. Paul says that Jesus became a servant on behalf of others.
C. Jesus looked beyond our faults, and saw our needs. And Jesus, became as a servant to us and meet those needs.
D. We need, to follow the pattern set by Jesus.
We need, to accept each other even though we are not all perfect.
We need to look beyond our brothers and sisters faults and see their needs. And then, become a servant to them in order to meet those needs. I think there is a name for doing this, It’s called agape love. E.
My preachers wife in VA. offered Judy and I some great advice years ago. She said "in the church we need to accept people as they are". This is Hard at times but it is a lot easier, than trying to change people to be just like me.
And one thing we must kept in mind, is that we do not know what roads our brother and sister has walked, to bring them where they are today. When Christians disagree they need to follow the pattern of Christ They need to accept one another.
WHEN WE CONFORM TO THE PATTERN
WHEN WE HUMBLE OURSELVES IN PRAYER
WHEN WE EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES
WHEN WE REALIZE OUR POSITION
WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM
WHEN WE KEEP SIGHT OF OUR PURPOSE
VI. WE WILL EXPERIENCE PRAISE
[15:9-13]
A. Praise is the result of mutual acceptance.
How we treat one another effects our praise. It is impossible, for Christians to worship God or to glorify God, when they are harboring bad feelings towards a brother or sister in Christ.
What did Jesus teach in His Sermon on the mount.
"Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go, and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift."
Disagreements and disunity are like a wet blanket thrown on top of the fire, of our praise and worship. (Pass it on)
Where there is prejudice and lack of acceptance there is shame. There is nothing more pitiful then the people on the same team fighting. (QB screaming at wide receiver/GOALIE LINEMAN)
B. As a precision football team working together brings honor and glory to their coach.
In the same way a group of Christians working together, side by side, building up the kingdom. Brings Glory honor and praise to God...
CONCLUSIONS
They were not getting along as they should. Both had accumulated so many possessions that the land was no longer big enough for the both of them.
And now there were fights, disagreements and quarrels between the 2 groups. He knew that His neighbors were watching him. And he knew that God had called them to be different then the world. And he also knew that right now with all their quarreling they were not all that different then their neighbors, the Canaanites and the Perizites. So Abraham said to Lot [Gen 13:8,9]
Let’s not have any quarreling between each other here at ETCC, It’s not right! We are Brothers!
And don’t forget the neighbors are watching...
AND THEY WILL NOT BE WON UNTIL WE ARE ONE!!!
