Test Yourselves Series

Several years ago, Ken Westphall, in Leadership Journal, a publication for ministry leaders, talked about the most frequent phrases in ministry that become preludes to a fast farewell. They include the following:

I think I've earned the right to say this.

In ancient Israel, the people danced before the Lord.

Recently, I've been reading about the importance of publicly confessing your own sins, so today...

I'll show the church secretary who's boss around here!

Then there are no hard feelings, right?

I'm sure Mrs. Jones will agree that she's been our organist long enough.

They need to realize this kitchen belongs to everyone (Ken Westphall, Leadership, Vol. 14, no. 2; www.PreachingToday.com).

Pastors, if you’re looking to make a quick getaway, try using one of these phrases.

Sad to say, some churches fight over the silliest of things. The pastor, or somebody, says something that doesn’t set well, and before you know it, the whole church is up in arms, people are taking sides, and some leave the church, never to return.

So, how do we keep that from happening here? How do we maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)? How do we experience harmony and joy in our relationships? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians 13, 2 Corinthians 13, where the Apostle Paul speaks to a highly conflicted church—the Corinthian church. He is getting ready to visit them a third time, and he urges them to do several things so that his visit can be a happy one, not a painful (or harsh) one like his last visit (2 Cor. 2:1).

2 Corinthians 13:1-2 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them (ESV).

Paul wants the Corinthian believers to discipline the people causing all the problems, the false teachers, the contentious ones. Based on what Jesus taught his disciples (Matthew 18:15-17), believers must confront such people, first individually, then with 2 or 3 witnesses, then before the whole church. After that, if the contentious sinner refuses to repent, they are to exclude him from the fellowship.

Paul tells them to discipline such people, or else he will do it when he visits them again, and it won’t be pretty. He will exercise the authority some say he lacks.

2 Corinthians 13:3-4 …since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God (ESV).

Paul will wield God’s power in their midst if he has to. He doesn’t want to, but he will if it benefits the whole church and brings unity to the body.

Warren Wiersbe says, “The Judaizers in the church had accused Paul of being a weak man (see 2 Corinthians 10:10). Their approach to ministry was heavy-handed and dictatorial, while Paul’s was gentle and humble (2 Corinthians 1:24). Now Paul assured them that he would show them how strong he could be—if that is what it took to solve the problems. ‘I will not spare!’ was his warning, and he used a word that means ‘to spare in battle.’ In short, Paul was declaring war on anybody who opposed the authority of God’s Word. ‘Let Paul prove he is a true apostle!’ said his opponents. Paul’s reply was, ‘Like Jesus Christ, I am strong when it appears I am weak.’ On the cross, Jesus Christ manifested weakness; but the cross is still ‘the power of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:18) (Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary).

And Paul warns he will wield that power if he has to on his next visit. However, he would rather the Corinthians get ready for his visit by dealing with the troublemakers themselves. And that’s what you must do if you want to experience harmony and joy in your relationships. First…

GET READY.

Prepare yourselves by addressing the sin in your fellowship. Remove the unrepentant sinner from your group.

I wish I had learned this lesson before I started ministry. For early on in my ministry, I tried to reason with contentious people. I kept meeting with them, trying to defend myself. But instead of them gaining insight, they only beat me down time and time again with more and more criticism.

Then I was reading the book of Titus in the New Testament. There, Paul addressed a young pastor and said to him, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10-11).