— Protect Your Church —
| At our Pulpit Committee meeting on Saturday, October 4, 2003, the following
devotional was given by Dan Burns. It challenged us – and we pray that it will challenge your
heart also. |
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It is your job to protect the unity of your church. Unity in the church is so
important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to
either heaven or hell. God deeply desires that we experience oneness and
harmony with each other. Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and
you rip the heart out of Christ's body.
Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than his church. He paid the
highest price for it, and he wants it protected, especially from the
devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony.
If you are a part of God's family, it is your responsibility to protect the
unity of where you fellowship. Ephesians 4:3 says, "Make every effort to
keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
And how do we do this? Here are six suggestions:
1. Focus on what we have in common, not on our differences.
Paul tells us in Romans 14:19, "Let us concentrate on the things which
make for harmony, and on the growth of one another's character." We
must remember that it was God who chose to give us different
personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value
and enjoy those differences not merely tolerate them. God wants unity, not
uniformity.
2. Be realistic in your expectations.
Other believers will disappoint you and let you down, but that's no excuse
to stop fellowshipping with them. They are your family, even when they
don't act like it. We are told in Ephesians 4:2, "Be patient with each
other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."
Because we are sinners, we hurt each other, sometimes intentionally and
sometimes unintentionally. But reconciliation, not running away, is the
road to stronger character and deeper fellowship. Groucho Marx was
famous for saying he wouldn't want to belong to any club that would let
him in. If a church must be perfect to satisfy you, that same perfection
will exclude you from membership, because you're not perfect. Every
church could put out a sign: "No perfect people need apply – This is a place
only for those who admit they are sinners, need grace, and want to grow."
3. Choose to encourage rather than criticize.
Paul says that we must not stand in judgment or look down on other
believers whose convictions differ from our own. Romans 14:10 says,
"But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for
your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
Whenever I judge another believer, four things instantly happen: I lose
fellowship with God, I expose my own pride and insecurity, I set myself
up to be judged by God, and I harm the fellowship of the church. A
critical spirit is a costly vice. The Bible calls satan the accuser of the
brethren, anytime we do the same we are doing satan's work for him.
Remember, other Christians – no matter how much you disagree with
them – are not the real enemy.
4. Refuse to listen to gossip.
Gossip is passing on information when you are neither part of the
problem nor part of the solution. You know gossip is wrong, but you
should not listen to it either. Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen
property, and it makes you just as guilty of the crime. People who gossip
to you will also gossip about you. They cannot be trusted. If you listen to
gossip, God says you are a troublemaker. (Proverbs 17:4).
The Bible says these kinds of troublemakers should be avoided. Proverbs
20:19, "A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a
babbler."
5. Practice God's method of conflict resolution.
Jesus gave the church a simple three step process, in Matthew 18:15-17:
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"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between
you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two
or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses
to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church,
let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
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During conflict, it is tempting to complain to a third party rather than
courageously speak the truth in love to the person you are upset with.
This makes matters worse, instead you should go directly to the person
involved.
6. Support your Pastors and leaders.
The Bible is clear about how we are to relate to those who serve us.
Hebrews 13:17, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for
they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them
do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."
Pastors will one day stand before God and give an account of how well
they watched over you. But you are accountable too. You will give an
account to God of how well you followed your leaders. We protect the
fellowship when we honour those who serve us by leading. Pastors and
leaders need our prayers, encouragement, appreciation, and love. We are
commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5, "And we urge you, brethren, to
recognize those who labour among you, and are over you in the Lord and
admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's
sake."
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| We challenge you to accept your responsibility to protect and promote
the unity of this Church. Put your full effort into it, and God will be pleased. It will not always be
easy. Sometimes you will have to do what's best for the Body, not yourself, showing preference to
others. That's one reason God puts us in a church family to learn unselfishness. It is your
responsibility to protect the unity of the Church. |
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| © 2007 First Baptist Church - All Rights Reserved |
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