Ekklesia

Our responsibility to the Body, the called out ones in Christ is

  1. Pray
  2. Inspire
  3. Motivate
  4. Persuade

There are several problems that are visible in the modern church structures.

  1. Divisions
  2. Poor management
  3. Social branding and ostracizing
  4. Spiritual murder through gossip, lies and demotions
  5. Evil intentions masked as good
  6. Self righteousness and setting of personal kingdoms.
  7. Toxic people in leadership
  8. Slavery and the desire to enslave others
  9. Manipulation
  10. Seducing spirits

The list can go on and on.

However, let us focus a little on problem #1- Divisions!

Romans 16:17-20  “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.  For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (NKJV)

“But I beg of you my brethren, beware of those who are causing division and subversion outside of the doctrine which you have learned, that you should stay away from them. For those who are such are not serving Our Lord Yeshua The Messiah, but their own belly, and with sweet words and with blessings they deceive the hearts of the pure. But your obedience has been made known to everyone. I rejoice therefore in you and desire that you would be wise to what is good and innocent to what is evil. But The God of peace shall soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of Our Lord Yeshua The Messiah be with you.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English).

Division is one of the main strategies in warfare. Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” , over the last few centuries has indisputably been the greatest text on military strategy and tactics used in warfare. This strategy has worked well on many battlefields, works well in politics as well as on a variety of business stages. However, it is also a strategy employed by the enemy of  the Christian- Satan – the destroyer.

Mark 3:22-27: NKJV “ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.”

1 Corinthians 1:12-13 NKJV:  “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NKJV: “ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.  I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;  for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?”.

Divisions first is rooted in our carnal nature

  1. From birth, no matter which society we live in, people try to place everyone into social, economic, political, power and various other types of classes.
  2. Many of the atrocities done to humanity over the ages has its basis in divisions and classifications.
  3. From creation, division entered and has brought about disobedience, the fall and the curse. It is part of the fallen nature.

Divisions are inculcated into our very being from birth so much so it is the basis of our very striving to be better than others, better than our stations better than our classifications. It is the root of many of our daily actions.

In the Body of Christ, even in the early days, the warfare strategy of divide and conquer made its way into the assemblies of Christians. But this, as Paul rightly identified, is a work of our canal nature, our old nature- what we have been taught from birth to enact. But the walk in Christ is meant to be different. It is meant to create unity and to enable people to love one another and serve one another.

SO how then, do we deal with divisions and strife?

  1. We must recognize who is the real enemy. We cannot continue to fight spiritual warfare with a carnal nature. Our strategies against a spiritual enemy must be to use the spiritual weapons and armor God has equipped us with.
  2. When we are confronted with the problem, using our tongues to criticize and condemn the people of God must stop. According to James 3:1-12 NKJV – “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.  Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
  3. The first thing that comes to us when we perceive someone is against us, and our ideas and our thinking is that we use that little member to wage war. It is the social media forum of our generation to sound off on anyone who crosses our paths. But consider this, when the enemy rages against us- God teaches us in the word
    • TO USE THE WORD OF GOD IN DEFENSE
    • TO PRAY FOR OTHERS
    • TO SAY GOOD THINGS ABOUT OTHERS
    • TO BUILD EACH OTHER UP NOT TEAR EACH OTHER DOWN
    • TO GUARD YOUR HEART WITH THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
    • TO GUARD YOUR MIND WITH THE HELMET OF SALVATION
    • TO PUT ON THE BELT OF TRUTH
    • TO HAVE OUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
  4. First and foremost – we have to understand
    • WHO WE ARE
    • WHAT IS OUR CALLING
    • WHAT IS OUR POSITION
    • THAT NOTHING IN THIS WORLD SHOULD CAUSE US TO STAB OUR BROTHER
    • TO HAVE A SERVANT HEART AND TO SERVE
    • TO BE HUMBLE THAT GOD MAY BE EXALTED
  5. How often do we turn the other cheek and allow God to be exalted instead of exalting ourselves
  6. When someone offends us, make it right with the brother or sister and move on
  7. True LOVE is demanded of us but if we have no fear of God and walk as we please, pleasing and exalting our flesh at every turn- how can God be exalted?