Defending Your Family - Lesson 9 - Division

DIVISION

Calvin, who saw that the Devil's chief device was disunity and division and who preached that there should be friendly fellowship for all ministers of Christ, made a similar point in a letter to a trusted colleague: "Among Christians there ought to be so great a dislike of schism (division), as that they may always avoid it so fast as lies in their power. That there ought to prevail among them such a reverence for the ministry of the word and the sacraments that wherever they perceive these things to be, there they must consider the church to exist...nor need it be of any hindrance that some points of doctrine are not quite so pure, seeing that there is scarcely any church which has not retained some remnants of former ignorance."

Charles W. Colson, The Body, 1992, Word Publishing, pp. 107-108.


An issue of National Geographic included a photograph of the fossil remains of two saber-tooth cats locked in combat. To quote the article: "One had bitten deep into the leg bone of the other, a thrust that trapped both in a common fate. The cause of the death of the two cats is as clear as the causes of the extinction of their species are obvious. When Christians fight each other, everybody loses. As Paul put it, "if you keep biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other"

Galatians 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

Peter A. Alwinson.



We can have internal division

Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Have you struggled with this? Do you still struggle with this?





What does Jesus say about this division?
What about division in our own house?


Matthew 12:25-26, “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”

What about when our own house is divided?






What about division in our church family?
I believe the Word of God forbids it.


Being much concerned about the rise of denominations in the church, John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, "Are there any Presbyterians here?" "Yes!", came the answer. Then he asked, "Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?" The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! "No?" To this, Wesley asked, "Who then is inside?" The answer came back, "There are only Christians here."

Source Unknown.


1Corinthians 1:10, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

How can we be like-minded in the church?





What about our different roles in the church?

1Corinthians 12:25, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”

Do you truly believe that the person who cuts the grass at church
is as important as a nursery worker?





If the world sees our division,
How will they view it?

John 17:21-23, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

How should we handle our disagreements when others are watching?

What about in our homes, when our children are watching?





I believe the Lord sent the Conbeer’s here.
The Krasko’s here.
All of us here.

I believe He is going to send my daughter’s future husbands here.
My son’s wives also.
What if something I did caused a family to leave this church.
And sent your daughter’s husband somewhere else?

John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

How should we act when Jesus brings them here?





I Corinthians 11:16, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.”

How should we handle someone’s custom if it doesn’t line up with scripture?





I Corinthians 3:3, “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Maybe some of us are still too worldly.
How should we handle it?





Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

How do we mark a brother or sister,
Avoid them and still love them?





But what does he (Paul) wish them to learn? That no one be puffed up for his own teacher against another, that is, that they be not lifted up with pride on account of their teachers, and do not abuse their names for the purpose of forming parties, and rending the Church asunder. Observe, too, that pride or haughtiness is the cause and commencement of all contentions, when every one, assuming to himself more than he is entitled to do, is eager to have other in subjection to him.

John Calvin, Calvin's Commentaries, Vol XX, Baker, 1979, p. 158.


II Corinthians 12:7, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”


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