Friday, March 2, 2012

Strife Over Peace

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still fleshly.  For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Insights:  I titled the sermon Sunday, Personality and Politics Over God and Kingdom.  I got that title from Gregory Frizzell and it was in relation to this quote, “There is a tendency for some members to be against decisions simply because they oppose the pastor or committee that recommended them. . . . they perceive key church leadership is for it so they are automatically against it.  In essence, people with an angry, bitter spirit are opposed simply because the pastor or certain committees are for it.  While they may ‘say’ they have reasons for opposition, the truth is they just don’t like who proposed the course of action.  If someone they supported had proposed the action, they would have been all for it.”  Frizzell’s words are pointing to the very nature of jealousy and strife Paul is mentioning to the Corinthian church.  So let me try to put everything from this week into perspective.  The reason many churches are disunified is because they are full of strife and jealousy.  The reason they are full of these dissentions is because they are choosing personalities and politics over God and His kingdom.  The root cause for their wrong allegiance is because they are still drinking spiritual milk instead of spiritual meat.  The reason they are still drinking spiritual milk is because they are infants in Christ and not mature spiritual men.  So, because they are spiritual babies, they strive after the things they want and not the things God commands.  The cycle then starts over.  There is, however, hope!  We don’t have to remain in this vicious loop.  We can go to the Father and ask Him to work on our hearts.  We can ask Him to give us a hunger for His word.  The Psalmist tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good (34:8)!”  God will answer this kind of prayer.  It is in the heart of God for His children to know Him and the fullness of His grace.  Paul instructs Timothy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).”  Solomon tells us “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out (Prov. 25:2).”  Beloved, search out the things of God and allow Him to mature you as you eat of His spiritual food.  It will result in unity and peace, not strife.

Questions:
  1. With whom did you give allegiance, people or God?
  2. What steps are you taking to mature and be feed by spiritual meat so that your allegiance is with God? 
Prayer: Lord, open my heart to peace and bring unity between me and those with whom I live in strife or jealousy.  Amen.  

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