S.O.S.
What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:12
You know, one of the saddest things that can happen to a Church is division. Conflict or fractures can occur for a number of reasons. Doctrine/theology, moral failures, poor pastoral care just to name a few.
But one of the saddest things I’ve seen is when a church becomes more about one person, a leader or influential member, than it does Jesus Christ. Paul isn’t warning the Corinthians, they are already there. Some follow Paul, some Apollos and some Peter. What a joke that some actually need to say “I follow Christ.”
But of course, the nature of sin is to take the gifts of God and treat them as god. Why not the gift of a charismatic pastor? So how do we protect against this? Avoid pastors with any charisma! Ha.
No. I think like a car windscreen, most fractures don’t happen through getting hit by a boulder but with something small. And the fracture is allowed to grow until it spreads. What is this little pebble? It’s preaching that makes the speaker look greater than Jesus. It’s a leader who needs to be involved in every part of the Church in order to control. It’s a pastor who makes Himself so needed that he can never be dispensed of.
So. Pray for me. That I would avoid these things and pray for you (as I do), that you would never follow me anywhere but the path of Jesus.
For Today:
Pray:
1 Corinthians 1:12
You know, one of the saddest things that can happen to a Church is division. Conflict or fractures can occur for a number of reasons. Doctrine/theology, moral failures, poor pastoral care just to name a few.
But one of the saddest things I’ve seen is when a church becomes more about one person, a leader or influential member, than it does Jesus Christ. Paul isn’t warning the Corinthians, they are already there. Some follow Paul, some Apollos and some Peter. What a joke that some actually need to say “I follow Christ.”
But of course, the nature of sin is to take the gifts of God and treat them as god. Why not the gift of a charismatic pastor? So how do we protect against this? Avoid pastors with any charisma! Ha.
No. I think like a car windscreen, most fractures don’t happen through getting hit by a boulder but with something small. And the fracture is allowed to grow until it spreads. What is this little pebble? It’s preaching that makes the speaker look greater than Jesus. It’s a leader who needs to be involved in every part of the Church in order to control. It’s a pastor who makes Himself so needed that he can never be dispensed of.
So. Pray for me. That I would avoid these things and pray for you (as I do), that you would never follow me anywhere but the path of Jesus.
For Today:
- Have you seen division & fractures in a church?
- Why do you think people follow leaders in unhealthy ways?
- How can we protect against this sort of division at Village?
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He and the Son and the Spirit are without fractures.
- Give thanks for Jesus who unites us in Himself.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others pursue unity in following Jesus.
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