Jump Start # 1694

1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

After a few opening comments, the apostle Paul immediately begins to dive into the multiple problems found within the Corinthian church. The situation was messy. It could cause most elderships today to run screaming. Where does one begin. Nearly every page of Corinthians, introduces more problems and more reasons to think that this congregation wasn’t going to make it.

There are some lessons that we ought to see here:

First, the problems in Corinth were people problems. They always are. Different ways of seeing things, hurt feelings, judgmental attitudes, not accepting plain Biblical teachings, all of these problems point back to weak hearts, weak faith, and weak understandings. As long as there are people around, and that’s what a church is, then there will be problems. A church without problems is dead. A growing church, bringing in new people all the time, will have problems.

Second, the problems at Corinth didn’t come quickly. Most problems develop over a period of time. Some may see it immediately but most don’t. Things just get worse and worse, until everyone knows about the problems. Division, as ugly as it is, usually doesn’t not begin that way. It starts with some not liking or agreeing with others. That takes time. Then it develops to avoiding and talking negative about “them.” That spills over into the suggestions to separate and ignore the others. This isn’t accomplished in a day. That is important to understand. It takes time for the problem to develop and it takes time to correct the problem. Once the problem is fully manifest, everyone wants a quick and easy solution. Maybe a three-point sermon, someone suggests. It will take much more than that. Changing attitudes and healing hurt feelings and offering apologies and forgiveness takes time. It takes private discussions. It takes teaching. It takes patience.

Third, Satan loves church problems. He smiles when we are all upset with one another. So often, when there are problems, the focus shifts from what ought to be done, to each other. Sermons change. Momentum stops. Worship becomes tense. What a church was doing, especially in reaching others, shifts to the problem. The problem becomes the focus of all thoughts and discussions. Satan loves this. What a church ought to be doing, stops. Members take sides. They turn on each other. In many occasions, some fall through the cracks. Some quit because of the problems. Some go elsewhere. The teaching programs are disrupted. Sometimes the leadership falls apart. Even preachers leave because of the problems. People think the worst about each other. Satan smiles. In some places, the damage won’t be reversed. New congregations are formed, often within miles of the other one. They act as if each other do not exist. It takes generations to repair the damage that is done. Young people grow up being told that the other group is wrong. They don’t know why, or what caused it, but they are given death threats if they ever visit “the other place.” The people that were involved in the troubles pass away. No one remembers why there are two separate congregations so close to each other. No one is brave enough to suggest a merger. That won’t happen. Even though one congregation dwindles down to less than ten people, they will hold out and hold on. Like a captain going down with the ship, stubborn hearts refuse to pass the olive branch of peace. So, two church buildings have to be air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. The small group lacks men who can lead. They are forced, because of size to go to the “one room schoolhouse” way of teaching kids classes, with a five-year-old in the same class with a middle school kid. It’s a pitiful situation. And it will continue until the last person can no longer attend the small group. The problems of generations past has killed the good that the church could have been doing. Folks in town, who do not know anything, can’t understand why there are two of the same kind of church so close to one another. It makes no sense. And Satan smiles.

Fourth, the direction of 1 Corinthians, is dealing and changing the problems. One by one, the apostle deals with these things. It’s not easy. The solutions will test their faith. But never is the suggestion made to start another congregation. That’s the American solution. I can’t get along so I will just find those who agree with me and we’ll start a new place. You won’t find that anywhere in the Scriptures. Someone who didn’t get along in Corinth, didn’t have another option. There was no other place. Division wasn’t going to be allowed.

Fifth, many problems, not all, but many, are caused because we think too much of ourselves and too little of others. Our feelings get hurt. Someone didn’t not include me. I wasn’t asked. Me. Me. Me. When that is the center of the problem, it shows a deeper faith issue. Deny yourself is what Jesus said. The greatest is the servant is what Jesus said. Get over it. Man up. Stop thinking and talking so much about yourself. What are you doing for others? How are you helping others? How are you showing Christ? Keep your opinions to yourself. Be a team player, which means you don’t get the ball every time. It’s not about you. We, preachers, must learn this lesson. Too many problems center around preachers. Shame on us for that.  Take yourself out of the focus of the problem. Unite, don’t divide. Don’t use social media to blast those you don’t agree with. Keep Christ before your eyes and in your discussions. There is never a time to leave Christ out of the discussion.

Problems—they tax all of our energy. Some have work problems. Some have problems at home. But problems down at the church house can be the worst. It ruins worship. It leaves us feeling worse not better. It makes us dread seeing each other. It leads to some simply quitting.

There will be problems. What you do with them, makes all the difference.

Roger