Then there is the Alexandrian method. What would you guess is the Alexandrian, or Originian method? This has been eminently successful in thousands of religious congregations, particularly among the Protestants. If Satan can get us to believe false doctrine by supplanting and usurping God’s Word with imitations, then destruction is only a generation away or even less. One of the wicked one’s greatest victories has been the almost universal acceptance of modern, corrupt translations of the Bible. What are the chances of that succeeding in our church? I would like think that it would be difficult.
Another potentially successful attack would be the Noahic variety. Noah was a righteous man and servant of God, who succumbed to the invasion of fleshly pleasure. In his case it was to the evils of alcohol, but the Devil could use any number of fleshly things. I have taken Judy to physical therapy twice this week. The people who run the place profess to be Christians, attending the “New Life” monstrosity. In their waiting room, they play so-called Contemporary Christian Music. Having never listened to CCM except when forced to do so, I can’t claim to be an expert in it. But I do know that I have to force myself to stay in the same room with the stuff. And I have no doubt that the Lord is more disgusted with it than I am. If we filled our church with that flesh-pleasing, foot-stomping, hand-clapping music, the Lord would be forced to leave the building. I think that God would remove our candlestick as one of His congregations. Although the Noahic approach to church destruction is multi-faceted, and we could be vulnerable in some ways, at least this facet will not work here.
We could undoubted think of other methods of church destruction. Satan might use the Philippian method – wicked government abusing God’s church. He could try the Ephesian method – economic attack. He might even try the Athenian method – philosophy and “higher” education (which is really lower). Satan as a hundred different methods of destruction at his disposal.
But the one which Paul brings to our attention here is the Matthew 12:25 plan. Actually in the context of Matthew 12 – it was the Lord Jesus who used it, but it’s a method available to any spiritual army. Matthew 25:22 – “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 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? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” This is one of the fundamental lessons that we can learn from church history.
One of Satan’s primary strategies against us involves destroying the unity of the brethren within a church. Is God the author of confusion? If He is not, then who is? The only reason that heresy can take over a church is that initially there is a lack of doctrinal agreement. Satan is the author of doctrinal confusion and spiritual insensitivity. But when the church is bound together in likemindedness, Satan seldom has room to maneuver.
Out of all the prayers of Lord Jesus, uttered on our behalf, this is the one recorded for our study. And we notice that a primary concern for us is a visible, spiritual and doctrinal unity. But this doesn’t mean that we will all be little robots with the same personalities and idiosyncracies. Because we are all individuals we must have a way to deal with our smaller differences.
It was no accident that Jesus prayed what He did in verse 15 – “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” We have the ministry of witnessing to the world of the blessings of the Lord. And therefore it is essential that we be kept from “evil” Some people think that this reference to “evil,” is talking about the devil – which is certainly a part of it. Satan wants to divide and conquer. He especially wants to destroy the Lord’s witness on this earth – the Body of Christ.
A second reason that unity is so important is that much of God’s power has this as prerequisite. The Saviour referred to the prayers of two or three people who were truly united. “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Unity is important, if not critical, to the working of the Lord through us.
This doesn’t mean, however, that there weren’t any problems in that church. Satan was doing his very best to divide those people and ruin that concord. First, there was the sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira. “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” Satan may have hoped that this fear would splinter the church, but It didn’t. At first, it caused some to flee the God of such wrath and power. But then it just united all the more those who stayed. And it caused outsiders to think twice about joining the church. When they did come, it was with a full surrender.
Then a second disruption arose that was even more destructive – Acts 6:1. “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” If the Apostles hadn’t handled this question with Spirit-directed wisdom the Grecians would probably have separated from the Hebrews. The Word of God would have recorded the first church split there in Acts 6. But notice that the problem was not a question about theology. And the problem was not in regard to sin in either the pastorate or the pew. It was a matter of money and the way that the members thought that it should have been spent. When the problem was amended what came as a result? “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
A well-functioning church requires a united heart. A unified church contributes to its own effectiveness. Where there is unity there is a dynamic witness of the Saviour.
But this unity is something which requires work – diligent work on the part of the membership. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” While I say that we have responsibilities toward this unity, please don’t think that this is merely a natural process. The blessings of a church united are spiritual blessings; it comes as a gift of God. Where there is a heart for unity and willingness to make personal sacrifices, the Lord will enable the result.
But it is far from automatic. The exhortations of Paul imply that It takes a concerted effort. What if the Apostles had not decided to take action on the neglected widows issue? What if they had not spent much time in prayer searching for an acceptable solution? What if the church in Antioch had not faced the theological problems created by the Judaizers? Unity within a church requires input from two sources. First there are the prayers and power of Christ, both past and present. And then there is the effort of the membership itself.
What does Satan use to keep brethren apart? Very often It is nothing but trivia. The problem with trivia is that it may not be trivial to your neighbor. I read of a church which was thinking about buying an organ. There were two wealthy men in church, one of which promised $2,000 to buy a Hammond organ. The other promised $2,000 towards buying another brand. Each man campaigned for his position among the rest of the church members. Friends sided with friends and argued fiercely between themselves. Some who didn’t take sides fled the fighting and eventually left the church. And the fact is, that the congregation never bought either organ. The only winner in the situation was Satan.
What does Satan use the keep brethren from unity? Often it is the past. Is there anyone here who has not done some stupid thing which brings a blush to his face? Is there no-one who remembers some stupid or sinful thing that someone else done? Why is it that Christ can forgive that man His blunder but we cannot? What right do we have to point fingers at others when Lord refuses to point? What right do we have to be angry at others when we, too, are sinners?
Let’s say that you saw me buying milk in a grocery store which also sells beer and wine. I might tell you that I can’t find a store which sells milk that doesn’t also sell beer and cigarettes. And the city won’t let me raise goats in my backyard. I tell you that I don’t think that I have sinned against the Lord in buying that milk. But you disagree. Can’t we get along in this matter? The responsibility is yours and mine, to fellowship and serve the Lord together. Remember that I’m not talking about obvious sin, and clearly delineated transgression of the Word of God.
The key to unity is Christian maturity, reflecting the love of the Lord. There can be no unity between brethren if we aren’t kindly affectioned one to another in brotherly love. Where there isn’t brotherly love, there isn’t going to be the fruit of the Spirit. A divided church is made up of carnal, self-indulgent people. They may claim to be divided for Christ, but that is really an impossibility.
So Paul gives us some instruction toward the maintenance of ecclesiastical unity. There will always be differences between members, some small and some medium in size. But if those members, whether “weak” or “strong” are willing to sacrifice their pride, then the all-important unity will remain. In addition to self-sacrifice, we need to pray like Paul and the Lord Jesus. And we need to be as forgiving as the Saviour – where that is humanly possible.
The responsibility for church unity is ours – all of ours.