Division in the Church Part 1

1 Corinthians 1:10-13(NCV)…10 I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with each other and not be split into groups. I beg that you be completely joined together by having the same kind of thinking and the same purpose. 11 My brothers and sisters, some people from Chloe's family have told me quite plainly that there are quarrels among you.12 This is what I mean: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another says, "I follow Apollos"; another says, "I follow Peter"; and another says, "I follow Christ."13 Christ has been divided up into different groups! Did Paul die on the cross for you? No! Were you baptized in the name of Paul? No!

Recently God has laid the division of the church heavy on our hearts. He has not been pleased at what is going on in the body, as far as unity. He desires that we really begin to recognize the truth of what is going on so that we can begin to change.

Today we are going to look at how the church has been divided because some have elevated the level of their Pastors to that of God. We know some might not agree with that statement, but we really have to think about it before we just dismiss it. Have our Pastors become an idol to us? Just look at the passage above, and how believers begin to talk about the men they followed instead of the God they followed.

Now of course we should show our Pastor the utmost respect, we should catch on with the vision that he or she has, we should support that person, etc. We are not diminishing their position in any way, what we are saying is that sometimes people seek their Pastor more then they seek God, some listen to their Pastor more then they listen to God, some spend more time in church trying to get a word from their Pastor then they will spending time trying to get a word from reading the Word of God.

Each church has a set man or woman that God has placed in charge to edify the flock, but we are not supposed to attend service just to see them. Service is about learning, fellowshipping, and meeting with God. We have to remember the Pastor is a person just like you and I, they are vessels and servants used by God…

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (NCV)…5 Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do.6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made it grow.7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God, who makes things grow, is important.

God’s desire in these times is that we begin to come together and get our focus back on Christ, to move as one body, to exhort Him only as God. We are to gain knowledge and get some revelation and be built up by our set man or set woman, but ultimately we all have to get our own direction from the Head (The Father/Son/Holy Spirit) so we will know whether to move right or left, to walk or run, etc.

We are in a time where God is unifying His body, He desires for us to come together, but we have to get our hearts and minds in alignment with the Word of God, and give God back His rightful place in our lives for it to come together.

We pray this has been a blessing on your life.

Daryle and Tracy Houston
Kingdom Vizion Ministries