Sermon Destroyed From Within

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Satan’s most effective strategy is to destroy the church from within! Persecution from without made it stronger! Acts 8:3, 4 NCV “Saul was trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail. And wherever they were scattered, they told people the Good News.”

1. By an unwillingness to forgive How is the church destroyed from within? 1. By an unwillingness to forgive

The church at Corinth had a problem: an immoral brother – 1 Corinthians 5 v 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and of a kind that does not happen even among pagans: a man has his father’s wife. v 2 Let him be removed from among you v 5 Deliver him to Satan . . . that he may be saved on the day of the Lord v 6 Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

They held him at arm’s length! But was not accepted, shunned, treated like a 2nd class citizen He repented They held him at arm’s length! 2 Cor 5:7, 8 “You should forgive him and comfort him to keep him from . . . giving up completely. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.”

“You don’t understand what they did to me” Objection: “You don’t understand what they did to me” “I just can’t forgive” Do you want forgiveness? Luke 17:3, 4 “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 1 Cor 13:7 “Love bears all things . . . endures all things”

They were divided over preachers! 2. By elevating personalities above Jesus They were divided over preachers! 1 Cor 1:10-12 I appeal to you . . . that you agree and that there be no divisions among you, that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me . . . that there is quarreling among you. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

Yet I have seen it over and over: Churches split over loyalty to men! It was and is shameful! Yet I have seen it over and over: Churches split over loyalty to men! 1 Cor 3:4, 5 When one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. Verse 11 “fellow workers”

It is all about Jesus; it is not about us! 1 Cor 3:11 KJV “other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

There is no perfect preacher! The perfect preacher preaches exactly 10 minutes, condemns sin but never hurts feelings. He works from 6 til midnight and is always on call. He makes $40 a week and gives $50 a week back to the church. He is 35 years old with 40 years of experience. He is tall, short, handsome and common. He works with the young and spends most of his time with the elderly. He smiles with a straight face and has a great sense of humor that keeps him serious all the time. He makes 10 visits a day and is always found in the office. He attends every church event and meeting and is always evangelizing the lost.

There was more than one way they did this: 3. By insisting on their rights There was more than one way they did this: Some were filing lawsuits against brethren: 1 Cor 6:1 “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?” Some were reckless in their behavior: 1 Cor 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

3. Some were uncaring of their brethren: 1 Cor 8:9 “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Verses 11-13 “And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

Paul found their behavior abhorrent! Paul had willingly sacrificed his rights: 1 Cor 9:12 “If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.” v 19 “though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more” v 22 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some”

We need to decide if it is about Jesus or about us! 1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

Some thought they were more important and superior to others! 4. By partiality and exclusivism Some thought they were more important and superior to others! The tongue-speakers looked down on others as beneath them, with contempt. They formed a clique, an exclusive group that felt superior to those with other gifts.

Everyone is important! 1 Cor 12:4 “there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit” verse 11 “All are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.”

what will build and edify We need to focus on what will build and edify 1 Cor 14:5 “Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.” verse 26 “What then, brothers? When you come together . . . let all things be done for building up.”

Think about what possibilities might exist if we all become what God wants us to be