Sowing Discord Among The Bretheren

Perhaps you’ve heard the story about a man who was stranded on a desert island for many, many years. One day, while strolling along the beach, he spotted a ship in the distance. This had never happened in all the time he was on the island, so he was very excited about the chance of being rescued.

Immediately, he built a fire on the beach and generated as much smoke as possible. It worked! Soon, the ship was heading his way. When the ship was close enough to the island, a dinghy was dispatched to investigate the situation. The man on the island was overjoyed with the chance to be rescued and met his saviors as they landed.

After some preliminary conversation the ship’s Captain asked the man  how he had survived for so many years.

He replied by telling of his exploits for food and how he was able to make a fine house to live in. In fact, the man said, “You can see my home from here. It’s up there on the ridge.”

He pointed the men in the direction of his home. They looked up and saw three buildings. They inquired about the building next to the man’s house and he replied, “That’s my church – I go there to worship on Sundays.”

When asked about the third building, the man replied, “That’s where I used to go to church.”

Indeed. Some people can’t even get along with themselves, let alone other people. Or even their own brethren in Christ.

Discord, dissension, and division among brethren is dangerous and deadly. In fact, our God of love considers it so serious that the Bible actually says that He hates it.

Every Sin listed in this passage tells of wicked people who hurt others.

if someone hurt your loved one wouldn’t you be get angry?

What is discord?

discord Prov. 6:12-14 “A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife.”

falling out Gen. 45:24 “So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.””

How & Why do people sow discord?

lack of love - Prov. 10:12 “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” contrast that to 1 Cor. 13:4-5 “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,”

a person who loves considers the dangers their words could cause James 3:8f warns that the tongue can poison and burn someone Matt. 18:6 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

don’t disguise it by saying I do it out of love James 5:20 “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Pet. 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

lack of self control - Prov. 15:18 “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.” Prov. 29:22 “An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.” Prov. 30:33 “For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.”

ungodliness - Prov. 16:27 “A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire.” God is a God of peace Rom. 15:33 “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” Rom. 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” 1 Cor. 14:33 “for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” to be divisive is to be unlike God

envy

selfishness - I want it my way James 4:1 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?” Gen. 13:8 Abrahams selflessness

pride - my opinion is better than others Prov. 28:25 “An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.” Phil 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;” 3 John 9-11 “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

whispering - talks behind someones back Ps. 41:7 “All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying,” Rom. 1:29 “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,” Ps. 101:5 “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.” Prov. 10:18 “He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.”

gossip - Prov. 18:8 “The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.” - easy to swallow and changes the way you see people Prov. 16:27-28 “A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.”

talebearing - Prov. 26:20-22 “For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.” 1 Pet. 4:15 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;” - kills a persons reputation, steals away a persons respect

Can’t keep a secret - Prov. 11:13 “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” Prov. 20:19 “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.” Prov. 17:9 “He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.”

have too much time on their hands - 2 Thes. 3:11 “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.” 1 Tim. 5:12-13 “thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.” 1 Pet. 4:15 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;” - over seeing someone else’s affairs. warning for widows 1 Tim. 5:11-14 “But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;”

What does sowing discord to the church and the individual?

weakens our fellowship

weakens our worship

retards our spiritual growth

disrupts mission of saving souls

dividing the kingdom Mk. 3:24-25

hurts everyone -

weariness of mind

burden on the heart

heaviness of spirit

Why should we not so discord among the brethren?

sowing discord is the exact opposite of what Jesus prayed for (John 17:20-23)

destroys the oneness of the body Eph. 4:1-16.

destroys the bond of love John 13:34-35.

How do we keep from sowing discord among the brethren?

We need to stop such talk

Ps. 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!”

1 Cor. 3:3 “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

Rom. 16:17-18 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”

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

Heb. 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

Eph. 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

James 4:11 “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.”

Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”

2 Cor. 12:19-20 “All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;”

Phil. 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

Eph. 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Gal. 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Sow God’s Word

Sow righteousness - Prov. 11:18 “The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.”

Sow spiritual things

Sow peace - Matt. 5:9 ““Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

mind our own business stop worrying about the spec in your neighbors eye and start looking at the log in your own eye

brotherly love 1 Thess. 4:9 “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;” Heb. 13:1 “Let love of the brethren continue.” 1 Pet. 1:22 “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,” 1 Pet. 2:17 “Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Pet. 3:8 “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;” 1 Pet. 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

let’s make the church together story!

How should we handle those that sow discord?

encourage them to stop

refuse to listen Matt. 18:15ff

refuse to let little things become major things - is this really important? will it matter a year from now? Will God bring this up on judgment day? Is it worth severing a friendship? Rom. 14:15-16 “For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;” Rom. 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

love & pray for them Matt. 5:43-45 ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

avoid them - Prov. 22:24-25 “Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.” Rom. 16:17 “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” 1 Cor. 5:5-6 “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” Ps. 101:5 “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.”

give them a hard look Prov. 25:23 “The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.” - don’t allow others to use you as a trash dump

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!