Day 21 - Protecting Your Church

You are joined together with peace through the spirit, so make every effort to continue in this way.

EPHESIANS 4:3 (NCV)

Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony.

COLOSSIANS 3:14 (LB)

"Unity is the soul of fellowship.  Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ's Body." p160

"Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than His church....he wants it protected, especially from the devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony.  If you are part of God's family, it is your responsibility to protect the unity where you fellowship." p161

"Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.  Paul tells us, 'Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the ground of one another's character.' As believers we share one Lord, one body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one love.  We share the same salvation, the same life, and the same futures - factors far more important than any differences we could enumerate. These are the issues, not our personal differences, that we should concentrate on.

We must remember that it was God who chose to give us different personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value and enjoy those differenced, not merely tolerate them.  God wants unity, not uniformity.  But for unity's sake we must never let differences divide us.  We must stay focused on what matters most - learning to love each other as Christ has loved us." p161-2

"Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues, things the Bible calls 'disputable matters.'.....   But if we concentrate on loving each other and fulfilling God's purposes, harmony results. " p162

"Divorcing your church at the first sign of disappointment or disillusionment is a mark of immaturity.  God has things He wants to teach you, and others, too.  Beside, there is no perfect church to escape to.  Every church has its own set of weaknesses and problems. You'll soon be disappointed again." p162

"The sooner we give up the illusion that a church must be perfect in order to love it, the sooner we quit pretending and start admitting we're all imperfect and need grace.  This is the beginning of real community." p163

"God warns us over and over not to criticise, compare, or judge each other.  When you criticise what another believer is doing in faith and from sincere conviction, you are interfering with God's business: 'What right do you have to criticise someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right.'" p164

"It's the devil's job to blame, complain, and criticise members of God's family.  Anytime we do the same, we're being duped into doing satan's work for him.  Remember, other Christians, no matter how much you disagree with them, are not the real enemy." p164

Point to Ponder:

It is my responsibility to protect the unity of my church.

Verses to Remember:

"Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony and the growth of our fellowship together." ORMANS 14:19 (Ph)

Question to Consider: 
What am I personally doing to protect unity in my church family right now?