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Hierarchy Is Divisive

For years I’ve heard business leaders tout servant leadership. They try it for a while then give up.

One cannot be a servant leader with positional authority over someone.

What happens when they disagree?… on several things? The leader must get his way and the follower must yield. It’s a one way relationship.

This is the opposite of service. If the leader yields often he becomes seen as a weak leader and/or not a lot gets accomplished.

Positional leaders who pretend to be servant leaders, (with meek and kind dispositions) have been misled. They must periodically cease serving and direct the blind sheep (who may or may not really be blind), they must get there way, they must turn away, shut down or send certain people packing, in order to lead.

The only solution offered to this is, “leave and go find a servant leader you can submit to”…LOL think about it, it’s silly.

Hierarchy is Very Divisive

If the church clings to the worn out tradition of hierarchy (like a 4 year old to his bottle) a lot of activity might happen but we have ceased to follow Jesus Christ.

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Mistaken Vs. False Teachings

Is That False Teaching or Is He Just Mistaken?

There is a difference between how we should react to false teaching vs. mistaken teachings in churches and ministries. A mistaken teaching is accidental with good intent, sincere before God. False teachings however are knowingly sinful. False teachings intentionally divide and try to make a fool of certain people. They intentionally line themselves up under men who are not Jesus Christ for the purpose of divisions.

  • We are to listen to and forgive have a conversation around mistaken teachings, gently try to correct, help and discuss errors with a motive of love.
  • But we are to expose false teachings directly.

I see divisiveness is one of those to expose. It’s one thing to accidentally be divisive with good intent. It’s another to openly teach and encourage divisiveness.

Divisiveness today is emphasizing and taking pride in “doctrinal distinctions”. It is arguing against others not present or able to respond (usually with mic in hand). They get the last word because they are who they are and their opponent is not.  Divisive teaching is false teaching and it needs to be confronted.

“I follow this pastor or that denomination. I am of Paul, I am Calvinist, I am of Wesley, I am of the pope, I am orthodox, I am Pentecostal, I am of Apollos.”

Fleshly, jealousy motivation, using strife to gain and to keep your crowd.

“…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? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?”

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 NASB

The Dividers Won

If you study church history the dividers won over the vast majority of Christians, the divisions immediately began. To the point where we are one of the most fractured and divided religions on the planet. I believe Jesus himself is undoing this and uniting us again under himself. Its time to recover our oneness under only Jesus Christ. Every teacher/ ministry who undermines this and openly intentionally divides his people will not be well with the Lord.

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to gather together
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How We Gather… How We Behave

How Christians Gather:

How Christians gather has a major impact on how Christians routinely behave. Much more so than I think any of us realize. Christian meetings themselves are designed by Jesus Christ to do many things. The meetings themselves are designed to disciple, to correct, to soften, to sharpen, to encourage. They are designed to provide for and to fill us with his life and his joy.

Nothing affects how Christians behave more than what happens (or does not happen) during our weekly Christian gatherings.

In every meeting are we?:

Large crowds of Idle listeners to a lifetime of sermons? OR Every member actively sharing Jesus Christ one by one?

Hearing legalist pleas to be better and to try harder. OR Actively sharing of Jesus Christ by all involved.

Bringing “songs, testimonies, prophecies” and everyone speaking up. OR Amatures in pews repeating after the religious professionals on the elevated stage?

Feeding one another Jesus Christ one by one. OR Demanding to be fed by finding the most personally entertaining “church meeting” we can.

Jesus Defined His Gatherings

The truth is that Jesus Christ has already defined how Christians are to gather. He demonstrated it in the gospels and taught about it in great detail in the epistles and in Acts. Even portions of the Old Testament refer to and outline it.

IF Jesus Christ is really our day-to-day Lord and not just a religious idea that we love. Then we will be willing to let him personally run our meetings of the future. Jesus our indwelling life-giving spirit certainly can run a gathering if we learn to yield to him.

If this post intrigues or even angers you then please reach out to me by commenting or emailing me. This book by Frank Viola goes deeper into this. An increasingly large number of people are Rethinking how we gather.

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