HOW TO DEAL WITH FRICTION IN THE CHURCH

part three

Without question Satan’s priority for the church is to destroy its witness to the unifying love of Christ.

• John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
  

IN CONSTANT,

• God’s priority for His church is that, by being bathed in the bond of Christ’s love, it be harmonious in spirit and in mind.

HOWEVER

• Since we saints are still in the process of becoming perfected (2 Corinthians 3:18) it is not possible to consistently arrive at unity of THOUGHT AND PURPOSE with out some HEAT and SPARKS being generated. ("Iron sharpers iron, so one man sharpens another" Proverbs 27:17), which usually produces heat and sparks.)
  

• That heat and those sparks are the consequence of still ROUGH and IMPERFECT saints rubbing against each other (friction) and is generally unavoidable in the process of DECISION-MAKING and arriving at ONE-MINDEDNESS or HEART-HARMONY, which is always to be the goal of the church or any group within it.

• Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be LIKE-MINDED, having the SAME LOVE, being of ONE ACCORD, of ONE MIND." Phil 2:2 .

SO,

• Since there is no known way to always avoid the Christian friction due to our still sinful state, it is essential that leaders in the church learn how to turn the friction, which primarily negative (Pride, ego, self-concern) and divert it inot a positive direction

‘ "to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV

• The thought behind this paper is to use the FRICTION in the church to produce GREATER UNITY rather than to cause factions and fractures.
  

JUST A MEMO

• CHURCH LEADERSHIP SHOULD REALIZE THAT ONE OF IT’S PRIMARY ROLES IS - -

1. To anticipate friction between members, and especially between LEADERS, for it WILL happen - it is inevitable.

2. To consistently anticipate friction (due to disagreements ) producing situations and decisions and to work preventively to keep the friction at a minimum;

AND WHEN FRICTION DOES OCCUR,

3. Turn the friction, whenever possible, away from a destructive direction to an edifying one in which Christ is lifted up and God is glorified.

This paper will give some suggested principles, perspectives and practices in answer to the following questions.

• The questions, refere back to part two.

Well here we go with this project. In every church I have been the pastor/teacher in four churches and there has been heat and sparks flying in every church. I took this personally. And was discouraged that this was happening in every church I was on staff. But I soon discovered it happens every where in every church. So lets look that these seven questions

1 Is there going to be friction in every local church? YES!!!!

There is going to be feuding, fighting and fussing in every assembly of true believers. The "flesh" to which every believer is bound, makes friction inevitable.

2 What are the most common causes or sources for friction among saints?

Refer back to part one for this.

Charles E. Whisnant