Sowing discord is a sin
1.
Within the last week or so two “seed catalogues” have
arrived in our mailbox.
2. Snow is still falling, but
seed companies and stores want us to think about planting crops and flowers.
3.
In the Bible we often find imagery involving planting
and harvesting.
4.
For instance, the scriptures say “God is not
mocked. What people sow, they will also
reap.”
5.
The Bible also makes reference to “sowing to the flesh”
and reaping the fruits of that choice.
6.
We can also choose to “sow to the spirit.”
7.
Last week we introduced the last sin in the list of
“Things God hates” in Prov. 6.
8.
God says it is possible to “sow discord among brethren.”
9. Just as we can plant seeds
in a garden, so we can sow bad seeds among the people we know, including the
church.
10.
God says sowing the wrong kinds of seeds brings about
discord and this does not please Him.
11.
Today we want to think about this final sin from three
different angles.
12.
Where do the
seeds of discord come from?
13.
How are the
seeds of discord scattered? What should we do when we see seeds of discord?
OUR
FIRST POINT INVOLVES THE “ORIGIN” OF DISCORD.
WHERE DOES DIVISION AND A LACK OF HARMONY COME FROM?
a)
We find an answer from a man called Solomon.
b)
The Bible says Solomon was a very wise man.
c)
This astute Bible character once made an observation
about strife (discord) in Prov. 10:12.
d)
He said “hate stirs up strife” but “love
covers all sins.”
2)
Based on this proverb, a person who sows discord has
some problems in the area of love.
a)
The next time we see sometime trying to create strife,
stop and take a close look at them.
b)
Pause and ask this simple question: Is this person acting in a loving way or an
unloving way?
c)
It will not take long to answer that question.
d)
When we see people sowing strife, we see things like
bitterness, anger, wrath, hate and malice.
e)
Sowing strife is not the same as standing up for the
truth.
f)
Sometimes if we stand up for what is right, there will
be strife.
g)
In these cases the problem is on the back of the one
who has chosen to oppose what is right.
h)
Sowing strife is another description for what we often
call a trouble maker.
3) Sowing strife may occur when
someone wants their way and intends to get their way at almost any cost.
4)
This sin still abounds in our world and the reasons for
it are usually childish.
a)
Sowing strife has occurred because people believed they
were hurt or they felt like they were hurt.
b)
Because of a real or perceived injury, people chose to
sow the seeds of discord.
c)
There are going to be times when we get hurt or we feel
hurt.
d) When these times come, and
they will, the Bible says “do not meet these occasions with seeds of strife.”
e)
God says people are to have love and that love “suffers
long” (1 Cor. 13:4).
f)
Those who sow strife do not have love that suffers
long.
g)
They usually have short fuses and may be bent on
getting revenge or creating problems.
h)
In Prov. 6 God says He “hates” this type of thing.
5)
If discord is not sown because someone lacks true love,
it may be sown because of idleness.
a)
Not long ago I spoke with a preacher who works with a
fairly large congregation.
b)
There are several hundred members in the place where he
preaches.
c)
A few weeks ago he told me how some members like to
drop by and visit.
d)
With most preachers, that is fine.
e)
This brother has some members that do things a little
differently.
f) Several come by and say, “We
had nothing better to do, so we thought we would come see the preacher.”
g)
This man, like me, is certainly not opposed to spending
time with brethren.
h)
He does, however, just like other preachers, have some
things that need done during the week.
i)
Imagine 20-30 people who all want to drop by and each
wants to waste 30-70 minutes of time.
a)
He has members who are in essence idling away his time.
6)
There are people in life who like to be idle; they
lollygag. This can lead to being a
busybody.
7)
Paul spoke about “young widows” in 1 Tim. 5:11-15.
a)
He said they could become “idle” and go from “house to
house.”
b)
They could easily become “busybodies.”
c)
Paul specifically spoke about young widows, but his
point is not limited to them.
d)
Any unmarried person at any time in life might engage
in this sin.
e)
This sin might be something that married people of any
age commit.
f)
Retirees can be idle just as many others can.
g)
Idleness is often used to spread news and some of that
news can be the seeds of discord.
h)
When that happens—and it happens in a lot of places—God
is not pleased.
8)
Peter once warned about “meddling in the affairs of
others” (1 Pet. 4:15).
9)
Even the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 3:11) were warned
about being “busybodies.”
10) Most
of have enough of their own business to mind without stirring up problems for
others.
11) Some
seeds of discord are sown because some like to gossip and be busybodies.
12) A
third reason that strife might be sown is because people lack self control.
a)
Most of us have seen someone “create a scene.”
b)
Usually this occurs because one or more people lacked
self control.
c)
People may get angry and then express that anger
publically.
d)
In the wisdom literature we find this statement: A wrathful man stirs up contention (Prov.
15:18).
e)
People who have anger issues create strife – this is
what we find God tells us.
f)
Prov. 29:22 – An angry man stirs up strife – this verse
makes the same point.
g)
When people cannot or will not control themselves,
there will be strife.
13) Some
have said, “I have a bad temper. I can’t control myself. My entire family is hot tempered.”
a)
It is true that people have various temperaments – we
all recognize that fact.
b)
We must remember and apply what we find in the
scriptures.
c)
If we have a short fuse, letting that fuse ignite and
sow discord creates a situation that God hates.
d)
We want to avoid things that are on the list that we
find in Prov. 6.
e)
Temper problems do create strife.
14) A
fourth reason that discord might be sown in a congregation or elsewhere is
envy.
a)
About 2 years ago Freed Hardeman began issuing name
badges to those who attend its lectureship.
b)
I happened to look at a man’s badge this year and the
man’s name sounded very familiar.
c)
I had heard this fellow’s name used several times a
long, long time ago.
d) When I saw the badge I did
not know if this was the same man, but the name was exactly the same.
e)
Several years ago a congregation in the south decided
to hire an associate minister.
f)
A young man was found for this task and things were
fine for several months.
g)
The associate minister decided that the associate job
was good, but it was not good enough.
h)
He soon attempted to sow discord in that congregation
to get the pulpit preacher’s job.
i)
It turned out that the man wearing the name badge was
that same former associate preacher.
j)
Jealousy and envy have been the basis for sowing
discord in many places including churches.
15) God
and the world have very different ideas about things such as envy.
16) If
we see others who have something that we also might like, the word says: “be envious.”
17) Some
in the world would tell us, “Try to get what someone else has obtained.”
18) Some would even say, “If you
can’t get what others have, try to get what someone else has taken away.”
19) God
has a different plan.
20) Rom.
12:15 says, “rejoice with them that rejoice.”
a)
Rather than envy people, be glad that people have what
they have.
b)
Be thankful for them.
Sincerely tell them we are glad that they have obtained what they
possess.
c)
This is the way of Christ and this is one way to avoid
discord.
21) There
are lots of things that cause division in a local congregation as well as other
places.
22) Whatever
the cause, the effect is always the same:
God hates the sowing of discord.
RELATED
TO THE POINT OF “ORIGIN OF DISCORD” IS THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. “HOW” IS DISCORD OFTEN SOWN IN PLACES SUCH AS
A LOCAL CONGREGATION?
a)
Last week we briefly mentioned one way—false doctrine.
b)
When error is taught in a local congregation people are
called on to make a choice.
c)
They must accept the error or oppose it.
d)
In most places error results in a congregation split –
some accept the error and some reject it.
2)
When this happens there is a two-fold sin.
3)
There is the sin of false doctrine as well as the sin
of division.
a)
We need preachers who preachers and teachers who know
the truth and teach the truth.
b)
We need elders who will stand for the truth, even when
that is not popular.
c)
Insisting on the truth and having it continually taught
helps limits the seeds of discord.
4)
If discord is not sown by false doctrine, it may be
done by “whispering.”
5)
In many cases the seeds of discord begin privately; it
is not all that public (at least for a while).
6)
Prov. 16:28 says “a whisperer separates chief friends.”
7)
When things are passed along as secret or in low tones,
trouble may be brewing.
8)
In life we know that some things do need to be kept
quiet.
9) When whispers and low toned
conversations contain the seeds of discord, problems are on the horizon.
10) God says He hates this type of thing. He is not just displeased; He is really
unhappy about this activity.
11) Acting
in this manner is really emulating one of Satan’s early examples.
12) Satan
came to Eve in the garden of Eve (Gen. 3:1-13).
13) From
what is said, it was just the Devil and Eve.
14) Satan
seems to have found a secluded time to sow discord with Eve and it worked.
15) He
and his servants continue to use similar things in today’s world.
16) When
whispers contain the seeds of discord, they need to be quenched.
17) Discord
is also spread by gossip.
a)
Prov. 26:20 if there “is no wood, the fire dies” (my
paraphrase of the thought).
b)
We know this point to be true. If we start and leave a campfire, it will
typically burn itself out.
c)
The wise man said this physical truth has a spiritual
parallel.
d)
In this same verse he added, “If there is no whisperer,
contention ceases.”
e)
If no one is sowing strife (spreading bad information),
strife will not be a problem.”
18) This
is a simple but amazing truth.
19) When
a congregation has problems, those problems have a cause.
20) A
person, a thing, or a group of people/several issues are causing the problems.
21) If
people and things are not creating issues in a local church, things should be
peaceful.
22) This
peace is God’s will and this peaceful state should be an attractive thing to
people.
a)
As people go through life there are some places they
look to for peace and relief.
b)
The church is to be one of those places.
c)
Most would like to find some joy and peace in the place
where they worship.
d)
Most do not want to worship in a place that has
hostility, discord and chaos.
e)
God knows this and wants His church to offer these
things.
f)
Thus, God has said He “hates” those who sow discord
among brethren.
g)
Those who make the church an unpleasant set themselves
up for divine judgment.
IF
SOWING DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN IS A BAD THING, AND GOD SAYS IT IS, WHAT SHOULD
BE DONE TO THOSE WHO DO IT?
i)
The answer to this question is not hard.
ii)
Sowing discord is a “fault” and we want to help people
refrain from it (Gal. 6:1).
iii)
Those who engage in this act may not realize just how
serious it is.
iv)
In these cases we want to teach people that sowing
discord is a very great wrong.
v)
We want to pray for those who engage in this activity
and encourage them to repent.
vi)
As people recognize and turn from this activity, we
want to forgive them.
2)
These steps will work with most people.
3)
In cases where a person hardens his heart and will not
change, God has some additional steps.
4)
In Rom. 16:17 Paul said to “mark those who cause
divisions” among God’s people.
5)
Hopefully those who sow discord will come to their
senses and stop an act the Bible condemns.
6)
If people do not have the sense to do that, the Bible
says that these people are to be stopped.
7)
They should be warned; if warnings do not work, Paul
said “mark them.”
8)
People who sow discord are like a plague and God says
they are to be stopped.
9)
God wants people to worship in a healthy place and have
healthy spiritual lives.
10) That
is true for each one who is here: God
wants us to have good spiritual health.