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Monday, September 13, 2010

Contention Amongst Preachers

Philippians 1:15-17 "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel."  One of the major misconceptions that many of those who sit on the pew have toward of the man of God is they fail to recognize the humanity of the preacher.  Of course, I'm making reference to those on the pew who have reverence for the preacher or maybe those who hold the preacher on a pedestal.  I recognize there are also church members that are quick to find fault and are critical towards the preacher and as a result they probably recognize the preacher isn't perfect.  Many of those on the pew who have reverence for the preacher fail to recognize the man of God is human and has problems like anyone else.  Even though the preacher behind the pulpit is called of God to preach doesn't mean his humanity has been obliterated.  He still deals with his emotions and his vessel just like those who sit on the pew. He has good and bad days just like those who sit on the pew.  The only difference is the call of God placed on his life to preach as well as the position he holds in that church.  He is to be respected and reverenced as God's man.  He's also to be followed as he follows Christ.  However, we should never use that as an excuse to have unrealistic expectations towards the preacher or expect him to be superhuman because he's a preacher.  The man of God doesn't possess an immortal body, even though some may treat him like he is immortal.  The man of God, just like all the other saints who sit on the pew, won't receive glorified bodies until the rapture of the church takes place.  That's my first point.

The second point I like to make is there are some preachers who definitely display their humanity.  There are some preachers who have an issue with contention amongst other preachers of like faith.  What is contention?  Contention is the act or an instance of striving in controversy or debate.  Another definition of contention is striving in a competition.  There are some preachers who like strife and controversy.  James 4:1 says, "From whence come wars and fighting among you?  Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"  There have been some examples of contention.  There was an example of contention between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:39.  Back in 1987, I can recall there being contention among the televangelists such as Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, and Oral Roberts.  Of course, there was sin involved, but there was contention among those televangelists.  As time had revealed, all three of those televangelists were frauds.  Contention is the result of pride in one's life.  Many times it's the result of pride and the desire to be competitve with one another.  We live in a very competitive environment in society.  In the world of business, it's a must that a business be competitve when it comes to the consumer.  Those who produce the best product at an affordable price is the most likely to draw the most customers.  If you're not competitive in the business world, your business will go bankrupt eventually.  In the world of sports, it's imperative that the teams who play be competitive.  If they aren't competitive, then they won't win many games.  Winning is a major priority in collegiate sports.  There are copious amounts of dollars floating around in collegiate sports, so the pressure to win is very great.  That's why coaches are fired from colleges ever year.  It's all about being competitive.  When it comes to the entertainment industry or the news media, there are all kinds of competition amongst news anchors and commentators on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.  I know on Fox News there are such notables as Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity, to name a few, who are in competition with one another.  Sometimes the ratings can make a difference which anchor hosts a program on prime time vs. an anchor who hosts a program during the day, for example.  Radio talk show hosts are also very competitive with one another.  Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, to name a few, are in competition with one another to be placed on on various radio networks at various hours.  In this world of commerce, there will be competition.  It's a necessity.  That's part of the free enterprise system.

Even though it's a necessity for there to be competition in the world of commerce, the ministry isn't supposed to be that way.  Ephesians 4:1 says that we are to walk worthy according to the vocation we are called in.  That vocating calling includes those who have been called to preach.  The call to preach is a serious calling.  God has a specific will and purpose for the preachers whom he calls to preach.  He doesn't place every preacher in the same ministry.  Ephesians 4:10-12 mentions about the areas of ministry God places those he's called into the ministry.  Some preachers are called to be evangelists, some are called to be pastors, other are called to be teachers.  Whichever ministry God has placed a particular preacherin, they are to be faithful and steadfast in that ministry.  They're to keep their focus on fulfilling God's will for their lives.  The problem is many times preachers possess the same attitude as many radio talk show hosts: they're in competition with one another.  It happens all the time.  There are some preachers who have a bus ministry and another preacher in that particular area is jealous because the church down the road has one and he doesn't.  Some preachers are envious over the ministries of other preachers.  One preacher may have a radio ministry and another preacher may have a Christian school or another preacher may have a Bible college adjoined to his church.  God has a specific will for each local church that's called of God.  God doesn't call all local chruches to have Christian schools.  God doesn't will every church to have a bus ministry or a radio ministry, or a printing press.  You'd be amazed at the jealousy some preachers have over other preachers based on the size and extent of the ministry God's given them.  It's foolish!  Consequently, contention amongst preachers isn't limited to the size and scope of a particular ministry.  Some preachers are jealous over one another concerning the numerical size of their congregation or over the size of the offerings of a particular congregation vs. another.  A preacher may be jealous over another preacher because that other preacher has a charistmatic style to his preaching and that preacher that's jealous doesn't.  One preacher may be jealous over another because that one preacher has a unique ability to accomplish tasks whereas the other preacher is always a step behind when it comes to finishing things.  All those petty jealousies result in strife and contention.  It's not healthy for the body of Christ.

I can remember in the particular area in which I live there was a time when there was a preacher's fellowship hosted every first Thursday of the month at a particular church.  It would be held at a different church each month.  It was a preacher's fellowship of supposedly like-minded Independent Baptist preachers.  Notice, I used the word "supposedly" because they wound up quarreling over insignificant points of doctrine at times.  The preacher's fellowships turned out to be nothing more than "preacher's fights" or "as the world turns".  There was all kinds of contention.  I've heard preacher in years past preach about one of the works of the flesh which was "emulations" in Galatians 5:20.  Emulations are unhealthy competitions.  That's the way this particular preacher's fellowship used to be.  There were preachers who would be in contention with one another.  These preachers would compete with one another to see who can preach the toughest and meanest.  Some would compete with other preachers on who had the most and toughest "Biblical" standards.  Several years ago, some of the Independent Baptist preachers I knew made much of "standards."  I'm for Biblical standards as long as they're placed in their rightful place and aren't made a "god".  However, you can't just build a church on standards of separation alone.  There's the whole counsel of the Word of God that must be preached.  Some of these preachers would debate certain points of doctrine that weren't that significant.  All they did was engender strife.  Over the years there were some that believed that only Baptists would comprise the bride of Christ.  Those were called "Baptist-briders."  Some believed the New Testament church began during the days of Jesus and his disciples whereas some believed the New Testament Church began with the Holy Spirit empowering the church in Acts 2:4.   Another one of the issues that some of these preachers would highlight would be the theme of revival.  I've heard some mention how they'd been praying for revival for years.  Some believed that we might experience a "latter-day rain" and others believed that America wouldn't experience any major movement of God because the days are evil and we're living on the threshold of the return of Christ.  They believed that the local church could experience revival, but they didn't expect America to experience another "Great Awakening."  Around 14 years ago a preacher mounted the pulpit and he preached a message entitled, "The Condition of the Last Day Church".  I wasn't at the meeting, but I'm assuming he was making mention that the hour we're living in is reminiscent of the Laodecian Church age in Revelation 3.  He made the statement that he didn't expect America to experience any great moving of God because he thought America was too far down the wrong path to experience any great national awakening.  The pastor of the church stood up and rebuked him and said he was a heretic and denied the faith.  As a result, the preacher's fellowship disbanded because there was too much contention amongst the preachers.  They were fighting over insignficant points of doctrine.  If the preacher who preached said that the way to salvation is by signing a card, then the pastor would've been right to have stood up and called the visiting preacher a heretic.  However, they were fighting over trivial points of doctrine which the Bible claims stirs up strife.  Those preachers were biting and devouring one another.  It's a tragedy when a group of like-minded preachers can't fellowship because of pride and trivial things.  I remember years ago I was speaking with someone from another church about the subject of revival.  I was speaking about these preachers who were always preaching about how they desire to see God revive God's people once again.  I was making the comment they can't expect revival in their churches if like-minded preachers can't fellowship with one another in tranquility.  If they can be at odds with one another over insignicant issues, God's not going to bless that.  You can't expect God to send revival when preachers who believe alike on most points of doctrine can't fellowship with one another. 

When I'm speaking of contention amongst preachers, I'm making reference to strife that's unnecessary.  I'm speaking about preachers who won't fellowship with one another over issues that are insignificant.  If a preacher is in sin or has preached heresy, a true man of God can't have fellowship with a "preacher" who's in sin or is preaching heresy.  The Bible says we can't fellowship with darkness.  Amos 3:3 says can two walk together expect there be agreement?  However, I'm speaking of like-minded born again preachers who are in contention with one another unnecessarily.  It's tragic.  It causes unnecessary strife which can hinder the work of God. It keeps their focus off from where it needs to be.  We need preachers who focus their time and attention on the ministry that God's given them and not on other preacher's ministries.  I believe preachers should support and encourage one another.  However, supporting and encouraging one another is one thing; being envious of one another and contentious is another.

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