Fire Prevention for Churches

Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 26:20

A single match can start a raging fire capable of destroying the largest forest, but only if the conditions are right. Only if there's plenty of fuel to burn. If you drop that same match on a wet patch of grass or in the middle of a dirt path it will simply burn itself out. In the same way, a divisive and angry church member can destroy a church only if the conditions are right. Just like fire, conflict needs fuel to keep burning. 

Proverbs 26:20 tells us that this fuel is gossip. Literally, gossip can be rendered whispering or murmuring. That's what feeds the quarrel and causes it to grow. Without gossip a single, angry church member can't do much damage. He'll burn himself out and leave the church. It's when others start to whisper about what's going on that the conflict spreads. 

As word gets around some people feel the need to take sides (often based more on relational or familial ties than on the details of the situation at hand). Others feel the need to sit in judgment and give their opinion. Many try to apply pressure to church leaders by making passive aggressive threats about what they will do or what "a lot of people" will do if certain actions aren't taken. This is especially destructive, because it blatantly tempts church leaders to consider what will please the congregation when they ought to be prayerfully considering what will please the Lord. We dare not tempt our leaders to turn into man pleasers in such situations! But if we will follow these simple rules, we can create an environment that makes it nearly impossible for large-scale conflict to flare up in our churches. 

When you experience conflict with someone at church, there are only three people you should talk to about it.

1. The person you are mad at. 
2. Church leadership (and this should only be after you are unable to make headway by talking directly to the person with whom you have the problem). 
3. And Jesus.

And if you are not one of these three people then don't talk about it! Refuse to discuss it. Refuse to listen to it. Don't allow yourself to be thrown onto someone else's fire. Don't allow yourself to be used as fuel to destroy a church.

Participation Trophy Christianity

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I Corinthians 9:24-27

Participation trophies don't mean much. All they do is confirm that you were there. You took part. Whether you competed particularly well or particularly poorly doesn't matter. All you have to do to get one is show up. 

That's not how the ancient Isthmian games in Corinth worked. In Paul's day, only the Olympic Games were more prominent, so the athletes took these games very seriously. They knew that only one runner in the race received the crown which was a wreath made of foliage and placed on the victor's head. Even though this crown would wither and die, it was highly coveted. Athletes would go into strict training for the games. They would go to great lengths and employ a great amount of self-discipline to prepare their bodies not just to participate but to win.

How much better than this crown of foliage are the Christian's rewards in Heaven? This crown was perishable and of the earth in the truest sense. But our rewards last forever and are heavenly in every sense of the word. How much more then ought we to discipline ourselves and put forth maximum effort to live for God as best we can? The average Christian ought to be much more committed to living out their faith than the most dedicated Olympic athlete is to training.

Let me put it plainly. There are no participation trophies in Heaven! You aren't winning any heavenly crowns simply by showing up to church on Sunday (or even Wednesday). God isn't impressed when you give minimum effort or take part aimlessly. No. God looks on the heart, and He rewards you accordingly. So let me ask. What are you doing for Jesus? And are you doing it aimlessly or excellently?

Think about it. Your rewards depend upon it.

Pick a Side

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

I Kings 18:20-21

Before Elijah called fire down from heaven on top of Mt. Carmel, he challenged the people to make a choice between God and Baal. In Hebrew, he literally accused them of "limping" between two opinions. That's an interesting image when you think about it. It's like a person trying to walk on crutches who can't decide which leg is their good leg. They don't know which leg they can trust to put their weight on, so they constantly switch legs causing them to walk haltingly or limpingly. 

Elijah challenges them to choose whether they will trust God or Baal. He looks out at a crowd of thousands of people and calls for a response, but no one said a thing.  It's really difficult for me to imagine thousands of people shrinking back in silence. Not a single person was willing to speak up and publicly declare their faith in God.

Sadly, I believe our world and even our churches are inching closer to this every day. It seems that nearly no one has the boldness or the faith to publicly declare their confidence in God anymore. We are so stuck between two worldviews that we're unable to make progress in either one. So many believers limp through life unsure if they want to trust God and walk by faith or trust the world and walk in materialism. Perhaps, Jesus said it best. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

How long will you waver between two opinions? Are you going to live for money, things, trips, and your own comfort? Or will you send a clear and confident message by your words and actions that you have full confidence in God and will walk by faith? Don't hobble along stuck between two opinions. God expects you to choose. Pick a side!