"Wherever He Will"

“The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1 ESV)

Church division is traumatic. Often, it involves the introduction of politics into the church's life. People have varying opinions on the place of politics in the church; I, for one, think it causes nothing but problems.

The hierarchy of the church centers on Christ; He controls everything. This verse from Proverbs 21 reminds us of God’s sovereignty. Look at the decree of Cyrus for example: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:2-4 ESV) God moved the heart of Cyrus, executing God’s will. God turned the heart of Cyrus like water in His hand.

We may not like the leader elected into whatever position they have won. However, God controls that leader. Division in a church occurs for several reasons. One is that the church leaders have forgotten or do not understand Scripture. I am not a pastor, but if I pastored a church, Proverbs 21 would be something I would remind the congregation of when these disputes rear their ugly heads.

The division also occurs because a pastor is weak, unqualified, or disqualified and continues to preach. Any pastor who feeds into these disputes is, in my opinion, unqualified and from my experience, already disqualified by scripture yet continues to attempt to lead a flock.

Lastly, division occurs because of a lack of organization in the church. There is an absence of elders who oversee the pastor—not trustees or a “board”, but true elders, men who possess the knowledge of scripture, are spiritually mature, and have been chosen by God.

Seeker-sensitive, charismatic churches often suffer division and moral issues. These issues occur due to a lack of control or an unqualified/disqualified pastor. Morally, issues occur because there is a lack of biblical understanding within the church.

Choosing a church is not easy. One must have a personal understanding of their beliefs. We do not have to know everything, but we need to have a biblical understanding of the gospel and be unwilling to compromise. Once we understand what we believe, we must find a church that believes the same thing.

The most crucial part of finding a church is the pastor. One must find a pastor who approaches scripture in three ways. First, they explain what the scripture tells us. Second, they explain the truths of the scripture. Finally, they provide the application of scripture to our daily lives. This “exposition” of scripture is critical for spiritual growth and continued sanctification. The pastor's role is invaluable in our spiritual journey.

No theatrics, comedy, slang, or performance can substitute for the exposition of scripture. We need to hear that we are sinners, but more importantly, we need to hear about our salvation through the finished work of Christ. The gospel is not just for the lost; it is for Christians. We need to hear the gospel every time we walk into the sanctuary.

Stop worrying about who’s in charge down here; God is in charge of everything above, in the middle, and below. His control brings comfort and reassurance in times of church division.

Do you know the grace and peace of Christ? If not, reach out to us here at In Messiah, let us help you understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace!