Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
March 18, 2001 p.m.
Stumbling Blocks In The Church
Scripture Reading -Philippians 3.16 - 6.1,
Romans 16.17-18 & 2 Thessalonians 3.6-7 & 11-15
When Jesus and Paul warned the church about enemies of the cross... and those who would cause us to stumble spiritually... They didn’t just speak of Satan and...
Those without...
Those in the world...
They included some who were in the sheepfold... Those within God’s chosen.
In Matthew chapter 10... Jesus sends out the twelve...
Then in Luke 10 we have the narrative about Him sending out the seventy.
I want you to note that in both instances Jesus gives them a warning against those who would oppose them... He included those among God’s chosen people who would become what Jesus termed WOLVES.
Church... Jesus was not sending the twelve nor the seventy to the enemy... to the Gentiles... He was sending them among their own brethren... ISRAEL.
Listen to Paul as he admonishes the Elders of the church in Ephesus...
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!
It is hard to believe isn’t it... that there are those... IN THE CHURCH... Among our own number... Who would become stumbling blocks and enemies of the family of God... That they would intentionally or unintentionally lead others astray for their own ego?... Sad... but true.
OK... How do we react to those... in the church... Those among us who are enemies of the cross and stumbling Blocks?
The first thing we notice is that Paul says... Follow the right example.
Note verse 17... Join with others in following my example... and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
In First Corinthians 11.1... Paul says... Follow my example... as I follow the example of Christ.
Paul is commanding us, as children of God, to stop imitating those who are not doing us any good, spiritually speaking... and to imitate him.
This is a truth that we need to desperately apply today... RIGHT. Church... We need to surround ourselves with Godly... Faithful examples. We need to keep company with those who will help us get to heaven. We need to stop associating with... and imitating people who are not spiritually strengthening and edifying our lives.
There are those in the church... perhaps this church... who have cast their lot with the wrong crowd... with the wrong people... I have some questions for us...
· Do those we associate with in and out of the church draw us closer to the church family and closer to God... Or are they placing a stumbling block before us.
· Are they supporting and upholding the works and the leadership of the church or are they constantly criticizing and causing problems?
· Can we honestly say... I am a better person... a better Christian today because I am following this individual or this group as my example in Christ?
· Are they helping me work out my salvation?
· Are they helping us make our calling and election sure?
Now folk... If we can answer these questions in the positive... Then Paul has this advice from Second Thessalonians chapter three...
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you... uo keep away from every brother who is idle and who does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you know how you ought to follow our example.
To the Philippian church... Paul says... in verse 17: Take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you...
Mark them that are good examples...
Point them out...
Follow them...
Imitate them.
We usually think of marking and pointing out the enemies and the stumbling blocks... And we are to do that. But here Paul admonishes to...
Seek out...
Scope out...
Look for...
Search for...
Those who will draw us closer to God and closer to one another in unity and follow them and their good example... Are we listening?... More importantly are we doing it?
Secondly... We are to avoid those who cause us to stumble.
Verse 18... For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ. Paul is saying that there are fakers of the faith in the church... among our own number. You see... The kingdom of God has always been filled with phony pseudo-saints... HYPOCRITES... Those who refuse to just follow the WORD which leads to...
Unity of the church...
And a closer fellowship with God.
Paul uses this same warning to the church in Rome in Romans 16.17-20... Listen for three things Paul points out...
I urge you, brothers, to...
Watch out for those who cause divisions...
Those who put obstacles in your way...
And those that are contrary to the teaching you have learned...
Keep away from them.
WHY?...
WHY avoid them?...
Why keep away from them?...
Why mark them?
Because... such people are not serving Christ... But are serving their own appetites.
Paul says... I urge you strongly...
To set a mark...
To watch and observe...
To consider...
To take note...
To take aim...
At those who cause or encourages things like:
Divisions...
Dissension...
Disunity...
Scandals...
And stumbling blocks.
Paul is commanding us to take note of any and all who fall under this category.
Church... This is pretty strong language... RIGHT?
Well who are these ugly divisive individuals?
What are some characteristics of those who are stumbling blocks?
First of all... It may be the obvious... the rabble-rouser... those who are always causing trouble in the church... the malcontent. In most churches it is only one... two... or three people who cause most of the problems. Certainly Paul is including this group here.
Another is the individual who walks contrary to the doctrine.
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
Tonight... We could talk about those who do not speak where and as the Bible speaks... Those who go beyond or stop short of declaring the whole counsel of God... But that is not what most of us need to hear is it?
Listen to me carefully... To walk contrary also means to hear what is taught from the Word and respond to it in a casual... Apathetic... Indifferent... Blasae’... Unconcerned manner... Paul is speaking not just of false teachers... But also a group of individuals who say...
Ho Hum another Sunday... another sermon...
Wonder where we can eat after services...
Hey look the Jones are here today...
Why doesn’t that child stop crying?..
Boy, I didn’t get enough sleep last night... I think now would be a good time to catch up.
These people are stumbling blocks to those who would be spiritual minded in services.
Indeed... I believe that people who...
Play with children...
Survey the crowd...
Daydream through the worship...
Or sleep during the sermon...
Are stumbling blocks to those who would worship God in spirit and in truth.
Indeed they are the ones who have a casual.... apathetic.. indifferent... attitude toward worship... God... and His Word. I hope you have not pitched your tent with this group.
May God help each of us to evaluate our life... Are we casual... Apathetic... Indifferent... Blasae’ and Unconcerned? Or are we interested in Walking... Living... WORSHIPING in sound teaching?
The third characteristic of one who is a stumbling is that they are self-serving.
Look at verse 19...
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
What does Paul mean when he says that... The enemy of the cross... those who would be stumbling blocks have a god who is their belly? The word translated BELLY speaks of base... Carnal desires. The context refers to a desire for materialism and earthly pleasures... As opposed to Heavenly desires & Heavenly behavior... As the next verse indicates. Paul says...
Those who seek material things and earthly pleasures over heavenly desires... and heavenly behavior...are enemies of the cross... They are stumbling blocks to the church.
And then he foretells their destination... Eternal destruction.
I don’t think he is referring to anything short of misery in hell. Do these verses scare you... Do they sober us up rather quickly?... I hope they do!!
You see church... men and women... young people who are honestly serving the Lord have genuinely become His slave. That’s one of the meanings of the word Christian...
A Christian is a disciple of Christ...
A follower of Christ...
An adhearer of the teachings of Christ...
And a slave... One possessed by Christ.
Folk... We should not have to be...
Begged...
Prompted...
Coerced...
To obey Jesus.
We have been bought with a price... His blood... We belong to Him... We are His property... We are His person... His slave. Scripture tells us that we are no longer our own... but His.
Those who have to be begged and pushed to follow...and work for Jesus...Are stumbling blocks... Enemies to the cross.
Jesus said...
If you love Me...you will keep My commandments.
Seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness.
Unless you love Me more than these... You cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.
God help us to become His slave and not be so interested in fulfilling our own material wants and worldly pleasures... so we will not be a stumbling block to others.
Still another characteristic of those who are stumbling blocks to the church is that they use kind words and false praise. Listen as I read Romans 16.18...
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
Stumbling blocks say what they know we want to hear... But they are not doing so for the love of God. Their flattery and praise are meant to deceive the naive... not to edify. I believe the implication is that we are all naive. We all have... at one time or another... been drawn away by the smooth and flattering words of those who would cause division in the church family... RIGHT?
You see... Satan has always had a smooth tongue hasn’t he?... And so do those who are doing his work from within the church.
Then Paul says... Stumbling blocks are those who think earthly thoughts. Listen to the contrast he makes in Philippians... Verses 19 and 20... Their mind is on earthly things... But our citizenship is in heaven.
In Romans 8...Paul speaks of being controlled by a sinful... carnal... flesh nature and its desires... Or, by a spirit nature controlled by the Spirit of God. He says... The sinful flesh nature is hostile to God... An enemy to the cross... A stumbling block.
I think we see that same contrast in more descriptive terms in Galatians chapter five, as Paul contrasts the sins of the flesh... to the fruit of the Spirit....
The acts of the sinful flesh nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Church... It is easy to distinguish the difference between the child of God and the enemies of the cross in these verses... RIGHT? One has their thoughts... their minds on the things of this world.
They are controlled by their sinful flesh nature. On the other hand the children of God are Spirit led... exhibiting fruit of the spirit.
Well.. Which are we?...
Citizens of Heaven
Or Stumbling blocks... Enemies of the cross?
I think we can sum up our lesson tonight by answering these suggested questions...
-Are we teaching anything else for salvation other than Jesus’ death...burial and resurrection?
-Are we promoting any who are false teachers... or followers of them.
-Are we earthly or heavenly minded?
-Are we refusing to submit to, imitate, or pattern our behavior after Godly leadership?
-Are we guilty of pitching our tent with, or following behind, those who oppose such
scriptural leadership?
-Are we living in indifference... apathy... and unconcern for things spiritual?
-Are we causing divisions and disunity by our faultfinding, judgmental attitudes?
-Are we guilty of deceiving others by our smooth words or hypocritical behavior?
-Are we disobedient in any way to God, or His appointed leadership in the home... church or government?
Well... This has been a tough lesson... tough to preach... And I’m sure tough to listen to. But it is a lesson that we all need... Right?
My prayer in presenting this material is that it will be received in the same way it was preached With love... and a hope that we will want to become just the person and people that God wants us to be. My prayer is that each of us will see the seriousness of becoming an enemy to the cross... and a stumbling block to the church.
Tonight... Come to Jesus... Become a Child of God by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism... Immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.
Perhaps we nave caused others to stumble... Make this sin right tonight.
Maybe we need the prayers of the church to overcome some stumbling block placed in our way... The Eldership is here ready to pray with us and for us.
The invitation is ours as we stand and sing... Will you come?
