×

“A worthless person, a wicked man,
goes about with crooked speech,
winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
points with his finger,
with perverted heart devises evil,
continually sowing discord;
therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.”  Proverbs 6:12-15

“Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,
and quarreling and abuse will cease.”  Proverbs 22:10

“Those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
and a good blessing will come upon them.”  Proverbs 24:25

“For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.”  Proverbs 26:20

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”  Titus 3:10-11

It is the responsibility of a church’s elders to encourage a positive conversation in their church.  Sadly, some people just aren’t happy with a positive vibe.  They want something else, something more focused on themselves.  And they are so sure of themselves that reasonable discourse leaves them unsatisfied.  They do not feel that you understand them until you agree with them.  The only acceptable outcome is their outcome, which they pursue relentlessly.  They will misconstrue what you say, including your attempts to be kind, and turn your good efforts into further evidence against you.  They live in a mental world of “king of the hill,” and they will do what they have to, in order to win the game.

There is a reason why the Bible warns us about the scoffer (Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12; 21:24).  He or she might be a highly impressive person outwardly.  A strong personality.  A convincing talker.  And often such a person ends up among the leaders of their church.  But even in little ways (“. . . winks with his eyes”), this person sows discord in their church — small provocations with big impact.

It is the privilege of elders to keep the conversation in their church positive — about Jesus and his glory.  Those elders who courageously follow through will, in the long run, “have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them” (Proverbs 24:25).  To preserve their church in those green pastures and beside those still waters, the elders might have to ask the scoffer to leave.  They will do so reluctantly and carefully, they will do so with an awareness of their own shortcomings, and they will try not to embarrass the offender.  But faithful elders will obey the Bible out of reverence for Jesus, because their blood-bought church belongs to him.

And everyone in their church will breathe a sigh of relief.

LOAD MORE
Loading