Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” (Matthew 26:3-5)A new pastor comes into a church that has had problems. Some of the members have been allowed to do what they wanted and felt empowered to be in charge. The new pastor does not recognize their presumed authority. And they become angry.
They work as hard as they can behind the scenes to break the pastor’s influence. They constantly complain, gripe, caterwaul about everything that is done, no matter how minor. They are a thorn in the flesh to the pastor and to the church.
Finally, one day they realize they are not going to reclaim their former position. They leave in a large loud manner, telling the pastor how inadequate he is, using terms and descriptions of his abilities and efforts that they know will hurt him.
And then they leave, many times taking their unwilling and embarrassed families away from their church homes. Then they try their best, after they have left, to siphon off members. There is a big turmoil in the church. Younger members who are weaker leave because they cannot stand the stress and end up not going anywhere. The church is reduced in number and in influence in the community.
All because one or two men did not get what they wanted.
People are willing to destroy the church rather than not get what they want.
Something pretty bad happened to us several years back. I said they really didn’t understand what they were doing. My son disagreed vehemently. He said they knew what they wanted. I said, yes, they knew what they wanted and they worked to get it. But they didn’t really understand what they were doing.
Like the chief priests and elders above, they were doing what they thought was the way to handle church things.
The Jews had always killed the prophets who told them things they didn’t want to hear. Jesus said this same thing in Matthew 23. It was their “business as usual” attitude.
People who come in the church do the same. Sometimes it may be underhanded and clandestine, sometimes it may be overt and outright. Whichever way it is, it is sin.
People who tear up a church and try to kill its influence and the influence of the pastor are sinning. If you do not like something, leave. To spread discord and rumor, to oppose at every turn is sinful and those who do it are in danger of the kingdom of God.
It is an odd blindness, a spiritual bondage. And if not corrected, the people who do it may find themselves in hell.
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