Cross Image


Main Menu

Links

Contact Us
Understanding the Kingdom of God---#1

Understanding the Kingdom of God---#1

"Avoiding a Party Spirit"

Hopewell Church of Christ

February 9, 2003

Introduction

  1. How can we be faithful to the Lord and avoid a party spirit? I believe that such is possible by seeking an understanding of the Kingdom of God.
  2. Paul wrote, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3-6.)
  3. There were strong divisions between the Jewish sects in the first century, particularly between the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Acts 23:6-8.)
  4. Politically, our nation is divided between two major parties. The division is strong, serious and typical of human beings. Israel and Judah divided early, as early as the reign of King David.
  5. Sadly, today we have many parties or sects religiously. Having a party spirit is divisive, ugly and wrong before God. (John 17:20-21.)
  6. There is one Body----one Kingdom of God. How do we express that in what we teach and how we act? The word, kingdom, refers to the place where God reigns supreme. The word, church, refers principally to the assembly of God’s people. The words are not the same and should not be confused. Though there are traits that belong to each, they are not the same words or identities. The Kingdom of God refers to the reign of God over all, including the material, political and religious world. See Psalm 145.

Recognizing the Difference---Kingdom of God or Party Spirit?

You have a party spirit if you wear a party name. Politically, we know the names of Republican, Democrat, Whig, Green Party, and Independent. The political divisions in Washington are well known. They waste so much time and money fighting one another. Often, party loyalty is more important than what is good for the United States. This is a good example of a party spirit that is so hurtful and wrong. In the Restoration Movement, there was a discussion about what people should be called religiously. There were so many names. Rice Haggard is known for stepping forward and saying that the disciples of the Lord should be called Christians. Wearing that name and that name alone does not express a party loyalty and spirit. We desire to honor Christ.

You have a party spirit if you have a party platform. Political parties have a platform of principles which guides the beliefs of party members. The Protestant cry was "Sola Scriptura" or Scripture alone. They were right. The only platform or creed explaining our views should be the Scriptures alone. We must each study and seek an understanding of God’s Word. In religion, our platform must this Word. We have a party spirit if we have statements of faith which cannot be found expressed in the Bible.

You have a party spirit if you always agree with your party. One sign that we have a party spirit is if we blindly support the party position no matter what it is. If one is a Republican, there are times in which you ought to disagree with the party position. Likewise, Democrats should not support abortion. All parties have some error. Jesus rebuked the seven churches of Asia. Paul denounced errors among the Corinthians. He did not always agree with the churches just because they belonged to the Lord.

Some people always agree with their local church no matter what it does or teaches. They do not carefully compare what the Bible says with what the local church does. Imagine what would happen if religious people started studying for themselves and rejecting things that seriously differed from God’s Word! By the way, that includes us!

You have a party spirit if the party becomes more important than Jesus. Remember that the Jews killed Jesus Christ. The Judaizers minimized the role of Jesus in salvation and emphasized the deeds of the Law. (Gal. 2:21.) Our faith must be in Christ, not in the church or in the Bible. The Word produces faith in the Lord. (Rom. 10:17.) We must not have faith in faith.

Jesus told some Jews that they searched the Scriptures because they thought they had eternal life in the Scriptures. But he said that they would not come to Him that they might have life. (John 5:39-40.) Having our faith properly focused in Christ will help ensure that we do not develop a party spirit.

Politically, a party can become more important than the nation. To some it doesn’t matter if the union survives; it is more important that their party survives.

You have a party spirit if the party if more important than people. The Pharisees so loved their rules that compassion for people was absent. They criticized Jesus for loving lost people. (Luke 15:2.) They judged Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. But the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27.)

Jesus told some, Go and learn what this means---I will have mercy and not sacrifice. (Matt. 9:13, Hosea 6:6.) Some today still need to go and learn this great lesson. There is never a conflict between faithfulness to God and love for others. Party rules often cause people to despise others. (Luke 18:9.) Democrats often hate Republicans and seek to destroy them. In like manner, Republicans can hate Democrats. Is our party more important than people?

You have a party spirit if baptism is used to express party loyalty. The rebaptism question is troubling. Dr. John Thomas, during the Restoration Period, troubled churches in Virginia with his doctrine of rebaptism. The focus should be centered on conversion---of water and the Spirit. If that has been done, one cannot be converted again. A person can be immersed in water any number of times, but there is only one baptism.

I heard about some in the churches of Christ who left the church in Texas. They went to another religious body and desired to become members. They had already been baptized like those in Acts. Yet, the church told them that must be rebaptized in order to be a member of their church. This is a sad misuse of baptism. It was used to promote party loyalty. They did not seek to understand if the persons had obeyed the Gospel and already had the one baptism which places one in Christ. They demanded some expression of party loyalty. So do we if we are not as interested in whether people have obeyed the Gospel as we are in whether they support our cause. In Galatians, the Judaizers so used circumcision in dealing with the Gentiles. They were as interested in whether the people were saved by their faith in Jesus Christ as they were in demanding that the Gentiles showed their allegiance to the Jews.

We have a party spirit if we ignore weightier matters for little, temporary issues. (Matt. 23:23.) One good way to avoid sectarian attitudes is to stay focused on the weightier matters of the Kingdom of God. An older preacher advised young preachers once, Preach on the great themes of the Bible, not on little topics that cannot even be found in God’s Word. What good advise! Where in the Bible do we find a discussion of how many communion cups to use, if we can eat in the church building, how many churches should support a missionary, whether to have an invitation song at the end of a sermon, which Bible version to read, etc., etc.??? All these things are evidence of a party spirit. Do not be so concerned over what the present day issues are. They will so pass and be replaced by other insignificant concepts. Learn the great themes of the Bible and stay with those. They will last.

1