Should not be the case. Many siblings are divided
because of the strife they caused each other, because
they're constantly arguing and pulling each other apart.
Sometimes siblings know they love each other, but they never
show it because they're constantly fighting and pulling
each other apart. If you're there in Proverbs
chapter 3, we'll read verse 30. It says strive not with a man
without cause if he have done the no harm.
And it clearly says here in Proverbs 330, we shouldn't
strive against each other. So why shouldn't we strive?
What even is strife? Is strife ever good?
Well, I plan to look at these questions in my message here
today. As you might have guessed, the
topic I'll be dealing with is avoiding strife.
The title of my message is simply how to avoid strife.
Let's pray and we'll get in the message here today.
Your father thing for this day. Thank you all for the lunch
we're able to have. Thank you.
They're able to meet in this building here today.
I pray that a message will encourage people and that we'll
all be able to get something out of this.
And I pray that you give us a good rest of the day today.
And Jesus name. The first point I have for you
here today is what is strife? Well, to answer that question,
turn your Bibles to Galatians chapter 5.
I'll be reading verse 19 in a few seconds here, but strife is
usually arguing or verbal fighting if you will, which
could even lead to physical fighting.
But it's always caused by pride and anger and bitterness are
major factors in causing strife. But it's all it's a pride issue
glaze if you're there in Galatians 5 it says in verse 19.
Now the works of the flesh are made manifest.
Which are these? Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations. Which means jealousy, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, junketness,
revelings and such like of the witch.
I tell you before, as I've told you in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Notice in verse 20 that God takes strife very seriously.
We can tell that he takes strife very seriously because he
includes it with such. What more major sins, if you
will, such as adultery, fornication, murder, idolatry,
and witchcraft. And so the answer to what strife
is, is it's a sin. He calls it a work of the flesh
in verse 19. The work of the flesh is simply
a sin because when we're when we sin, we're in the flesh and not
in the spirit of God. We shouldn't take part in strife
because if we're saved, we should be trying to act as God
acts. We should act in the spirit and
not as the old man. That and the flesh.
We should act as the new man. And since we're saved, we should
constantly be trying to be more like Christ.
So we've talked about what strife is.
Let's look at #2. How do we strive?
Well, we argue. Happens a lot between brothers
and sisters. They're constantly arguing, and
arguing is more one of the more common striving techniques, if
you will. But here, here's some reasons
why a argument might start. Somebody always has to be right
or maybe maybe they don't always always have to be right, but
they can never be wrong. They can never admit to being
wrong. They always have to be right.
And that's a pride, an issue of pride.
Another thing somebody can't lose.
I'm not good at losing, especially when it comes to
Alex. But because he's younger than me
and I always, I feel I always have to do better than he does.
But it's an it's another thing that can cause strife and
argument and that's that's not good.
But those are things that we should try to avoid.
Constant arguing between people is not good because we'll it'll
pull people, friends, family members, siblings especially.
It'll pull them apart. We also another way of how we
strive is we might fight physically.
That's not good when it's caused by strife.
If you're out in the yard with your brother and you're
wrestling it to have a good time, then that's fine.
But if you're taking out your strife and your feelings on
them, on your brother by punching him or something else,
using it as a punching bag. And that's not good either,
especially when it's caused by strife.
So we've talked about what strife is, how we strive.
Let's look at #3. Why do we strive?
Well, number one, we're human. We're only human.
We're not perfect and never will be because only God is perfect
when we will only be perfect when we get to heaven and have
our glorified bodies. Since we're imperfect, we will
strive. It's it's kind of a fact of life
almost. But however, imperfection is not
an excuse to strive. We should always be trying to be
perfect, even though we never will be until we get to heaven.
Striving is a sin that's caused by pride and since we are
sinners we have the tendency to strive.
Proverbs 13 cents says only by pride come with contention, but
with the well advised is wisdom. Verse Timothy 6, three and four
says, if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the
doctrine which is according to godliness, He verse four is the
key. To this he is proud, knowing
nothing but doting upon questions and strifes of words,
whereof cometh, envy, strife, railings, and evil surmiving
surmisings. The key what it says there is
that if you're proud, that's what will cause strife, because
it says at the end whereof cometh, envy, strife, railings,
evil surmisings. The another reason of why do we
strive, we given to the temptation to strive.
When you're feeling weak spiritually and physically,
that's when the devil will most likely tempt you to strive.
That meaning if your brother or sister comes along and they say
something that is obnoxious or they can start, that would start
an argument. The easiest thing for you to do
is, given the temptation the devil gives you, to say
something right back to continue the argument.
But that's not what we should do.
We should be trying to avoid that or not give in to the
temptation. He tempts you to strive the
devil, so you will sin. So it's a it's a sin against
God, but also it will cause discourse between you, your
friends, family members, siblings, and this ultimately
causes fewer things to be accomplished.
For God. There's because if you're not
working together then there's less things that can be
accomplished for God. May I remind you of what we read
in Proverbs 2923? Says a man's pride shall bring
him low, but honor shall uphold the humble and spirit Our pride
also will give, will make us give in to the temptation.
So we need to be willing to swallow our pride and not give
in to the temptation. So we've talked about what
strife is, how we strive, why we strive.
And now #4. I'd like to ask another
question. Is strife ever good?
Well, for the answer to that question, turn to Philippians
chapter one. It should be just a few books
over if you're still in Galatians and Paul is talking to
the Philippians. Here he says he's talking about
how we should fight against the world, says in Philippians one
verse 27 only let your conversation be as it becometh
the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or
else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand
fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the
faith of the gospel. Well, in this verse it says that
it's good to strive for the faith of the gospel.
This means we must strive against what the world has at
what what the world is pushing so we can continue serving
Christ and that we can give the gospel to more people.
So is strife good? Sometimes, yes, when you're
striving against the world to further the gospel of Christ,
But if you're striving against each other, that's when it's not
good. And this brings me to my last
point and really the entire point of the message, which is
how can you avoid strife? Well, number one, you can think
before you speak. Thinking about what you say
before you say it can can stop many arguments before they ever
start. Stop arguments while they're
going even. And like I said earlier, arguing
is one of the most common tactics of strife.
And again, many arguments could be stopped if if you just think
about what you're saying before you say, if you think of
something obnoxious to say or just to get under somebody's
skin or did that would start an argument, then just think about
it and either say something nicer or and.
And again, thinking before speaking doesn't always mean
that you have to say something wiser or better kinder than what
you were going to say. It can just mean not saying
anything at all. And so #1 we can think before we
speak. Another way of how we can avoid
strife is not to give into the temptation to strive.
This is definitely easier said than done.
But what it says in First Corinthians 10/13 it says here
there have no temptation taken you, but such as is common to
man. But God is faithful who will not
suffer you to be tempted. Above that you're able but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be
able to bear it. This pastor clearly states that
when Satan tempts us to strive, God will help us to not fall to
the temptation so we have. Don't give into the temptation
to strive thinking before you speak.
I was ways to avoid strife and #3 try to get into the habit of
complimenting each other and saying positive things to each
other instead of things that will start arguments or be
obnoxious. This especially is for brothers
and sisters because they're always seems like they're always
trying to get under somebody else's skin or start an
argument. Something like that.
If I say Riley, your hair looks nice today.
Alex, your tie looks nice today. Levi, your suit coat looks nice
today. These are if you get into the
habit of complementing each other, then that will your
strife will cease because there's there's less things to
strive over. And if you're constantly being
nice. Except to Alex, except I
couldn't find anything. But anyway, if you're constantly
being nice to each other, then your strife should cease because
there's nothing to strive over. Last thing, a voice you can
avoid strife, is admit that you're wrong.
Strife, but like I said before, is caused by pride.
It's caused when someone has too much pride and will not admit to
being wrong. We need to be willing to admit
that we're wrong sometimes. Sometimes you're you are saying
something. It could be the simplest thing,
but you won't won't admit that you're wrong if somebody says,
oh, that's not right, this is. This is actually what it is.
But you say no, this is what it is.
But anyway, so we need to be willing to admit they're wrong.
In closing, I'd like to remind you that strife, again, is
caused by pride. If we can swallow our pride,
even if we want to start an argument, say something
obnoxious and just in general strife, your strife will cease.
If you can swallow your pride, your life will be much more
happy. Because if you're doing the
right thing and not causing strife or taking part in strife,
then everyone around you will see that and they'll want the
same thing you have and and and there there will be less things
to strive over. I hope this message was an
encouragement and reminder to you, and I hope that everyone
was able to get something out of this today.
I certainly did, especially looking at the passages and
studying for this message. But let's pray and we'll be done
here today. Dear Father, thanks for this
day. I pray that you'd help everyone
here to have gotten something out of this.
And I pray that you give us a good rest of the day, and thank
you for all the things to do for us in Jesus name.
Amen. Amen.
Good reminder. You know, a lot of times he, he
focused a lot on on on younger people and siblings and
everything else. But that's that's exactly what
happens in a church. Often, too, our pride gets in
the way. We can't admit that we're wrong.
We say something to somebody without thinking about it first
and the next thing you know, there's there's division within
a church and it'll destroy a family.
To destroy a church, it's destroyed our nation.
You can see that just by seeing what's going on in our world
today, right? But good reminder, let's go
ahead and stand at our seats and with our heads.