Mark 3:22-25

Introduction:

1. Every good military strategist knows the maxim “divide and conquer.”

2. Satan deploys this tactic in every area of human relationships (home, work, politics, the church), so we must be on our guard and unite around God’s will and ways.

Discussion:

I. God’s Hatred for Division

A. In Proverbs 6:16-19, we see seven practices that God finds abominable; the culmination of the list is “…one who sows discord among brethren.”

B. This disgust undergirds the repeated warnings against those who cause divisions:

1. The divisive are self-serving, worldly, devoid of the Spirit, and unable to receive the “meat” of the word of God (Romans 16:18; Jude 19; 1 Corinthians 3:1-4).

2. For this we are to turn away from them (Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; Titus 3:10-11).

3. Those who sow division will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

II. Dangers of Division

A. Internal Dangers: division is a clear and present danger to God’s people (Galatians 5:15).

1. A divided kingdom cannot stand (Mark 3:24).

2. Neither can a divided house stand (Mark 3:25).

B. External Dangers: not only is division a hazard to those who are in the kingdom, but it is a hindrance to those who would come in and be saved (John 17:20-23; Romans 2:23-24)

III. Preventing and Overcoming Division

A. As with any disease, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

B. This demands we watch for potential problems (Acts 20:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; 1 Peter 5:8).

C. Both in preventing and repairing divisions, we must collectively bear right attitudes: lowliness, gentleness, humility, patience, forgiveness, etc. (Ephesians 4:1-3; Philippians 1:27; 2:1-4).

D. In a nutshell, we must strive for the mind of Christ in each of us (Philippians 2:5-11).

Conclusion:

1. There is no space within Christ’s body for divisiveness, so we must fiercely battle it.

2. This is not a plea for unity in overlooking wrongs (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:18-19), but it is a plea that we be united in and by the things revealed in the Lord’s will (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).