Problems That Can Ruin Your Church
The early church in Corinth faced various challenges that caused division, strife, and a disregard for God's commands. As we delve into the Scriptures, let us learn from their experiences and seek wisdom and guidance in handling problems that can arise within our own church communities.
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Problems That Can Ruin Your Church
Introduction: The Perfect Formula for Ecclesiastical Disaster
Tonight, we address a sober and urgent reality concerning the local body of believers. The Church, which is the living body of Jesus Christ, cannot put "BUTs" before Almighty God. The Church would be doing GREAT THINGS for God right now if it were not stagnant, stuck, and occupied with trivialities.
This is exactly what the enemy wants the Church to do: to be entertained, to be distracted, and to waste precious time on things that are not of transcendental importance so that we fail to reach our calling. Failing to do what Christ strictly commanded us to do is the perfect formula for an ecclesiastical disaster.
When the church stops looking outward and starts looking inward, scandal breaks out. This internal collapse manifests in two ways:
• Our idle and frivolous words: Uncontrolled tongues within the house of God (James 1:26).
• Our reprehensible conduct before the watching world: Living lives that contradict the gospel.
Such things combine to completely dishonor the holy name and the cause of God, causing the world to blaspheme and creating unnecessary stumbling blocks for everyone (Romans 2:24; 1 Corinthians 10:32).
Tonight, we will expose the specific spiritual diseases and internal problems that can completely ruin a church, while laying out the divine architecture required to protect our unity and forward momentum.
Part I: Preserving the Unity of the Church
To safeguard a ministry from ruin, we must understand the mechanics of corporate unity. True biblical alignment requires three structural shifts in our day-to-day interactions:
A. Focus on What We Have in Common, Not Our Differences
Within any local assembly, there are many factors that unite us, and there are many factors that can potentially divide us. The choice of where we look determines the health of the body. The Apostle Paul issues an impassioned plea for structural agreement:
"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." — 1 Corinthians 1:10 (Ref: Rom 1:10)
B. Be Highly Realistic in Your Expectations
One of the fastest ways to destroy church unity is to harbor unrealistic expectations. We must recognize the constant disparity between the ideal church and the real church. Why do people become disillusioned with the local church? Because they expect a flawless utopia.
Every single church ought to permanently hang a prominent sign at its front doors:
"Perfect people do not need to enter. This is a place exclusively for those who openly admit they are sinners, stand in desperate need of grace, and want to grow."
C. Prefer Encouraging over Criticizing
The local church cannot survive when it becomes an echo chamber of gossip, idle chatter, and slander. God’s Word classifies these toxic talkers in two ways:
1. Gossiping and slandering brothers: Spreading falsehoods and destroying trust (Jeremiah 9:1-5).
2. Idle brothers and sisters: Having nothing productive to do, they learn to be gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not (1 Timothy 5:13).
The wisdom literature of Scripture draws a sharp line against this behavior:
• "A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends." — Proverbs 16:28
• "Debate your case with your neighbor himself, and do not disclose the secret of another." — Proverbs 25:9
• "He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips." — Proverbs 20:19
Hear this warning clearly: Do not give any credit to gossip. People who gossip to you will eventually gossip about you. When a church turns into a critical battleground, self-destruction is guaranteed:
"But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!" — Galatians 5:15
Part II: The Careless, the Indifferent, and the Toxic Mix
To understand how a church ruins itself, we must look at the historical patterns of God's people. Church rot always mirrors the ancient failures of Israel in the wilderness.
A. The Tragedy of the Mixed Multitude
When Israel left Egypt, they did not leave alone:
• The Mixed Multitude: A mixed multitude went up with them (Exodus 12:38).
• The Rabble: The rabble (or vulgar crowd) among them was driven by intense physical cravings (Numbers 11:4).
Because there was a worldly mixture in the camp, it produced constant murmuring, endless complaints, and systematic rebellion against spiritual leadership (Numbers 16:1-2). They spent their journeys weeping and wishing to turn back into Egyptian slavery (Numbers 14:2).
B. The Modern Equivalents
We see this exact same indifferent crowd in the church today. They operate with a toxic, careless mindset:
1. Apathy about the Return of Christ: They say in their hearts, "My master is delaying his coming," and they begin to live carnally (Matthew 24:48).
2. Beating Fellow Servants with the Tongue: They attack and strike their companions using their words (Jeremiah 18:18). They constantly criticize their leaders, complaining about their travels, their flights, and their logistical decisions, rather than praying for them.
3. Loving the Present World: Like Demas, they eventually abandon the work because they love this present world system (2 Timothy 4:10).
Part III: The 4 Fatal Diseases of a Dying Church
When these systemic problems are ignored, the church falls victim to four specific spiritual contagions that can completely paralyze its impact.
1. Apathy (Hebrews 6:11-12)
Apathy enters when we grow easily fatigued and tired in our ecclesiastical commitments. It is represented by those who flippantly say, "This year I want to sit back and rest, because I have already worked too much in the church."
This type of lazy behavior is highly infectious; it completely infects and discourages the new converts who are just beginning their spiritual pilgrimage with Christ. For those of us who have walked with God longer, we are the Big Brothers. We must set an unshakeable, hard-working example for the new people arriving at our church. God has an explicit reward reserved exclusively for the diligent:
"Do you see a man diligent in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men." — Proverbs 22:29
2. Unbelief (Hebrews 3:12)
Many of the great breakthroughs we long to experience in life will be absolutely impossible to see if we allow ourselves to be infected by the virus of unbelief. The frustrated, faithless lives of cynical Christians can easily contaminate your spirit. You must separate yourself from their pessimistic talk, or you will spiritually die right alongside them.
If grand, supernatural things are not happening in your life or your church, it is not because God lacks the willingness to perform them; it is simply because you do not believe!
"Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." — Matthew 13:58
3. Discontent (Numbers 21:1-7)
In the wilderness, the soul of the people became deeply discouraged because of the hardships of the way, and they spoke fiercely against God and against Moses. This contagious discouragement does not hit everyone simultaneously—it usually begins when a leader shows signs of discontent, which then quickly infects the rest of the populace.
Nobody ever promised that walking in the Christian faith would be easy. We will encounter major obstacles. There will always be complex problems. BUT God always commands us to march straight forward. We possess His explicit promises, we carry His manifest Presence, and we hold the absolute guarantee that we will safely reach the other side.
4. A Paralyzed Church (John 15:16)
The final stage of ruin is a paralyzed church—a church that remains static, stagnant, and completely trapped inside its own four walls, refusing to advance. Jesus did not call us to be enclosed. He declared:
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..." — John 15:16
A paralyzed church refuses to go where Christ wants it to go. But God is raising up laborers—men like Manny, Teddy, and Gerardo, who are the very next ones ready to step out and go! The city in which we live is absolutely ideal for executing a grand, powerful, uncompromised Christian ministry—one that is fully worthy of being used as a reference point for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Problems That Can Ruin Your Church Today
I. The Problem of Division: Contentions and Jealousy
The church in Corinth faced contentions over who baptized them, leading to divisions among the believers (1 Corinthians 1:11-13). Jealousy and strife also plagued their congregation, as highlighted in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. The seriousness of jealousy is emphasized in Galatians 5:19. These issues of division and jealousy not only hindered their unity but also hindered their witness as followers of Christ.
II. Overlooking Sin in the Church: Puffed Up and Disregarding God's Word
Another problem that arose in the Corinthian church was their failure to address sin within their community. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Paul rebukes the church for allowing a man involved in sexual immorality to remain among them. They were "puffed up," proud and arrogant, refusing to listen to God's command to remove the unrepentant brother from their midst. This failure to deal with sin compromised their spiritual health and integrity as a body of believers.
III. Sin in Business Dealings: Abomination and Lawsuits
1 Corinthians 6:1-6 sheds light on yet another issue: the presence of sin in their business dealings. The Corinthian believers were taking one another to court, disregarding God's desire for them to resolve disputes within the church family. This behavior was seen as an abomination, causing damage to their testimony and undermining the principles of love and unity that should characterize the body of Christ.
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IV. Distorted Views on Sexual Conduct and Lord's Supper Abuse
The Corinthian church struggled with distorted views on sexual conduct, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:13. They were abusing their liberties and engaging in immoral behavior that dishonored God's design for sexuality. Additionally, they had also messed up the observance of the Lord's Supper, turning it into a divisive and self-centered event (1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 22). These actions demonstrated a lack of reverence and understanding of the sacredness of these practices.
- False Prophets: dangers of segregation
- Worshiped God right way
- Sermons on the Church and Growth Strategies
Conclusion: The Ultimate Need of the Hour
What is the single greatest need of the modern church to overcome these ruinous problems? It is a radical return to robust, unshakeable faith, unity, love, and Holy Spirit direction (Hebrews 11; Matthew 17:20).Our physical, moral, and spiritual lives present many pressing needs, but they all converge on these core priorities: 1. Our absolute, daily need of Jesus as our Savior. 2. Our desperate need for genuine union and proactive cooperation. 3. Our need for sacrificial love that transcends any spiritual gift. 4. Our absolute submission to the direct leadership of the Holy Spirit inside the church.
If we do not possess faith, we will achieve nothing. As the Lord Himself asked: "...when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).
Let us make sure He finds that faith right here. Let us repent of our idle words, stop our petty criticisms, reject the virus of apathy, and heal our paralysis. Let us step out of our comfort zones, look out at our city, and do the GREAT THINGS that Jesus Christ has appointed us to do!
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