Watch Out Church!

I am a beekeeper going on 12 years now and each season brings it's own set of concerns and frustrations.  There are always a variety of potential threats lurking, waiting for just the right opportunity to arise so that they can get the upper hand on the community.

One such threat is the small hive beetle.  It doesn't sound very threatening does it?  The small hive beetle is an opportunistic parasite who, when given the right opportunity, will lay eggs in or around the filled honey comb.

If the colony is strong, meaning their numbers are large enough to maintain good housekeeping skills within the community, then the small hive beetle is unable to take up residence and cause major problems in the community.

If the colony is weak, like the split colony that I created this spring, not having enough healthy nurse bees that go to each cell and clean them out in preparation to receive an egg from the queen at any given moment, then the colony is in jeopardy of great infestation.

When there are not enough workers to navigate through the hive continually preparing and keeping tabs on the empty cells, then the small hive beetle can begin to have access to the internal workings of the community.

Once the small hive beetle seizes the opportunity and obtains access to the food stores of the colony, then the real problem begins.  The small hive beetle begins to lay eggs in or near the honey cells and when they hatch, little ravenous larva immerge and begin to eat the honey.  The enzymes in the larva's mouth causes the honey to be broken down and within a short period of time it begins to ooze out of the cells because the consistency and integrity of the honey has been destroyed.

Much like the destructive nature of the small hive beetle, the community of God must stand against those who stand among us waiting for an opportunity to sow seeds of discontent.

Recall there are six things the Lord hates:

There are six things that the LORD hates, 

seven that are an abomination to him:  

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, 

and hands that shed innocent blood, 

a heart that devises wicked plans, 

feet that make haste to run to evil, 

a false witness who breathes out lies, 

and one who sows discord among brothers.  

Proverbs 6:16-19 ESV

We must keep a watchful eye on the community of God, being ready and willing to speak up at a moments notice if we see a divisive person weaving their web of lies in the church.

Paul makes an appeal to the Roman church;

I appeal to you, brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.  For your obedience is known to all,so that I rejoice over you but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.  The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  

Paul is urging the church to be watchful and mindful that there will be people among them that are up to no good, waiting for an opportunity to speak things that aren't true but may sound right but are incredibly deceptive.  God hates this!  We are called to AVOID THEM!

It seems frustrating that those people will be among the church, why else did Paul address it?  Not just for the sake of the Roman church but for our sake as well.  

As he addressed the Corinthian church he sheds some light on this type of situation;

For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you my be recognized.  

Corinth, like today's culture was a hot spot for a variety of mixed religions.  There were people in that culture and our culture today who want to create their own religion even within the walls of the church.

Like the small hive beetle, they don't belong but they sow seeds and those seeds have the potential to destroy the community of God.  

We must be aware that this happens within the community of God but if we are strongly opposing those who breed discontent, they cannot set up residence alongside us.  

We can take encouragement from what Paul said to the Corinthian church because, although it seems frustrating there is a purpose that God accomplishes through it!  There must be episodes of division in order that we can recognize who is genuine among us!

The church faces many threats from the culture pressing in on them as well as from other believers that have made a home on the fringe of the community, even as far as wedging their way in and living among the community all the while waiting to seize any opportunity that may arise to cause division or breed discontent through foolish arguments.    It is our job to compare what people say against the plum line of the Word in order that we can recognize some of these infectious ideas.

It is evident that the small hive beetle does not belong in a honey bee colony.  They run at the first sign of light and often times are lurking among the bees.  Their shape makes it difficult for the bees to extract them from the colony but unless the colony is weak they cannot get a foothold.

Divisive people in the church are not always easy to recognize.

The church's best line of defense against these individuals among us is the truth of the Word of God.

How can we keep our own hearts and minds free from developing foul doctrines that the world tries to feed us unless we are in the Word of God?

Let us manage the cells of our own hearts, continually exposing them to the cleaning power of the Word of God and helping others to do the same!  So that the sweet honey of the Word would not be corrupted by doctrines of demons.