CLIQUES IN THE CHURCH (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    It is not always the big things that cause problems.  Sometimes little things can create big mess.

1.      A clock that is an hour off can make us late to an important function.

2.      A misspelled word on a resume can keep us from getting a job.

3.      One key being broken on a piano can keep us from playing a gorgeous classic.

4.      One cavity can cause us to miss a day of work and spend a lot of money at the dentist’s office.

 

B.      Sometimes little things in the church can create some big problems (see Song. 2:15).

1.      One gossip can create quite a stir in a church.

2.      One point in a sermon can get people angry and upset in the congregation.

3.      One mistake on the Lord’s Supper put some in an uproar.

4.      One change in the schedule for services can get a lot of people bent out of shape.

 

C.     In this lesson, we are going to talk about something that seems very small, but can create havoc in the local congregation.  The title of our lesson is:  “Cliques in the church.”

 

I.                   DEFINITION OF A CLIQUE

 

A.    A small, exclusive group of people

1.      Notice that cliques are always small.

2.      Notice, too, that cliques are exclusive.

a.      The word exclusive comes from the root work “exclude.”

b.      Only a small number of people are included in a clique.  Most are excluded.

 

B.      Cliques do many things together.

1.      They talk.

2.      They fellowship.

3.      They work together.

4.      They plan and carry out objectives.

5.      Basically, they develop very deep, loyal relationships with each other.

 

II.                DEVELOPMENT OF CLIQUES

 

A.    Cliques form subtly. 

1.      The clique can be an authorized sub-group of the larger group.

a.      Elders

b.      Teachers of the younger children

c.       Parents who lead the youth group

d.      An office staff

e.       A team assigned to a particular work of the church.

f.        A family who attends the same congregation.

2.      They are fun for those in them.

3.      They are productive.  If given a task, the group gets things done.

4.      They seem harmless.

 

B.      Form around various people

1.      Positions

2.      Personalities

3.      Family

4.      Ages groups

5.      Education

6.      Interests (worship styles)

7.      Race/culture

8.      Activities/hobbies

9.      Heritage/longevity

10.  Agendas

11.  Works (of the church)

12.  Finances

 

C.     We tend to gravitate toward our cliques.

1.      We share things in common.

2.      We are accepted.

3.      We find a place to belong.

4.      We find peace and tranquility in the group.

5.      We can express ourselves and still be loved.

6.      Our flaws are overlooked by the group.

7.      Those in our cliques are always available to us.

 

D.    They form and are entrenched before people are aware of them.

1.      It seems that people are just talking to one another when the big group comes together.

2.      We do not see the constant interaction throughout the course of the week.

3.      We might see several from the clique out in public from time to time.

4.      In the course of time, we notice that the group always forms during the times that the larger group comes together.

5.      They are nice to others, but they do not really reach out to others.

6.      They share information among themselves, but not with the larger group.

7.      When issues arise, they tend to always take the same position with each other.

8.      If they protest something, they do it together in a show of fidelity.

 

E.      They are often promoted, displayed, and justified.

 

III.             DANGERS OF CLIQUES

 

A.    Division

1.      Cliques divide the church into little groups within the larger group.

2.      These cliques can divide the church into factions that are hardly ever together (ex., worship styles).

a.      Traditional

b.      Contemporary

c.       Comfortable

d.      Liturgical

e.       Blended

f.        Modern

3.      The first century church did not have all of these worship styles that developed cliques.  The church came together in “one place” for their worship together (See I Cor. 11:20; 14:23).

4.      Cliques divide individuals instead of unite them into one body.

a.      Acts 2:46

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.

 

b.      I Corinthians 1:10

 

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

 

B.      Exclusion

1.      Cliques exclude others from their group.

a.      Often they will say that they do not.

b.      However, they have their ways of excluding those they do not want.

1)      Exclude them from communication lines

2)      Do not invite them to all of the activities

3)      Do not fellowship them except at clique gatherings

4)      Refuse to give them many responsibilities in the group

5)      Reuse to accept the individual’s ideas

6)      Rebuke one sharply if he/she deviates from the clique’s norms

2.      When Gentiles were brought into the church a clique of the Jews excluded them. 

a.      Paul never accepted the exclusion of the Jews.

b.      He taught and worked tenaciously to unite the two groups.

1)      Colossians 2:13-16

 

But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and the he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.

 

2)      When Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentiles when those from James came, Paul said he rebuked Peter to the face because he was to blame (Gal. 2:12).  Peter was contributing to division instead of unity in the body of Christ.

 

C.     Gossip

1.      Within cliques there is a lot of talk that goes on between the members of the group.

2.      This information is exclusive and confidential.

3.      Sometimes the information that is shared among the members involves whisperings, tale bearing, and gossip about others. 

4.      Because it is confidential, the clique members do not consider it to be gossiping.

5.      The Bible condemns tale bearing, whispering, slander, and all evil speaking.

a.      Leviticus 19:16a

 

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among they people…

 

b.      I Peter 2:1

 

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings.

 

 

 

D.    Anger

1.      Anger can arise in two ways when cliques operate in the church.

2.      The clique can get angry and stick together (Ex., Miriam and Aaron against Moses, Num. 12:1-2).

3.      Others can get angry with the clique group because of their exclusiveness and secrecy.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Cliques form subtly and quickly in churches.

 

B.      Cliques can manifest a lot of power in the local church.

 

C.     Cliques are deceptive.  They even deceive those who are part of them.

 

D.    Cliques create division in the body of Christ.

 

E.      Churches would be wise to rid themselves of their cliques and function as a body with all members working one with another.  Remember, the body is one and hath many members.  It is not one that hath just a few members.