WEEK FOUR: DISCUSS. DEBATE. DIE FOR.

The story goes something like this: There was a small country church that had two prominent families as part of their congregation. Both families had been in that church and community for a long time, and for the most part they got along… except for one thing. One family sat on the right side of the church while the other sat on the left side of the church, and each family believed that the piano should be positioned on the platform on the side of the church where they sat. This became a point of contention in the church, so much so that one family would go into the church on Saturday night and move the piano to their side. Then when people would show up on Sunday, the other family would be angry and move it back. This seems so silly, but unfortunately it is a true story. Eventually it caused a split in the congregation, and many left the church over it.

So, let me ask you, what would you be willing to give your life for? What would you fight for?  Maybe it’s your country, or your family, or your faith. Perhaps it’s your job, your finances, or your team. Unfortunately, we can get caught up in fighting for things that don’t really matter in the end, especially in light of eternity. We can get hung up on things like which side of the platform the piano sits on, what color the wall or floors are, or even which seat that we sit on, instead of fighting for what really matters when it comes to our faith.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “choose your battles” or something like, “what hill are you willing to die on?” when it comes to this topic. In each case, we are being challenged to be selective when it comes to what we fight for. For too long, the church has been identified for fighting over things that, when it comes down to it, are not “life or death” things. And those fights are what cause the world around us to look at the church and see it as hypocritical and unappealing.

In Jude verse 3, he writes, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to CONTEND for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (NIV) This word contend means to protect, defend, or provide security against attack. In other words, defend the truth and essentials of our faith. Do this by building up your faith personally and living what we believe. Hold fast to the essentials of the Gospel. This is what we would fight for, so that people would come to know and love God.