“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” (Philippians 2:14–15, KJV)
Today, many people see lighthouses as historical landmarks and tourist destinations. The Cape Hatteras Light is the tallest in the United States, standing at 210 feet tall. Every year thousands of tourists come to see and get pictures by the lighthouses on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
These lighthouses are more than mere historical landmarks and tourist attractions. They were built as vital navigational aids to ships that sailed across the waterways. They kept vessels from getting off route and crashing on dangerous shoals or reefs. They guided ships into the proper harbors. In short, these lighthouses were to shine brightly in the evening to guide ships safely to their destinations.
To ensure the lighthouses did their job, lighthouse keepers were assigned. They worked to ensure the houses were properly maintained and that their lights would shine brightly throughout the evening hours.
Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi that they were to shine as lights in the world. Believers have the same function as the lighthouses. They are to shine brightly in a sin darkened world to illuminate the path of righteousness and eternal salvation to those who are perishing. Believers and collectively churches are to shine forth the light of Jesus that is within them by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
In a sense every believer and every church is a light keeper. As such, they are to see to ensure the light of Christ shines out brightly in a sin darkened world. Yet there are things that unfortunately can interfere with the light shining out brightly. Paul wrote of this here. These are the things of the flesh that can so easily sneak into the lives of believers who make up the church. Paul wrote that murmurings and disputings are sinister evils that block the light that the church is to shine. These are things that truly hurt the testimony of the local church.
When you find churches with murmurings and disputes, you find a church that is in trouble. These things can happen for a variety of reasons. While the specific reasons are many, the main reason for these types of things is that the church has forgotten that Christ is the head and they have failed to seek and submit to His will. This normally happens when there is a lack of prayer and man’s wants supersede the leadership of our Lord.
Murmurings and disputes often lead to church splits. These are devastating to the health and ministry of the church. People outside the body of faith can see this and will conclude that the church is not a divine institution, but just another civic organization prone to issues. Yet even without a church split, visitors to come into a church that is involved with murmuring and disputing see the tension in a minute. They will be unlikely to return. Moreover, churches that struggle with these ills will see people wandering away.
The solution is to guard against such fleshly manifestations, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Churches need to seek a deep relationship with the Lord, where they will establish Him as head of the church and follow His will and ways.
Renewing the Heart 