Silo Christians
Silo Christians
Have you ever driven out in the country and seen tall storage structures? These are called silos, and they are used for storing grain. The term has found its way into the business world and it describes an isolated group or division within a company that functions apart from others in a way that hinders communication and productivity. This is what happened to the church in Corinth.
Corinth was a city-state on an isthmus in Greece halfway between Athens and Sparta. When the Apostle Paul arrived there, he enjoyed much success in converting both Jews and Gentiles to faith in Jesus and established a church there. However, the city was steeped in tradition of idol worship, temple prostitution, and was second only to Athens in philosophers. It was an accepted idea that you held faithfully to a philosopher with whose ideas you agreed. Some of these same traditions carried over into the church and caused contentious divisions, among other issues, within the Corinthian church.
By creating divisions within the church, they had siloed themselves. No longer was the church communicating with each other and because of this, their discipleship had come to a standstill. The result was that the church had stopped growing spiritually. This is how Paul described them in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men?”
Paul is not talking about Small Groups or Sunday School classes. He is talking about real division within the church. Divisions of people who would not associate with each other, who were jealous of each other, and who were quarrelling with each other. All because they chose to follow the teachings of one leader over another.
The result is that you get maturing believers in one camp and the not so mature believers in another camp, and you have a chasm in between. Instead of mutually feeding each other, which is what we should be doing as a church, some are eating meat while others are drinking milk.
In churches today, we can get siloed out in a variety of ways. It could be generational, it could be economic, or it could be as Paul was talking about with following different preachers. Whatever the reason, the end result is the same. You have a church that is divided and falling down. As Jesus said in Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”
We must be aware of the effect that being a silo Christian can have on our individual churches. Ask yourself, “Am I a silo Christian? Do I find myself going in one direction while the rest of the church goes in another? Am I trying to bridge the gap with other believers to help them grow in their faith as I continue to grow in mine?”
If you find yourself in this condition, it is time to start investing your time and energy outside the walls of your silo and into the lives of other believers. You can do this by meeting for coffee with another believer and talking about what you have learned from God’s Word. You can text one another and ask questions of each other. Any way that you can find to open the communication channels in your life so that you and someone else can grow. A silo is great for grain, but it is a lousy way for a Christian to live.
These are your Words for Wednesday.
Last Sunday, the weather interfered with our baptism, so this Sunday we will be baptizing Dana Knott following the morning worship service. I hope that you will come and support Dana! Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
Have you ever driven out in the country and seen tall storage structures? These are called silos, and they are used for storing grain. The term has found its way into the business world and it describes an isolated group or division within a company that functions apart from others in a way that hinders communication and productivity. This is what happened to the church in Corinth.
Corinth was a city-state on an isthmus in Greece halfway between Athens and Sparta. When the Apostle Paul arrived there, he enjoyed much success in converting both Jews and Gentiles to faith in Jesus and established a church there. However, the city was steeped in tradition of idol worship, temple prostitution, and was second only to Athens in philosophers. It was an accepted idea that you held faithfully to a philosopher with whose ideas you agreed. Some of these same traditions carried over into the church and caused contentious divisions, among other issues, within the Corinthian church.
By creating divisions within the church, they had siloed themselves. No longer was the church communicating with each other and because of this, their discipleship had come to a standstill. The result was that the church had stopped growing spiritually. This is how Paul described them in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men?”
Paul is not talking about Small Groups or Sunday School classes. He is talking about real division within the church. Divisions of people who would not associate with each other, who were jealous of each other, and who were quarrelling with each other. All because they chose to follow the teachings of one leader over another.
The result is that you get maturing believers in one camp and the not so mature believers in another camp, and you have a chasm in between. Instead of mutually feeding each other, which is what we should be doing as a church, some are eating meat while others are drinking milk.
In churches today, we can get siloed out in a variety of ways. It could be generational, it could be economic, or it could be as Paul was talking about with following different preachers. Whatever the reason, the end result is the same. You have a church that is divided and falling down. As Jesus said in Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”
We must be aware of the effect that being a silo Christian can have on our individual churches. Ask yourself, “Am I a silo Christian? Do I find myself going in one direction while the rest of the church goes in another? Am I trying to bridge the gap with other believers to help them grow in their faith as I continue to grow in mine?”
If you find yourself in this condition, it is time to start investing your time and energy outside the walls of your silo and into the lives of other believers. You can do this by meeting for coffee with another believer and talking about what you have learned from God’s Word. You can text one another and ask questions of each other. Any way that you can find to open the communication channels in your life so that you and someone else can grow. A silo is great for grain, but it is a lousy way for a Christian to live.
These are your Words for Wednesday.
Last Sunday, the weather interfered with our baptism, so this Sunday we will be baptizing Dana Knott following the morning worship service. I hope that you will come and support Dana! Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
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