Week 3 - Spirit of Discord

Genesis 1:1-10
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

We are 10 verses into the Bible and already we see division.
God divides:
- Light from darkness
- Waters below and above
- Land from water

Then in verses 14-18 we see the division of day and night and the seasons established. In verse 26 God creates man and gives man dominion over everything created. There’s another division.

He takes the division and commands it to multiply.
God is good at math lol

Then in Chapter 2 of Genesis, he makes another division, woman from man.

Chapter 3 is where things get spicy.

Genesis 3:1-7
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

We read this passage and it is easy to see the enemy sowing division. What you may not know is that there are two words in this passage (v1 crafty and v5 you will be) that mean the same thing.
crafty - some translations: cunning, shrewd, ill natured, cross. What we are talking about here is being divisive. "You will be" - hawyaw: means "to fall out" So you could say it: v5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will “fall out from being” like God, knowing good and evil.

So far, this is all about division. God divides and satan divides. What is the difference?
When God brings division it is for a purpose.
When satan brings division it is to sow discord.

Sometimes we call godly division evil discord.
When we were leaving NCC to plant Freedom, there was division taking place. We were separating ourselves from NCC to become Freedom. But our nature does not see that as a net positive. In fact, some people wondered what happened because “Pastor Jason is no longer at NCC.” What is your first question? “What happened?” We assume discord. Why? Because from chapter 3 of the first book, discord has been active in our lives. v1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made said to the woman”

You want to know how bad English is at translating from Hebrew and Greek? That one phrase in Hebrew conveys a message more like this: “Now the hissing most divisive whisperer uttered the fall out to the woman” INSANE!

What am I saying here? From the beginning satan has tried to sow discord into humanity. WHY? What does he get out of this?

First, what is discord?
Discord is an intentional lack of agreement, trust, and faith between two people that creates separation, division, and disunity.

Latin - dis, meaning negatation, and corde - meaning heart.
Hebrew - medanin, from the root, din, that means “to judge.”

Discord is the result of negating the heart.

What good for the enemy could sowing discord really bring about? What is his play?

Satan came before God. God mentioned Job. Satan said he loves you because you bless him but if you let me at him, watch, he’ll hate you. Satan then tested Job by taking his property, livestock, crops, even his family. Then Satan struck Job with horrible sores.

Why was he doing that? He wanted Job to hate God. So satan sowed discord in the form of calamity in every way. Satan wanted Job to deny God. Even Job’s wife told him so in Job 2:9: “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”

Satan used everything he could to get Job to deny God, even his own spouse.

Question:
What is satan using in your life right now to sow discord around you?

And have you considered that satan’s goal is not to get you to break relationships with people, but he wants to use broken relationship with people to get you to break relationship with God?

Giants aren’t trying to take you down. They are trying to take God down. Poverty wants you to abandon generosity and God as your source. Addiction wants you to reject God as the focus of your worship. Discord wants you to curse God and die!

Spiritual life hack:
Your current struggle is not designed to destroy you. It is designed to destroy who God is to you.

Where is there discord in your life right now?
The discord that is present in your life and in this area is focused on getting you to a place where you are separated from God. And how is satan using that discord to create enmity between you and God?

We have to figure out that the problem you have with that person is not a problem with that person, but a coordinated attack at getting you to curse God and die.

If this is true, then why is your justice more important than your relationship with Jesus? The spirit behind the issue that created discord could care less about your friendship. It wants to kill your sonship, your daughterhood.

Satan uses natural relationships to affect spiritual discord. Typically, discord attacks in three main areas: word, intention, character.

Word - What you say
What you say matters so much because what you say proceeds from your heart.
Matthew 12:34
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

A lot of discord that happens between people is the result of something said. A comedian once did a bit on having a stenographer with you for every moment of your life so you can have them read back what was said. Pretty funny, but not a bad idea either.

Satan loves to twist words to create moments of discord in your relationships. Ephesians 2 talks about the prince of the power of the air. How many times have you said something and it felt like between your mouth and their ears the words got twisted and distorted? It is almost like that game telephone happens but there are 200 people between you and the person you’re talking to.

So what do we do? How can we not let satan twist words?
- Speak truth. Don’t lie. Half truths are full lies.
- Speak life. Your tongue brings life or death. Don’t be surprised when discord appears after you’ve spoken death.
- Speak correction. Not “you need to…” but rather, Matthew 18. If you detect an issue, whether your fault or not, go to that person and talk about it. That is biblical.
- Speak forgiveness. Forgiveness is not an option in Christianity.

Intention - What you mean
Perception is everything. I hate that because what I mean is the most important part, right? What you mean is secondary to what was perceived. That is not fair at all. But the reason perception is everything is not because someone’s perception of what you intended is always right. It is that perception always has the power to sow or reject discord.

Now, you don’t have to like this, but we all do this. It is human nature to assume someone’s intent if you don’t know what that intent was. But what does the Bible say about this?

If they do mean evil:
Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What if they don’t or else you don’t know?
Luke 6:31
31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
If you want the benefit of the doubt to you, give the benefit of the doubt to others.

The only real way to make sure your intention gets across is:
- start with a good intention
- communicate that good intention

Character - who you are
It is really hard when someone questions your character. If this happens, it can be easy to let discord reign. You should do two things when your character is questioned:
1. Ask, “Are they correct?” If your character needs work, then work on it.
2. Trust God to vindicate you. God may give you an opportunity to correct their understanding. God might not give you an opportunity to correct their understanding. Neither options give yo a pass on trusting God.

Character is such a huge issue when it comes to discord because you can believe that the enemy will use any means necessary to create discord.

Rather than trying to defend your character, focus on strengthening your character. Trying to defend your character is usually futile anyway. People can’t tarnish what is spotless.

In the time left I want to tell you how we can stop discord in its tracks.
Discord exists in our families, our relationships, our jobs, and yes, even in the church.

Remember, discord is an intentional lack of agreement, trust, and faith between two people that creates separation, division, and disunity.

Why do I say intentional?
Because no one wakes up and trips into discord. You have to choose it.
In spite of your circumstances. In spite of what happened. The results of that choice are drastic and terrible.

Romans 16:17-18
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.

If you have discord in your life right now, ask yourself if it is the result of your fleshly appetite. If it is, you need to lay that down today and stop sowing discord. If it is their fleshly appetite, do everything you can to be at peace, but even Jesus said there are times when you have to walk away and shake the dust from your sandals. You can love someone and not have a daily relationship with them. In fact, there are some people in your life that, if you allow them to maintain the level of contact you both have right now, they will actually do damage to you and your walk with God.

Proverbs 6:19
A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Some people just love drama and telling lies.

Proverbs 16:28
A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

Proverbs 6:12-15
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

It is okay to put malicious people away from you. It is not okay to not seek peace as it is up to you, to be rude to them, bitter and angry towards them, to be hard-hearted towards them, and it is not okay to not forgive them.

This is what discord can do. What can we do about discord?

1. Unity starts with your relationship with God.
Your relationship with God is where everything stems from.

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

When there is discord between you and God, there will be discord in every other relationship.

If you have discord with God and your relationship with him is suffering, but you are succeeding in your relationships with other people, I would wonder if those relationships are rooted in the flesh and not the spirit. Remember, separation between you and God is what satan is after.

If we want to stop discord in its tracks, it starts with you getting right with God. Two things happen as a result:
1. You start living for the right thing and the result is that things begin to work together for good.
Benefits of godly living: God’s presence, his blessing, his pleasure, his Spirit, his protection, peace of mind, victory over sin, purpose realized, godly contentment, heaven now and to come, hope, unspeakable joy, strong faith, the ability to reject temptation.

2. Because God is your source and identify and shield and deliverer, no weapon formed against you prospers. Including discord.

When I am living for the Lord and pursuing him with all my might, discord can’t get a foothold.
- If I mess up, I am quick to ask for forgiveness and try to make it right.
- If I have opportunity for offense, I reject it and seek peace.
- If I am hurt, I offer the same forgiveness I sought when it was my mistake.

A strong relationship with God keeps my eye focused on Jesus and because of that, satan has little to no opportunity to sow discord in me, either directly like with Job, or through others like how it often happens with us.

If you aren’t right with God, expect discord. If you are, expect peace.

2. God’s children pursue peace.
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Interesting how your sonship is tied to peace making.

Pursuing peace is often hard. It requires us to understand two things:
1. Satan wants disunity, so I can expect a battle.
2. The battle is always spiritual

Discord wants to use the natural to negatively impact the spiritual. Remember you are a spirit with a body not a body with a spirit. Remember you wrestle against spirits and principalities, not flesh and blood. Eph 6:12

Evil spirits seek division. God’s Spirit pursues peace.
1 Peter 3:10-11
For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

If the natural bent for humanity is discord, then your spiritual bent should be unity.

Are you pursuing peace? If not, then why?

Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

What if it was your pursuit of peace that caused that person to see the holiness of God and it changes their eternity? That’s a lovely thought, but that is going to require some things of you.

Like sacrifice. Starting with your flesh.
Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 8:6
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Peace is a result of ignoring the flesh and focusing on the Spirit.

As long as your flesh is being satisfied, peace isn’t an option.

Starting with the flesh and moving to your need to be right.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
This verse is so powerful.
Whatever you are seeking that is not the Kingdom will simply never satisfy you.

Sometimes being right means burning bridges. Sometimes we are so focused on being right, we don’t realize that we are right but our lives are surrounded by ruins.

When we seek the Kingdom we seek peace.
Romans 14:17
for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit

However hard you are pursuing justice, being right, holding that grudge, being angry, pursue peace that hard instead, and then watch how God changes everything.

3. Refuse to be offended.
You want to stop discord in its tracks? Don’t be offended. Offense lives in our flesh. Offense is a tool of the enemy to sow discord.

There are times when people actually do things that are hurtful, but just like hurt is not an excuse to engage in an addiction, it isn’t an excuse to be offended either.

But that isn’t fair, is it? If they are offensive, we should have the right to be offended!

How does God deal with us when we are offensive to him? When we sin. When we abuse his grace. When we wallow in our flesh.
Psalm 103:10-14
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

If God refuses to walk in offense towards us, why do we walk in offense towards others?

This all goes back to what you are seeking. Active offense in your life simply means that discord is winning. It means you are seeking your own desires and refusing to be led by the Spirit.

God wants to correct this in us! It is always a focus issue! Flesh or Spirit! Which one are you seeking?

Proverbs 17:9
Whoever covers an offense seeks love

Proverbs 19:11
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Glory here is a word that means “victory.”
When you overlook offenses, you are victorious,

Why? Because discord is defeated.

Discord is rampant in this area. It is in families, friendships, businesses, churches, even in our own hearts. God wants us to be set free from the oppression of this spirit.

We are going to have a confession in just a moment, but it is important now to stop and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how discord has been operating in our lives. It may be in the areas I just mentioned, but it is all designed to sow discord between you and God.

Close your eyes. Holy Spirit, please show me where discord is working in my life.

“Father, I confess now that a spirit of discord has affected how I think, believe, and act. I acknowledge that I have allowed discord to operate in my life in many ways. I repent before you, Lord, for my involvement with the spirit of discord and come out of agreement with the spirit of discord in the name of Jesus. By the power of Your blood and Your Holy Spirit in me, Lord, I dismantle it, bind it from attaching itself to me or my dependents, and command it to flee and never return.

I confess Father that I have allowed offense, bitterness, anger, frustration, jealousy, hatred, among other things to increase discord in my life. I have chased after my flesh and ignored your Spirit in these areas of my life where discord has been working. I confess this as sin and receive your forgiveness.

In the name of Jesus, I confess I have allowed discord to impact my relationship with you. Thank you for not walking in offense towards me, and I ask that by your Spirit you restore to us the relationship discord has tried to ruin.

Form this moment on, I refuse to allow discord to have any impact in my life. I command discord to flee and never return, not just in my life, not just in my family, but in this church and this area in the name of Jesus. I speak unity over my life and this area in Jesus name.

I am a new creation, and all things are made new in you Jesus. Fill every space emptied by discord with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.”

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?