United with One Another
Notes
Transcript
As we began our study in “Believer Building” we talked about the phrase “One Another” and how it is used in the scriptures of what we are to do for each other in the body of Christ and for the world.
We started out with “Love One Another”, as Jesus first loves us and how that phrase gives the world the right to judge our faith in Christ by the way we love each other.
Now, we are going to see what God has to say about being “United with One Another”, because love is what unites us, not divides us.
[Ills.] One Sunday a pastor was presenting a children’s sermon about how God wants all of us to be one. A little girl interrupted him and said, “Hey Pastor, I don’t want to be one; I want to be four.”
The little girl meant she wanted to stay four years old and not be one again, but many adult Christians don’t want to be one in the fellowship of their churches. It’s much easier for us to be in our own thing, be in little cliques, not really unified with the rest of the church.
The source of all disunity or divisiveness is our fallen, selfish nature.
Turn with me to James 4
[James 4:1a] What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Doesn’t it strike you odd that James would ask that type of question to a group of christians?
How does he answer that question in [4:1b-3]? Because of our fleshly desires, fleshly prayers and selfishness!
United- joined together for a common purpose [Glorify God] by common beliefs [faith in Christ], and common feelings [love for one another].
Unity- joined together being complete as a whole [Diversity of gifts/functions in the Body of Christ]
If you put those two words together you get the word “Unifier”
Unifier- one who works to keep the faith and fellowship of believers focused on the fullness of Christ!
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Text; 1 Cor. 1:10
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1. Unifier of the Faith; 10a
1. Unifier of the Faith; 10a
“All speak the same thing”- Paul is telling the church that they cannot be in conflict over Bible doctrine. Nothing causes more conflict, confusion and division in a church than differing views on the basic teachings of the Bible. [Salvation, baptism, spiritual gifts, discipleship, evangelism, Trinity, virgin birth, etc..]
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Mark 3:24–25 (NKJV)
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
The marriage relationship between a man and woman is the best picture of the faith relationship we have in Christ. And if the marriage is not unified, neither will our faith be.
[Ills. by Pastor Tommy Higle] Some newlyweds make the huge mistake of saying, “I will go to my church each Sunday, and you can go to yours. When we have children, we will let them take turns going with each of us to our different churches, and when they get old enough, we will let them make up their own minds.” Under those circumstances, do you know what decision most kids make when they grow up? They decide not to go to church at all because they are confused by conflicting teachings about the Gospel.
If you as a couple are not one in your Christian faith, your kids will probably be turned off completely towards Christianity. Therefore, if you cannot agree about your faith, don’t get married. It will be a source of conflict for the rest of your married life and be devastating to your children.
If you cannot be one in your faith, believing what your church believes about the bible, then find another church or get right with the Lord! Otherwise you will always be a source of conflict and confusion to believers and the lost as well.
You either believe all of the Bible is truth or you don’t believe truth at all!!
2. Unifier of Fellowship; 10b
2. Unifier of Fellowship; 10b
“No divisions among you”- Paul is saying there should be no divisions among believers in mind and thought. In what we believe and what we are called to do in Christ.
Divisions (SCHISMA, skis-mah) means to split or tear. “Schism,” means “a split or division in an organized group.”
A schism in the church usually occurs when someone gets offended about something and then people start choosing sides.
There are proper channels in life and in the church if someone has offended you and it’s not gossip or choosing sides. It’s called communicating!
Your offense against your brother;
Matthew 5:23–24 (NKJV)
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
It’s kind of hypocritical to come to worship a forgiving, loving God if you have a “schism” in your relationship with another and you are the fault. That’s Pharisaic [Mt. 23:23-28]
Your brother’s offense against you;
Matthew 18:15–17 (NKJV)
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Here we have a schism that is public. That matter needs to be resolved between the two parties alone if possible. If it cannot then it needs to have others come and be witnesses to the dispute that know about it and the real details of the dispute, not here-say. And if it involves the church then the church needs to be involved to pray for the person who is causing the division.
3. How can We Prevent Church Schism’s;
3. How can We Prevent Church Schism’s;
Don’t Gossip- Gossip is talking about people behind their backs in a negative way that is not intended to help or protect.
Last week I showed where Paul places gossip in a list of sins. Right in the middle of “selfish ambition, arrogance, evil-mindedness and haters of God!” [Rom. 1:28-31, 2 Cor. 12:20]
Gossip is the fuel that continues to stoke the fires of division!
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
“If you are a gossip and don’t want to stop, please leave and don’t come back.”
Support church leaders- Most people support their employers, boss, etc.. That needs to be done in church more-so.
Support means to hold up, affirm
The only reasons church leaders should not be followed are if they are guilty of teaching false doctrine, moral failure, or being incompetent.
17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
I might not have always agreed with all my parents told me to do, or even the way they did some things. But I have no doubt that what they did and how they did things were for my benefit and not to hurt me.
Pastors and leaders in the church will give an account to God for the way they lead. Support them so they can give an account of you with joy and not with grief!
Pastors are also called overseers (Acts 20:28 & 1 Pet. 5:2), which means they are to oversee everything that goes on in the church. They carry the heaviest burden of all. They are responsible to oversee the spiritual health of the entire flock by preaching and teaching the Word of God. It is a serious responsibility with great rewards if done the right way. Church members need to take it seriously too.
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Be Proactive- Be the one to take the first step in being a “unifier”.
It’s amazing to me in the christian circles that no one wants to lead and take the initiative in reconciliation/making peace.
“He started it!”
“Hell will freeze over before I say I’m sorry.”
“Their getting what they deserve.”
“I’m better off without them anyway”
The reason people are unwilling to take the first step is pride. Pride breeds schisms and division in the first place and it is pride that prevents unity from being restored.
[Job 41] In this chapter God describes to Job what is called the “Leviathan”. By most accounts, bible scholars consider it “a large sea creature, identity unknown”. Some type of dinosaur.
But Leviathan is used 6 times in scripture and each time it is used of anything of enormous size and power. Even including a dinosaur. But I want you to see how Leviathan is used in [Isa. 26-27]
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.
1 In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
What is going on here and who is Leviathan? The context is the latter part of the Great Tribulation and the end times where God will defeat Satan [Leviathan] and put all evil under His feet.
If we are going to be proactive in preventing church schisms, we must first let go of our pride! Satan didn’t and you see what has happened to him!!
Jesus prayed that we as believers would be one as He and the Father are one. He also prayed that believers be brought to complete unity as a witness to the world that He is the Son of God.
John 17:22–23 (NKJV)
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Close;
July 20
The Family of God
I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. (Ephesians 3:14–15)
There is an important message for the believing family of God in the Bible: next to God Himself we need each other most!
God’s ideal is a fellowship of faith, a Christian community. He never intended that salvation should be received and enjoyed by the individual apart from the larger company of believers. With that, it also needs to be said that to live within the religious family does not mean that we must approve everything that is done there.
But God has so created us that we need each other. We may and should go into our closet and pray in secret, but when the prayer is ended we should go back to our people. That is where we belong.
No one is wise enough to live alone, nor good enough nor strong enough. From our brethren we can learn how to do things and sometimes also we can learn how not to do them!
Our Lord who is the Great Shepherd has said that we are the sheep of His pasture and it is in our nature to live with the flock. Best of all, the Shepherd always stays with His flock!
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2008). Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings. Moody Publishers.