Dividing Christ's Unified Work-Part Two

January 30, 2005 Preacher: Randy Smith Series: 1 Corinthians

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10–17

Transcript

Dividing Christ's Unified Work-Part Two

1 Corinthians 1:10-17
January 30, 2005
Pastor Randy Smith



In 1972 Studs Terkel published a book entitled: Working (Avon Books). It analysed roughly 50 people from different occupations as to what they liked and disliked about their jobs. And to Terkel's surprise, wages were not the most important consideration. He discovered that people seek satisfaction in their work far beyond a lofty paycheck.

For example one supermarket cashier included in the study remarked she had already accrued enough money for retirement, but nevertheless continues working for the personal enjoyment. She said, "When I'm on vacation, I can't wait to go, but two or three days away, I start to get fidgety. …I look forward to comin' to work. It's a great feeling" (380). The woman enjoyed her job. Why? Because her job brought her great satisfaction. She continues, "I know the price of every (item). …On the register is a list of some prices, that's for the part-times girls. I never look at it" (375). She enjoyed the respect and appreciation she received by her customers for excellent service. She also found great satisfaction in being regarded as trustworthy. "(When ringing up prices) I catch (mistakes) right then and there. I tell my customers, 'I overcharged you two pennies on this. I will take it off of your next item.' So my customers don't watch me when I ring up. They trust me" (378).

In his analysis, Terkel concluded that satisfaction in their careers took greater precedence than the reward of the paycheck. And he concluded that people find the greatest satisfaction in their jobs, when they can meet the genuine needs of others and then, like the woman I mentioned, be trusted and honoured and appreciated for meeting that need.

I believe all people created in the image of God have this tendency in their work because it mirrors the character of God in all that He does as well. God did not create and redeem each one of us in Christ Jesus to meet any needs or deficiencies on His part. God needs nothing from those He has created. The Bible says, "He (is not) served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things" (Ac. 17:25).

On the contrary, He created and recreated in Christ, so He could minister to those who are needy and deficient, so He could act on their behalf (Isa. 64:4). So He could find satisfaction in meeting their greatest need -their greatest need to be delivered from sin's condemnation (an eternity in hell) and sin's domination (an inability to please their Creator). And God meets this greatest need through His free unmerited gift called "grace."

As we learned last month, God called the Corinthian church out of a spiritually dark environment. He sanctified them (meaning He set them apart) so they could find the greatest longings of their heart met in Him and then live to the praise of His glory. In verse 4 Paul said he always thanked God for the grace that was given them. It was grace that saved them and grace that will help them grow in Christlikeness. But none of us can apply this grace, resulting in spiritual maturity, unless specific areas that need correction are identified for us.

Therefore, after explaining the role of grace (in verses 1-9), Paul begins to address spiritual concerns in verse 10. Again, God's goal in all this is to meet the greatest need in His people. He desires to show Himself worthy to be trusted which will result in our obedience. He desires to reveal His character so that we want to be holy just like Him. He desires to bring us joy and peace as we deny ourselves and forsake our sin and follow Him. He desires to satisfy our hearts, which then overflow in praise for His infinite goodness. God's grace is for our good, and when applied, results in God's satisfaction for meeting our greatest needs.

THE PROBLEM - Review

Last week we examined Paul's pressing concern for the Corinthian church. Though the people needed to be corrected on many sins, the first issue brought to their attention was divisions in the church.

Beginning in verse 10. "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you" (1 Cor. 1:10-11). The same concern is mentioned again in chapter 11, verse 18. "For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it."

Oftentimes we are surrounded by divisive and contentious people. We work with them and attend school with them. We see then in the stores and hear about them in our neighbourhoods. People who always have to have it their way. People who love to quarrel and argue. People prone to gossip and slander and complain. People that divide and create factions within society. The world is populated with these folks, but there is no place for their actions within the Christian community (and are we ever thankful for that!). For the home and the church that seeks to honour God must be united, free from divisions.

Since divisions reveal unchecked personal pride, since divisions fail to model the unity of the Trinity, since divisions demonstrate nothing about grace, and since divisions repel people from the church, they must be removed by order of God's command. Listen how firmly Paul deals with divisive people in two of his other letters. "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them" (Rom. 16:17). "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning" (Tit. 3:10).

Along these lines, in verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 1, Paul reveals a woman who understood the dangers of a divisive church. Her name was Chloe. She boldly brought her concerns to the Apostle Paul and was not ashamed to have her name mentioned in this letter. She was willing to stand for the unity of the church, even if it meant she would be ostracised by others. In contrast to those prideful folks causing divisions, Chloe forsook her own ego and did what was best for Christ and His bride.

How about you? Do you see the need for a unified church? Do you contribute to the unity or the division of the church? How are you like Paul and Chloe, sacrificing for the unity of the Body?

THE PRINCIPLE - Review

After examining the problem, last week, we also learned the principle of a unified environment. In verse 10 Paul said that we must "all agree…be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." Our Lord's goal for His Body is a unified environment with all members working in harmony, striving toward one common purpose (cf. Phil. 1:27; 2:1-4). But how can this be accomplished when we consider our vast diversity? It will only happen when we are all receiving our marching orders from the same Lord. Only then will we be in harmony.

Let me try to illustrate this for you: In 1887 a very famous musician by the name of Leopold Damrosch organized a musical festival in the city of New York. There were so many groups in this massive choir that he had to train them in different cities at different times, all separated. There was a choir in Manhattan, there was a choir in Brooklyn, in Newark, in Philadelphia, and Albany - and they were all drilled separately and taught separately. They were all trained to concert perfection in their abilities. But when they were all brought together to New York for that final grand concert, they all sang in perfect harmony - what was the reason? Because they were all drilled by the same leader to the same pitch and the same note.

We are all individual members of Christ's choir. Only when we all look to Him and follow His conducting will we function in harmony.

THE PRACTICE

Now with the time that remains before the baptisms, I'd like to consider three modern situations that are commonly the cause of Christian division. Allow me to mention them and then provide a remedy in line with Paul's command in verse 10 to all agree and be of the same mind. I'm calling this final point - "The Practice."

Different Doctrines

One hotbed for church division is doctrine. Now that may surprise you because doctrine is ultimately intended (and is necessary) to unify the church.

However, we must make the distinctions between primary and secondary doctrines! There are essential doctrines that must be accepted to be a Christian - doctrines such as the Resurrection, the Trinity, the atonement of Christ and justification by faith alone. In these areas we must have total agreement for the Christian faith. Then we have doctrinal distinctives not salvific in nature, but strongly accepted and taught by our church - doctrines such as the inerrancy of Scripture, gender roles, baptism by immersion, special creationism and the sovereignty of God in salvation. In these issues we must uphold our church constitution. Finally, there are doctrines on another level that will be debated in the church until the Lord returns, often implicit and seldom mentioned in Scripture. In these areas we must exercise charity.

According to John Calvin, "When divisions are rife in religion, it is bound to happen that what is in men's minds will soon erupt in real conflict. For while nothing is more effective for joining us together, and there is nothing which does more to unite our minds, and keep them peaceful, than agreement in religion, yet if disagreement has somehow arisen in connection with it, the inevitable result is that men are quickly stirred up to engage in fighting, and there is no other field with fiercer disputes" (1 Corinthians, p. 26-27).

Jeremiah Burroughs, the famous Puritan preacher said, "Articles or rules for doctrine or practice in matters of religion to be imposed upon men, should be as few as may be; there is very great danger in the unnecessary multiplying them. This in all ages has caused division and exceeding disturbances in the churches of Christ" (A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 303).

So how do we follow Paul and agree on all things? It's simple; there comes a point when we must agree to disagree. We need prudence on when to push an issue and when to back off. We need to know which theological hills to die on. Please excuse the sarcasm, but I hope our church never has a split over the colors of Joseph's coat when 99% of our neighborhood is lost and going to hell! And when people right here in this church need encouragement, material assistance, discipleship and comfort. Satan would love to see us spend all our time arguing and divided over Christian doctrine while accomplishing nothing for the Christian kingdom.

Now, does this mean we quit teaching the Word? Does this mean we ban personal conversations pertaining to each other's theology? Absolutely not! Last week we learned about Apollos and the obvious influence he made on the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4-6, 22; 16:12). But thanks need to go to a committed couple named Priscilla and Aquila who took Apollos aside and "explained to him the way of God more accurately" (Ac. 18:26). I can't tell you how thankful I am for the many men and women whom God has used over the years to shape my theological positions. I respect their commitment to the truth and the love and patience and charity and humility in which they conducted themselves.

Different Opinions

A second hotbed for church division is differences of opinions. Let's take personal convictions for example. There are many areas of Christian living that are neither black nor white, right nor wrong in the Bible: how we celebrate a holiday or school our children, whether or not we drink alcohol or attend certain movies. All of us must make certain God-honoring decisions in these and many other areas. Yet in doing so, all of us will land in different positions.

So how do we stay unified and all agree as Paul commanded in 1 Corinthians 1? Simple, we give each family the respect to make their own personal decisions. We do not look down upon them - that's judgmentalism. Nor do we make them share our convictions - that's legalism.

Well, you ask, what about differences within the home? Simple again. The Bible says, "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Though these matters should be prayerfully discussed in love, God has given primary spiritual leadership in the home to the man. And God will hold him accountable as He did with Adam in the Garden (Gen. 3:9f).

You say, what about differences within the church when we all must follow one direction? Simple once again. In areas that we cannot agree, final decisions are to be left in the responsibility of the ministry leaders and deacons and ultimately the elders. Again, these are people also accountable before God. In reference to the elders, Hebrews 13:17a says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account."

There's no excuse. God has provided us everything for a unified environment. When we agree to respect each other's convictions and humbly submit to God-given leadership under the lordship of Christ, we can follow the exhortation to be in united agreement.

Different Cliques

Lastly, cliques are another divisive element in the church. Cliques are forming small parties within the church at the exclusion of others. They develop from a prideful spirit toward ones "group" with a tendency to treat others as inferior. They compartmentalize the church. They result in divisions, schisms and eventually church splits.

Paul attacked the Corinthians for this very problem (1 Cor. 1:12) as they boasted in their favorite leader. To counter their immaturity, he willingly demoted himself in verse 13. In verse 17, he was humbly shifted the focus to Christ crucified. And there's the answer for clique-busting unity - the cross! You see, when we only associate with others just like us, we reveal nothing special about the cross. We are simply acting like the world. But when we can reveal unity that transcends gender and culture and ethnicity and age and interest, we boast in the cross that breaks down all dividing walls (cf. Eph. 2:11-16). We enjoy great unity and God enjoys great glory.

All three of these common hotbeds for disunity are basically something good gone bad. All three are intended to unite us, but due to sin they have tremendous potential to divide. Doctrine gone wrong produces divisiveness. Convictions gone wrong produce legalism. And fellowship gone wrong produces partiality.

We are called to all agree. But our unity is not uniformity. We are not to be clones of one another. Walter J. Chantry once said, "There is something childish…about churches in which all of the saints observe precisely the same standards. When all lives begin to sink into the same mould of denial and exercise of liberty, something is amiss" (The Shadow of the Cross - Studies in Self-Denial, 1981, p. 42, by permission Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA.).

On the contrary, God is greater glorified when He takes our diversity and creates a blended unity. And it will only happen as we practice: self-denial, biblical submission and charity. As its been quoted so often, "Unanimity in things necessary; liberty in things not necessary; in all things prudence and charity." (Herman Witsius, quoted in: Who Will Be Saved? House and Thornbury ed. Crossway, 2000, p. 220).

As separate branches, we must all abide in the same Vine. And as separate body parts we must always follow the same Head. We must be intent on His purpose to follow the Great Commandments to love the Lord will all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves and the Great Commission to make disciples of all the nations. When we keep these priorities always before us, we will magnify all that we have in common and further His kingdom, not as competitors, but as co-workers. Only then will God see the satisfaction He desires for the grace He dispenses to create a unified church.


More in 1 Corinthians

April 22, 2007

Edification or Self-Exaltation

April 15, 2007

Everything Minus Love Equals Nothing

March 18, 2007

You Need Us