Searching for Unity
I. INTRODUCTION
A. The 2008 Campaign for the presidential nomination is fully upon us. And whether you are following the Democrat or Republican race (or both), the rhetoric has been at times rancorous and divisive. It will only get worse as the parties decide on their candidate, and those candidates face off in the general election. I will not be surprised if the race for president further exposes the deep-set divisions in the American people.
1. It seems that we Americans are split over many issues: some social, other economic, and certainly there are disparate positions on the war on Terror and the US’s presence in Iraq.
2. Now while there is more that unites us than divides us, unity would not be a word many would use to describe the United States at this time in our history.
3. The United States, however, does not have a monopoly on disagreement and disunity.
B. At different times throughout the ages, these words could easily have described the Church of Jesus Christ.
1. Since the Protestant reformation in the 1500's, Protestants and Catholics have argued their differences over mission and theology. And while both have made some important strides in the last 50 years, I would not say that unity is a word that describes the universal church.
2. Even in protestant circles there is much disagreement in theology and mission.
a Dunking or Sprinkling; Infant or adult;
b the church is a lifeboat rescuing people from a drowning world or the church is an agent to transform the world into the kingdom of God on earth.
3. And there is disagreement and disunity in the Presbyterian church as we enter into another year where the PCUSA is fighting over many issues:
a social issues like homosexuality and abortion,
b economic issues like minimum wage and health care,
c and theological issues like the authority of scripture and the Lordship of Christ.
C. I have sometimes heard people lament the disunity that is evident in our country and in our churches - wondering, “Why does it have to be that way?”
1. They say, “If we could just return to the 1950's” or “If we could just get back to the way it was in the early church” we would be alright.
D. Unfortunately, much of this hindsight is seen through dimly colored glasses - for the unity we believe we are called to in the church has never really been fully realized - even in the early New Testament church.
1. But that doesn’t mean there is not hope! I want to look at two passages and reflect on the unity to which we are called and yet find so hard to achieve.
II. SCRIPTURE (A)
A. Corinth.
1. Paul founded the Corinthian church on one of his missionary journeys. As people came to believe in Jesus through Paul’s preaching, he gathered them in House-Churches where they would worship and fellowship together.
2. Corinth was a large city and there was a wide range of Socio-Economic levels present.
3. Paul’s preaching reached people in all level’s of Corinthian Society.
a Privileged classes, working classes, even the poor and slave classes.
b As a result the Corinthian House Churches were full of economic and social diversity.
c It was not unusual to have a rich merchant sharing the Lord’s supper with a poor slave.
4. This “melting pot” of people in the Corinthian Church inevitably caused tension within the church as it tried to take seriously the claim that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, Slave nor free, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.”
5. After planting the Corinthian Church, Paul had moved on to other regions to do the same. He had been away long enough for serious misunderstandings to arise. This letter to the Corinthians was prompted by two items.
a First, he had received a letter from “Chloe’s people” which reported that there was serious dissension in the community over a number of issues.
b Secondly, he had received a request from the Church as they sough his advice on a number of issues.
6. So Paul wrote this long letter. He believed that the Corinthian Church was at a moment of crisis and testing.
a Would they heed his words and recover a disciplined unity in the faith, or would the community disintegrate before the forces of pride, rivalry, and spiritualized self-indulgence?
B. Philippi
1. There was also a serious problem at Philippi, though we have less of an idea what the problem was there than we do at Corinth
2. Apparently there was discord among the people which was a result of a variety of self-serving and self-centered behaviors.
3. The conflict resulting from these behaviors was distracting the church from its witness and making it more difficult for the church to live in the midst of the hostile culture.
III. Comments (A)
A. So here we have two churches planted by THE GREATEST MISSIONARY APOSTLE ever, having such serious problems that they were hurting the cause of the gospel.
1. And this was not long after having been founded.
B. In fact, if you read behind much of what is written in the New Testament, you will see that there has always been disagreement and division.
1. Circumcision or uncircumcision; eat pork or don’t eat pork; associate or don’t associate.
2. One of my professors in Seminary wrote this concerning the New Testement quest for unity: The elusive unity for which Peter yearned and which Paul sought to achieve, which James attempted to preserve, and which Luke labored to portray in his account of the early Church, was not achieved (Quest for Unity in the New Testament Church, Achtemeier.)
C. Disagreement and division was present in the New Testament Church, in the Mediaeval Church, in the Protestant reformation; in the Modern Church, and it is present today in the post-modern church.
D. I think when any two people gather together around faith in Jesus Christ, there will be the possibility for disagreement and division just because of how important each persons faith is to that person.
1. One’s experience of God is very personal (even though church is by its very nature communal). When you gather people of different faith experiences and expectations together, there is the possibility of disagreement and disunity.
2. Brooke and I came from two very different religious traditions, and we have needed every bit of our nearly 15 years of our marriage to grow in unity in our understanding of Faith and the things of God. We started off in very different places on a number of faith issues.
E. I think the difficulty of really coming together in unity in faith is one reason why Jesus’ words about “agreeing in his name” in prayer is so powerful.
1. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:19-20
F. As we face the challenges of differences, disagreement, and disunity, is there anything that can be done? Is the Church completely without hope?
1. Of Course not; and Paul wrote these letters to help bring some unity to the churches he cared so much about. He believed that unity was a possibility, if the church would be willing to follow his instructions and work toward unity.
IV. SCRIPTURE (B)
A. To the Corinthians,
1. Paul listed all of the things that God had done for them:
a God had given them grace,
b God had enriched them in knowledge and speech,
c God had not withheld any spiritual gift,
d God had strengthened the testimony of Jesus among them.
2. Because of these things that God had done, Paul wanted them to put aside their divisions and unite with the same mind and the same purpose.
3. His appeal: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 1 Cor 1:10
B. To the Philippians
1. He began by complementing them. (Although the English here is translated if, the meaning of the Greek is “since.”)
a Since you already encourage one another in Christ,
b Since you have love for one another,
c Since you have fellowship in the spirit and are compassionate, you DO have a strong foundation upon which to build.”
2. Paul pointed out to them - all of the good things they have shared as a church. Since they have done so well in these things, he knows they can overcome their discord and excel in becoming united in purpose. And when they become united they will better able to stand firm against their opposition and take further steps in their ministry.
a “Since you have such a strong foundation: make my joy complete by being of one mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one purpose.”
b It would fill Paul with joy for them to put aside their differences uniting together in one mind and one ministry.
c But more than making just Paul happy, it is clear that their unity would really please the Lord. Paul so identified his life with Christ that his joy is also Christ’s joy.
C. Paul is not suggesting that they have to agree on everything. (No church from the first century church to the 21st century church has a prayer of having a church full of people who would agree on everything.)
1. Rather what he is challenging them to have is a common purpose and a common attitude or mind set. What Paul is saying is really not that foreign to us:
a Any successful athletic team has to have a common purpose and attitude, for it to be successful. While members of the team may not agree on every decision made, they are united in a common goal.
b However, when members of the team begin focusing on themselves rather than the goal, the team begins to suffer.
2. This is similar to what Paul is asking of the Corinthians. He realized that each person comes to faith from a different place; but those differences can serve as a help rather than a hindrance. (Remember the body analogy).
a What can bring unity, even in the midst of differences is to be like minded in purpose and have a common attitude of the heart.
D. Common Purpose
1. The common purpose they shared was the proclamation of the Good news of Jesus Christ and the continuation of Jesus ministry on earth.
E. Like-mindedness
1. The right attitude of the heart they were to hold in common came from the attitude Jesus lived with.
2. What better model for the right attitude exists than Jesus himself.
3. He lays this model of Jesus out in three instructions:
a First of a Paul tells them:“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
1 One way for the Philippians to regain their unity was for their members to consider their motivation and stop doing things solely for the purpose of personal glorification. With true humility, they were to act as if everyone was better than they.
b Secondly he says:“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
1 Stop being self-centered. In the words of a recent pastor - “It’s not about you.”
c Finally, what is a appropriate for those who are in Jesus Christ is to have the same mind of Jesus: who though he was in the form God, he did not equate equality with God as something to be exploited and so he emptied himself and became a servant in human form. And he became obedient unto death.
d Jesus did not hold onto his special status. Rather he voluntarily emptied himself, placed himself under all the conditions of the human experience, served and died without promise of reward.
e As a result “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,”
4. Christ acted on our behalf without view of gain, and this is what God vindicated: self denying service for others with no eye on reward.
5. This great “Christ Hymn” of the early church pointed out three great characteristics of Jesus: humility, obedience, and self-sacrifice.
a Paul is saying to his beloved church: In your relationships with each other, have the mind of Christ, follow in his example and let his way be the governing attitude of the church.
b If you do this, you will be able to get past all of your disagreements and disunity.
V. COMMENTS:
A. Was the ancient church able to do this? Well obviously not completely. Neither did the Medieval Church, the reformation church, or the modern church.
B. But for those of us in the post-modern church, we would do well to listen to Paul’s instructions:
1. Let us first of all, unite in a common purpose. And that purpose is one given to us by Jesus
a To go into to all the world making disciples and
b proclaiming the mighty acts of Jesus Christ as we bear his light into a world dwelling in darkness.
c For us here at First Presbyterian, It is to become a community where people are being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ.
d If we keep that vision in front of us, those things that we disagree on just don’t seem as important.
2. Secondly, let us cultivate the mind of Christ.
a Let us do nothing in the church that comes from selfish ambition or vain conceit.
b Let us look not just to our own interests and desires, but consider others better than ourselves.
c And let us become servants of one another as we follow Jesus’ model of self-sacrificial ministry.
C. This passage is one of the most significant and challenging writings in the New Testament. It is a call to put aside our own desires and seek unity that comes from having the mind of Christ. A common mindset that considers others better than ourselves and one that look’s to another’s interests before our own.
D. The fallen nature of humans, I think, often gets in the way of following Paul’s instructions. Unity remains an ideal toward which God calls us to work, but one which can never be achieved this side of heaven. But we are not without hope.
E. The whole of the New Testament witness is that even when the mission and ministry of the church seemed to be hindered by disagreement and disunity, the Holy Spirit still made a way. Why else are we here this morning? The gospel of Jesus prevailed because of the work and presence of the Holy Spirit.
F. So while we are called to work toward a common purpose and mind set, and have been given a model to follow in Jesus, we have to ultimately leave the achievement of peace, purity, and unity in the hands of the Spirit. And I am convinced that the Spirit will work a way, work in us, and eventually unite us around the throne of Jesus Christ.