Let Us Be United In Christ Jesus

Paul was a great scholar, he came from a great tribe of Gods chosen people, he was faithful to God and according to Mosaic laws he was found spotless, guiltless among his people. Yet we find even he tirelessly needs to re state his position amongst Gods people. Do we consider ourselves greater than Paul? How necessary then should it be for us as professing Christians to state and re state our position as heirs of God and to witness day by day of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It was not pride in Paul rather it was his faithful nature in seeking first to promote the person of the Lord Jesus Christ that has him make these statements of authority. So should it be ours too!

He has a duty and a need to set these people once again on the right path, because this Church here at Corinth is literally tearing itself apart.

We have read earlier in our Call to Worship from Proverbs Ch 6 vs 16 to 19 of seven things that the Lord hates, seven things that can so often bring about heartache and sow those seeds of discord within the lives of Christian men and women today, seven things that break up lives, yes and places where people seek to worship God. Seven things it says that are an abomination to our Lord “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breaths out lies, and one who sows discord among his brothers.”

Is not this just what was happening at Corinth? How like our Church today, it seems we haven’t learned a thing doesn’t it? Everyone has their favourite preachers, and people they won’t entertain listening too! Everyone has an axe to grind either with the minister or the stewards, or the organist, or the preacher. Folks within our organisation who simply don’t get on! Folk who have their own slants on what scripture says and means, and are prepared to twist it to their own ends. People seek popularity and do whatever it takes to make themselves more popular or likeable. Popular and soul warming parts of scripture are read and taught from our pulpits and other not so nice and friendly parts missed out for risk of causing offence. Our Methodist body we sometimes feel puts public popularity before Gods word. Gradually we can begin to depart from what we know to be right and worthy of our Lord. And when we do we fail to walk in his ways and the joy of communion with him and with his people leaves us and it all sows discord, dis unity among Gods people, because momentarily we all take our eyes off the Lord. And when our eyes loose sight of him, like Peter walking on the water to Jesus, down we go! In to sin. Trusting in the flesh and loosing sight of the saviour soon leaves us swallowed up by the world and the worldly!

This afternoon I would like you and I to search our selves to see if any of those things could be said about us.

Where then do our eyes need to be focussed? What is Paul; teaching us?

I aim to make what I feel to be the two most important observations from this passage. Perhaps two of the most important observations from scripture for any who seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.