If I were allowed to be the one to make the choice of what the church, the entire body of Christ, should have as the main focus, I would choose surgery – reconstructive surgery to put the body back in a healing mode.
I believe today the church is more divided than at any time since the day of Pentecost when she had her birth. This is a sickness, and the patient is close to terminal! I believe it is time for the people of God to climb-up on the gurney at Heaven’s Hospital, and be wheeled into the Great Physician’s operating room. And my prayer is that He would place the pacemaker of team spirit and humility in His bride!
In a special feature on the DVD of the movie The Natural, baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. talks about his view of success. Even though he is one of the greatest individual players in baseball history, what mattered most to him was succeeding as a team. In the interview, he says: "I’d much rather be referred to not as an individually great player, or someone who tore up the record books, but someone who came to the ball park and said: ’Okay, I’m here. I want to play. What can I do to help us win today?’"
A lot of people ask, "What is your greatest play—your greatest accomplishment?" I say, "I caught the last out of the World Series." It wasn’t a great catch—I didn’t dive, I didn’t do a cartwheel and throw the guy out at first base. People’s mouths didn’t drop open on the play. We all want to be part of something bigger. But we all have our little jobs that we have to do as a member of a team. Everybody has their individual responsibilities, but they all have to come together for a main goal, and that’s to win. I’ve had great years when we haven’t won, and they have not been really fulfilling. I’ve had not-so-great years, but we’ve had a good success as a team, and they were more fulfilling. So the most fulfilling moment I could ever have, again, was catching the last out of the World Series—knowing WE did it!
Cal Ripken was one of the best players ever to put on the uniform, and at the same time humble enough to be a team player. That is what the church needs. [1]
I want to frame this morning’s message in the language of “the team”; four vital realities about playing on Jesus’ team, the church. This message is based on the text of First Corinthians, but could very easily be preached from the fourth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. His message to them was almost identical.
Reality #1. We’re Connected to Each Other
1 Corinthians 12:12-17 12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
We are called by Christ into one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith. We were called into a created unity of the body of believers. We are connected like “Mr. Bones” [2] over there. Every bone is important because every other bone is tied to the next.
And that unity is so important in the church. Christ did not die so the church could fall apart; He died so the abundant life would gather His family around the throne of God in joyful celebration.
What is so unique is that we had nothing to do with it -- it was all the grace of God, and He puts us together. And the way He puts us together is in unity. In his letter to the Ephesian church Paul calls it the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And it is not just a “church-thing”. The need for relationship is common to human needs. Why do you suppose dating services like eHarmony.com and other interpersonal phone services are so popular? We all have a desire for connection.
Now, we are not perfect, and we are bound to break that unity. That’s why Paul talks about the way we act – so that if the unity is broken, it can be restored. Many churches have union – and no unity. That’s like two cats with their tails tied together. There is union, but precious little unity.
How do you do it? How do you keep the unity of spirit; and how can you get it back if it’s been broken? Paul gives us a road map in Ephesians 4. The way to keep, or regain unity of spirit in God’s local church is with humility, patience and – in some instances – just plain putting up with each other’s faults; all of it wrapped-up in plenty of forgiving love.
Jesus told the people who followed him up to the mountainside for His most famous sermon that they ought to love their enemies.[3] In Galatians [4] Paul takes it a bit further, saying how much more critical it is for us to love those in the household of faith.
Notice one thing, Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian church was to "keep" the unity. It is always much easier to keep things, than to regain them.
Once you’ve scattered the feathers from a pillow into the wind, you have a tough time getting them all back.
It’s like that with words too. Words, just like the toothpaste you squeezed onto your brush this morning, come through a one-way door. Once they’re out, the damage, or healing is set in motion. Keeping unity means choosing wise words that help, kind words that heal, good words that build.
Reality #2. We Need Each Other
1 Corinthians 12:18-21 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
There is always a temptation to assume that some members of the church are “expendable”. A rich man looks at a poor man and imagines that he can contribute little, while the poor look back and feel like they cannot have anything to contribute because we are judged on worldly success so often; it has become our default thinking.
The sick look with envy on those who never seem to suffer physically; the well look at the sickly as a drain on resources…folks who don’t pull their weight.
Scripture says that all parts of the body are needed, and God is the one who brings us together to serve together. We cannot afford to “look down” on one another.
We cannot harbor thoughts that border on “boy, this church would be so much better off without her; our church doesn’t need people who think like that; I wish he would just stop coming.”
We need each other like a hand needs an arm to move it to do its work. We need each other like a stomach needs a mouth, and like arteries and vessels need a heart to pump the blood.
And there is one more need…
Reality #3. We Need To Respect Each Other
1 Corinthians 12:22-31a 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But strive for the greater gifts.
God has equipped each of us with abilities and talents that lie dormant, waiting to be developed. These gifts are different in all people. And rightly so. The body doesn’t need all noses or all feet. Jesus knows what the church needs.
"Being real" means discovering the gifts God has uniquely placed in your life, and using those gifts to glorify Him. The basic quest in all our lives is to find out the tasks God wants us to do, and do it with all our ability and strength.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30
Now, the worst case scenario for any church is when people are squeezed into doing things they are not gifted to do – or doing what they like, rather than that for which they’ve been equipped. In the natural body, the nose, for instance, would not do well at swinging a baseball bat. The mouth makes a terrible eyeball – you would have to taste all sorts of horrible things to "see" what they are!
There is a gift that you have – and you should use it well. Paul says that will bless and strengthen the church! And, we might add, that being real – using what God gave you for God’s purposes, is the very thing your brother in Christ needs to see. There is nothing more uplifting and challenging to a believer than to see another believer being diligent in his faith. This is true Christian support, each person working to serve God to the fullest, and respecting his Christian brother, that he will do the same.
Reality #4. We Must Be Genuine With Each Other
Paul told us in Ephesians 4 to speak the truth in love. Deciding how to speak the truth in love may be the toughest assignment in the Christian’s day. There is always the possibility of being misunderstood – having your thoughts come out wrong, too harsh, too vague, too wishy-washy, et al.
Years ago, when I was serving a church in Jacksonville, Florida, one Saturday evening I went to a department store to pick up some pictures I’d had developed. The store is huge, and the film department is near a side entrance – so I parked near the side, and walked to the door. Finding the door locked, I looked down the long walk to the main entrance, and decided it was now or never to put into motion that New Year’s resolution on exercise.
As I walked, I noticed a car that was parked near the front entrance. Approaching from the rear I recognized it as my neighbor’s Ford, who was also our distinguished Minister of Music at the church. The man waiting in the driver’s seat was facing away, but his features and that Seminole shirt gave him away. Deciding to "aggravate" him a little, I crept alongside the back door, put my full weight (post-holiday) against the car, and rocked it back and forth several times. (I could swear it was going to tip over!)
When I decided I’d made my point, I leaned over – with a self-satisfied grin on my face – and peered in the window. The man was a complete stranger with a look of total bewilderment on his face. He said to me:
"I DON’T WANT ANY!"
Folks, the man was speaking the truth, but it wasn’t in love!
There is no such thing as love without the truth -- we need to be honest with each other. We need to deal with the irritations and differences that normally occur in human relationships. We need to work through our differences; otherwise the truth will be spoken in hostility and criticism. That is truth without love, and that breaks the unity of the spirit.
Christ is honored when the body grows numerically -- but it must grow spiritually first, or the numbers will just be bigger and "badder" relationships filled with conflict. I would suggest to you a theme verse for this new year...Ephesians 4.15 paraphrased:
We’re gonna speak the truth in love so we can grow up in Jesus!
Speaking the truth in love will solve a lot of problems -- it is the place to begin solving any problem. It will regain and keep the spirit of unity – it will lift up Christ.
Gifts are given by God, placed in this body and expected to be used for His glory. May we use our gifts diligently, and while we are working for Him, let’s recognize our need for each other, respect each other, encourage each other, and strengthen the connection of each other, all to the glory of God.
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ENDNOTES
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1] The Natural (Tristar Pictures, 1984), directed by Barry Levinson (emphasis added)
2] Skeleton on loan from Dr. Barger
3] Matthew 5:43-48
4] Galatians 6:10
