At one time, we had a large aquarium. It was fun to keep it up and to learn about the different sorts of tropical fish that we kept. One of my very favorite fish was the Betta Splendens. Sometimes they are called bettas or they are called Siamese Fighting Fish. There is a picture of a betta on the cover of the sermon notes page. In their native habitat, these fish can live in puddles or rice paddies or any place where the water slow moving. The male fish have these beautiful flowing fins that make them very striking. But one of the interesting things is that the males cannot tolerate each other. You cannot put more than one of them in an aquarium or they will simply tear each other up – hence the name Siamese Fighting Fish.
Dan Ericksen tells a story all too familiar in the annals of church history. In the 1890’s there was a small Baptist church in Mayfield County, Kentucky. The church had two deacons who were constantly arguing and bickering. One of them put up a small wooden peg on the back wall so that the pastor could hang up his hat. When the other deacon discovered the peg, he was outraged, “How dare you put up a peg without consulting me!” The people in the church took sides and the congregation eventually split. Today the residents of Mayfield County still refer to the two churches as Peg Baptist Church and Anti-Peg Baptist Church. (New Life for the Church, by Doyle Young, Page 63.)
I’d suppose that if it was only these two deacons that had issues with getting along – we’d be ok. But the fact of the matter is that Christianity has struggled - almost from the very beginning – with unity. There are numerous examples in the scriptures of Christians simply not able to work together. There are examples of Christians choosing up sides. There are examples of Christians choosing to walk away from each other because they could not agree.
We find that as Jesus began his ministry, there was a certain amount of mistrust and nitpicking between those who followed John the Baptist and the disciples of Jesus. The followers of John once asked, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9.14)
In the Church at Corinth, the situation got so bad that Paul had to call them on it. It seems that there was quarreling and a number of factions had formed in the Corinthian Church. Some claimed to follow Paul, the founding missionary. Some claimed to follow Apollos, a brilliant preacher. Some claimed to follow Peter and still others Christ. Paul would have none of this. In his first letter to the Corinthian believers, we find that Paul really hammers the believers there for arguing and for choosing up sides. Let me read you some of what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote:
“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.” (1 Corinthians 1.10-15)
I find it absolutely amazing that Paul even puts the notion of Christian unity above the notion of whom he baptized among the believers in Corinth. That is really an amazing point. It isn’t that Paul doesn’t value the Sacraments, but that clear and manifest disunity among Christians is a great and grievous sin! Division and separation happen because of sin – no question about it. Here, listen to what Paul writes about the Corinthian brethren’s party spirit in chapter three:
“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Corinthians 3.3-7)
One day, John came to Jesus with a what he thought was a serious problem. Let’s read about it:
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (Mark 9.38-41)
The disciples had apparently seen a person who was not in their group casting out demons in Jesus name. Now, the disciples had been unable to help a little boy who was possessed by an evil spirit at about the same time and so when they saw this other fellow do it – maybe it stung them just a bit. So John tried to stop the man! But Jesus told him “Don’t stop him!” He’s doing my work. The man is on our team.
I really wish that we could also understand that other Christians are not evil. There are Christians among the Baptists and the Methodists and the Catholics just as there are among the Lutherans. In fact, did you know that objective number one of the Constitution of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod says this:
“Conserve and promote the unity of the true faith (Eph 4.3-6; 1 Cor 1.10), worth through its official structures toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide a unified defense against schism, sectarianism (Rom. 16.17), and heresy.
I wish that we could really understand how hurtful it is to God to see Christians dividing up and speaking badly about each other. Goodness gracious, I’ve even heard it here in this church with worshipers in one service not wanting to relate to the people who worship in other worship services. There is a very specific reason that I included as part two of our four-part vision: Living lifestyles of peace. Being divided is hurtful because the price that was paid to win Christian unity was the blood of Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, think about these questions if the enemy ever tempts you to speak about other believers:
• First - What does it say to the people outside of the Church when they see Christians divide up into denominations or quarrel among each other?
• How does this affect Christian fellowship – even in this congregation?
• What do divisions say about our own view of ministry and about what we think about Jesus?
• What does this say about what we think of the price paid to make us one?
Let’s think about the Cross of Christ for a moment. Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. (John 12.32-33) Being believers is all about unity. The Cross of Christ – the price paid – wipes out any other argument that we may have with another Christian. Nowhere is this more eloquently expressed than in the words that God the Holy Spirit inspired to the Ephesian believers… listen:
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 1.1b-6)
In the name of Jesus – Amen!
