UNITY - THE KEY TO STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
1 Corinthians 1:10-12 July 29, 2001
By Pastor Rick MacDonald
INTRODUCTION
It’s possible that some sitting here today are tired, even upset about my talking about relationships week after week.. A few might say they have strong relationships; others may say I make you feel like children being chastised. I remember some leaving without a wrist bracelet, the Sunday morning we used them as prayer reminders. I asked one person if they didn’t get a bracelet and they said, “I just don’t want to wear it, I’ll remember.” The next Sunday I asked how their phone call went, and they told me they didn’t have time, but that they would do it the following week. It took three weeks, and then they finally called me and asked for the phone number. They called back and felt so bad, because the person they were supposed to call was having a tough time in their life, and needed someone to pray with, but was new and didn’t know who to call. I asked permission to share this scenario, because there’s a point I want to make: Without unity, there cannot be strong relationships. And if we’re all not in unity on this issue of strong relationships, then this body cannot function to it’s fullest intent.
Some have suggested, and there has been great discussion about, going back to one service so that we won’t be two congregations, but instead united as one. Part of what that thinking reveals is that for the most part our relationships are built around Sunday morning church attendance, and not regular fellowship with each other away from this building. We need to change.
Over the next weeks, you will be hearing a lot about our kick-off for U-Turn and the “Battle of the Bulge.” We’re believing that we will have a minimum of 200 new high school students attending U-Turn. What about their parents? Who will reach out to them? Us? We’ll if we have a tough time reaching out to each other, how will we do it of others?
The Church at Corinth, has some unity problems. First Corinthians reveals some of the typical Greek cultural problems of Paul’s day, including idolatry, divisive philosophies, spirit of litigation, the rejection of a bodily resurrection and gross sexual immorality. The spirit of their culture showed up in the church and explains the kind of problems the people faced.
The letter consists of Paul’s response to ten separate problems: a sectarian spirit, incest, lawsuits, fornication, marriage and divorce, eating food offered to idols, wearing of the veil, the Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection of the body.
I. Being CONTENTIOUS - 1 Corinthians 1:10-12
A. 1:10 - Paul appealed to brothers, not to adversaries, in the name of Jesus.
1. This is the 10th reference to Christ in the first 10 verses, leaving no doubt as to who Paul believed should be the source and focus of unity.
2. His appeal was for harmony, not the elimination of diversity.
3. He desired a unity of all the parts, like a quilt of various colors and patterns blended together in a harmonious whole.
B. 1:11-12 - Chloe’s servants said everything was coming apart at the seams.
1. While the divisions were certainly real, the names cited—Paul, Apollos, Cephas—were probably illustrative, to avoid making the situation worse.
Illustration: A disagreement broke out between two roommates. They dealt with their anger by not talking to each other.
One came in one night and found a note from her roommate: "I wish you Jesus." She cried. Then she wrote a note asking for forgiveness. She placed it on her roommates pillow and went to bed.
A little while later, her roommate came home and shouted from the hallway that she had left a note on the desk–her sister had called and asked that she send her the music for "I Wish You Jesus"!
They both had a good laugh--and were reconciled.
C. What restored their relationship? - Jesus
1. This may seem elementary and even childish, but listen to what Paul says is Chapter 3.
II. Being CARNAL - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
A. CARNAL - Anything related to the fleshly or worldly appetites and desires rather than to the godly and spiritual desires.
1. Basic human nature is carnal, sold out to sin, living in the realm of death
2. The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about carnality.
3. The carnal person is hostile to God, unable to please God.
B. 1:1 - Paul says church members can be carnal, by remaining babies in Christ,
1. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, are what produce carnality and the awareness of it.
a. What are the warrings of the flesh?
b. It is the nature of man to be focused on the things of this world as opposed to the things of the Spirit.
▸ It’s not what we do, but what motivates what we do - alone or together.
▸ It is the focus of our actions and our conversations.
Ladies: Are your conversations around diets, clothes and home Decorations?
Are they based upon your desires and opinions or what the Spirit says to you?
Has God convicted you or a family member talked to you about your weight? Then ask for prayer.
Men: Are your conversations about sports, jobs, movies the economy?
When was the last time you said, “While reading my bible today this is what I discovered.” or “I’m having trouble at work please pray with me?”
If we want a viable men’s ministry, we need to stop being carnal!
Youth: Are your conversations about what you did, or what you want to do, or buy, or watch or want to go? Is your goal to be entertained because you’re bored, or is it to please God?
Nothing wrong with the movies or the mall, but what about praying before you go asking God to use you?
For U-Turn to reach our High Schools and make a difference, you must stop being carnal. There cannot be a distinction between the “have’s and have not’s”
2. Paul compares carnal people to babies. They were still greatly influenced by worldly thinking and behavior—they were infants in Christ.
a. Babies believe the world revolves around them.
b. All they are interested in having their immediate desire met - food, diapers, sleep, entertainment.
c. All you can feed them is warmed milk held by you while they drink.
Illustration: In order for babies to grow developmentally, they must go through developmental stages. Our grandson Caleb is in physical therapy because they say he is behind about a month in his development. For the first month of his life, he was in intensive care, because of major surgery and was kept immobile. Many believers are still underdeveloped spiritual babies, because they have been immobile in their relationship with God, being hand fed week after week, but never doing anything to grow.
3. Using the same Greek word (sarkikos), Peter issued a battle cry against “fleshly lusts” so that glory would go to God and people would be attracted to His way of life - 1 Pet. 2:11 - Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
a. One of the things that keeps us babies, is our indulgence in fleshly lusts, or carnality, which brings on shame.
b. Shame is a relationship and unity killer.
c. The more carnal we become, the less accountable, which means weaker relationships and disunity.
Illustration: Charles Spurgeon told of all the rabbits the traveler sees on the roads and fields near Leatherhead in Surrey, England. And yet a few miles down the road, one scarcely sees a single specimen of that prolific race. The rabbits are indigenous to both places, but at Leatherhead they are tolerated and therefore multiply, while at the other places the gamekeepers diligently shoot all they see. He then said this:
“Sins are natural to all people, but it makes all the difference whether they are fostered or shot down. The carnal mind makes room for evil, but a gracious spirit wages constant war with every transgression.”
III. Being CONNECTED - Hebrews 2:1
A. The danger is that they might drift away
1. The writer’s audience was marked by immaturity and spiritual sluggishness, and if this trait were not eliminated there was danger of their slipping away from what they had heard.
2. In Proverbs 3:21 the Greek translators used the word for “drift away” that is found here: “My son, do not slip away, but keep my counsel and intent.”
Illustration: Sacramento River, it seemed like we were just sitting still, but when we had a point of reference, like the bottom of the river, we realized just how fast we were drifting. The same is true in our spiritual lives. Without a point of reference, which are strong relationships, we will drift away toward carnality and not even realize how far we’ve gotten.
CONCLUSION
The teachings of Jesus hit us where we live. We cannot stand as impostors before Him for even one second. He instructs us down to the last detail.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it—it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!” And you will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
