Sermon for 9/22/02
Protect the Unity
Introduction:
Crayons can teach us a lot about Christians: some crayons are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, each is a different color and many are never used to their full potential. However, they must all learn to live in the same box- the church.
WBTU:
A. Many Christians in North America are what can be called “floating believers.” Anywhere else in the world, being a Christian is being connected to a local church. We rarely find lone-ranger Christians in other countries. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. They have not been taught that the Christian life invovles more than just believing- it also includes belonging. We grow in Christ by being in relationship with other Christians.
B. C.S. Lewis once wrote an essay on church membership, reminding us that the word membership is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all it originial meaning. Today, most people assoicate the term membership with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll.
C. What is a member at Bell Arthur? 300 people on roll but only 75 attended. 6 meetings a year. Should have more in attendance than on the roll.
D. Paul had a very different image of membership. It was more like an organ of Christ. If Christ is missing an organ, the whole body suffers. Our rampant individualism is ruining the church and making it weak and sick.
E. We need to reclaim this image of the Body of Christ. Any organ that is detached from the body will not only miss what it was created to be, it will also shrivel and die quickly. The same is true for Christians that are uncommitted to any specific congregation.
F. Many churches mistakenly assume that once a person has received Christ, the sale has been done, and it is now up to the new Christian to follow through with his commitment. Imagine if we did this to a baby.
G. It is the church’s responsibility to take the initiative in assimilating new people into the congregation.
H. Why do churches have so many people on their membership rolls who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion? Why do many churches find it difficult to motivate members to give, serve, pray, and share their faith? You get what you ask for.
I. Paul mentions two different types of commitment in 2 Corinthians 8:5: First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well.” Commit yourself to Christ for salvation and then commit yourself to other Christians for membership. Part of the Body.
J. From New Convert Class. What is expected? Went over these 4 things. Going to give this to new members. This is what we and the Lord expect. A good guide. Leadership might change some things but we expect these things.
K. This is really the bare minimum as we look at last week Scriptures. Want to get by.
L. If we expect these things, people we go away. You are right there will be some who will go away. But people are going to leave our church no matter what we do. Snapshot of people 5 years ago. Focus on those who have left. Some for godly reasons, some for neutral reasons, most because of silly and ungodly reasons.
M. Help us to have a challenging vision if all members are doing these things. I would rather have 50 people committed to the cause of Christ than 500 people who could care less.
N. What is expected? First point.
Thesis: I will protect the unity of my church.
For instances:
I. Introduction.
A. Restoration Movement was started to bring about unity. People fed up with denominationalism and just wanted to go by the Bible simply. Wanted to transcend sectariasm and denominational walls and just be Christians. Didn’t want to start a new group, wanted all the group to unite around Primitive Christianity.
B. Must be an example of unity in our church or we are hypocrites. People like Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell are probably turning over in their graves. Lord Jesus probably looks down and cries.
C. Must want what Jesus wanted in the church, among his disciples. John 17:23- I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
D. We are not converting the world. Why? One of the reason is that we are not united ourselves.
E. Ephesians 4:3- Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
F. Romans 15:5-6- May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
G. A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a great church. A great church is unified on these things, every member. Going in the same direction. Seeking to glorify Christ, not self.
H. A limerick conveys a message very pertinent to all of us in the Lord’s Body. There once were two cats of Killkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many. They fought and they spit, they clawed and they bit, till instead of two cats there weren’t any! How many times have we seen the saga of the Killkenny cats played out in the Lord’s church with the same tragic results? An arrogant, self-righteous attitude is a shame upon our Prince of Peace who lived, died and rose again that we all might be One. To spit and fight, claw and bite, in our efforts to be “top cat” is only to invite our ultimate destruction.
I. Devil’s strategy is to divide and conquer. It is working greatly in our day.
J. Psalm 133:1-2- How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
K. Unity is good and pleasant. All of us have experienced disunity and it is not good nor pleasant. Unity is like a precious ointment used in Jewish ceremonies and like a refreshing dew. What a beautiful picture!
L. May God help us as individuals and as a church to put aside every earthly problem that has kept us and is keeping us from working together so that we can truly unite. The results would astonish us.
M. Colossians 3:14- Over everything put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
N. I will protect the unity of my church by:
II. By acting in love toward other members
A. Romans 12:9-10- Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
B. Sincere is a word that literally means without wax. Statues in New Testament times.
C. I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me. Things are much better that way. No, this is not acting in love toward other members. It does cost time and trouble to love but it is worth it. Love acts. Love is costly. The only place where we can escape from the troubles of love is hell.
D. Mother Teresa- I have come more and more to realize that being unwanted is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience. Nowadays we have found medicine for leprosy, and lepers can be cured. There’s medicine for TB, and consumption can be cured. But for being unwanted, I don’t think this terrible disease can be cured.
E. Must make others feel like they are wanted. The family of God.
F. One man calls us a nation of strangers. We have an epidemic of loneliness in society. One Gallup poll reported that 4 in 10 Americans admit to frequent feelings of “intense loneliness.” Americans are, in fact, the loneliest people in the world.
G. Need to make people feel special. This is done by acting in love toward others.
H. Many opportunities to get to know one another. Wednesday night. Shepherding groups. Sports. Relay for life. Need to have more small group times.
I. 400 church dropouts, why did you leave? 75 % said, I didn’t feel anyone cared whether I was there or not.
J. A man fell into a pit and could not get out. A subjective person came along and said, “I feel for you, down there.” An objective person came along and said, “It’s logical that someone would fall down there.” A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into a pit.” A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit!” An optimist said, “Things could be worse.” A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.” Jesus seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit. We should be doing the same.
III. By refusing to gossip.
A. Ephesaians 4:29- Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
B. If people were to examine what we say everyday, what would they think? Would they be inspired, or would they be sickened?
C. Scripture says, A gossip betrays a confidence, a gossip separates close friends.
D. Proverbs 26:20- Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
E. The story is told of the farmer who returned and found a dead sheep. His sheep dog was covered in blood. He jumped to the conclusion that his sheep dog had killed the sheep, so he got his gun and shot the dog. On his way to the barn to get a shovel to bury the dog and the sheep, he discovered a dead wolf. The sheep dog was bloody from the blood of the wolf he had killed. How easily we can listen to bits of gossip and draw conclusions about someone. Many a decent and good man or woman, like the sheep dog, has been wrongly accused and hurt because someone jumped to conclusions without checking the facts. How much damage and hurt could be avoided if we would take the time to learn the facts before we do terrible harm to an innocent person.
F. Go to the source.
G. Even if it is true, don’t enjoy telling juicy gossip. “I Have to Speak My Mind”. We need a new mind. AT least we can shut our mouths and not poison someone else.
H. Bob Shackleford reworded I Love to the Tell the Story. I love to tell the story of unseen things below, of people and their problems, each detail do I know. I love to tell the story, someone has said it’s true, to pass it on inspires me, as nothing else could do. I love to tell the story, But if I want to go to glory, I’d better tell the story of Jesus and His love.
I. I love to the story, Tis pleasant to repeat, What seems, each time I tell it, a rumor more complete. I love to tell the story, for some have never heard the things that I could tell them, each vile and juicy word. I love to the story, But if I want to go to glory, I’d better tell the story of Jesus and His love.
J. People at church are some of the worst. Sharing vs. gossip.
IV. By following the leaders.
A. Names of elders. 10 deacons.
B. Other leaders in Sunday school, women’s groups, etc.
C. Hebrews 13:17- Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
D. It is difficult to be a leader these days. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians. People who do not want to lead but who want to fight everything that the leadership wants to implement.
E. Not saying that we blindly follow leaders.
F. Leadership is to be a joy, not a burden. However, many times it is a burden. Maybe this is the reason why there are not many leaders. Ask most church and they will tell you that they lack leadership.
G. No advantage to you.
H. In a church, 20% follow the leaders no matter what they propose, 60% are in the middle, 20% are against the leadership no matter what they propose. If the 20% against everything gain the upper hand over the 60%, then the church will never grow.
I. Nothing is more frustrating for leadership in a church than to know something will be good for the church, but unable to do it because the people are against it. No Biblical reason just against it because it was proposed by so and so.
J. The real problem in this country is that we are not good followers. Problem in all facets of our society. George Barna- Even though less that 1/5th of the population describe themselves as leaders, few people are willing to follow the vision, the plans, the methods, or the exhortations of leaders on a consistent basis. Americans have not only become a diverse culture but an unruly one, unwilling to follow anyone but themselves.
K. In the church we are all followers of Jesus. To the disciples Jesus said, Follow Me!
L. Luke 14:27- And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
M. Do not need to be emphasizing leadership in the church, need to be emphasizing following Jesus.
N. Leith Anderson- It should surprise us that so much is said about leaders and so little about followers, especially among Christians committed to the Bible. The Bible says little about leadership, and a great deal about followership. Jesus did not invite Peter, Andrew, James and John to beocme leaders. He said, Follow Me.
O. As the church follows Jesus, great things happen. When the church does not humbly follow Jesus, terrible things happen.
P. Essence of being a Christian is to follow Jesus.
Q. S. I. McMillen tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, bur her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, “Are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, “No,” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: “Dear applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 leaders. WE are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower.
R. As Christians, all of us should say that we are all followers of Jesus, our Great Leader, Our Lord.
Conclusion:
A. Summary.
B. Unity is our polar star- Barton Stone. WE better do well in this.
C. Come forward for membership
