Remember Pat Tillman? He’s the football player who turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army in May 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Tillman was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan. Sports pages all across America told his heroic story. What made things seem even more tragic was that the investigation results indicate that Tillman probably died as a result of “friendly fire.”
You know what that is, don’t you? Tillman was engaged in a firefight that took place in “very severe and constricted terrain with impaired light.” 10 to 12 enemies were firing on our U.S. forces. And during the confusion, Tillman was accidentally shot by one of our own soldiers. The military calls such incidents fratricide. Fratricide prevention is a real priority for our armed forces. We want to stop “friendly fire.”
Unfortunately, we see this kind of thing happening in marriages, in families, in businesses, in schools, and in churches all across America. You probably know someone who has been hurt – who has been wounded – by friendly fire. We followers of Christ take spiritual, emotional, verbal, and theological potshots at each other all the time. It needs to stop.
That’s why I’m writing about the defeat of friendly (and not-so-friendly) fire
Last year, my mom celebrated her 80th birthday. We had a surprise party for her- a family reunion in Orlando. It was a bittersweet time. Most everyone in the family was there. What made it bittersweet was that it was the first time my oldest brother had been to Florida to see my mom in many, many years.
It appears that he’s not been happy with some of the choices my mom has made – especially her decision to remarry. He doesn’t call her all that often. He hasn’t been to her home in Lake Wales in years. It’s hurt our family. And it’s breaking my mom’s heart.
This kind of thing happens way too often in the Christian community, too. Believers disagree with the choices other believers make and then pull away. They hurt the family and they break the heart of God.
God wants us to build a community of unity.
On the last night before Jesus went to the cross, just a few hours before His arrest, Jesus prayed. That prayer is recorded for us in John 17.
Jesus is quickly nearing the time in His ministry when He will be arrested, condemned to die, and killed on a cross. And He knows what’s ahead. So when He prays, He isn’t praying lightly – not that He ever did. This prayer obviously contains things that are very close to the heart of Christ.
It’s a prayer in three sections. In verses 1-5, Jesus prays for Himself. In verses 6-19, He prays for His disciples, His immediate group of followers. Then in verses 20-26, He prays for all believers yet to come. That means that He’s praying for you and for me. It’s rich privilege to eavesdrop on the Son of God when He prays. Jesus sees all true believers becoming part of the church. He sees the diversity of temperaments, and backgrounds, and interests. What does He want for us and from us? He cries out to His Father that we all might be one.
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.
John 17:20-22 (ESV)
Jesus prayed this prayer because He knew a lack of unity and togetherness would be a problem for His followers.
We all know the clichés.
“TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More.”
“Together we stand; divided we fall.”
“One for all; all for one.”
But the clichés wear thin. We need more than just words to keep us together. As we explore this prayer from Jesus, I see at least…
I see five questions you can use to diagnose your commitment to community. As you do this, I want you to think about another follower of Jesus that you are not in sync with.
1. Do I bless the heart of Jesus?
Don’t miss this point. This is a prayer from the deepest place in the heart of Jesus. He knows that He’s going to die soon. So, He’s praying about what He’s most passionate about. This is a prayer!
I do not ask for these only…
John 17:20a (ESV)
He’s asking His Father. This is a prayer from the depths of His soul. This prayer for our unity is what’s on His heart.
Remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This same prayer is still on His heart. We can either bless His heart or break His heart. A passage in Ephesians reinforces what’s on the heart of Jesus:
We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT)
Do I bless the heart of Jesus?
2. Do I keep first things first?
This week I received an email from a friend, Dwight Short. He reminded me of some great ruths that the Christian community learned about ten years ago. He wrote, “When I was privileged to work on the Billy Graham Crusade in NE Ohio in 1994, we adopted a rather mundane phrase that was intended to supercede our denominational affiliations and our theological ideas that might cause differences among us. “Keep the main thing the MAIN thing” became our battle cry. It’s not very catchy, but it is a good way to remind ourselves about the priorities we can make in our lives.” Dwight’s right.
One of the early church leaders (Thomas a Kempis) wrote these words: “In necessasariis, unitas; In dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.” You say, “Rick, speak English!” OK.
In essential things, unity. There are certain issues that are non-negotiable. We need to dot our “I”s and cross our “T”s the same on some issues.
In non-essential things, liberty. There are other issues that are not primary. And we ought to give each other freedom in these areas. We don’t have to dot our “I”s and cross our “T”s the same on some issues.
In all things, charity. No matter what position we hold on various issues, we act and speak with respect and dignity. We demonstrate trust to our brothers and sisters.
We teach this saying in our Tell Me More class here at CVCC. What are the essentials? Well two of them are mentioned in our verses for today. Look at verse 20. Two phrases there can help us focus on the essentials – on the truth.
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…
John 17:20 (ESV)
Circle two phrases: “believe in Me” and “through their word.” The first phrase means that we have to be unified in being Christ-centered. “Believe in Me!” That second phrase means that we have to unified in being Bible-based. “Through their word!”
Our unity is based on faith in Jesus. At our church, we have a CVCC Statement of Faith. Statements #3 and #6 are all about faith in Jesus.
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed authentic miracles, died in the place of sinners to pay for their sins, rose bodily from the grave, and works as mediator in heaven.
The sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ provide the only basis for the salvation of all who believe. Those who receive Jesus Christ as their only Lord and Savior, exercising repentance and faith, are children of God.
These truths are non-negotiable. Jesus says, “I pray for those who believe in Me.” That’s a Christ-centered unity.
“Believe in Me through their word.” He’s referring to the preaching, teaching, and the writing of His disciples. We have a written record of their words in our Bibles. Another statement in our Statement of Faith reads this way:
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God, without error in its original writings.
This truth is also non-negotiable. Jesus says, “I pray for those who believe in Me through their word.” That’s a Bible-based unity.
What I’ve noticed over my years of serving Christ and His Church is that believers are really good at making secondary issues primary issues – at majoring on the minor points. And that is a key contributor to the disunity of the church. It breaks the heart of Jesus.
What are some of these secondary issues – these non-essentials – that have been the source of friendly fire?
I’ve seen believers fight one another about dancing and drinking.
I’ve seen followers of Jesus fire at one another about whether to support Billy Graham and how closely to follow the teachings of Bill Gothard.
People argue about speaking in tongues. (Have tongues ceased for today’s church or not?)
Christians have been fighting about Calvinism and Arminianism for centuries.
Believers fight about which Bible version is the best.
We better leave room for discussion and debate on secondary issues. Yes. We ought to have a biblically informed opinion. We ought to wrestle with the application of scripture in a wide variety of areas. But we must be very careful about where we draw the line in the sand. Be very careful about which hills you are going to die on.
I’m convinced that many believers draw lines that Jesus doesn’t want them to draw. I’ve seen people die on hills of their own making. We need to make sure that we don’t turn what ought to be our preferences into our convictions.
Jesus doesn’t pray, “Father, help them get it right about the Second Coming.” He doesn’t pray, “Father, help them get it right about whether to borrow money to build that church building or not.” He doesn’t pray, “Father, help them get it right about who should get the most money in the budget.” He prays, “Father, make them one.”
Yes. There will always be something to stand for and something to work toward. There are lines that we must draw because they are clearly in God’s word. But in the process, we must always remember to keep first things first. Disorder and disunity come from focusing on the minor stuff.
If you are into speaking in tongues, you need to truly be welcome at all true churches. But don’t try to impose that on everybody else. In non-essentials, there is liberty. If you love reformed theology, like I do, you need to truly be welcome at all true churches. But don’t try to impose that theology on everybody else. In non-essentials, there is liberty. If you believe that the KJV is the best Bible version, you need to truly be welcome at al true churches. But don’t try to impose that on everybody else. In non-essentials, there is liberty.
In essential things, unity. In non-essential things, liberty. In all things, charity.
Do I keep first things first?
3. Do I sense others’ closeness to Christ?
Sometimes, people who break fellowship with others over secondary issues are convinced that they are close to Christ and that that other person somehow is far away from God. But look at how Jesus prays.
… that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us…
John 17:21a (ESV)
The Greeks and Romans had a bunch of gods. They were anything but unified. They fought and argued, and conspire against one another. But our God is a unity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all in complete agreement with a single will a purpose. And Jesus prays for our unity based on the unity in the Trinity.
We can see from this passage that unity is not uniformity. Jesus and the Father are distinct from each other and have different functions within the Trinity.
Now, notice that last little phrase: “in us.” I was praying and thinking, “How does this happen? What does it mean for us to be in Jesus and in the Father? And what does this have to do with our unity?” Suddenly, I remembered John 10. His words that teach us about our closeness to Christ.
No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
John 17:28a, 29 (ESV)
Every believer is in the hand of Jesus and in the hand of the Father. Every believer is close to Christ and to the Father.
Get this. If Jesus is that comfortable being that close to some believer that I’m at odds with, then how dare I separate myself from that one that Jesus is so close to?
We have some false ideas about unity. Biblical unity is not found in rules and rituals. Biblical unity is not found in organizations, denominations, and structures. Biblical unity is not found in a common budget or in personal devotion to some leader. Unity is found when we remember that all true believers are in the hand of Christ, our Savior and Lord who paid for our rebellion and foolishness in rejecting God. Unity is found when we remember that we are in the hand of the Father, our sovereign King of the universe.
If that one that I’m at odds with is in the double divine grip of a God who will never let them go, then how can I walk away from that one?
I read about a man who had a dream where he went to hell. He assked “Are there any Lutherans here?” “Yes.” “Any Baptists?” “Yes.” “Any Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics?” “Yes.” The same man dreamed that he went to heaven and asked the same question. “Are there any Lutherans here?” “No.” “Any Baptists?” “No.” “Any Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics?” “No.” “Who is here, then?” The answer: “Anyone whose name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
But he interprets the Bible differently than me! My advice to myself is this: I need to worry more how I’m applying the Bible in my life than how he’s interpreting it for his life.
It’s not about a religion. It’s about a relationship.
Do I sense others’ closeness to Christ?
4. Do I protect our witness?
… so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:21b (ESV)
The world is waiting to see God’s love in action. This ought to be the most distinctive thing about us as Christ-followers.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
This world is filled with selfishness, greed, strife, and division. The world is waiting to see a group of believers who are rightly related to the Father and the Son and who reflect the unity that the Father and the Son display in their relationship with each other.
The strife and fighting and division in Christian homes and churches are stumbling blocks to a watching world.
The world is looking for people who know how to walk closely with God and with each other. This kind of unity is something that is infectious. It’s contagious. It draws people to Jesus. Do your friends and neighbors and family members see it in you?
Listen, the size of a church won’t impress the world. But our oneness will. Unity is a proof of God’s supernatural presence and power. With our diversity of temperaments, and backgrounds, and interests there is no natural way for us to be one apart from the supernatural presence and control of Christ.
Do I protect our witness?
5. Do I see glory on each face?
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.
John 17:22 (ESV)
When sin entered into the world, the glory that man had from God was stripped away from him. The Bible teaches us that Adam walked in the very presence of God and experienced the splendor of God in his life. But when he sinned that glory of God was taken away. He fell short of the glory of God. And so do we.
But when we come to Christ the Bible says that God restores again that glory into our lives. I Timothy 1:11 talks about the Good News and calls it “the glorious gospel of Christ.”
When we get our eyes off the flaws that we all have and start seeing the revealed glory of God in Christ in each other, then we can be one.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
II Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
Among many things that happened to us when we trusted Jesus, the Bible says God puts His glory back in our lives. I remembered the old chorus this week:
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. I can feel God’s mighty power and God’s grace. I can hear the brush of angel’s wings, I see glory on each face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
If I see glory on your face, how can I walk away from fellowship with you?
Do I see glory on each face?
In college, I learned something that I think God has used to help be an open-armed Christ-follower rather than a stiff-armed Christ-follower. Here it is: “We become ridiculous when we think that our little piece of the truth is the whole of it.”
It’s arrogant for me to think that I have it all right. It’s arrogant for me not to be able to learn from anyone who has the Holy Spirit living in them.
When God sent Maryanne, my wife, and me to Northeast Ohio 18 years ago, I’m convinced that what He wanted was for us to start a church that was “magnanimous.” You say, “What’s that?” It’s from the Latin. Magnus means “great.” Animus means “soul” or “spirit” or “heart.” To be magnanimous means that you have a great heart. It’s a generosity of spirit. It’s steering clear of resentment. It’s a heart big enough to hold no grudges. It’s when someone can say, “That’s very big of you to be so forgiving.” Jesus is praying for His people to have big hearts. The one who creates disunity is a small-hearted person. That’s not what God put CVCC here to be.
A point to ponder: Jesus is praying for me to be a peace-maker, not a peace-breaker.
A verse to remember: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)
A question to consider: What relationships have I hurt in the past that Jesus now wants me to mend?
Every other Thursday, I meet with a friend who is pastor of a Church of the Nazarene. He’s a young pastor who asked me to give him some advice about ministry. He believes that once a person becomes a follower of Christ, they can lose their salvation. That’s a Nazarene teaching. I don’t think that the Bible teaches that. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it” (Philippians 1:6). So, we disagree on that. But we still meet. He loves Jesus. I do, too. And we help each other follow Jesus more passionately.
You don’t have to win every fight. You can trust Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit to grow that someone you disagree with. Will you? Starting today? The friendly fire has got to stop. There are too many hurting heroes of the faith. Don’t be guilty of shooting another one.
