INTRO:
A very interesting thing happened last week in the NFL playoff game between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Trailing by 18 points late in the 3rd quarter, Indianapolis faced a 4th and 2 in their own territory. Coach Tony Dungy made the standard decision and sent out the punting squad. However, as the punting squad was jogging onto the field, the cameras caught Indianapolis quarterback Payton Manning shooing them off of the field with his arms and his voice, “Go back, go back!” He made the decision on his own that the team was going to go for the first down rather than punt. And for a few seconds the team was quite confused. “Do we listen to Coach Dungy, or do we listen to our quarterback?” It ended up going well for Indianapolis, as they ended up going for it on 4th and 2 and getting the first down (though they still ended up losing the game).
In all my years of watching football games I’ve never seen anything like that. The players had to make a choice in an instant who they were following – and instead of having only one choice now they had two. I still wonder what Coach Dungy was thinking then, and now, about his star quarterback’s decision to “take over”. For if a football team is divided over who they are following, chaos will come to their team and they’ll never be able to succeed.
The same thing is true in the church of Jesus Christ. The church may have all sorts of important players, “quarterbacks” who lead their congregations, but if the other players in the church start to get confused about who is ultimately leading their team, chaos will come to our team and we’ll never be able to succeed.
Such was the case in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter to them around the year 50 AD. As you’ll remember, Paul visited Corinth and spent about 2 years there, planting the church, but then left to begin other churches. Around 2 years later he finds himself in Ephesus leading the church there, when he receives word from some friends in Corinth that the church has fallen into divisions. It seems that in the time since he had been there, the church had benefited from the teaching and leadership of a couple different “quarterbacks”: men like Apollos and Peter (AKA Cephas). So after building them up, reminding them that as a church they lack no spiritual gift and can trust in God to be faithful to the end – he addresses this problem.
1 Cor 1:10-17 (NLT)
10Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters. 12Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ." 13Can Christ be divided into pieces?
Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16(Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News--and not with clever speeches and high-sounding ideas, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
Paul is not concerned that people may prefer Apollos’ or Peter’s leadership to his. His real concern is that the church has taken its focus off of Jesus Christ as the leader of the church, and is drawing into factions which follow earthly teachers instead.
It’s easy to see how this happened to them, because the same things happen today. People feel drawn to a certain teacher because they appreciate their style of teaching, or because of the content of their teaching, or because that teacher helped bring them to know Christ, or simply because of the personality of the teacher. And pretty soon you hear people saying things like, “I’m a Baptist.” “I’m a Lutheran.” “I’m a Foursquarer.” “I’m an Episcopalian.” “I’m a Presbyterian.” “I’m a Christ the Kinger”
When this happens the church, which is supposed to be united under Jesus Christ as our leader, becomes divided. Paul appeals to us across the centuries:
I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. (v. 10)
Question: But how can we be united when there is so much difference between different Christian groups? If you were to spend a year going to each church in Oak Harbor for 2-3 weeks, you’d find a wide variety of styles of worship, teaching styles and content, focuses of ministry, different types of leadership structures, and different views on some areas of Bible interpretation. So again, how can we be united?
Answer: We will be united when we choose to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is the gospel message: God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life. This is what Paul meant when he wrote in verse 17:
God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn’t send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center--Christ on the Cross--be trivialized into mere words. (1 Cor. 1:17, The Message)
What’s at the center? Christ on the Cross. So who do we follow? Christ! Not Paul, or Apollos, or Peter. Not Don, or Dave, or Terry.
If we focus in on Jesus, and the main thing of his message: loving God and loving people – we will not have time to worry about the other things that would try and divide us as Christians from other Christians.
To help clarify this idea, let me read…
From brochure: “What do We Believe and Teach?”
People from every conceivable church background – Anglican, Assembly of God, Baptist, Brethren, Calvary Chapel, Catholic, Christian Reformed, Covenant, Episcopalian, Evangelical Free, Foursquare, Lutheran, Methodist, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Reformed, Vineyard – have found a home at Christ the King.
One of the reasons that CTK can be common ground for people from so many different backgrounds is that our degree of dogmatism rises and falls with the degree of clarity in the scripture. Where there is more clarity in the scripture we are more dogmatic. Where there is less clarity in the scripture we are less dogmatic.
“In essential matters unity
in non-essential matters diversity,
in all matters charity.”
-Augustine, 354-430 AD.
Like the early church fathers, we keep “the main thing the main thing.” We have chosen to center our teaching on truths that are core, life-changing and life-giving. Doctrinally we are minimalists. We are fixated on “first-tier beliefs” as our point of emphasis. We believe that the primary truths that unite us are far more important than the secondary issues that divide us.
In this same brochure is a doctrinal statement, listing our 10 core beliefs. They cover what be believe about what the brochure calls “first-tier beliefs”.
• The authority of the scriptures.
• The trinity.
• Jesus Christ.
• The Holy Spirit.
• Sinful nature of humankind.
• Salvation through the blood of Jesus.
• The role of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
• The identity of the Church.
• Our hope that Christ will return.
• The reality of heaven and hell.
Now this may sound like I’m getting away from “the main thing” – but hang with me. Did you know that if you were to read through all of these 10 statements, that nearly all of the Christian churches in Oak Harbor would agree with every one of these statements? And did you realize that of those who would disagree – they would probably only disagree on 1 or 2 of the points listed there.
What I’m saying is this: We have MUCH in common with our brothers and sisters in other congregations in our town and around the world.
If we recognize that we agree on so much, it becomes easier to accept others who have different opinions on things that are not “first-tier beliefs” such as:
• The order of the events surrounding end times.
• The role of women in ministry.
• Styles of music in worship.
• The date of creation.
• The place of supernatural gifts in the church.
• What version of the Bible is the best one.
• What day/time the worship service should take place.
CONCLUSION:
As a part of this local church, and as a part of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ, you have an important role in bringing unity to the church. Your comments, attitudes, and actions have a strong effect on whether our local church is able to be united and successful in the work God has called us to do. Your comments, attitudes, and actions also have a strong effect on whether the greater Church will be united and successful I the work God has called all of us to do.
Along with Paul, I appeal to you to focus on Jesus Christ, who died for all of us. Focus on loving God and loving people. And remember who is in charge of our team – it’s not the quarterback – it’s our coach: Jesus Christ.
PRAY
• Lord forgive us for divisive attitudes and actions.
• Teach us to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, even when we disagree on side issues.
• Thank you for the cross.
APPLICATION PROJECTS:
• Pray for churches when you drive past them.
• Pray for me when you drink coffee.
