Unity In Christ

OPEN: A mother looked out a window and saw Johnny playing church with their 3 kittens. He had them lined up and was preaching to them and the mother smiled and turned around to do some work. But, just a short while later she heard meowing and scratching on the door.

She rushed to the door and looked outside and saw all the cats were sopping wet and Johnny was in the process of dunking the last of the kittens under water.

“Johnny, what are you doing?” she cried.

“I’m baptizing the cats.” He replied

"Johnny, stop that! You’ll drown those kittens.”

Johnny looked at her and said: "They shoulda had thought about that before they joined my church."

APPLY: Whose church did Johnny think he was baptizing the kittens into?

That’s right – HIS church.

I have encountered several believers over the years who had been baptized several times into several different churches. Every time they joined another church, they’d get baptized all over again into that new church.

Why were they baptized each time?\

Because each church believed it was “THEIR” church. If you joined THEIR church, you needed to be baptized into THEIR church.

Now, is that what the Bible teaches?

Of course not.

The Bible teaches that the church doesn't belong to us.

And if it doesn't belong to us, Who does the church belong to?

Colossians says “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:15-18

So, who does the church belong to? (Jesus)

And when we’re baptized… who are we baptized into? (Jesus)

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28

When you were baptized you weren't baptized into a local congregation.

You were baptized into Christ.

You were buried with Christ, and raised with Christ, and now you live in Christ.

And because of that you are all ONE in Christ.

This morning, we’re talking about unity because we have 3 different worship services meeting together in one worship service. We’re all meeting together in our new worship area - as one body. And we’re doing this because we believe we are ONE BODY in Christ

Now, that wouldn't be anything to get excited about if it was just 3 English speaking services getting together.

Well... I might get pretty excited, because that would mean we would be larger congregation than we are right now. And if we had that many English services it would be nice to get us all got together a few times a year so that Anglos could see old friends.

But we have two Anglo worship services and one Hispanic and THAT is exciting. That is unique. In coming together for one worship service together, we are declaring to everyone that this is ONE church. One body in Christ.

That’s what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 - “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.”

Now, why would Paul write it that way?

Well because, in his day, Jews didn't eat with Greeks.

Slaves didn't mingle with free people.

And Men and women… well, they were men and women. They’re different from each other.

Paul’s point is that each of these groups – Greeks and Jews; Slaves and Free; Men and Women - were all different from one another.

But in Christ - once they’d been baptized into Christ, once they’d become part of the Christ’s church - they all became one BODY.

Now, here we have Hispanics and Anglos.

How many of you cannot understand me when I speak in English?

How many of you cannot understand Jose (our Hispanic minister) when he speaks in Spanish?

Now, that’s good, because I can’t speak Spanish, and I can’t share the love of Jesus with those who speak Spanish. But you who are in the Spanish church can.

And there are some here who can’t speak English, and they can’t share the love of Jesus with those who speak English. But those who are in the Anglo church can.

We are one body working together to share the love of Jesus with Logansport.