“Encouraging Agreement” 1 Corinthians 1: 10 – 17

                                 

- Once again today as we come to another of the NT’s “one anothers” we find the topic of Christian unity. 

- Paul learned from members of Chloe’s household that there were schisms in the Corinthian church.

- They were divided over what appears to be some pretty silly stuff.  You see the church had divided down the lines of whom they were disciples, whom they were following.

- Now if we stop and think about it, everybody’s got a pet topic or favourite high horse or special mentor or some other such thing. It was the same then as it is now.

- So the Corinthians were divided about their favourite mentors in the faith and they were quarrelling about it to the point that it was casting a shadow over the effectiveness of their witness and on the brink of tearing the church apart.

- Paul used the word “schismata” to describe the kind of division they were facing and it means a crack, a fissure, a tear or a gash.

- What would happen if four people all decided that they each had the only right to a piece of fine silk and they all started pulling on it at once? It would tear apart and the silk would be ruined.

-It’s like that in the church with our testimony.  If we do not have agreement concerning whom and what we’re are all about, then there will be division. 

- Everybody’s running here and there doing their own thing and instead of focusing on the main thing, we’re divided.  That can lead further down the path toward quarrelling, and jealousy, and strife.

- When we get focussed on ourselves and our individual little kingdoms and our personal agendas, then our focus gets off the good news of Christ’s cross, off one another, off community, and off fellowship, and our witness and testimony is skewed because we are not united, not in agreement.

- What we need to do instead is focus on Christ first and agree with one another that his kingdom and carrying his love and message to the world is our job.  It’s our only job.

- When there is disagreement in the church about who we are and where we are going then the church is not in tune.  When we disagree we are not in tune with one another.

- A finely tuned instrument plays beautifully.  An orchestra or band that is in tune makes beautiful music, but when they are not in tune they just make an unattractive, displeasing, noisy racket and it’s a real turn off.

- A church that’s not in tune appears to the world as something uninviting, repellent, ugly and nasty. But a church that’s in tune makes beautiful harmonies and melodies that draw people to God and show people that we are who we claim to be.  We are God’s people, and we love one another and love Jesus, and we love you.

- So, how do we get in tune with each other?

- Paul says, “…all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

- How do we get in tune with each other?  Think of others first. Stop thinking about yourself all the time.  Think of yourself less.  Think of others first.

- How do we do that? Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my followers you must deny yourself…”

- If you want to be in tune with God’s people put others before yourself.

- Derek needs to think less about what Derek wants and put others before Derek. 

- That means each one of us personally needs to put others before ourselves

- Practice self-control, self discipline.

- King Solomon talked about this:  

¹⁰ I denied myself nothing my eyes desired…yet…everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
   nothing was gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

- We know from Solomon’s life that he was a man whose loyalties became divided.  He served himself, he served his wives and concubines, he allowed them to serve their false gods even doing so himself, and he became deeply dissatisfied later in his life and in deep need of the fresh wind and fire of the Holy Spirit.

- Jesus invites us not to self-discipline for discipline’s sake, but for the sake of staying in tune with God’s people and of staying in tune with God through Jesus Christ.

- How do we stay in tune with Jesus?

- Paul says, ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

- How do we stay in tune with Jesus?  We need to keep Jesus in focus, keep our eyes on him, his message and his love.

- Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be my follower, you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

- When we suffer and go through trying and taxing times as Christians we need to bear up under the strain remembering how Jesus bore his cross for us.

- Jesus endured scourging, crucifixion and death for us and we have not yet suffered to the point of death for our faith.  Is it too much to ask that we bear the momentary troubles of this life in exchange for eternity?

- We must die to the selfish lives we used to live, putting to death our old sinful ways of life and living for Christ. He is our only master, savior and Lord. 

- It is Jesus whom we must follow and we don’t follow Jesus by attempting to copy his ministry retracing his exact footsteps.  No, we do it by learning how Jesus would live our lives if he were us and learning to really live that way. 

- How would my life be different if I lived like Jesus was living my life for me?  How would Jesus live your life if he were you?  That famous question, “What would Jesus do?” Doesn’t quite capture what it means to follow Jesus.  A better question might be, “What would Jesus have me do?

- When there is disagreement in the body of Christ, God’s people need to tune in to each other and tune in to Christ and our witness will present a marvelous testimony to the world.

- Tune in to each other and tune in to Christ, and our witness will agree.