God's Magnetic Community
A Sermon On:
1 Corinthians 12: 12 to 13: 13
John 17: 20-23
PREPARED BY
KEN GEHRELS
PASTOR
CALVIN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
NEPEAN, ONTARIO
There are two ways that everyday ordinary folk like you and I can come to know of and experience God. The first way - and the most powerful, the way to salvation - is through the reading of the Bible as the Holy Spirit makes it come alive in our hearts.
That way of knowing God is at the centre of our church life and faith life as a community and as individuals.
There is also another way to know God, It is by reading what the Belgic Confession calls, "the beautiful book." That's the title which the Confession gives to Creation.
Go into Creation, pay attention and it reads like a huge billboard pointing to the creative genius of Almighty God. Walk through the Rockies. Sit at Point Pelee and watch the birds migrating back. Or head over to a local bush and watch how many different types of sparrows you see -
tree sparrow, Savannah, field, song, chipping, house, white-throated. All beautiful. All different. Unique.
Head back into the veggie patch and watch the different varieties of foods growing: squash, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, cauliflower, beets, leek, potatoes. And within each type, a whole range of varieties.
Think of snowflakes, cloud patterns, leaf shapes, rock formations.
Incredible intricacy. Incredible variety.
And yet all that intricate variety is joined together as it is knit together and held together by the fingers of the Creator Lord.
It is a variety and intricacy that points straight to Him.We see all this and realize that behind it is an intelligence and power of vast proportion; that this creation has its being and meaning and life force from Him.
Creation shouts the praises and glory of God.
There is another corner of Creation where a special billboard is found; one that points to the Lord in a rather unique way.
It is a billboard that also consists of incredible diversity, intricate variety.
A billboard made up of a huge diversity of people.
A special group of people.
Some of the variety in this billboard is rather obvious: colour, size, shape, sex. In other ways, the variety may at first be hidden: things like intelligence level, or particular likes and dislikes, or perhaps personality tendencies.
Some people like to take things as they come. They'll figure out tomorrow what they will do that day. That sort of thing would drive other people, myself included, right up a wall. I could never function that way. I have to know today what I will be doing a week, two weeks, and a month from now.
Some people show their emotions visibly and readily. Others are more stoic, and some will leave you guessing forever what they are thinking or feeling.
Certain people make their decisions by depending on their intuition. They go with their gut feeling. That is far different from the way others are: "give me facts, all the facts, just the facts. Let's reason this out."
The one person is quick to make a judgement. The other may hold off and hold off and hold off, preferring to see how things develop.
Somehow, though, this diverse group is held together by something, and in that holding together it points those who see it straight to the Lord. See this group of diverse, varied people and you will see God at work.
Clearly.
The diverse group of which I speak is the Church.
Scripture speaks of the diversity found within the Church in a remarkably simple and clear manner. Sometimes I wonder if the message is so simple that we begin to occasionally look past it. We assume that we know it all and so don't hear it anymore. Tonight it is my prayer that we can stop and be very deliberate in paying attention to the Message of the Lord as it comes in the Bible; as it speaks to us about the Church's role
-- our role --
as a billboard pointing the world to Christ.
that they, too, may know Him.
And knowing Him experience life in the fullest possible way.
Join me in reading 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31
Diversity.
Pretty clear, isn't it?
And how do we, in that diversity, function as a billboard?
One more passage to read, and then we'll think about it.
JOHN 17: 20-23
Father, 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......
A huge, diverse group of people. Joined together. One.
So that when people look at this group they are struck by how they manage to stay together, and how close they are, how much they care for each other.That they can't help being affected by the love flowing in this group.
That this love will attract them to the Love that the Heavenly Father has for them in Jesus Christ.
As a congregation we can and do give thanks that we are part of the preparations for the upcoming Billy Graham Mission. Wonderful. We're being trained. Plans for following up on those who come forward to make or renew commitments to Christ are being put in place. We're praying that the Lord will add to our numbers here those who are being saved through your Operation Andrew prayers, friendship and witnessing.
Scripture tonight tells us, though, that all of that really doesn't amount to much unless these people enter this community and see in it a unity; sense within it a basic binding love; find here a oneness.For it is through this that the love of God for them, the truth of the message that they matter to the Father,
that this will be authenticated.
May they be brought to complete unity......to let the world know.
Let us, then, as we prepare for that Mission time, think about this unity to which the Bible so clearly calls us - a nonnegotiable unity.
Says 1 Corinthians 12.13:
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Can you see where that unity within the Church is found? Not in similar hair or skin colour. Not in similar ethnic background. Not in similar likes and dislikes. Unity in the Church is on the shared allegiance we have to Jesus Christ, on being fellow members, adopted children, in the family of God.
And what a strong bond that is! What else can compare to that? Consider what a tremendous thing that is --
-we are united because of who it is that sets our agenda here on earth
-and we are united because of what our eternal destiny is.
Now compare that over against the rest of the world. What a bond!
WE HAVE BEEN DRENCHED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT;
they refuse him.
WE HAVE GOD WITHIN US;
they shut him out.
WE HAVE HIM AS OUR LORD; HIS STANDARDS DIRECTING US
they set their own standards.
Sometimes we get so busy within the Church sniping at each other over the silliest and smallest of things that we tend to forget this enormous treasure we share -- the costliest of treasures, bought at the price of the life of God's Son!
And, oh, how Satan encourages such sniping, goading us into magnifying minute differences in doctrine or practice to overwhelming obstacles, and pushing us into devouring those who are, in fact, very very close to us.
How terribly tragic.
Unity in Jesus Christ, the unity of faith:
The billboard of faith that the devil wants obscured so to keep people from seeing Jesus and the love of the Father.
Unity -- something we strive to maintain in a bond of love even while we live within a context of tremendous diversity; a diversity a great as the diversity found in the beautiful book of Creation which also points to the Lord.
Unity.
Notice, by the way, that the Bible NEVER talks about uniformity. It is we humans who get those different terms goofed up and muddled.
-Unity means we join together, there is something important that binds us together, like an umbilical cord binds the infant to her mother.
-Uniformity means that we are all exactly the same(like the same, think the same, worship the same, serving the same, giving the same)
UNITY - says the bible, we are united in Christ. We are the body of Christ. We have, as it were, the same blood flowing through our veins (the blood of Christ).
-We are united through the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God within our lives. He is, we could say, the nerve centre of the Body.
But, as a body, we also have and NEED diversity.
It is a straightforward picture which the Bible gives: Can you imagine if the body were one mass of fingers, or eyes, or ears? Impossible!!
The body has all kinds of different parts,
each with their own function, each equally valuable.
Sounds simple enough, right?..... at least until we start getting down to specifics. Then suddenly we have to come to grips with what can be some rather delicate issues.
- like when we think about gifts and tasks in the church. It is easy to get hung up on uniformity in thinking that everybody must do the same amount of work, or everyone must contribute in the same sort of way... and if they don't they should feel guilty about it.
We engage in worship twice a week. From time to time church council receives input from the congregation on worship.
-Some like lively music. Others prefer the hymn format which has its roots in the 19th century revival.
-Some want the pastor to do everything (after all, he's paid to do it and doesn't do a half-bad job). Others want more congregational input (it's the church of all God's people).
-Some like prayer requests; others feel acutely uncomfortable with them.
- Some find their spirits soaring to heaven and meeting the Lord when responsive readings are carefully used. Other people walk through these readings stone cold.And THAT, friends, is called diversity.
Can we somehow make room for it, or are we going to walk away from each other, or condemn each other, and watch Satan laugh as the Billboard grows tarnished.
Or think of fellowship activities and study programmes.
Some enjoy a contemplative sort of study. "Everyone should take time to meditate as a group and have open prayer." Others prefer a more intellectual study. "Everyone needs to dig into the deep meat of the Word of God. We need to challenge each other."
Diversity.
Certain people face various issues in life, perhaps a crisis of one sort or another, perhaps a major decision to be made, or a lifestyle choice (career, number of children, type of housing, whatever). And others are tempted to say, "Well, I can't understand it. If I were doing it..... They really should do it this way, you know!"
Diversity.
You know, it is so often the case that we look at 1 Corinthians 12 and focus the application in a very narrow manner. We read it to say no more than that there are a variety of different tasks to be done within the Church and people must accept that and ensure that all these tasks are done and that all these tasks are appreciated.
And all of that is well and true. But it is far too narrow, and far too simplistic an application. It fails to deal with the variety that faces us in life not only in tasks, but in every area. And our Creator Lord, who has blessed us with this diversity, calls us to appreciate ALL of it, and work with ALL of it.
We can look at 1 Corinthians 12 and say, "that's a simple chapter of the Bible. I understand it." Well, unless we are able to practice it, I'm afraid we don't understand it all.
Practising diversity within the unity of the church - that's the challenge which the scriptures lay before us this morning.
Like the little poem:
To dwell above with saints we love, oh that will be such glory.
To dwell below with those we know.... well, that's a different story.
A different story.
What's the story here at Calvin?
I'm sure you know as well as I do that growing unity, living in love -- amidst diversity;
keeping walls from going up between us
tearing down walls that do exist
is nothing magical.
And it won't automatically happen as we sit back and watch.
It will need intentional effort. It will need much prayer.
It requires a constant focus on Him who unites us. Keep your eyes on this cross here, brothers and sisters.
And then join me in prayer that the billboard of unity at Calvin will gleam brightly, drawing all who see it to a living life of salvation in Jesus.
I want to conclude by playing a CD track for you by David Ruis.
We'll have the words up on the overhead.
After that we'll sing together hymn # 513.
Look at the words. Pray along. Sing if you'd like.
There is a place of commanded blessing
Where brethren in unity dwell
A place where anointing oil is flowing
Where we live as one!
You have called us to be a Body.
You have called us as friends.
Joined together in the bond of the Spirit
Unto the end.
Father we join with the prayer of Jesus
As You are - so let us be one.
Joined together in unity and purpose
All for the love of Your Son!
Chorus:
We will break dividing walls
We will break dividing walls
We will break dividing walls
In the name of Your Son.
We will break dividing walls
We will break dividing walls
And we WILL be one!
(c) Vineyard Music Group 1995