A CALL FOR UNITY
1 Corinthians 1:10-17
V:10. " I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that 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."
A. This is a call to the members of the Church to be
unified.
1. If we can't get
together on the inside of the Church, how can we expect someone
from the outside
to join in with us.
2. This call is in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. Jesus is the head of the Church.
b. Jesus is
the authority of the Church.
B. God wants the
members of the Church to be in complete agreement.
1. For us to be
in complete agreement, we have to ensure that Jesus is the center
of our
activities.
2. To be in
complete agreement, we have to study the Word together.
3. We have to put
aside our differences and first find where we agree.
a. If we can
find where we agree, maybe we can work around our
disagreements.
b. If we can
agree on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, then everything else
is
minor.
c. There are some things that are not
worth arguing about.
d. If our
disagreements does not involve Christian doctrine, we can
compromise or let the disagreeing party have his/her way.
4. We should all
strive to have the mind of Christ.
a. Let this
mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Phil 2:5
b. If we all
strive toward the mind of Christ, all our differences will
dissolve.
C. We should make it
our business to pursue unity among the brethren.
1. Satan and his
demons are unified in seeking to destroy the Church.
2. Satan is on a
mission to corrupt that which he can't destroy.
a. Disunity in
the Church is a means to Satan's end.
b. If Satan
can create enough mess in the Church so
nothing
gets done, he will have been successful.
c. We must see
disunity for what it is, a tool to disrupt the forward
progress
of the Church.
V:11. " My
brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are
quarrels among you."
A. The results of
disunity is quarrels.
1. Disunity
divides the Church.
2. Disunity can
drive people away from the Church.
B. Disunity in the
Church has a way of getting outside the Church.
1. If our
disunity gets outside the Church, who would want to join
the Church?
2. Disunity can
interrupt the spiritual growth of those in the Church.
3. Disunity can
affect our ability to draw unbelievers to the Church.
C. Problems that are
in the Church can only be resolved in the Church.
1. You only have
three people you should take your disagreements to.
2. Take it to
Jesus.
a. Jesus can
fix it.
b. If Jesus
don't fix it, it may not need to be fixed.
c. Check
yourself to make sure you are not the problem.
3. Take your
disagreement to the person you have a problem with.
a. We should
be able to resolve the problem among ourselves.
b. How can
you edify Christ if you can't edify your brother?
4. As a last
resort, if it affects the Church, take it to the pastor.
a. The discussion stops at the Pastor.
b. The Pastor
is the anointed Angel of the Church.
5. We should
never discuss our issues outside the Church.
a. The moment
you do, you are spreading disunity up and down
the
street.
b. You become
the Devil's tool to break up Christian unity.
c. You become
a stumbling block to Christian growth and maturity.
D. I say this out of
Love and respect.
1. If you can
not find it in your heart to make peace between you and your
brother or
sister, it would be better for you to leave him or her alone.
2. If you sow
seeds of disunity among the brethren, you will reap the same in your
life.
V:12 "What I mean is this: One of you says, "I
follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I
follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."
A. We must be careful
to separate Biblical matters from none Biblical matters.
1. We do not
argue Biblical matters.
a. Biblical matters require careful Bible
study to obtain the correct
interpretation.
b. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth
and the Life.
c. We preach no other Gospel but Jesus
Christ.
d. The Word is the authority. Our
opinions are not the authority.
2. The Good News is not centered around
any preacher.
a. Preachers are the servants God uses
to teach Jesus Christ.
b. Preachers come and preachers go.
c. The Gospel is forever.
B. Paul, Apollos and Cephas were God's
preachers.
1. They were shepherds of the flock of
Jesus Christ.
2. They were given the authority to
preach Jesus.
3. Preachers are not to be worshipped.
4.
Preachers are selected to lead us in the Worship of Jesus Christ.
C. We should not be concerned about whose
preaching, but who he is
preaching.
V:13. " Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?
Were you baptized into the name of Paul? "
A. No preacher can
save you.
1. Preachers can
only lead you to Christ.
2. The job of a
preacher is to help the sheep of Jesus Christ grow in Christ.
B. Christ who is the
Son of God and one with God, stepped down out of heaven
to die on the
cross for the atonement of our sins.
1. Christ was without sin and therefore
the only one acceptable to God, the Father
as a
sacrifice for the sins of the world.
2. It is
through Christ and Him only that we can stand justified before the Father.
C. Salvation is obtained
through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
1. We are
baptized into the death of Jesus and resurrected into a new life with
Jesus.
2. Baptism is
not obtained through any other person.
3. There is no
Savior other than Jesus Christ.
D. There is but one
Lord, one spirit and one Jesus.
1. All three are
one.
2. Lordship is
not given to any man.
3. There is only
one to be worshipped.
V:14. " I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you
except Crispus and Gaius. "
A. The Apostle Paul,
the preacher of Jesus Christ was careful to claim that baptizing
by him would
save no one.
1. Water baptism
is just an outward sign of a spiritual baptism into Jesus Christ.
2. It is the Holy Spirit that does the
baptizing.
B. Paul had the gift
of healing and the Gift of raising people from the dead.
(Acts 20:9-10)
1. Paul could
not save.
2. His job was
to teach salvation through Jesus Christ.
3. Paul was
careful not to claim any honor for himself, but to give all honor
to Jesus.
V:15. " So no one can say that you were baptized into
my name."
A. It is the job of
the preacher to baptize believers in the name of Jesus Christ.
1. This water
baptism is out of obedience to the command of Jesus Christ.
Mat 28:19.
2. The angels of
the Church are God's pastors who deliver the message of the
baptism of
Jesus Christ.
3. By no other
name can believers be baptized.
B. The spiritual
Baptism takes place when a believer accepts Christ as his personal
Savior.
1. This spiritual
baptism is not by human hand.
2. All the pastors
can do is to lead the God elect's to
Christ, where He takes over.
a. The new
man begins in Christ.
b.
Regeneration begins in Christ.
c.
Sanctification begins in Christ.
d.
Purification begins in Christ.
e. Atonement
of sins begins in Christ.
f. Christ finishes
all that He begins.
V:16. "(Yes, I also baptized the household of
Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)
A. Paul's focus was not on what he had done,
but what Christ had done through him.
1. Paul wanted no popularity for himself.
2. Paul did not want the praise of men.
3. Paul did not want to be lifted up by
man.
B. All Paul wanted was for us to see Jesus
through his preaching of the cross.
1. My brothers and sisters in Christ our
ultimate objective is to see Jesus.
2. We need to see Jesus in our lives.
3. We need to see Jesus in our work.
4. We need to see Jesus in our praise.
5. We need to see Jesus in our prayers
6. We need to see Jesus as our heavenly
Savior.
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.
A. There is POWER in
the Word.
1. That POWER is
the Holy Ghost Power.
2. That POWER is
the wisdom of the Lord.
3. That POWER is
the saving power.
3. That POWER is
the light of the world.
4. That POWER is
preaching power.
5. That POWER is
cleaning power.
6. That POWER is
loving power.
7. That POWER is
forgiving power.
8. That POWER is
uplifting power.
9. That POWER
gives hope for eternal life.
10. That POWER is
Jesus Power.
B. Paul had a love
for the Church of Jesus Christ.
1. Paul didn't
want our focus wasted on him.
2. Paul didn't
want our praise wasted on him.
3. Paul didn't
want our praise wasted on man
4. Paul wanted
our praise and honor focused on Jesus.
My brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, strive for unity in
the Church.
If we can keep our focus on the reasons for our call into
the Body of Christ, there
would be find joy in the in being unified in Christ.
1. We were called
to be Holy.
2. We were
called to fellowship.
3. We were called
to Glorify God.
We all must work together to accomplish the mission that God
purposed for us.
Amen
Rev. Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC
No comments:
Post a Comment