Church-Week 3

The Cross is the central driving force for unity

Galatians 3:28 NIV

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And Paul earlier in this chapter says - we clearly taught you guys that Jesus was crucified. And you know you received the spirit because of that - not because of any of your effort.

So in the cross, in our participation with the death and resurrection of Christ - we lose the right to claim any status markers that MIGHT make us feel higher or better than anyone else.

These categories were pretty relevant at the time.

Jews saw themselves as higher than other cultures

To the jew, the highest expression of God’s work on earth was in the distinct culture and appearance of the jewish nation

The free folk saw the slaves as worth less than them

All I need to say is ‘slavery’ and we all can conjure up a picture of it.

Even the men treated women more like property.

They weren’t ‘reliable witnesses’ in court, they weren’t instructed in the law.

Paul says - in the cross - all of this is gone.

And we need to understand how these differences apply to us today.

FIRSTLY -

The cross is above our culture differences

We don’t have to look far to see modern day examples of the ‘jew versus gentile’ debate. Just ask anyone anywhere - what style should church follow? What should Christians ‘look like’?

And my point here isn’t to take a side on that debate. It’s to point out - that debate has nothing to do with the kingdom.

There are lots of wonderful, amazing people, across all different styles, cultures, volumes of music, etc, that are praising God with all their might.

The second we start saying, one way is just flat out better than another - we start making levels in the kingdom and saying, these guys are better because they look or sound the way I think they should.

Or even worse - we start saying that some people are right because they represent a certain culture, and some people are wrong because they don’t.

The right kind of ‘culture of the kingdom’ is the one that praises God - and challenges us

STORY - our kids songs may seem a bit silly. But I regularly catch my kids dancing and singing those worship songs - and other ones - at home.

And the problem is, this is intensely personal. We only really know enough to answer this question for ourselves, or those we’re really close to.

But the right kind of ‘culture’ is one that praises God first and foremost. And to some people, that means being loud. To some, that means being quiet and reflective. To some people,a suit and tie is a show of respect. To others, it’s a sign of falseness, and ripped jeans is the way to give your best.

Your expression of faith could be another person’s expression of fake. It’s not our goal to make people look like us. It’s our job to help people look like Christ.

But secondly - the right kind of ‘culture’ challenges us. It DENIES us. The right kind of culture is less like a country club, and more like a gym.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NIV

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

This is the kind of culture the bible pushes. Not one where everyone looks the same - but one where everyone tries really hard. We aren’t here because we paid our dues and earned a nice place to hang out. We’re here because God saved us and rescued us, and we’re training ourselves to not miss out on that.

SECONDLY -

The cross is above our social or physical distinctions

STORY - I worked as a programmer and graphics designer for a while, but i was a bit rare in that I was one you could put in front of customers.

There’s a second way we cause divisions in the world. And we’re just the worst at this in the western world. And that’s divisions of economic means and intellectual ability.

1 Corinthians 12:21–25 NIV

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

In the world, our differences are ways that we say who is better or worse. We look at someone who is successful, who is influential or powerful, and we hold that person in a higher esteem. We look at someone who is smarter and think they’re better than someone who isn’t.

God’s response to someone who seems ‘less’ is to provide ‘more’.

Those who lack esteem should get extra. The parts who we would qualify as ‘less honorable’ we should treat with special honor. The bible says, God simply gives out greater honor to the parts that are lacking it.

Have you ever thought about that on a practical level? Next time you see someone who doesn’t seem as honorable to you as someone else. That doesnt’ mean they’re worse - it means God is going to give that person even MORE honor - and we should too.

So if we ever see a social or physical distinction in the church - we should work HARD to eradicate it.

And we don’t do that by conformity. We do it by love and honor.

STORY - Sarah Vos. Had an alpha leader who had autism. She struggled in certain capabilities. But she CRUSHED making people feel welcome. So that’s where we put her, front and center

If we’re ever in a spot where we say we don’t need someone in church - no matter what answer comes out of our mouth. We’re wrong.

How do we start?

We need to realize that the cross won every battle we will face

In all the ways we may struggle as a local body. We need to stand on the promise that God won every single one of those battles.

That’s what it means that we’re all one before the cross. That all the things that the enemy could use to split us up - God is already victorious.

The next time you see another person in church as a hinderance - or even as a threat - to the way you’re comfortable doing things, you’re serving the God who is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Any fear you have, God is greater.

We need to celebrate that a building of people who are so completely different represent the love and existence of a God who is so completely different. And we’re able to do it because God has already won the battle for us.