Unity Together / Celebrating Differences

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Welcome:

If this is your first time here at Lf, thank you so much for choosing to worship with us this morning. CONNECTION CARD

Living Faith App: Sermon Notes

Series Overview:

Election season is here, and that usually means we throw away what really matters in the name of tribalism. But it shouldn’t mean that, right? The purpose of this series is to paint a very clear picture that we love Jesus more than a candidate or a political party. We value our political system, but we don’t worship it. In this series, we’re going to focus on how our HOPE is in Jesus alone!

Your vote is not just our voice, it’s your testimony of your value system. - Ed Newton

Sermon Overview:

As we find ourselves getting closer and closer to this election, chances are we are going to find it more and more difficult to believe in the whole “united we stand” bit that we claim as a country. When you turn on the news, you won’t find stories about neighbors helping neighbors rebuild after a devastating hurricane. Instead you will find a specific agenda being pushed in order to attract voters to one candidate or another.

That is why today, I want us to take a look at God’s intended posture of the church, which is to be united in identity and purpose. We are also going to take a look at what it looks like to be health in your identity within the church.

Focus Passages:

Galatians 3:26–29 CSB

26 for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus. 27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

1 Corinthians 12:12–27 CSB

12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. 23 And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, 24 which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.

Pray

Teach

“Unity Together”

Unpack Galatians 3:26–29

The first thing that we need to take a look at this morning if we are going to pursue this idea of unity, we need to establish our individual identity.

We have to know who we are, where we come from and what we value before we can begin to understand where someone else's values and decisions may come from based on who they are. - Talor Clark

We live in a society and time that pushes this idea of radical individualism down our throats on a continual basis, yet I would submit to you that even so, most of us in the room struggle to understand WHO we are and WHO’S we are. Although so many of us love the idea of ourselves more than most things, if we claim that we love Jesus, then our lives are made up with a different set of ingredients.

Galatians 3:26 “26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Paul is writing this book to a new church in Galatia that is wresting with the transition from living under the law of God to living under the grace of God. The church was riddled with arguments regarding grace and law. This prompts Paul to get down on the foundational level of the problem in order to inform this church that much more than the current issue that they are facing, they must remember that “through faith, you are ALL the sons of God in (Christ Jesus). It is only through (faith) in Jesus that we get to live boldly and freely in the grace of God. Let us not ever fall to the fallacy that we have somehow earned that place.

Galatians 3:27–28“27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This is a nod to Pauls letter to the church at Corinth, but let’s save that bit for a little later. I want to highlight that when we all become sons and daughters of God, we get our wardrobe updated a little bit. We don’t have to wear those uncomfortable identities we tried to make ourselves any more, we get a new set that were tailor made for us.

Through salvation and water baptism, we are placed into the body of Christ, where all believers have now become united as FAMILY. We have “put on Christ”.

In addition you have clothed yourselves with Christ. In Roman society, when a youth became old enough to be considered an adult, he took off his children’s clothes and put on an adult’s toga. This switch indicated that he had adult citizenship and responsibilities. In the same way, the Galatians had laid aside the old clothes of the law and had put on Christ’s new robes of righteousness.

Holman Concise Bible Commentary

In Christ, human distinctions lose their significance. Regardless of race, profession, or gender, all who come to Christ must come the same way—through faith and repentance. As a result, with all distinctions erased, all believers are united in Christ. This does not mean that all distinctions are erased on the human level. A slave was still a slave in the eyes of Rome, but not in the eyes of God.

300 movie illustration: King Leonidas is leading his men to war against the Persians. On their way they run into some allies called the Akkadians. In that meeting, the Akkadian king makes a comment about about how few men that the Spartans are bringing to the fight. The allies’ leader is astonished that king Leonidas brought so few soldiers (only 300) and wanted more of a commitment before he would commit to joining in the fight. King Leonidas laughs and starts to ask a few of the Akkadians what their profession is. The first one is a potter, the second is a sculptor, the third is a blacksmith. Leonidas then turns to the Spartans and boldly asks “Spartans! What is your profession?” To which they all respond in unison “Ah-oo, Ah-oo, Ah-oo!”. Leonidas says to the Akkadian commander, “You see, old friend, I brought more soldiers than you did.” The Spartan soldiers demonstrate such an incredible level of unity because of their common identity.

Galatians 3:29 “29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

If you are unfamiliar with Abraham, there is so much to know. But especially in the context of this passage, Abraham was an incredible man of faith who walked closely with God and God promised him that all of his offspring would become a great nation that God would give a high place of honor. Since you and I are now in the family, that same promises applies to you and I!

What is the big “so what” from this passage?

In the midst of this polarizing elections season, there is a very real battle for your heart, mind, and soul. You will be made to feel like if you do not side with a particular party or candidate, you are stupid, uneducated, or irrelevant. I am here today to let you know that before you are a libertarian, democrat, republican, or any other party, you are a son or a daughter of the Most High God. Just like actual siblings, there are going to be some differences due to personalities, preferences, and passions; but at the end of the day, we must keep the main thing, the main thing, and that is the simple fact that we belong to Jesus Christ.

“Celebrating Differences”

Unpack 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

1 Corinthians 12:12–18 ESV

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

I am so indescribably thankful for diversity not only within the body here at Living Faith Irvington, but also Near West. There are so many different people from so many different backgrounds that God, in His infinite grace, has woven together to create the beautiful mosaic of a family.

We have:

New babies and chronologically gifted saints

Black, hispanic, asian, and white brother and sisters

We have people with a little bit of money and a lot of it

We have artists and athletes

We have dreamers and doers

There are so many different people that are a part of the Living Faith family, and that is not even mentioning our mission partners and other brothers and sisters around the world. If you zoom WAY in, you see a certain group of people that live in a local area that are similar in a lot of way. But if you zoom WAY out, then you get a much clearer picture of the God’s church and His children.

I have always loved this passage because the church is one of the only places, if not the only place, where diversity is not only welcomed, but celebrated. I think historically, that has not always been the case. But in recent years, things have shifted. Worship services, life groups, and personal relationships are getting more and more diverse and let me just say that I am here for it!

There is something that we must be on the look out for and I absolutely need your help with it. There is an underlying thought process that, left unchecked, makes us believe that unity actually looks like conformity. Friends, that is absolutely not true and this passage teaches the exact opposite.

What the Apostle Paul is writing here is something that God taught me this this passage a long time ago. Unity is not sameness, it’s oneness.

In other words, God has given us the one family, the church. God has given us one mission, to tell other about Him. He has given us one commandment, to love God and love others. There are big themes, but little instruction on how to do it. Yet, often times in church, we think that our way is the only way or the best way to do it. Or, on a more personal level, we convince ourselves that God has designed you “model child” and everyone should look, think, and talk just like us and that is simply not the case.

As the church, our job is to help brother and sister in the family find their gifting or sweet spot, then be their biggest cheerleaders.

Response

James 1:22 (CSB)

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only,

Connection Card

I will take time this week to see other’s points of views in the church and give them the benefit of the doubt.

I will take time to pray for people that I disagree with.

I will make sure my words this week build unity in the church, and don’t work to create divides.