United Christians

Introduction

-We live in a divided world. Our culture has been set up to pin one group against another. You have to identify with the best or you’re left behind and even a lesser person for going against the status quo. The groups you identify with say a lot about you.

Democrat or Republican? Depending on which you stand for will determine where you are welcome. How about schools? Can’t go against your school’s teams: who are you rooting for? Northfield, Wabash, Southwood? Or, are you a Purdue or IU fan? How about, are you a person who prefers the toilet paper roll going over or under?

We live in a society that is riddled with aggression and division. We have a system that forces us to choose sides, form cliques, and push others out. How many Facebook debates have you read or taken part in over something trivial? How much of the news is about pinning people, organizations, and groups against each other. It seems like people are at odds everywhere you look

-The church ought to be different. We are a family: the same Father, covered by the same blood, indwelt with the same Spirit. It doesn’t matter your background, your history, your finances, or your status. Believers are united in Christ. Galatians 3:26–28 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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.” In other words, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. God has bonded us together in Christ.

Christians are not meant to be divided, we were saved to be united under one banner: Christ. The harsh reality is that the church has been infected by the world around us. The mentality of our culture that hates and separates has invaded the church and caused strife over things major and minor: the type of music we sing, the order of service, the significance of communion, and even the color of the carpet. In fact, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity estimates a staggering 45,000 different denominations worldwide.

Is it any wonder people look down on the church? When they look at a place that claims to be holy, unique, and saved by Christ they find the same divisive tendencies at work, school, and home. Instead of a safe haven and a solution to the world’s problems, the church becomes another burden and stereotype.

-This problem isn’t anything new. The church has struggled with division since the early days of its inception. Satan has been working hard to split God’s church and cause it to fail. But Christ has a different goal: unite the church under Him. Oh the difference we can be when we aren’t Culture Christians, and instead, we are United Christians

The apostle Paul handles this problem in 1 Corinthians 1:10-31. The city of Corinth was a powerful center for pagan worship. It was a melting pot of different ethnic and religious groups and was booming in trade. When Christianity took root believers found an uphill battle to be pure for Christ while combating the culture’s influence. In fact, you could say the church at Corinth resembles the church in America: divisions, arguments, tolerance for sin, idolatry, and so much more.

The Corinthians were living like Culture Christians. Paul wanted them to be solely devoted to Christ in every way. And he started with showing them how to be United Christians.

1 Corinthians 1:10–17 “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

I. Division of Christians (v. 10-17)

-Paul urges Christians to be united (v. 10). He gives the line not to cross: don’t be divided. And he gives the solution, be complete (literally, finish one another) by agreeing in mind (believe) and judgment (understanding). Hold the same belief system, agree on the truth, and be understanding of one another where there can be differences.

It is clear what happens when people do not believe the same or lack understanding and patience with each other: fights break out (v. 11-16). The Christians there looked to various, prominent leaders in the church to follow their teachings. They would say things like, “Well, Apollos says this…”, “Peter said that…”, “I believe what Paul said…”, “Well, I follow Christ”.

Christians do the same today by taking their favorite preachers or authors and listening to them above everyone else. Some may say, “Billy Graham was the greatest evangelist of the 20th century, we should do what he did” while others argue “R. C. Sproul has made a greater impact through his books,” still others say “C. S. Lewis shows the true heart of Christianity.” Or, perhaps you’ve heard something closer to home, “My preacher says…”

Do you notice a trend in behavior? What characteristic does that demonstrate? Selfishness, favoritism, and pride. It’s an attitude that puts self on a pedestal and cuts the feet out from under others, making excuses to not have to change or belittling others simply because they disagree.

-Paul asks a valid question, “Has Christ been divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (v. 13). Jesus is our Lord, we are bonded together under His Name, His blood, His authority. Everyone else who has had an impact on your life is good but they are merely servants of the King. Don’t follow them like they are your god. Do as Paul instructs elsewhere, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Mature Christians, charismatic leaders, dynamic preachers, faithful elders, sweet church ladies, and others are vessels to get us to Christ

Paul even said he is glad he hadn’t baptized many because he didn’t want to be a source of contention and division. He wanted them to be united under Christ. Don’t elevate the name of Paul, elevate the name of Jesus. Praise Him above all else. His name is the only name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Here’s the reality, Paul didn’t come out to baptize, as if to show his own brilliance and authority. He came to present the gospel (v. 17). He wasn’t trying to show his cleverness, he was trying to show the power of the cross of Christ. It’s not about your preacher, it’s about the message. It’s not about the program, it’s about the cross. It’s not about me, it’s about Jesus.

-The godlessness of our culture has planted seeds of division in the church and they have often taken root:

1. A selfish mentality (my wants above yours)

2. A devotion to certain leaders above others (prioritizing the influence of men, following certain celebrities or Christian podcasts as if it’s more holy)

3. A pride of our golden years (look where I’ve come from, look who I know. I was brought to Christ by this person, I’ve been at this church since…)

Look at the how easily our churches are divided when we take the culture’s approach. Instead, we need God’s approach:

1. Christ-centered

2. Bible-oriented

3. Humble servants

When we replace self with Christ then arguments, splits, and division disappear. Instead, the church stands united. Be of the same mind: we believe in Jesus, we follow the Scriptures, we live by faith. Be of the same judgment: seek to understand one another, consider each other’s needs above your own, humble yourself as a servant of all.

Don’t let the church be influenced by the culture. Be influenced by Christ so we can stand united.

II. Division of World and Church (v. 18-31)

-Problems can still arise while Christians stand united. In part, because there’s a division between the world and the church

Two paradigms (worldviews) are pinned against one another. Unbelievers (the world) and Christians (the church). Christians need to stand together because the world around us can be hostile. Notice the difference between believers and unbelievers when it comes to salvation:

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

How do worldly individuals and groups view the cross? Foolishness (v. 18) and a stumbling block (v. 23). But us Christians see God’s power, God’s wisdom (v. 18, 23). When presented with the same facts and the same event two people can arrive at very different results.

If we approach with the mentality of what man can do then we come to the conclusion that Jesus’ death on the cross to pay spiritual debt and rising from the dead 3 days later just to ascend to heaven sounds like a fairy tale. It would be an impossibility. With man this is impossible but not with God, all things are possible with God. If our perspective seeks what God, the Creator of the universe, desires and is capable of then His revelation of the cross and its ramifications are plausible. Not only plausible but even likely.

-Why do unbelievers reject the message and reality of the cross? Our text offers a couple reasons, though there are others:

1. The experts don’t believe it (v. 20). There are professionals the world sees as scholars, wise men, apt debaters. Our scientists paint of picture of our origins stemming from random chance and survival of the fittest. Our intellects explain away miracles as going against the laws of nature and therefore, are impossible and must have some other rational explanation. Skeptics have developed many fine sounding arguments against God and His agenda. Our college professors teach philosophy as the greatest approach to life while theology is a waste of time. Thus, the populace rejects the evidence and the truth of God because the experts say so.

Christianity is not irrational and dumb where you merely need a blind faith to believe it. God has taken what the world calls foolish and used it to demonstrate His wisdom (v. 21). It’s not just a bunch of fun stories to make us feel better. These are events of history recorded by eye-witnesses. We proclaim the evidence of God and, having seen the proof, believe and follow God. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Our faith is not baseless. There are more than 25,000 manuscripts for our Scriptures, all with shocking harmony in content. There are 336 prophecies about the Messiah, all of which are fulfilled in Jesus. The empty tomb cries out for an answer for what happened to Jesus: was there a thief in the night or a Risen Son in the morning? The transformation of fear-stricken disciples into powerful witnesses of the Divine is astronomical.

You know something? God doesn’t care what the world thinks of His message. It is well-pleasing to Him that “the foolishness of the message preached is salvation to those who believe”. If God doesn’t care what the world thinks, then why do we? The question becomes: will we believe God or the experts?

2. They were hoping for something more or different (v. 22). The Jews seek after a sign that God is moving. How many times during the ministry of Jesus did the Pharisees demand for a sign? Jesus said this, Matthew 12:39 “But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Jesus appealed to the evidence God already presented in the Scriptures and said to believe Moses and the Prophets.

Gentiles seek wisdom. Yearning for something new and grander, a golden nugget no one has discovered yet. There are many stoics and monks seeking wisdom in isolation, books, philosophies, and more. When Paul went to Athens, a place filled with various gods and was the home of the School of Wisdom, he stood in their midst and proclaimed, “You are very religious with idols of worship for many gods. In fact, you have one dedicated to ‘the Unknown God’, let me tell you about Him”.

How many times do we find people have certain expectations or preconceived ideas about church and Christ. Then when we share what the Bible says they become crestfallen or walk away because it wasn’t what they were looking for. Jesus didn’t come to elevate the rich and powerful, He didn’t come to bring a prosperity gospel, or to bring perfect health for everyone. Rather, He took what the world rejected and made it glorious (v. 23-29).

God shows His wisdom and power as greater than anything man could possibly come up with. He then uses the weak of the world to show His strength, the foolish of man to show His wisdom, He has chosen the simple to display His glory. All so that man doesn’t get the glory but God, the Creator and Redeemer does. We stand united on the wisdom of God, being chosen by Him, and are called to share His power through the message of the cross.

Conclusion

Here’s something even greater. Not only do we enjoy God’s wisdom, we experience God’s wisdom (v. 30-31). Look at what God has done! By HIS doing we are in Christ. Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. In Him is everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. If a man is going to boast about anything, let him boast in the Lord.

The world may be against us but we are united in Jesus. We are righteous, redeemed, holy, and God’s wisdom because Jesus, who is all those things, now lives in us. It’s true what Paul asks in Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The world might be divided from us because they have rejected Jesus but let us stand united because we are all in Jesus. God has shown His wisdom, His power, His righteousness in that we are saved in Christ Jesus.

Let’s remember, we’re not culture Christians, we are United Christians. So, act like it. Be of the same mind: Christ-centered and Bible-oriented. Be of the same judgment: understand one another and humble servants. Let’s stand united in Christ because Christ unites us