2022.01.23 - Not One Part But Many

Not One Part But Many

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 • 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

Right before today’s passage, Paul talked about the different spiritual gifts God gives believers, and how they should be used. Paul told the Corinthians that the gifts say more about God than they say about God’s people, so they should be used with caution and not to demonstrate some mysterious power. Then, Paul shifts into this section demanding unity.

His discussion of spiritual gifts reads like a teaching about the topic. This section reads like a statement of correction.

According to one commentary:

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Romans–Philemon c. Unity in Diversity of Spiritual Gifts (12:12–31)

The Corinthian church prided itself in its great variety of gifts. It had little to boast about in its unity. Paul seeks to show that without the unity the multiplication of gifts is meaningless.

We come from diverse backgrounds. Many of us were born into this congregation. Many were not. Many of us were born into a United Methodist family. Many of us were not. Many of us were raised Protestant, others Catholic. Some of us may have even been raised without the Christian faith as a serious component of our family life.

When a speaker rattles off categories like that, I usually feel a little bit of pride when he mentions ‘my category’. There’s a little bit of “that’s me” going on inside.

Feeling that sense of belonging is important, but society often takes it too far.

From our news and popular culture we could easily learn that:

black people and white people don’t belong together

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus

Democrats and Republicans can’t be friends

You see, it’s one thing to recognize and even feel some pride about our own “That’s me” categories.

It’s another thing to make blanket divisions based on those categories.

When we were in college, Annette and I were part of our campus ministry’s singing group. We traveled a lot to area churches to sing and share. One year, we were invited to sing at an anniversary celebration at a church in the West End of Louisville.

The West End is the area of town where white people have to be on-guard. And this church was deep into the West End. So, naturally we accepted the offer.

We were one of many musical groups that night, and we were the only white people in the room. I can small-scale appreciate the discomfort black people feel on a large-scale and this experience is part of that appreciation.

After watching several AMAZING gospel choirs, we were up. I was supposed to kind of introduce the group before we sang. I’m not sure if I ever even mentioned our name. I’d like to recreate a bit of what I said that night:

Just looking at each other … if we believe what we’re told to believe, our group doesn’t belong here.

We should hate each other on-sight if we believe what we’re told about each other.

When we first walked in, I thought we didn’t belong up front here because we’re so different. After hearing the other choirs, I know we don’t belong because we’ll easily be the worst singers of the night.

But I want you to know, I don’t believe what we’re told about each other.

I believe what Jesus says about us.

I believe Paul, when he says, “There is neither Greek nor Jew; male nor female; slave nor free;”

There’s no denying those distinctions exist, and they are very real … real enough to make us uncomfortable with each other.

But they don’t exist in the Kingdom of God. Whatever has divided us on earth, the Spirit of God that is ours through Christ Jesus overwhelms those differences and unites us!

We are brothers and sisters in God’s family, and the world’s ignorance can’t change that.

I could easily conclude by telling you to look past our society’s barriers, and that would be a sufficient message.

But that’s not what Paul was saying. He was saying there were divisions within the Church. The Corinthians had let petty stuff come between each other. Someone was called to be a foot, so the hands all laughed at them. Someone was called to be a voice, so the brains thought less of them.

I’m too new here to know all of the divisions you have with each other … but I know they’re here. And I know they grieve the Holy Spirit.

I could easily talk about how divisions stymie growth. I could tell you about division strengthening the lies the world tells about Jesus. But our divisions grieve the Holy Spirit. Shouldn’t that grieve us?

If you’re holding animosity toward someone in this room, let me encourage you to take the first step in making it right … today. Before you leave.

In fact, I’m going to take some liberty, and blow up the rest of the service. This is an opportunity to do what may be called “hard worship”.

Taking the first step to reconciliation IS WORSHIP, and a grand form of it!

After I pray, I’m just going to play some guitar music. I may sing a bit in the background … but I don’t want you to sing along. In fact, I hope you don’t pay attention to me at all.

While I’m playing … I’d like to ask you to walk across the room -- and begin the process of righting the broken unity in this room today. And if your person isn’t here … go to another room or to your car and make a phone call.

Paul said “the body is not one part, but many. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” Let’s each individual part join together today and become the Body of Christ together.

When you’re done doing what God is calling you to do, you’re dismissed with his blessing.

Let’s pray.