One People

David Watson once described the Christian community as being like a group of porcupines huddling together for warmth. In other words, the closer they got to each other, the more likely they were to cause each other pain! He wasn't being cynical about the church, he was just trying to describe the reality that we're an imperfect people and that this causes problems from time to time.

John Stott of course is credited with the quote: "if you find the perfect church, don't join it, you will only spoil it." And then there is my favourite quote about the church from Bill Hybels: "There is nothing like the local church when it's working right..."

The church in Corinth was no different. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul dives straight into some of the issues that have surfaced in this multi-cultural, multi-dimensional expression of the local church. It seems that the church has become almost tribal, identifying allegiance to a particular leader as a defining characteristic of how to do things "the right way".

Later in the letter we discover that leadership is not the only basis for division in the church.

· Wealth and status is a factor
· Disagreements and law suits
· Different teaching methods, or teachers
· Arguments about marriage

Paul's call is simply this: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you...

The question is: Is this ever possible?

What is Paul addressing:

When Paul talks about divisions, he is addressing the issue of the arguments that are raging within the community. The word translated division is translated elsewhere in the New Testament as tear, like a torn garment or wineskin. On the other hand the phrase perfectly united is about restoration (the same word is used in Mark's gospel to describe the process of repairing the fishing nets).

So these are tears, they’re not fatal unless they become too big. So they need attention now, and Paul’s solution is a reminder that we are called to become one people.

How do we become one people?

#1 Christ the centre

For Paul the answer to this question rests fairly and squarely on one principle: Christ is not divided. In other words, Jesus is the answer to the question of church unity. Or to put it another way: What unites us is Christ and the cross, and this is greater than anything that divides us. What makes the church "work" is Christ at the centre. What makes the church not work is when Christ is forced out of the centre of things.

The gospel is the reconciling work of God in our midst.

#2 Celebrate a common faith

One faith, one Lord, one baptism.

The problem, or rather the challenge is that we have a seemingly ever-increasing diversity of churches. Can they all be right? And if not, which one is wrong and which one is right?

These kinds of questions presuppose that our eternal destiny rests on choosing the right church! But we know it doesn't, and Paul knows that too. As we've already seen, his argument for unity is based upon the centrality of Christ and the work of the cross.

#3 Share a common vision, values and purpose

From local to national to international, we share some things in common. The more local we are, the more closely we need to share. But that does not mean that we have always to agree in every detail of the "how", but we will agree on the fundamental "what". In other words there is room for diversity, but no room for division.

Our common vision is expressed on the weekly newssheet as:

To build a church that honours and glorifies God; built on biblical principles; teaching biblical truth; influencing its community; where personal relationships are deep.

Our mission is: To know God and to make God known

Our values are:

• A clear commitment to Christ
• Authentic Christian lifestyle
• Commitment to one another
• Committed to our community
• The centrality of prayer and worship in everything we do

And our common purpose is: To love people into a deep and growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ

On the weekly newssheet we end with one last thing: a common heart.

It says this: We want to share God’s heart for the marginalized and play our part in fulfilling God’s call to preach good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.

None of this presupposes that we all do the same things in the same ways. In fact I would suggest that it would be impossible to do that. Instead we are united in these things as our core values, our core vision, our core purpose. But we fulfil them in a diversity of ways.

#4 One body

Diversity comes through form and function. Unity comes through purpose and authority (Christ is the head of the church)

#5 Live a common life

One of the characteristics of the early church was its common life. In Acts 2 we see the church sharing a common life through common worship, common commitment, common possessions.

So here’s a final question: What might a common life look like in the 21st century?

Answers on a postcard please...