THE BEAUTY OF COMMUNITY: UNITY (part 1)

Sermon Notes, July 2, 2017

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

            Pastor Garry continued his sermon series on the Church with a sermon titled, "The Beauty of Community: Unity, part 1."  The scripture reference was 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.  This scripture lets us take a step back and  look at the Church.  We are all vastly different, but we are all one.  We're diversely united.  If we were raised in the church, when we were children we looked up to the spiritual giants of the church.  We may have admired the worship leader, or the band members, or the person who seemed to have an extra portion of faith, or wisdom. Maybe we were even a little jealous, wishing we could play the piano like them, or pray like them, or bake cookies like them.  We are all to have faith, but some people seem to have a gift of faith, and no matter what happens, they can see God working in it for the good.

            Paul writes about gifts.  Paul's letter was written to the church in Corinth, a place that was pagan, and where the people worshipped idols.  The new believers watched God working through the gifts of the Spirit, and some of them began worshipping the gift as if it was an idol.  In verses 4-6 Paul tells them that though there are many different gifts, all the gifts come from the same Holy Spirit.  In verse 7, he notes that the gifts of the Spirit are the manifestation of God's work.

            God gives us each of us gifts.  The Spirit is being revealed in us; He is being revealed in us.  He gives us Spiritual gifts, not to isolate individuals, but to unite us as a church.  When the church started, back in the first century, it was not meant to be divided.  But as humans who see things differently, we have divided ourselves according to our interpretation of things.  Pastor Garry thinks that before Jesus returns, the global church will be united.

           

            We need to embrace the gifts God has given us.  (Some are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.)  We need to use them for His glory.  And we need to use them to bring unity in the church.  One of our goals at Culpeper Hope Community Church of the Nazarene is to bring unity to our community through our diversity.