THE BEAUTY OF COMMUNITY: UNITY part 2

Sermon Notes, July 9, 2017

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

            Pastor Garry continued his sermon series on the Church with a sermon titled, "The Beauty of Community: Unity, part 2."  The scripture reference was 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.  He started his sermon by talking about observing employees at Wal-Mart or Target.  They each have their own job to do, but they are all one team; they are identified by their blue vests or red shirts.  If you watch a baseball team you observe that every player plays a different position that is necessary for the success of the team. 

Trouble in the Text               Verse 12 continues this idea.  Paul draws on the human body as a comparison to the body of Christ, the Church.  The body has many parts, all of which are necessary for the body to function properly.  Although we are made up of different parts, they all work together.  And even when one part of the body needs to be removed, the body compensates for the loss until some kind of replacement is found.  Paul takes this metaphor a bit further in verses 15-19 and in verse 21.  As of all the parts of the body had individual thoughts and opinions, Paul paints this picture of some of the body parts feeling as though they don't belong because they aren't as desirable as others. 

Trouble in the World            The World, or society, is no different when you think about it.  The World, like the body, is made up of different parts, all of which are necessary for the World to function.  All these parts work together.  And, like the body, when one part of the World needs to be removed, the World will compensate for the loss until the part is replaced.  Much like Paul's metaphor, the World is filled with people who don't feel like they belong because their gifts and talents are not as desirable as others.  This is also true within the Church.  Far too many people feel as though they don't belong because they don't think that they have anything to offer.  And know this to be true: the Church is part of the World; however, it is a part that the World desperately wants to sever from itself!  In other words, the World has been hacking away at the Church for centuries trying to separate itself permanently!

Good News in the Text         Remember last week's sermon?  It was never meant to be this way!  We were not created to be divided!  The Church was never meant to be divided.  It was meant to be united, and it was meant to play a vital role in the World.  Paul drives this home in verses 12, 18-20 and 24b-27.  What a beautiful picture!  Despite all of our differences, no matter where we come from, no matter what our gifts and talents are, we were all made to live in unity with each other and with the Lord!

Good News in the World      The one component that we all have in common as the body of Christ is our very faith in Christ!  It is in this great truth that the Church finds UNITY!  We are, through faith in Christ, ONE in Spirit!  We are all baptized by the same Spirit.  And while we're talking about the Holy Spirit, know this to be true:  The same Spirit that led Jesus through the desert of temptation is the same Spirit that guides us today!  The same Spirit that fell on the disciples on the Day of Pentecost is the same Spirit that fills us today!  We are not just united as Culpeper Hope Community Church of the Nazarene, we are part of the Church GLOBALLY and HISTORICALLY!  The crazy cool thing is that while we are ONE in the Spirit, we maintain our individuality.  In other words, like in last week's sermon, we are DIVERSELY UNITED!  And we desperately need each other in order to function properly in today's society!

            Paul points out that we need different gifts and talents.  He also points out that we should accept and nourish all the gifts that God has given all of us.  NO one should feel superior because God has given them more desirable gifts.  And no one should feel inadequate because they have a gift that is less desirable than others.  We need to acknowledge and nourish all of the gifts within each other!  We are given these gifts to bring the Good News to the World, not to bring recognition to ourselves!

            Understand that God put this church, and every Church, together.  There is a reason why we are here.  We all are part of what God is doing here in Culpeper and around the world!  We are all one in Spirit!  The same Spirit that moved through the first church in Acts is the same Spirit that moves through this church today and UNITES us today!  Because of our diversity, we desperately need each other.  And the World, as disjointed as it is, desperately needs the Church to stand United in His name.  We are part of the Body of Christ, Globally and Historically.  And our mission as the Body of Christ, is to bring the Good News of Christ to this lost and broken world!