Today begins a new series about living our lives according to our calling.
How would you define “calling”? Task? Purpose? Designation?
I believe our calling is simply becoming the person God had in mind when He created us and to do what He purposed us for. So, it’s not just who we are and it’s not just what we do, it’s a combination of the two.
“As we jump into this short series about living the Christian life, we recognize that we cannot live the life without the power and filling of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Spirit was given to be our guarantee (Ephesians), to fill us, to remind us, to empower us, to unite us, and yes, to send us. John tells us that we can do nothing without Him. Yes, believer, you need the Holy Spirit to successfully live the Christian life!”[i]
Our scripture for today comes from 1 Corinthians 12:1-13. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at the recipients of this letter. “The city was so well known for its immorality and vice that people of the time commonly referred to a person of loose morals as one who ‘behaved like a Corinthian’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:15-18).”[ii]
In fact, Paul addresses some of their immoralities. “9-10 Surely you know that people who do wrong will not get to enjoy God’s kingdom. Don’t be fooled. These are the people who will not get to enjoy his kingdom: those who sin sexually, those who worship idols, those who commit adultery, men who let other men use them for sex or who have sex with other men, those who steal, those who are greedy, those who drink too much, those who abuse others with insults, and those who cheat. 11 In the past some of you were like that. But you were washed clean, you were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ERV)
These few scriptures inform us that there was a mixed bag of sinfulness that took place in Corinth. But the people in Corinth were also a mixed bag. Based on several verses in 1 Corinthians, we can determine that the church included some Jews but it was mostly comprised of Gentiles. Some were slaves (1 Corinthians 7:21-23) while others came from influential and wealthy backgrounds. (1 Corinthians 1:26) Men and women were both addressed. These variances (Jews vs. Gentiles, slaves vs. wealthy, men vs. women) caused friction in their congregation.
In the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul puts it bluntly. “10 My dear friends, as a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to get along with each other. Don’t take sides. Always try to agree in what you think. 11 Several people from Chloe’s family have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other. 12 They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ.
13 Has Christ been divided up? Was I nailed to a cross for you? Were you baptized in my name?” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 CEV)
What do these verses suggest? The Corinthians couldn’t even agree on who to follow.
Later in chapter 3, Paul has this to say. “3 My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That’s why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. 2 So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, 3 because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves you are not spiritual and you are acting like the people of this world.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3 CEV)
The people of Corinth can’t seem to get along. They’re arguing, they’re taking sides, they’re jealous of one another and basically, Paul tells them they act like worldly people. Ouch. The church at Corinth was divided and fractured.
So, how different from the Corinthians do we consider ourselves to be?
A survey was conducted on Twitter regarding real-life conflicts within churches. Here are just a few.
Argument over the appropriate length of the worship pastor’s beard
A church argument and vote to decide if a clock in the worship center should be removed
A fight over which picture of Jesus to put in the foyer
A petition to have all church staff clean-shaven
A big church argument over the discovery that the church budget was off $0.10. Someone finally gave a dime to settle the issue
A dispute in the church because the Lord’s Supper had cran/grape juice instead of grape juice
An argument on whether the church should allow deviled eggs at the church meal
A disagreement over using the term “potluck” instead of “pot blessing”
Two different churches reported fights over the type of coffee. In one of the churches, they moved from Folgers to a stronger Starbucks brand. In the other church, they simply moved to a stronger blend. Members left the church in the latter example[iii]
While we may giggle or roll our eyes at the absurdity of these, we ourselves are not immune to stating our opinions and engaging in disputes, disagreements, and arguments regarding situations or issues within the church. Choir robes or not. Old hymns or contemporary music. Volume of the music. How long the service should last. Pastor sabbaticals. Paint colors in the worship center.
“These issues are silly; many are absurd. But they are all distractions from what we should be doing in our churches. In that sense, they are really great distractions from the Great Commission.” [iv]
It should come as no surprise that these disagreements, arguments, and distractions provide much entertainment and much delight to Satan. The word devil derives from the Greek word diabolos. That’s where the English word diabolical comes from. But the word diabolos means to “throw apart or to separate”.[v]
We are warned in 1 Peter 5 that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour. He searches for cracks in relationships, fissures in friendships, and especially division in churches. However, in Matthew 16:18 Jesus assures us that the church is built on His foundation and the gates of hell will not overpower the church. Matthew Poole’s commentary on this section of Matthew 16:18 explains it like this: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; that is, the power of the devil and all his instruments shall never prevail against it utterly to extinguish it, neither to extinguish true faith in the heart of any particular believer, nor to root the gospel out of the world.”[vi]
But, of course, that doesn’t mean dissension doesn’t occur in the church. We know it does. Most likely we’ve experienced it or witnessed it. I think we could all agree that anytime there is dissension, there is distraction.
Part of the theme of our lessons has been “getting back to the basics”; understanding the fundamental beliefs as Christians and weeding out the misconceptions or the compromises we may have adopted concerning the gospel and Christian-living. The end result of that should be unity.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul addresses the importance of unity among the people in the church. His message is just as relevant today as it was then. Listen to some of the words that he repeats in his message.
1 Corinthians 12:1-13 HCSB “Now concerning what comes from the Spirit: brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you used to be led off to the idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I am informing you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial:
8 to one is given a message of wisdom
through the Spirit,
to another, a message of knowledge
by the same Spirit,
9 to another, faith by the same Spirit,
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another, the performing of miracles,
to another, prophecy,
to another, distinguishing between spirits,
to another, different kinds of languages,
to another, interpretation of languages.
11 But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.
12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
“Since there was division in the Corinthian church, Paul began with an emphasis on the oneness in the church. He pointed out four wonderful bonds of spiritual unity. We confess the same Lord (v 1-3). Paul contrasted their experience as unconverted idolaters with their present experience as Christians.”[vii]
If Jesus is Lord in our lives, meaning He has been given authority over us, how does that affect our relationships with others? In other words, do you agree that having Jesus as Lord in your life minimizes petty disagreements and arguments? Do you believe that recognizing Jesus as Lord of your life enables you to experience unity with others?
“If Jesus Christ truly is the Lord of our lives, then there should be unity in the church. Division and dissension among God’s people only weakens their united testimony to a lost world (John 17:20-21).”[viii]
Jesus prayed for all believers in John 17:20-21 NIV “20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
The second bond of unity is found in verses 4-6 of 1 Corinthians 12. “4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.”
We depend on the same God (v 4-6). There is a trinitarian emphasis here: “…the same Spirit…the same Lord…the same God.” We individually may have different gifts, ministries, and ways of working, but the “same God produces each gift in each person.”
The source of the gift is God; the sphere for administering the gift is from God; and the energy to use the gift is from God. Why, then, glorify men? Why compete with one another?” [ix]
If you have siblings from the same set of parents, you more than likely share similarities, but there are likely many differences as well. One sibling may be over 6 feet while another may have stopped at a height of 5 feet. One sibling may have gone bald or gray at a young age while another may have thick, dark hair with just a few silvery strands. One may have been gifted with a great metabolism while another wrestles with their weight. One sibling may have musical abilities and the other, athletic abilities. One sibling may have struggled through school while the other breezed through with a GPA of 4.0. Same mother, same father, but different attributes, different characteristics.
We, as God’s children, are very much the same. We have the same Father, the same Lord, the same Holy Spirit, but we are bestowed with different gifts, talents, and abilities. If we submit ourselves to working for God’s kingdom, using the gifts God has given us, in unity with other children of God who are gifted in different ways, just imagine how much more smoothly the church would run.
If you’ve ever been to a play or a musical where there is a live orchestra, you know the show will begin shortly when you hear the orchestra warm up. The musicians warm up individually – doing their own thing. Even those playing the same instrument are not in sync with one another. If there are five trumpet players, then there will be five different scales, rhythms, and musical exercises being played. Same for the flutes, the clarinets, and the trombones. The result is a cacophony of noise. It’s a mismatched mixture of sounds that contradict and challenge one another.
But once the conductor stands in front of them all, there is silence. All eyes are on the conductor as they count out the tempo and instruct who is to play and when they should play. The conductor’s main purpose is to unify the musicians and their differing sounds to create beautiful music.
Now if there is a percussionist in the orchestra who doesn’t want to go with the flow, and beats the drum at their own pace, not following the conductor’s lead, what happens? The beautiful music is overshadowed by the disruption, the disobedience, and the distraction.
That’s what can happen in a church and among believers when we don’t use our gifts in harmony with others. How do we see this in real-life situations within the church? The first thing that comes to mind is within the choir. People become disgruntled if the same people keep getting solos. They get their feelings hurt if they’re not selected to serve on a praise team.
The third bond of unity ties together the different gifts and comes from verses 7-11 of 1 Corinthians 12. “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.
All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.” (MSG)
We minister to the same body (v 7-11). The gifts are given for the good of the whole church. They are not for individual enjoyment but for the corporate employment. The Corinthians especially needed this reminder, because they were using their spiritual gifts selfishly to promote themselves and not to prosper the church. When we accept our gifts with humility, then we use them to promote harmony, and this helps the whole church. [x]
These verses don’t give us a complete list of gifts. Romans 12 adds to it. “6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Romans 12:6-8 NLT)
I hope that you can identify with at least one of those God-given gifts. If so, how are you using it?
The fourth and final bond is described in verses 12-13. “12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 HCSB)
We have experienced the same baptism (v 12-13). The baptism of the Spirit occurs at conversion when the Spirit enters the believing sinner, gives him/her new life, and makes his/her body the temple of God. All believers have experienced this once-for-all baptism (1 Cor 12:13).
The “filling of the Spirit” (Eph 5:18) has to do with the Spirit’s control of our lives. (In Scripture, to be “filled by” something means to be “controlled by”). We are commanded to be filled, and we can be if we yield all to Christ and ask Him for the Spirit’s filling (controlling). This is a repeated experience, for we constantly need to be filled with spiritual power if we are to glorify Christ. To be baptized by the Spirit means that we belong to Christ’s body. To be filled with the Spirit means that our bodies belong to Christ. [xi]
Our world consists of an infinite amount of divisions. Republican vs. Democrat. Liberal vs. Conservative. Pro-Choice vs. Anti-Abortion. Meat-eaters vs. Vegans. Hunters vs. animal lovers. Upper class vs. lower class. Gun control vs. 2nd Amendment. The list goes on and on.
But Christians, God’s people should be able to be unified even when we are diversified.
Psalm 133:1 NIV “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
TAKEAWAYS
- How am I promoting unity within the body of Christ in my community, workplace, school, home, and church?
- What do I need to do differently to proclaim the bonds of unity and the gospel by my actions and behavior? Remember, your actions reflect your heart’s motivations.
- In what ways is the Spirit of Christ speaking to me to change me, mold me, and use me in my home and community?
- What’s it going to take for Christ to use this church as His example to a lost world that He reigns and rules supremely?[xii]
[i] Credit to Andy Cauble
[ii] What is the history and significance of Corinth in the Bible? – Bible Portal
[iii] Twenty Five Silly Things Church Members Fight Over (churchanswers.com)
[iv] Twenty Five Silly Things Church Members Fight Over (churchanswers.com)
[v] Division, the Spirit of Diabolos – Rewild Church
[vi] Matthew 16:18 Commentaries: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (biblehub.com)
[vii] Be Wise by Warren W. Wiersbe
[viii] Credit to Andy Cauble
[ix] Be Wise by Warren W. Wiersbe
[x] Be Wise by Warren W. Wiersbe
[xi] Be Wise by Warren W. Wiersbe
[xii] Credit to Andy Cauble
Beacons of Light 