What God Has Joined Together, Let No Man Separate 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NKJV)

Transcription

1 What God Has Joined Together, Let No Man Separate 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 (NKJV) When I am presiding over a wedding there is a progression in the service. The groom comes out, then the bride makes her way out, the father gives his daughter away, and usually the parents will agree to support them and pray for them. We then move into the purpose of marriage it was instituted by God in the very beginning. We talk about how the two are to become one, which is a lifelong process that God uses to work on us to make us something we are not in our singleness. By this time, I can already see how they complement one another. We are in full agreement that God has brought their two paths together. Then we move into vows, making commitments to one another, and then we seal those vows with rings which symbolize their commitment to one another. And of course it s also sealed with a kiss. But at the very end, they will join hands, and I will put my hand on theirs and say, What God has joined together, let no man separate. In other words, we are affirming that God has brought them together and they are to work at keeping it together. Those of us that are married, we know that it takes work. Everything in our flesh and everything in the world around is going to work overtime to rip apart what God has brought together. That s exactly what is taking place in the church of Corinth. Vs. 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Paul was pleading, begging for the local church at Corinth to be unified. Divisions = schismata (where we get our word schism ): to tear or rend. Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 1

2 In other words, the divisions were tearing them apart. I was thinking of Pastor Jeremy who recently had a tear in his Achilles tendon. The injury happened while playing basketball on a Saturday and for five days he had to stay off it and keep it elevated so that the swelling would go down enough that he could have surgery. The next Thursday they opened him up and sewed that tendon back together. Now he is on the road to recovery. Could you imagine if Jeremy decided to skip the surgery? If that tear wasn t fixed, he would not walk on that foot properly ever again. In the same way, when there are divisions among us, when we are not walking in unity, we are tearing at the grace that has brought us together we are tearing at the work of Christ that has made us family, and we will not walk well, our spiritual life will have a limp, and we will be disabled. There is so much time focused on that issue that the rest of our spiritual walk suffers it has to work harder. Most of all, because it s over something that divides instead of unites the church, it has the ability to take center stage and consume. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! Galatians 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now, notice the contrast of dividing: speak the same thing, be perfectly fit together, and be of the same mind and judgment. The phrase joined together is a medical term. It s the idea of taking a ligament that has been torn and joining it back together, or a bone that has been fractured or dislocated and placing it in its proper place. So how is that done? Paul gives us a clue if you look back over these ten verses, the name of Jesus is mentioned eleven times! Why? because it s only when we put our focus on Jesus that we move towards unity. Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 2

3 Recently, I went out to lunch with one of the local pastors here in town who is a good friend of mine. We pray for one another and enjoy one another. We have differences too but when it comes to the gospel, when it comes to Jesus, when it comes to the inerrancy of God s Word, the essentials we absolutely agree on. What I have noticed is we have more in common than what we don t have in common. I believe God will use each of us to equip the saints and to reach the lost in this community. We are not in competition with one another, we re both carrying out God s call on our lives, and carrying out God s vision for the fellowships we shepherd. With the essentials we must always agree; with the non-essentials we will always have our differences. Yet, even in that we can agree to disagree and maintain unity. Like a surgeon, Paul goes in and deals with what s tearing them apart. Vs For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. Chloe was a woman probably a believer and part of the fellowship in Corinth. It s believed that she was a businesswoman that traveled back and forth between Ephesus, where Paul was at currently, and Corinth. While she and some of her family were visiting Ephesus, they told Paul what was happening in the church. She was not spreading rumors, she took the problem to the one who could deal with it properly the apostle Paul. Notice what she shared with him: that there were contentions and those contentions had caused them to divide up into cliques, and those cliques had their own leaders. There are four that Paul speaks of that existed in that day and still exist today 1. I am of Paul the founder of the church of Corinth He was the founder of the church and their first pastor. This is the person that says, If I am anything, I am loyal. Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 3

4 2. I am of Apollos the new pastor at Corinth Apollos was sent by Paul to pastor the church after he left. He was a gifted speaker. He probably had a large audience and a big following. There was a big split between following the founder of the church, the old guy, or the new guy, the one on the cutting edge of things. 3. I am of Peter the founder of the 1 st church There were probably some believers who had come to Christ through Peter s ministry and made their way to Corinth, so they boasted of following the apostle Peter. He was gifted with the common person, a fisherman by trade, which made him simple and practical. He was also a gifted evangelist 3,000 saved at Pentecost. 4. I follow Jesus the Original founder of the church They had the right name but their attitude was stinky. This group probably wanted to overthrow any structure, had authority issues, and would say, You can be a Christian and skip out on church. Four groups that existed in Paul s day that still exist today within the local church. There are two thoughts here 1. Self promotion that led to spiritual elitism It wasn t so much that they thought Apollos was great, but that they were great for following him. David Guzik ( 1 Corinthians 1 B.2.b.vi) It s spiritual elitism. We are better than the Paul group because we follow the big fisherman, the man s man Peter. He s practical and simple. Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 4

5 And the Apollos group, Yes, Peter is simple too simple. We want the deep stuff, that s why we follow Apollos. He is deep and says it so well. Then those who said, Skip the authority and structure, be free, we follow Jesus only, forgetting that Jesus called apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers, and evangelists to equip the church for the work of the ministry to bring about unity. Could you imagine if we all had to vote on which direction to take, or which building to build, or what curriculum to use nothing would get done and the authority that God put in place would be nothing but a hireling. It would put people against each other. It s flesh, it s carnal, it s the way the world works, not the church of God it promotes spiritual elitism. My father was a youth pastor at a small Baptist church in Riverside. It was called Arlington Avenue Baptist Church. The church had the potential to be a great church the pastor was preaching the Bible, the youth ministry was really reaching the teens but somewhere they got off track and when they did, instead of moving forward they moved backwards. So far back that the Lord removed the light from the place and it ended up with a for sale sign on the front. It s interesting how the Lord works. The young pastor that ended up purchasing the building was Greg Laurie with what is now Harvest Christian Fellowship, which is reaching thousands for Christ. The church lost its way, started to divide, and eventually those divisions took them out. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:14-18 (NKJV) 2. Messenger promotion instead of message promotion that leads to competition Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 5

6 It s human nature to promote and elevate leaders. When I was a kid, I was a Pittsburg Steelers fan Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris. My little brother was a Dallas Cowboys fan. It s all good fun but when it makes its way into the church it can be unhealthy. We all have a few pastors or Christian authors that we like, and we promote them. You can even see I quote a few guys pretty consistently. I trust them their life and doctrine. But we must be cautious of falling into the trap of putting a greater emphasis on the messenger and not the message. They got their eyes off the Lord and onto the Lord s servants, and this led to competition. Warren Wiersbe Listen to what Paul told the church of Philippi Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:1-3 (NKJV) In other words, let s not make it about us, let s make it about Him. Notice the other issue that they were bringing up Vs. 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? There must also have been some division over baptism. Some saying, Not only do I follow Paul, but he baptized me, as if there was something special about Paul s baptism. Or could you imagine getting baptized by Jesus Himself? That could really go to your head. Notice Paul points out Vs I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 6

7 whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel I believe Paul mentions those he baptized to clear up any ambiguity, but also to clear the air when it came to baptism. Christ did not send Paul to baptize but to preach the gospel. I don t believe Paul is minimizing baptism, but just helping them to see that was not his main ministry. Jesus didn t make it His either we have no record of Jesus baptizing anyone; yet, He absolutely believed in it because He was baptized by John. We know that in the Great Commission Jesus commanded us all to preach the gospel, make disciples, and to baptize them in His name. The problem with Corinth was that they were connecting their baptism with a human leader. Paul cleans this up in Ephesians I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NKJV) Again, Paul cleans it up there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism Christ is not divided. He does not recognize a Paul baptism or an Apollos baptism. Christ is not divided like that. Paul reminds the church, Christ did not call me to baptize, that s not the priority, it s the gospel that s the priority. It s also a great reminder that baptism does not save us. If baptism saved us, then Paul had the opportunity here to let us know that. If baptism had saving power then Paul would not have de-emphasized baptism. Vs. 17 not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 7

8 Listen to what Paul said about the gospel in Romans For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 (NKJV) Paul knew that it was possible to preach the gospel in a way that it would lose its effect. How? the wisdom of words. The great gospel of Jesus Christ, the very power of God unto salvation made empty and of no effect through the pride and cleverness of men! David Guzik ( 1 Corinthians 1 B.3.d.i) Notice in verse 10, Paul pleads with them by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were in essence adding to the name of Jesus, distracting people away from the name of Jesus by their divisions I follow Paul, I follow Apollos and it was tearing them apart. You can almost hear Paul saying, What God has joined together by His grace, through His glorious gospel, let no man separate. It s really the voice of the Spirit, and it s not just for Corinth, it s for the church today. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 (NKJV) Copyright 2012 Chris Fraley 8