Series: "One Another" Living: Our Desperate Need for Community

Title: Agree with One Another

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

I. Divisions in the Church

Lunatics Never Unite

Years ago a man visited an asylum for the criminally insane.

He was shocked to find that there were only three guards to watch over a hundred inmates.

He asked one of the guards,

"Aren't you afraid that the inmates will unite, overcome you, and escape?"

The guard matter-of-factly said,

"Lunatics never unite."

Locusts unite.

Ants unite.

Unfortunately, Christians don’t always unite.

When we Christians don’t unite, when we allow divisions to remain among us, it’s just plain crazy.

Haddon Robinson, "The Wisdom of Small Creatures," Preaching Today, Tape No. 93.

One day a church planting pastor called up his bishop.

He said,

"Bad news, Bishop. Our church-planting team is divided.

We’ve gone round and round, but can’t seem to come to an agreement.

We’ve discussed it. We’ve argued about it. We’ve brought in consultants.

We just can’t come to an agreement on our church name, but we’ve narrowed it down to two, either:

First United Church

or

United First Church."

Childish disunity in God’s church is nothing new. It was just as much a disease in the first century as it is today.

In our reading from 1 Corinthians chapter one, beginning at verse 11, St. Paul tells the Christians at Corinth:

11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

There is contention, debate, strife, variance, quarrels among you.

This is not God’s will.

In verse 12 he goes on to say:

12What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas;" still another, "I follow Christ."

1 Corinthians 1:11-12 (NIV)

Instead of focusing on Jesus, instead of focusing on the Holy Scriptures, instead of being concerned for one another...

Factions had emerged in the Corinthian church.

One group liked Paul’s phenomenal preaching and focus on missions

Another group was upset with Paul for leaving them so quickly to start other churches.

One group liked Apollos’s intellectual brilliance and pastoral touch.

Another group was upset with Apollos, for his lack of missionary zeal.

One group liked Cephas’s emphasis on keeping the Jewish dietary laws.

Another group was upset with him for restricting their freedom.

Everyone had an opinion and their opinions were divisive and destructive.

Their opinions were so strong and so abrasive, that the church was in mortal danger. That’s why Chloe’ household raised the alarm.

When we have divisions among us:

We should immediately raise the red flags – something’s wrong.

We should fall to our knees in prayer and fasting, seeking the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance.

We should search the Scriptures for biblical solutions.

But we should not placate the faction of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas.

Some Christians see being argumentative as a virtue. They think it’s important to argue for what they believe is right, regardless if it’s a key theological issue, a moral issue, or simply their personal opinion.

Not St. Paul. In chapter three, St. Paul goes on to say,

3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? ⁴For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 (NIV)

In other words, when you quarrel, when you stir up strife, when you become contentious:

You are not spiritual men, you are not spiritual women, you are carnal, you are fleshly, you are influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

So what’s the alternative to factionalism, scapegoating, and demanding your own way?

Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 1:10:

10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)

"Agree with one another" within the church. Why?

"So that there may be no divisions among you!"

 

Why is it so important for there to "be no divisions among" us? Why is it so important for us to "agree with one another"? Two reasons:

1) Agreeing with One Another Makes the Church Strong.

2) Agreeing with One Another Brings People to Christ Jesus.

1) Agreeing with One Another Makes the Church Strong:

In Mark 3:25 Jesus said,

"²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand."
Mark 3:25 (NIV)

Galatians 5:15 says,

15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:15 (NIV)

2) Agreeing with One Another Brings People to Christ Jesus:

In the last verse of our reading from John, John 17:23, Jesus prayed to our Heavenly Father:

23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

John 17:23 (NIV)

As Francis Schaeffer said in his book The Church Before the Watching World,

"We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus' claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of oneness of true Christians."

Francis Schaeffer in The Church Before the Watching World. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 1.

How? How can we demolish divisions and "agree with one another"?

First of all, we can’t do it in our own strength. Our sinful nature is:

Too self-centered.

Too concerned about our "rights."

Too consumed with our opinions.

To avoid divisions and to "agree with one another:"

We need God’s supernatural intervention.

As in our reading from 2 Chronicles 30:12, we need:

"...the hand of God... [on us] to give [us] unity of mind..."

In 2 Chronicles chapter 30,

King Hezekiah of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, invited all of Israel to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

He invited those in the Northern kingdom who had survived the Assyrian invasion.

He invited the entire Southern kingdom.

He wanted all of Israel to come together to repent of their sins and to worship the Lord.

He wanted the divided kingdoms of Israel to at least agree to worship together.

Unfortunately, most of those from the northern kingdom, instead of welcoming King Hezekiah’s suggestion to worship together as one people, "scorned and ridiculed" his messengers (2 Chronicles 30:10). They firmly rejected any opportunity to come together.

A few, however, did humble themselves and journeyed to Jerusalem to worship with their brothers and sisters from the Southern kingdom.

Those from the tribe of Judah did not rebel against the king’s counsel, they did not rebel against the hand of God. Instead, as 2 Chronicles 30:12 tells us:

12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 30:12 (NIV)

As is true today:

Some "scoffed and ridiculed" God’s appointed leader. They refused to "agree with one another." They went their own way, further disintegrating the nation of Israel.

And as is true today:

Some listened to God’s appointed leader. They came together. They worshiped together. They submitted themselves to the hand of God, who gave "them unity of mind to carry out" God’s will.

 

Christians, we’re in this together. We must learn to humble ourselves, so that we can "agree with one another," so that we can come to "complete unity."

Benjamin Franklin once said,

"We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately."

The same is true in God’s church:

As we hang together, we’ll grow and mature.

If we hang separately, we’ll choke to death.

 

What should you do when you see conflict in the church?

Some see conflict and are appalled, as they should be, but instead of trying to help bring agreement, they head for the hills.

Some see conflict, but instead of trying to bring agreement, they grumble and mumble and make things worse.

Others see conflict and immediately start working to bring agreement and reconciliation:

They fall to their knees, knowing that the real enemy is our adversary the devil.

They refuse to get sucked into gossip.

They do all they can to bring those in disagreement into agreement.

Why?

1) To make the church strong.

2) To bring people to Christ Jesus.

They realize that our unity, our agreement will have eternal consequences.

 

In the early church in the city of Philippi, two women were having a disagreement.

They were faithful co-laborers with St. Paul in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, so I seriously doubt their disagreement was doctrinal or moral.

It’s more likely they were in disagreement on issues of style or preference or personal opinion.

Their disagreement was not simply a private disagreement.

Since Paul addressed it publicly in his letter to the Philippians, its clear that their disagreement had begun to infect and poison the entire church at Philippi.

In Philippians chapter four, Paul writes:

2I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

Philippians 4:2 (NIV)

What type of agreement are Euodia and Syntche to have?

Agreement "in the Lord."

Not agreement by one person wearing the other person down.

Not agreement simply by compromise, where each person saves face and gets something of what they wanted.

They are to "agree with each other in the Lord."

They are to spend time in Scripture and prayer together, seeking God’s will, not their own.

To come into agreement "in the Lord:"

Both might need to change their opinion.

Or one might need to change her opinion.

When you no longer care if you win or loose...

When you no longer want your opponent to suffer defeat...

When you no longer fear humiliation...

When your only desire is for God to have His way, then and only then can you "agree with each other in the Lord."

Sometimes, those in disagreement will need your help.

In the next verse in Philippians chapter four, God’s Word says,

3Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel...

Philippians 4:3 (NIV)

Help them "to agree with each other in the Lord."

As Jesus said,

9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:9 (NRSV)

If you want Faith Anglican Church to be strong...

If you want people to commit their lives to Jesus Christ through this church...

Then you must resist and reject factionalism, scapegoating, and demanding your own way.

And with the help of God, you must more and more, "agree with one another in the Lord."