DIVERSITY AIDS UNITY UNITY

UNITY - THE STATE OF BEING UNDIVIDED; ONENESS

Old Testament

Central to the faith of Israel is the confession of the unity of God:

Deu 6:4, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

Human history is a story of sin's disruption of God's ordained unity.

God's ideal for marriage is for husband and wife to experience unity of life, "one flesh." Sin in the garden bred mistrust and accusation.

Jesus prayed that His disciples would experience unity modeled on the unity Jesus experienced with the Father.

Jesus' prayer for unity was realized in the life of the earliest church. The first believers were together in one place; they shared their possessions and were of one heart and soul.

As in the Old Testament, sin threatened the God-ordained unity. The selfishness of Ananias and Sapphira, the prejudice of those who neglected the Greek-speaking widows, the rigidness of those who demanded that Gentiles become Jews before becoming disciples -- all threatened the unity of the church. In every circumstance, however, the Holy Spirit led the church in working out creative solutions that challenged the church to go beyond dissension to ministry.

PAUL SPOKE REPEATEDLY OF BELIEVERS AS "ONE BODY"

WITH DIFFERENT GIFTS, ABILITIES, AND MEMBERS

1 Cor 12:4-7, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. {5} And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. {6} And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. {7} But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

All gifts are to work together for the common good.

1 Cor 12:8-11, For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; {9} to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, {10} and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. {11} But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

MEMBERS ARE DIFFERENT BUT SAME BODY

1 Cor 12:12-14, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. {13} For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. {14} For the body is not one member, but many.

God puts us together as a body that needs one another. No one has all the abilities, talents and resources to fulfill God's mission alone. We need one another.

1 Cor 12:15-20, If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. {16} And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. {17} If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? {18} But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. {19} And if they were all one member, where would the body be? {20} But now there are many members, but one body.

The things that unify us are not so much the strengths as it is the needs.

1 Cor 12:21-27, And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." {22} On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; {23} and those members of the body, which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness, {24} whereas our seemly members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, {25} that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. {26} And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. {27} Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.

LOVE IS MORE IMPORTENT THAN GIFTS

1 Cor 12:31, But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

THE WORLD SEEKS UNITY THROUGH CONFORMITY

The way of the world is often to try to bring about unity by forcing conformity upon the members. They force members to look, talk, act, and think alike. They would kick out the ones who will not conform. This is trying to work from the outside in. God works from the inside out.

THE BODY OF CHRIST IS BUILD ON DIFFERENCES

The prophets and apostles are part of the foundation of the Church. They were known more from their differences than sameness. The Body of Christ is strong because the gifts, talents, resources and abilities of each is available to help compensate for the weaknesses of others.

• I don't need another place for tryin' to impress you
• With just how good and virtuous I am, no, no, no
• I don't need another place for always being on top of things.
• Everybody knows that it's a sham, it's a sham.
• I don't need another place for always wearin' smiles
• Even when it's not the way I feel.
• I don't need another place to mouth the same old platitudes
• Everybody knows that it's not real.
• So if this is not a place where my questions can be asked,
• Then where shall I go to seek?
• And if this is not a place where my heart cry can be heard,
• Where, tell me where, shall I go to speak?
• So if this is not a place where tears are understood,
• Where shall I go, where shall I go to fly?
  
  • - Ken Medema

IF EACH MEMBER HAD THE SAME STRENGTHS, WHY WOULD WE NEED EACH OTHER?

We have a God given duty to help others overcome their weaknesses. If we all have the same weaknesses, how could this happen? If we all had the same strengths, what would the excess strength be for?

SAMENESS BREADS DISUNITY

If we all have the same strengths and weaknesses, we have no need for each other. One day it occurred to the members of the body that they were doing all the work and that the belly was having all the food. So they held a meeting and after a long discussion decided to strike work until the belly consented to take its proper share of the work. So for a day or two the hands refused to take the food, the mouth refused to receive it and the teeth had no work to do. But after a day or two members began to find that they themselves were not in very active condition. The hands could hardly move, the mouth was all parched and dry, while the legs were unable to support the rest. Thus they found that even the belly in its dull quiet way was doing necessary work for the body and that all must work together or the body would go to pieces. -- Aesop

WHY DO PEOPLE SHUN THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT?

• May be that we are so much in love with ourselves, we like looking at someone that looks like us.
• It may be that we are too lazy to help those God wants us to help and so turn away from their problems.
• We try to hide our weakness by staying away from those how have strengths in those areas - the very ones we need to help us.

IT TAKES EFFORT TO KEEP UNITY

IT TAKES HELPING EACH OTHER

AND BEARING WITH EACH OTHER'S PROBLEMS

Gal 6:2, Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

Eph 4:1-7, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, {2} with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, {3} being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism, {6} one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. {7} But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

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