Sunday 5th Oct 2008 Allan Blyth
Body Life 2 “United in Purpose” 1 Cor 1:1-3.10-13:3:1-8
Scene: Pre marriage preparation
Topic:“parenting & children”
Question: “Have you discussed and decided how many children you would like to have?”
Answer options: “Strongly Agree, Agree, Don’t Know, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.”
Husband-to-be’s answer: Strongly Agree
Wife-to-be’s answer: Disagree.
One man was indicated: Yes we have discussed and decided. We’d like 7 children. His prospective wife responded: “When did we discuss that. One’s my limit!”
Last week we explored 3 practical principles for promoting harmony in the body life of the church, principles drawn from the scriptures and the life and teaching of our Lord.
This week’s focus Body Life 2 “United in Purpose”
Review last Week’s 3 principles for harmonious body life:
Principle 1 As one body we need each other. 1Cor 12:14,27
Principle 2 To resolve, go privately, in person, ready to forgive or apologize. Mt 18:15-35
Principle 3 Act at the earliest possible time. Eph 4:25,26
On Wednesday, I heard a father tell of the “amicable divorce of his daughter. She wanted children and when at age 39 she expressed her deep desire to her husband, his response was “No way.” In time, the father reported, they agreed to divorce.
What a pity their marriage preparation had not brought up the subject of children and parenting.
One of the tasks of the church during the Intentional Interim Ministry being facilitated by the Transition Team is to bring up the subjects for consensus and decision so that the Wyoming Church of Christ will be united in purpose and practice as it continues with a new minister following this Intentional Interim period. The Transition Team is considering ways for us as a church to clarify our identity so that we can be united in who we are, why we exist and what we do.
Addressing the Christians of C1st Corinth Paul pleaded: “I appeal to you .. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another…and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” The Greek word translated “thought” in the NIV is related to intention or purpose. A number of translations render the passage “be united in “mind and purpose”.
At first thought we might think that this is all very obvious. Any of us could answer those questions. We are God’s people, we exist to honour God and to make disciples.
Likewise for couples marrying—in general terms we can all answer the questions—We get married to love one another, to reproduce and be caretakers of God’s world.
Thinking that doesn’t make couples united in purpose or their marriages happy! Attention to detail is needed!
Congregations having a general idea of who they are and what they exist for, doesn’t make congregations united or happy. Many congregations of faithful people are not growing and not demonstrating the love and community that Jesus said would convince the world that we belong to Christ Mt 7:17 any better than the local service or sports club.
Attention to detail is a requisite for unity in purpose. e.g.
Should the preaching be for the converted or the unsaved? Should the worship be for the churched or the unchurched?
Is the Church the body of Christian believers or is it the body of believers who believe certain ideas?
Will the minister oversee the ministry of the church or do it?
Church congregations that have a strong commitment to common goals, core values and strategies for doing God’s work tend to be growing. Churches that don’t, tend to be static or declining. The NCLS* includes “a clear and owned vision” as an attribute of healthy churches.
People who have experienced the blessing and joy of forgiveness and being restored into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the freshness of sins washed away, I find, are mostly filled to overflowing with the desire for others too, to experience that depth of love of God and Christian fellowship new Christians delight in.
But many of us struggle in finding ways to share the Good News of Jesus with others, to foster deep fellowship. We can be frustrated when our church fails to grow or demonstrate peace, reconciling love, justice or mercy to communities, as God has commanded us.
The Gosford City has grown in population approx 6% in the last ten years. However some churches, including Wyoming Church of Christ, have been declining in recent years.
Some may argue “But we are living in the last days and a sign will be a rapid decline in adherence to the true faith.” Surely every day does bring us closer to the end times, but Jesus also said to his disciples The fields are ripe for harvest. Pray for labourers to bring it in. In many parts of the world - Asia, Africa, Central and South America, the church is flourishing, thousands are being baptized into Christ and hundreds of new churches being planted constantly. We know that in Australia 20% of the population attend church at least once a month.NCLS The decline can be reversed!
Let me remind us what the IIM and the Transition Team is working towards.
Coming to terms with the history of the church
Examining leadership and decision making
Strengthening relationships to the wider church
Clarifying the congregation’s identity
Developing a commitment to new pastoral leadership and the future
In working on clarifying our identity we will be asking: What
*NCLS = National Church Life Survey 1991—2
is our purpose? What should we look like as a church? If you will do one thing as a result of today that will build us into an effective God honouring, healthy, growing, disciple making church which I am quite convinced everyone wants us to be, please be urgent in prayer and practical in support for the Transition Team. Some time has been devoted to “Coming to terms with our History.” . Please put pen to paper to tell your story that gives witness to what God has done for the “Wyoming Witness”*. Please complete the survey that will shortly invite the whole church to help define who we are. Please start thinking, and praying about what you think God would want our church to look like in 12 months time, in 5 years time. We will all have our ideas. Our goal is to come to a united purpose and strategy. Our ministry focus, our allocation of resources, our way of doing things, of establishing ministries, of concluding ministries, appointing leaders, accountability, communicating etc.
Example “All ages”
Paul explained to the Christians at Corinth the priority of being united. “Now I appeal to you brothers and sisters…that all of you be in agreement and there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” 1 Cor 1:10 NRSV
Paul put it this way: It’s not whether you were discipled under Apollos, or Paul or Cephas Cf 1 Cor 1:12, that’s acting on a human level like mere men 3:4. As Christians whether we plant or whether we water, we have one purpose, as fellow workers, and you all belong to God. You are God’s field one garden. Not separated. One body, united in purpose.
Is this your dream for our body life?
Prayer
Lord God make us one in purpose, one people, doing your will for your glory and the extension of your Kingdom. AMEN
* Wyoming Witness—a record of testimonies of our fellowship - part of Coming to Terms with our History. Ok to include some of the pain on the way.
