It's
easy to spot a well-informed man--his views coincide with yours. -- As quoted in Bob Phillips, Phillips' Book of Great
Thoughts & Funny Sayings, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc,
1993), p. 328.
Thomas Carlyle said, "Ten men banded together in love and unity
can do what ten thousand separately would fail to do."
-- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard
Publishing Company, 1997).
Talk about what you believe and you have disunity.
Talk about Who you believe in and you have unity.
-- E. Stanley Jones, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 3.
At a recent meeting, our leader suggested, "None of us is as smart
as all of us." Words to live by, I think.
-- Don Ratzlaff in Christian Leader (March 1993). Christianity Today,
Vol. 37, no. 10.
The emblem of the state of Kentucky shows two men facing each other
shaking hands. The motto beneath reads: "United we stand, divided we
fall." That could well be the motto of a nation, a congregation, or a
family. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati,
Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).
Two men were riding a bicycle built for two when they came to a big
steep hill. It took a great deal of struggle for the men to complete what
proved to be a very stiff climb. When they got to the top the man in front
turned to the other and said, "Boy, that sure was a hard climb." The
fellow in back replied, "Yes, and if I hadn't kept the brakes on all the
way we would certainly have rolled down backwards."
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 125.
During Vacation Bible School last week my wife had an experience with
her primary class that she says she will never forget. Her class was
interrupted on Wednesday about an hour before dismissal when a new student was
brought in. The little boy had one arm missing, and since the class was almost
over, she had no opportunity to learn any of the details about the cause or
his state of adjustment. She was very nervous and afraid that one of the other
children would comment on his handicap and embarrass him. There was no
opportunity to caution them, so she proceeded as carefully as possible. As the
class time came to a close, she began to relax. She asked the class to join
her in their usual closing ceremony. "Let's make our churches," she
said. "Here's the church and here's the steeple, open the doors and
there's..." The awful truth of her own actions struck her. The very thing
she had feared that the children would do, she had done. As she stood there
speechless, the little girl sitting next to the boy reached over with her left
hand and placed it up to his right hand and said, "Davey, let's make the
church together." This story may be seen as a parable of our search for
oneness in Christ: to put our inadequate, handicapped lives alongside the
lives of others and to pray, "Let's make the church together."
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 275.
In his book Wind and Fire, Bruce
Larson tells of a friend of his who lives near Hoyt Park in Madison,
Wisconsin, and who happens to be a great bird lover. Invariably, his yard is
full of all kinds of birds in all seasons. However, the squirrels plague his
bird feeders continually. Exasperated, he finally bought a pellet gun and
began to shoot the squirrels, two and three a day, every day, week after week.
In spite of these desperate measures, the squirrel population seemed
undiminished. One day, he was discussing the irksome problem with his
colleague at work. His friend said, "I solved that problem. I was
troubled by squirrels, too. But now I trap them. I trap two or three a day and
take them down to Hoyt Park and release them."
Larson comments, "That's an
example of what can happen when we approach all of our problems individually,
with no sense of the larger picture."
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 124.
Each Sunday our minister presents a "children's sermon" to
all the young children. Recently a bright-eyed three-year-old girl listened
intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and love each
other. "God wants us all to be one," he said. To which the little
girl replied, "But I don't want to be one. I want to be four!" -- Marilyn McCoy, Chester, Vermont. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom."
The mark of community--true biblical unity--is not the absence of
conflict but the presence of a reconciling spirit.
-- Bill Hybels, Leadership, Vol. 14, no. 1.
Scripture Text:
1Cor 1:10 (NIV) I 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.
11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are
quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow
Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow
Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13 Is Christ
divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also
baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I
baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach
the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be
emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19
For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the
intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise
man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the
world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the
foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Agree to disagree.
Differences are not meant to
separate us but to draw us together.
-- Donald L. Bubna, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 2.
Why?
So that there be no divisions. Psalm
133:1: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in
unity!"
How have we joined together?
- We
have joined Christ.
- We
have joined in family
- We
have joined in church
- We
have joined in community.
That you may be perfectly
united in mind and thought.
Who is the master and
commander? Who is the one to follow?
Who is the one to be the head? Who
is the one that died for you?
Is Christ divided?
What is the issue s ?
Who baptized you? Who has
more authority? Who is the boss?
Christ has sent Paul to
preach the gospel with the power of the cross.
An appeal to togetherness.
Christ prayed for unity of
the believers.
John
17:21 (NIV) 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.
Find your strengths and use
your differences to bring together a powerful force in the world.
This witness would show the world that