GENEROSITY

Psalm 97:1-12; Revelation 22:12-21; John 17:20-26

Introduction

Papa Ahenkan my brother, 'I am no more in church again,' an old school mate confessed. Oh! really, why? 'It begun with the transfer of our Pastor to yield place for a new one. The new Pastor was very demanding, overbearing and difficult to get along with. This brought factions in the church. Some went to the side of the Pastor whiles others found themselves with some leaders - division. So I left for sometime before joining another church which in less than two (2) years of being a member, there came a split. Papa, the jealousy, discord, power struggle, and division is too much in church. I am no more considering going to any church again.'

The church is the body of Christ (Rom. 12:5; Rev. 22:16). So where from these bahaviour of disunity we witness today? External attacks on church like the early Centuries - time of Emperor Nero and early years of Constantine, is gone. The church is now bedeviled with so many internal wrangles. Why do churches split? Usually is not about doctrine. 

Election of church leaders has become worse periods of churches. Pastors with opportunity to speak on media (Print, TV, Radio, Social Media) spend time to crack the church more than reaching to the lost. Leaderships of the body are more concerned with titles, popularity struggle, who is trending more, - all to create the chasm of who is who. I am Pentecostal, I am Charismatic, I am Protestant, etc. Is this Christ Body (church)? 

Unity in the body of Christ is hard to come by today, hence the need to consider the theme, "Maintain the Unity of the Body of Christ". What happened to Jesus' prayer for the church?; "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 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." (John 17:20-21 NIV)

Why is the Unity of the Body (Church) so Important?

It testifies about the unity of the Triune God.

Jesus said, "...that they all may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." Disunity in the Body carries wrong impression to the world about the Trinity (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). "There is one body and one Spirit,... one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, …" (Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV)

The church is called to be the light to show the path to God. In disunity of the body of Christ as we keep witnessing today, we end up confusing the dark world the more.

It testifies about the Gospel and power we preach.

Jesus said, "that all may be one,... so that the world may believe that you have sent Me." (John 17:21) As light of the world, the relevance of our mission lies in our unity. Without unity, the world cannot believe that Jesus was sent by God as the Messiah. The Gospel is the "One hope... One faith... One baptism..." (Eph. 4:4-6)

An elderly woman is on record to have approach a Reverend Minister saying, 'Papa Osofo, If the Heaven you people have been preaching is not there please tell us. You pastors tell us to love one another but you hate yourselves, forgive people who wrong us you say, but you hold bitterness within yourselves, what is all this?'

The Gospel is better preached in the unity of the body. Our lack of unity as Christians affect the world's view and testimony of Christ.

In the unity of the body, "His lighting lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth." Psalms 97:4-5 (NIV) Without the unity of the Body, the earth cannot be gladden with the power of God. (Psalm. 97:1)

Unity in Diversity

Jesus sets example for the church in His choice of disciples. They were mixed with literate tax collector, uneducated fishermen and others. Tax collectors were deemed as sinners and destructors. These categories of individuals are not easily put together to work. Yet, Jesus worked with them and dealt with all their differences teaching them how to maintain the unity of the body even in our differences. 

Our diversity should be a plus to grow the church than to divide us. 

Maintain the unity of the body

Maintaining the unity of the body is all about the Christian being conscious of duty. Paul teaches about the unity and maturity in the body of Christ saying, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3

Let's discuss just few things Christians must do to maintain the unity the body (church) of Christ Jesus.

1. We should endeavour for unity through HUMILITY

Humility today is popularly misconstrued to be 'stupidity'. Great businessmen of our time are not known to have made it with humility. Politicians do not get elected with humility. With humility today, what is due you will definitely be forcefully be taken away. All these and more has made this Christian character 'humility' to almost extinct. We wrongly hide behind Matt. 11:12 to defend the absence of humility in our lives. "The kingdom of God suffered violent and men of violent takes it by force".

Jesus taught the disciples this virtue in Mark 9:33-35. In their argument of who was the greatest He said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last and servant of all." 

In one of His parables (Luke 14:7-11) Jesus taught us to always take the lower seat out of humility than to be humiliated to take it. It is better to be humble and meet the Saviour and have Him raise you up. Jesus was the greatest of all servants, He humbled Himself to the lowest degree, to even die on the cross. 

2. We should endeavour for unity through GENTLENESS (MEEKNESS).

Again, meekness is also wrongly associated with weakness in our society. This is absolutely false.

The Pharisees called Jesus servant of Beelzebub, He was gentle/meek towards them. He was meek during His arrest and condemned Peter's act of violence. Jesus was still meek when He stood against trade in the temple. He was also meek when He advocated for the woman who was to be stoned for adultery. Meekness is definitely not weakness.

Most of the wrangles we have in the church could have gone unnoticed if a little meekness had been exercised. 

How would the church be like if all of us lived the reality of the faith and chose to bite the tongue rather that always bursting out opinions in anger?

What if you and I chose gentleness as a daily rule in tolerance of each other in the church? We would definitely maintain the unity of the body of Christ.

3. We should endeavour for unity of the body through TOLERANCE and LONGSUFFERING.

Jesus is introduced in Isa. 53 as "a man of suffering, and familiar with pain...oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth..."

Church members commonly say, 'I don't deserve this treatment', 'I was not fairly treated' or 'I've had enough' etc. When these thoughts and more run through the mind, just ask yourself 'What Would Jesus Do' (WWJD). Imagine if Jesus had given up and said, "That is it, I'm no more going to the cross" what would have become of us? Longsuffering is a Christian virtue to keep the unity in love.

In all relationships, there is friction. But what keeps the unity has always been tolerance demonstrated through love. The church is not insulated from this friction but well equipped to overcome them for mutuality and maturity. 

We should note that, most of the things that divide the church are peripheral issues. Commonly on welfare; 'my funeral was not well attended', 'I was not visited when sick', 'my wedding was poorly announced', 'a leader doesn't like me' and so on. Christ expects us to demonstrate maturity in dealing with such issues to keep the unity of the body.

4. We should endeavour for unity through the bond of PEACE.

Members of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana greets one another as, "Shalom aleichem …", "Asomdwoe nka wo...", "Peace be unto you...". 

This reminds us to build the bond of peace as Paul puts it, "If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Rom. 12:18). When we focus on building this peace bond, we would always be united in the body of Christ.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 (NIV)

Is there anything that threatens your peace in the body of Christ? Jesus encourages us not to be troubled in heart or afraid. Our focus ought to be the best way to maintain the unity of the body of Christ.

Conclusion

We have been called to maintain the unity of the body of Christ as we remain blameless before God. We must walk in the reality of the Christ kind of life always.

shalom aleichem...