One Faith, One Body

4-13-08 message by Pastor Rich Doebler

It's good to explore our spiritual roots—our heritage of faith, our religious backgrounds and upbringings. Isaiah wrote: "The Lord says, ‘Listen to me, those of you who try to live right and follow the Lord. Look at the rock from which you were cut; look at the stone quarry from which you were dug'" (Isaiah 51:1, NCV).

If you want to follow the Lord and live righteously, then it's good to understand your heritage. It's good to know the quarry from which you were dug. It's good to understand (1) who you are; (2) where you came from; (3) how God invested in you; (4) what God has planned for you.

If you were came from the iron mines on the range in northern Minnesota, you're destined most likely to be made into steel for manufacturing. If you were dug out of the mines in South Africa, you could be gold or diamond—quite a different purpose from iron ore. If you were mined out of the copper country of northern Michigan, your destiny would likely be pipes or electrical wiring. If you came from a granite quarry in central Minnesota, you might become a polished counter top, but you wouldn't be used to carry electricity.

Each product from each quarry or mine has its own purpose and assignment. Yet products from all those different sources could end up in one single house. All of them together would contribute to the way that home functioned—plumbing, electricity, appliances. All of them would work together to make that house successful.

That's what we need to understand about our church. Though we come from different backgrounds and experiences—though we come from different quarries, cut from different rock—we've ended up in one house, working together to see this house function successfully and fulfill God's purposes.

In this new series of messages, we want to celebrate the different quarries, the various legacies left by great leaders in church history.

Of course, some things about our past need to be left behind. We're here today because we have moved on. Some of you may even have some bad memories about your religious upbringing. We've heard of abusive churches and religious leaders. But there are other things we can and should celebrate! We do well to remember the good things about our religious backgrounds so we can help each other travel further on our spiritual journey with Christ.

Did You Know? Cloquet Gospel Tabernacle began with prayer meetings and home Bible studies in the 1920s—led by Emily Larson, a young woman from Duluth Gospel Tabernacle who later became one of the early pastors. Over the years all kinds of people have joined in the journey at the Tab—looking to find answers to life's questions and to seek after God.

More than one in four (26.5%) of our adult congregation come from a Lutheran upbringing. Almost as many (23.9%) have a Pentecostal or charismatic background, and nearly one in five (19.3%) comes from a Catholic tradition. About 30 percent of our church comes from a variety of religious roots including Methodist, Baptist, Reformed, Presbyterian, Covenant, and others.

As we explore our spiritual heritages over the next six weeks, we'll focus on several key truths. The first lesson comes from Ephesians 4:2-6.

"² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:2-6, NIV).

One faith, One body: God wants his church to be in unity—despite our unique experiences and various backgrounds. God wants us to understand that you don't have to belong to one particular church or a certain denomination to be saved. He wants us to believe in Jesus and be part of that one body.

Not everyone gets this.

Some people say you have to belong to their church to really know the truth and be saved. If you attend any other church, they say you can't be saved. If you don't adhere to their special doctrine, if you don't follow their customs, if you don't dot your "i's" and cross your "t's" exactly the way they do, they say you're not a genuine believer. Only those who attend their church can know God, they say.

Others specialize in finding fault with others. They love to criticize throw stones and condemn others for things that are (in my opinion) minor differences or insignificant matters. Such people "major in minors"; they look for reasons to denounce rather than to encourage, to tear down rather than to build up. They miss out on the joys and the benefits of discovering what we have in common with others.

Their "ministry" is to attack (they say they're contending earnestly for the faith)—but they're not motivated out of love. They can't see the core things they hold in common with others as long as there is one excuse—no matter how small—to fight.

DRAMA: "Me Too."

1. Human nature pushes away others who are "different."

Years ago while pastoring a church in Texas, we received some harsh criticism from another pastor in town. A friend of ours told us what she had heard him say about our church: "Sure," he said, "that church is growing, but it's not because they love God. It's because they love each other." Was that true, our friend wondered—that we loved each other more than we loved God? My wife responded, "If he's accusing us of loving each other too much, that's wonderful! A lot of people say they love God, but they can't seem to love each other. They don't get along. They're always bickering and arguing and fighting. But Jesus said, ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another' (John 13:35). So if he's criticizing us for loving each other, that's okay. It just shows that we are Jesus' disciples."

So here we are at the Tab! We're a blend of people from all kinds of religious backgrounds and experiences. And in a group of people this large, along with different backgrounds you're going to find different perspectives. You're not going to find absolute agreement on every minute issue. You'll find lots of opinions among us.

2. Human nature builds walls of protection from other views.

This shouldn't really surprise us, when you stop to think about it. I live under the same roof with my wife, and we don't agree on everything! Our opinions often go in different directions.

We need a new counter top in the kitchen. Are you kidding? Not nearly as much as we need a new computer.

We need to get rid of the silk plants—they're so nineties. The nineties? Who cares? I like them just fine.

Why do we always have to go to your folks for Christmas? Always? We don't always go there. I distinctly remember one Christmas at your folks'...back in the mid-80s. My wife and I have two different perspectives, two different experiences, two different sets of opinions! But we still live together under the same roof. We've made it a point to not major on minor issues. We have disagreements, sure! But we pick our battles carefully; we've learned to fight fairly; we love each other—and the Bible says "...love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8, NIV).

It's okay to have different perspectives and opinions—because we don't have to think exactly alike to be united as one in our faith, in the Lord—to be one in the body of Christ. We can be united in Christ even though we have many opinions among us.

In the church we choose to get along (remember Fred's message last week about choices?). We choose to build each other up instead of tearing each other down. We choose to encourage and strengthen each other instead of attacking and condemning.

Of course, there are some things that cannot be compromised. There are some things that are non-negotiables: The Bible is God's truth revealed to us. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead. Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

We have to pick our battles carefully, however, so we're not going to the mat for less important things. We have to choose which hills to die on.

Some people, unfortunately, choose to fight and die for ridiculous things, inconsequential things: The church carpet should be burnt umber, not cranberry. Paint the walls pastel colors, not white. We need pews and kneeling benches, not padded chairs. We need hymn books with musical notes, not words on a screen. Get rid of the drums and bring back the organ. Forget about guitars—a piano is the way to go.

I've met Christians who say using any musical instruments in church is wrong—unbiblical because they don't see the church in the NT using instruments. They're not just upset about guitars and drums—they're upset by pianos and pipe organs. (They will use a pitch pipe to get started on the right note, but I guess either they don't consider it a musical instrument. Either that or they've found pitch pipes somewhere in the NT.) They've taken a minor theological opinion and assigned high doctrinal value to it—so much so that they could not worship with us in our church.

These kind of disagreements are not hills to die on. They are personal preferences, not biblical absolutes. Wherever Christians have elevated personal preference or personal opinion to the level of central, non-negotiable truths, you will see unnecessary religious fighting—causing great damage to the body of Christ. Churches have split apart as a result of personal differences caused by human nature—unsanctified, fleshly, sinful human nature.

3. Human nature wants to be in control and define the rules.

Years ago I read about a church down south where the disagreements in the church became so strong that the two sides ended up in court. The judge had to divide the assets of the church between the two groups—just like a divorce settlement. One group got the sanctuary; the other the fellowship hall. But the two groups had to share the driveway from the road to the church. Can you imagine? They would drive up the same driveway, park on opposite sides of the lot, and then yell and shake fists at each other as they went into different doors. In most churches people shake hands—not shake fists.

Paul wrote to the Galatians: "¹⁴ The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' ¹⁵ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (Gal 5:14-15, NIV).

In this church, we want to help people—no matter what their background or where they've come from—to take the next step on their spiritual journey with Christ. We want to encourage each other to keep growing in the truth that is in Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6, NIV). We want to Jesus in each person, and encourage each one to grow deeper and stronger in the Lord.

Have you ever met somebody who was more concerned about condemning you than encouraging you? They were quick to jump all over what they thought you were doing wrong or thinking wrong. Instead of helping you on your journey, it was like they were throwing stones at you. Instead of encouraging you to keep going, they were yelling at you—discouraging you.

Some churches are like that. They're eager to point out those who stumble and fall—even to kick them when they're down. But they're not that helpful about picking them up, dusting them off, and helping them back on the trail. They're all too happy to condemn and criticize, but they're not too thrilled about extending grace and forgiveness.

Hyper-critical churches are like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, who acted as though they alone had cornered the market on truth. They acted as though God belonged exclusively to them—and no one else. There are still people today who think that they alone are the only ones with truth.

The church of Jesus Christ, however, is much larger than any single congregation. It's much larger than any one denomination or religious tradition. God's truth—in Jesus Christ—can be found in many different kinds of churches, wherever Jesus is truly Lord. God will not fit into any man-made religious box!

4. Human nature tries to put God in a box.

King Solomon built the first temple for worship to the Lord God. He prayed to God, "I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever..." But Solomon realized how feeble his efforts were, and he went on to pray, "But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (2 Chron 6:2,18, NIV).

Solomon was talking about the limitations of a physical structure. No one can design a building that could contain the Almighty! But Solomon could just as easily have been talking about other ways that people have tried to put God in some kind of a box so they could control or manage him.

Here's the lesson: this box—Cloquet Gospel Tabernacle—cannot contain God; neither can the Lutheran church or the Catholic church or the Methodist church or the Assemblies of God or any church!

We'd do well to take Solomon's words to heart! If the highest heavens cannot contain God, how can anything we do contain him? No building, no systematic theology, no religious tradition, no philosophy can ever contain the awesome splendor and majesty of the Almighty!

⁸ "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT).

Yet, despite this fact, people have tried to build boxes in which to contain God. (1) They try to construct spiritual formulas that will put God at their beck and call. But an infinite, Almighty God will not be confined by formulas. No one can put God in a box!

Others have tried to put God in a box of their own understanding. They want a God they can understand—a predictable God who will never surprise them. A safe God who will do only what they want and expect. (2) They build a box of presuppositions and stereotypes. But God will not be limited by what the human mind can understand. No one can put God in a box!

(3) Sometimes people have tried to confine God in their theology. They develop elaborate ways of thinking and talking about God. They invent specialized religious terms and labels so they can control the discussion. Some think, for instance, that if you use "thou... thee... hast..." and other religious sounding words, you get closer to God and become more holy. But God will not be restricted by human language. No one can put God in a box!

(4) Still others build on old systems and religious traditions. They think that the more ancient the ceremony, the more spiritual it must be. They think that if you use certain liturgy or candles or stained glass you can invoke the mystical presence and power of a transcendent God. But God is infinitely bigger than any human custom or man-made tradition. No one can put God in a box!

We can build elaborate temples and houses of worship, but no architecture—no matter how grand and majestic—can contain a God whom the highest heavens cannot contain. We can conceive great theological concepts; we can tap into ancient and mystical rituals; we can construct magnificent religious language. But no one can put God in a box!

That's why we at the Tab want to recognize and celebrate wherever God has worked in our past. But it's not about us. It's not about what we've built or what we've accomplished or our ingenious ideas. It's about him! We can't put God in a box, but we can celebrate all the ways he has worked in our lives.

We are here together not because we have all the answers, but because we can learn from each other to grow and mature in Christ. We are here not because we have a corner on truth or because we have it all figured out or because we have been able to put God in a box of our own making. No, we are here together because we have met the One who knows all the answers—the God, in fact, who knows the questions we can't even think to ask.

We are here together at the Tab because we share one faith in one Lord and we will grow together in one body—the body of Jesus Christ. In the next few weeks we're going to look at some of the roots of our past—the various upbringings we've all had—and what we can learn from them.

But today, maybe you realize you've tried to fit God in a box—insisting that others be like you. Let's allow God to pour his grace into our church and our relationships. Let's grow together into his fullness and love.