Text: Proverbs 14:4 (NLT), Without oxen, a stable stays clean.
A stable without animals is like a church without people.
Let’s look at some examples in Scripture:
1. Jesus’ Messy Disciples.
When Jesus chose twelve disciples to be his apostles, he spent the night in prayer before he chose them, and he didn’t choose a homogenous group. Jesus called “different” people.
Peter, James & John – outgoing and brash.
James & John – Nickname: Boanerges (Aramaic) = sons of thunder.
Christianity.com describes James and John as “rough-hewn guys—amazing, colourful characters. They would not back away from a confrontation. In fact, they might even have looked forward to one. They could be very aggressive. And they also could be very insensitive.”
Peter’s brother, Andrew, was reserved and not a natural leader.
Philip was timid and shy.
Nathaniel was cynical.
Thomas was a pessimist.
John 11:16, Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Simon is called “the Zealot.”
Zealots were a Jewish sect noted for their uncompromising opposition to pagan Rome and the polytheism it professed.
Matthew – Tax Collector (despised as a Roman collaborator)
Judas Iscariot – a Palestinian man who was Jesus’ treasurer, a thief, and a traitor.
Jesus spent over three years training these twelve guys. They saw and did amazing things, yet when Jesus needed them most, they faltered and failed. They all fell asleep when Jesus prayed with them. At his arrest, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and the others deserted him. Thanks for nothing, fellas.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he found his disciples meeting behind closed doors for fear. Some of them had returned to their previous occupations, and he had to refocus them on the task he’d spent three-plus years training them to do. They were indeed a messy bunch. They were imperfect, just like us.
2. Jesus’ Messy Churches.
The New Testament letters were all written to messy churches.
Romans was written because of conflicts between Jewish and Gentile Christians. (Jews expelled from Rome in 49 A.D.)
The best example of a messy church is the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians addresses numerous problems within the Corinthian church:
1 Corinthians 1:10-12, I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, 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.”
Chloe was a prominent female minister, along with Phoebe and Priscilla.
Other problems in the Corinthian Church:
• A case of incest.
• Church members suing each other in court.
• Abuses of the Lord’s Supper.
• Spiritual gifts were out of control.
• Some were denying the resurrection.
As mentioned, the New Testament letters were all written to sort out messy churches. May this give us a healthy dose of realism?
Every church has people. Every church has the potential to be messy. Without oxen, a stable stays clean. Without people, the church wouldn’t exist. How do we navigate the mess? Paul provides the answer in the verses we just read:
1 Corinthians 1:10, I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
What is unity? – “Love despite difference.”
Unity is not:
- Uniformity – all being the same
Insert Notes Here
Differences should be celebrated.
Unity is not Uniformity. And it is not:
- Agreement on everything.
One thing I have learned is that Christians actually agree on very little.
• When Jesus’ second coming will take place.
• Which bible translation to read?
• Whether speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit are available today.
• Whether a Christian is filled with the Spirit at or subsequent to Salvation.
• Whether the Genesis One account of creation is literal or symbolic.
• What day should Christians meet?
• Whether or not Christians should use alcohol.
• The amount of water used in Baptism.
• Whether real wine or grape juice should be used in communion – or whether you even celebrate communion.
Christians disagree on many things, but we all share one thing. It’s what scripture calls The Faith.
1 Timothy 4:6, If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The faith is that which focuses on Jesus Christ.
Suddenly, we’re all in unity.
We can talk and disagree about these things and enjoy healthy, respectful discussions. We must never quote scripture to shut a conversation down.
All Christians have unity in the person of Jesus Christ.
The faith is everything about Jesus.
The faith is summarised in The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence, He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Discussion Questions
Share some experiences of a messy church you’ve been part of. It may be Bayside Church. How did you navigate the mess? What did you learn?
Read through the descriptions of the Twelve Apostles. Which one(s) do you most relate to and why? Which one(s) do you think you’d have the most difficulty with and why?
How have you navigated interpersonal conflict within the church community? Share personal stories if you feel comfortable doing so.
Read and discuss the principles outlined in 1 Corinthians 1:10-12.
Discuss: Unity is “Love despite difference.”
Discuss: “We must never quote scripture to shut a conversation down.” Have you experienced someone attempting to end a discussion by quoting a verse or two? What impact did it have? How did it make you feel?
Read and discuss: John 17:20-23 and Ephesians 4:1-13.
Read and reflect on the Apostles Creed.