Today we are looking at something that I believe is of great benefit to us corporately and then individually. So, we should not receive this word selfishly, let us receive it as nation builders, as mothers of nations and as generational leaders. So, we are looking at “Uniting the Church Under a Common Faith for a Common Cause!” When we talk about the church, it goes beyond denominations, tribe. You can be a Jew or Greek. When we say “Jew and Greek” today in our world, sometimes we could be quick to assume they are just two different people. In those days, it was like two power blocs, two distinct people.
But this is not a factor when we are talking about the church. Whether you are a Black man, or a White woman, it has nothing to do with you being in the church. The church is not about the color of skin, it is not about our physical appearances. The church is not exclusive to a class or a particular gender. When we are talking about the church, I am sure many of us stull remember what Jesus said in Matthew 16, when He said “I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” So, we know that the church is also the church of Christ. You know, it is like someone saying “I will build my house.” Once you build your house, it becomes your own forever.
So, anything outside the building of Christ when it comes to the church is not the church. So, the church is within God’s building through Christ Jesus. Every time we examine the church, we must find Jesus actively involved. Once Jesus is missing among a people, we cannot call them the church even though they call themselves one. So, the church is not what you call yourself, the church is what you have been called into or who you have been called. And so, when we are looking at “Uniting the Church”, we are looking at uniting people across the nations, across generations, old and young, the genders, across tribes, races and languages, tongues, we are looking at uniting these people because in the long run, it is not about gender, two people can have two different gender but believer the same thing. It is not about gender or your education, you could have PhD and another have NCE and still have the same faith.
So, we are united as a matter of necessity by the grace of God, by the common faith, our common understanding and belief, and for a common cause. Our unity is not for boasting, our unity is not for individual aggrandizement, our unity is for a purpose. We are in the month of missions at the Centre for New Dimension Leadership and that shows that the matter or the heartbeat of God as a people is that we are awoken in our consciousness for the mission ahead of us as a people and for the body of Christ. There is a responsibility ahead. How have we been approaching it, as a people and how have we been approaching it as the church? Have we been approaching it on personal ideas or on joint ideas?
Now, when Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, even though they were grouped into two groups, that is to represent perhaps, what we could denominations today. They were sent to the same location; none was sent to India at the time. In fact, Jesus instructed them not to go into a none Jewish territory. So, they had a specific location. But one thing we must learn from that place is that there was no record of a people going two by two, to a particular house and the same house they were, another two came to join them. We were not told that. Jesus said “you would not have gone through out the whole place before I come.” So, Jesus expected them to move from house to house while another people are expected to go to other houses.
But what happens if they all had gathered in just one house? They will now have the entire team gathered in one house, and that place would be saturated with light and revelation and guess what would happen? Their provisions would have been greatly affected. Should they blame Jesus for their lack of provision in that circumstances? So, we must understand how they did it in that common faith for a common cause. The cause was simple: “Go to these places and preach them”, any house you enter and they did not receive you, dust your shoes and go to another place. So, it looks to me like Jesus didn’t expect them to over concentrate on any place, Jesus expected them to be conscious of where others are going or had been and then go to other places. That is why there is a need for unity, for co-ordination and we must look at it together as a people of God.
It is not enough for the church to be just be a people; you know the Bible says in Joel that “a people come great and strong”, the people are great and strong, God in their midst is Mighty, but they are divided. How much impact can they then have in a particular location? Let us go to the book of 1 Corinthians and see what apostle Paul has to see on this issue. I will start from 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, and then we will jump to chapter 11 from there. The Bible says: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.” Now, do you agree that apostle Paul acknowledged that they were in Christ Jesus? So, this message is not to unbelievers, it is to those who are in Christ. But in spite of us being in Christ, we could be in crisis if we are not careful, and God does not want that.
Verse 2-5 says:
“I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (even though you are the church) 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?”
There was a place where apostle Paul said “did Paul die for you?” The one who died for you is the one that you must be gathered under, you must be united unto or into. It is like a central magnet that attracts every iron unto itself. The one who died for you is to whom you must be gathered and united in. But a situation where we have a scattered or broken magnet in different places. So, some big magnet is attracting some to itself while others are also doing the same. Jesus didn’t ordain it to be so. That is why in the book of Daniel 2:44, Bible says “in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom.”
When you have a kingdom, then you must also have a king. The king there then become the central magnet that attracts every other thing that contains or has iron elements to itself. So, you gather into or unto Christ and not unto men. You know, apostle Paul even said “you are now behaving like mere men.” Now, let us go to 1 Corinthians 11 from verse 17, it is a familiar portion of the Bible and I am sure most churches read almost weekly. The Bible says:
“Now in giving these instructions (and I want you to focus on the spirit of the message) I do not praise you, since you come together (you remember when we mention it is to Him that all flesh should be gathered) not for the better but for the worse.” So, it means there could be wrong unity, pseudo unity, there could also be the right unity. It is not enough for us to carry a name, like “Christian Association of Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria” or of any country, is not enough to just carry an umbrella name. We must not just come together; you know it is possible for people to unite together just to even kill or destroy themselves. We are not looking at being united for the worse, we are looking at being united for the better.
“For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you…” Now, the first place we read in 1 Corinthians 3 addressed this matter that is being raised here in chapter 11, that means it was a serious matter at that time and now we are left to judge if we are spared of this matter in our own days. It says further: “and in part I believe it.” Now, look at why he said it, and this I believe we must also meditate on. “For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved…”, those who are doing it the right way, those who are united for the better… “may be recognized among you.” Because the truth is: apostle Paul even said at a point that even Satan or the evil spirits also transforms themselves into ministers of light and their intention is to infiltrate the church, and why do they want to infiltrate? To divide!
Now, assuming the agents of darkness infiltrates the church, they must still maintain their dark identity. Now, those who are also of the light maintains their identity and by that, there is already a division. But assuming you call yourself a minister of light, you are a servant of Christ, you are identified with Christ and for His cause you live and die, then it means you should not be divided in Christ. That’s why our unity is not just in the name of just being called a Christian, our unity is in our common faith. We have come to a place where we have the same faith, we have shared faith, we believe the same thing, the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in the agenda of God through Christ Jesus, we believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit among us. Until we come to that place of unity as a people, we are not expected to be one.
It is all that that must form our oneness. So, we must not be united for a political agenda, but we must be united in Christ. Politics should not be the basis of our unity, money should not be the basis of our unity, recognition by government should not be the basis of our unity. Every time we say we are one, we must be finding what binds us together in Christ Jesus. Let us go to 1 Corinthians 11:20. It says: “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” Now, let us take the Lord’s supper as a cause in this message! For these people, what they were expected to come together in Christ for was to eat the Lord’s supper, and that could represent different things to us today.
Whatever thing the Lord has given us as a people as a responsibility because Jesus said to them “do this in remembrance of me”, that then makes it a mission. And so, let us take that as a mission and let us see how they conducted themselves as a people of Christ in the fulfillment of that Christ’s assignment for them. It says further: “For in eating…”, so we could say: in preaching, in evangelizing, in discipling nations, in helping the motherless, the orphans, the widows, in setting up schools, in doing anything you are doing as a missionary and as my people, “each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” Is Christ glorified in this? That is why apostle Paul said “when you come together, you come together for worse and not for better. You come together to shame the name of God; you don’t come together to glorify God.”
So, as a church we must examine our basis of Unity. What are we united for; how have we been fairing in our unity? What has been the proof, the result of our unity? So, for the years that we have been one, what have we produced? The things that we have produced have they made our society better or have they made them worse? What can Nigeria look to, and consider and say this has been instituted in this country because the church has been one? What can we say is a product of the unity of the church among us as a people? Until, we can come to that place and see the children of the unity of the church the, fruit of the unity of the church and we can see them abiding over the years and generations; we cannot say the unity of the church has been for the better, we can actually say it has been for worse.
I am sure today, when some of us want to think about the church in our nation, the first thing we see is those schools that the missionary started then we can see the skeletal hospitals, but apart from that, what else can we look at today? When we look very well, we now start seeing some schools that are being established in our time now by some churches; not in unity, but are established by the churches. The question now is: how effective have those schools been? Have they been standing out or have they been mixed with the crowd? But these are things for us to consider. Is the church limited to setting up schools? When Christ was leaving did, He say “My church be united for setting up schools? How come all we can find that we do is about schools and then small hospitals for ourselves? What have we as a people shaped in our society, what have we put in place and the society can say “this is the work of the church? This thing you are seeing, you wouldn’t have seen it, if not for the work of the church.”
So, Apostle Paul raised an issue. The goal is that you come together to eat, but when you come together, it says: “but each one takes his own supper.” It’s like our common patrimony, and our common inheritance and our national cake (in the Nigerian political parlance). The Bile says “each one takes his own supper ahead of others” what do you see, and what drives that? SELFISHNESS. It is selfishness that produces division. The Bible says “each takes his own supper” but what would have happened if that was not the actual thing that happened? Then what would have happened was every one would have received enough for himself. So, before somebody could even say “jack”, the whole thing has finished.
Imagine a scenario where God has made everything available for all, but some have taken what is meant for more than half, to themselves. Some, like a person taking what five should take; the person now has excess, what happens is that others have nothing! When manna fell down from heaven for the children of Israel, this matter arose again. Some who were not so sure they will eat manna or whether God will provide it again the next day, they took more than enough, and by the next day what they took was already spoilt. So, God actually provided for them their daily bread because what they needed for the day was what God supplied. If you store it, it will stink.
If you have seen on the various social media channels, the looting of palliatives in warehouses in Nigeria, I am sure you will see selfishness and greed again. Some were carrying more than they needed, but there were some who didn’t get. We are still talking about inequality! Some went like two to three times, because they are sprinters. You will see women and men running and in the long run they will take like three or four. And some are still trying to get at least one carton of Indomie. So, one has just a little and one does not have at all, and one has so much, that’s an issue. But the appointment of God for us is that what we need is available for us. You remember the Bible says “God has appointed for everyone to die once and afterwards judgement.”
The same way there is an appointment of death, the same way there is an appointment of provision for everyone. That’s what Jesus called your daily bread. There is nothing you require for life and Godliness as a people of God that is not available or supplied by God. But what makes others to have so much and others having so less is the greed that corrupt us. Each one taking ahead of others. Let us see further what apostle Paul says in this regard.
22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? We have a situation in the church where you go to church on a Sunday morning with an attitude of showing to others that God didn’t bless them enough, that God has blessed you. So, everything is expensive: chain on your neck, the wrist watch that is so expensive, the shoe imported from wherever, for the women, it is even much more. And when you are dancing, you are dancing in a manner not to glorify God, but in a manner to show off to others. And in the same manner that you are showing off, others are even saying “is God actually fair?” How many people curse God in their hearts when they come to our churches and fellowship gatherings?
Because has some are complaining there is nothing God is doing for them, some are showing off. There are some of our songs that also shows that. It is good to aspire, but I hope our aspiration has not been splitting us. I Hope our aspiration for greatness has not been making us to be on a rat race, even though we have been ordained for a race. There is a race set before us, but it is not a rat race, each one should maintain his column and then finish the race. You see, all that is required in the race is finishing and not the speed. Nobody gets to heaven very fast. God is not interested in who gets to heaven first. So, we are not rushing to eternity. But we rush over every other thing. The group of disciples that were sent out two by two weren’t in a hurry, they came back with testimonies, demons were terrified. They were so happy, was there any division among them? No!
It says: “What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. Now, let us even go through the Lord’s supper and then we will continue with the issue from verse 27.
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He come 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
Who can make you guiltless when you have been made guilty by your own unworthy conduct? You remember, we said the mission for these people was the eating of the Lord’s supper, that was the mission. So, it means there was a manner that was called worthy for that mission. Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:1 “therefore, I beseech you that you should walk worthy, of your calling.” So, the call of God and the assignment of God on your life had a worthy way it must be done. If you will be called a good and a faithful servant, it is because you have served the way you were ordained to. So, let us continue! Verse 28 says: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
You have a responsibility to judge and examine yourself, either worthy or unworthy; once you judge yourself unworthy, don’t do it. There are unworthy men and women on the pulpit, unworthy men and women on the street doing the work of ministry. If you judge yourself unworthy don’t do it. We will soon find out here. So, you have the responsibility to appraise how you conduct yourself. Does your work produce unity in the church or has it been dividing us? Have you been able to produce works? Let us continue!
Verse 29 says: “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” So, there is a way to do the work of God. There is a way to come together as a people. So, our disunity, our attitude which has kept us divided can even kill us. Verse 30 says: “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” When we come together for church, fellowship meetings, have we been coming together with the right attitude, and with the right heart. Some people are coming together with bitterness in their heart for another person. And yet in your hart you are killing the person. How can we be a people of God, calling ourselves brothers and sister, but yet, you wish one another evil? Because if you don’t wish them evil, you won’t be going ahead to take something ahead.
But if we would judge ourselves, we will not be judged. That’s why Bible says in that verse 28: “But let a man examine himself.” If you as an individual, a member of Christ can judge yourself then we as a people will not be judged, because our unity will be producing good works.
“But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat [to do your joint assignment, or calling], wait for one another” [be conscious of others, recognize others around you, give room to others]. That seems not to be the principle that is going on in the church today. When you come together as a people, honor the other person ahead of yourself. Do not consider yourself to be intelligent more than them, do not consider yourself to be better. It says further: “But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.”
Let him not join us in this patrimony, let him stay away. Because anyone that is together with us is together with us for a joint cause. There is a common agenda we have come together for. The agenda is that everyone should eat, and no one should go without eating. Each one should find his place in the ministry, and each one should find his place in the body of Christ. Each one should fulfil his destiny; we have come together so that each one will please God and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Enough of a group people in the body of Christ having the Holy Spirit and others don’t. Enough of having the fruit of the Spirit and others lack it. Enough of us having some of us being delivered from the power of darkness and a lot more under the power of darkness. Enough of somebody saying “Pastor Pastor some demons are oppressing them” and Pastor is picking your calls 2am.
Because while your pastor needs rest, the one who watches over you in reality, does not sleep or slumber. He doesn’t need that rest. Enough of us calling men instead of calling God. If each one is able to eat, each one will be affected by the power of Christ. “as you do these things, each one should remember these things in remembrance of me.” Imagine a situation where by our own conduct in the church we have sent a people away from having a part in Christ. Many people have been thrown away today in the church by the conduct of us. Our conduct has chased away a lot. Some that should become music ministers in the church have become music ministers in the world. So, those who are supposed to be lifting their voices in worship to God are lifting their voices to Satan in adoration. What is happening we are chasing them away.
Apostle says “if anyone is hungry, let him stay away and eat”, that is a different thing, if anyone cannot conduct himself, if anyone is unruly in his heart or spirit, if anyone is rebellious, anyone is violent, anyone is evil, stay in your home. But as soon as you come together, united, you have come into Christ; not necessarily a building, you have come to Christ in your heart. If anyone has come to that place of understanding, allow such to have access to the Lord’s supper. Jesus said “if anyone doesn’t eat this, he doesn’t have any part in me.” There are many people who have been Christian for so long and they have no part in Christ Jesus. If they are greedy and evil that’s their cup of tea. But if they have sincere heart, and if they are hungry for God, we should not stop them from having a part of God, we should not be boasting about how we have been caught up into the third heavens and nobody can be caught up to the first one.
Enough of showmanship for bragging in spiritual experiences at the expense of others. It is time to lift the hand of other people up, helping others to get the experience you are getting.
I believe it is a good time to pray!
