One in Christ

What are we talking about today?

The vision of Christchurch.

The vision at Christchurch.

The vision that you guys all know way better than I do,

because I've only been here for eight months, right?

Who's been here since, is it 2005, when the partnership was official?

The LEP began? Put your hand up if that was...

Yeah, okay, so that's interesting, a real mixed bag.

Actually, that's quite exciting as well,

because there was a lot of people who didn't put their hands up.

Which is a good fruit sign, right?

That's awesome.

As you may imagine, by the fact that they're not here,

Russell and Clive have taken the opportunity to go on holiday,

and they've decided that the most naive, inexperienced, in every way,

person would be doing the first of your series

on the vision that they have been championing for however many years.

So apologies if everything I say now,

Clive and Russell, that's the correct next week.

But it's their fault for not being here to check it, right?

So the cards have been handed out over the past few weeks.

And if you're new, basically the vision is quite simple.

It's that we would be one in Christ,

that we would grow more disciples,

and we would serve the community.

And in that order, that we would be one in Christ,

grow more disciples, and serve the community.

Often when somebody starts a series,

they tend to do as an introduction the entire series,

leaving everybody else to try and work out

what they can actually say about their week.

I'm not going to do that.

I'm just going to talk about our first point.

What does it mean to be one in Christ?

And we're going to use Ephesians 4 as a guide,

as a bit of a structure,

to kind of find some goodies

about what us at Christchurch should be aiming for,

what this means to be one in Christ.

So Paul, in his letter, he begins,

well, he begs actually,

if we read it, he begs,

that we would lead a life worthy of the calling

to which we, they, have been called.

Paul, he kicks off big here.

He tells us that the Spirit has already actually made us one.

But then he has this little second point,

that we are to maintain it,

that we are responsible for the depth of that oneness.

So we need to remember that when we talk about being one.

Actually, we are already one.

We are already one.

But there's work to do.

Because this kind of oneness

is the kind of oneness, according to Paul,

that matches the one body,

one spirit, one hope,

one Lord, one faith,

one baptism,

one God,

and Father of all,

who is in everything.

The oneness that Paul seems to be talking about

is one like God is one.

We at the church are meant to be one

to that sort of degree.

Not just friendly,

compliant,

playing safe with surface level relationships,

but one like my physical body

is supposed to be one.

Many parts working together,

and when one stops working,

the rest of the body suffers.

That's the sort of oneness

that he's talking about.

And like I said,

our tagline,

technically,

Christ has already sorted it for us.

We can say,

yeah, we're one in Christ.

Yeah, we're one in Christ.

Jesus did that.

But there's this nasty little word

in that passage,

maintain.

Maintain.

So dull.

I don't know about you,

but when I hear the word maintain,

I think of grass cutting.

Make sure it doesn't get too long,

not too short,

just right,

so it looks good in the pictures.

Or maybe like,

you know,

you maintain a car.

You know,

you take it for an annual service.

Is it still going to run?

You know,

no leaks?

Yeah,

it's all sort of there.

It's pretty dirty,

but you know,

the basics work.

Yeah,

we're maintaining.

To me,

that's what I hear

when I hear that word maintainer.

I don't quite think

that's what Paul means.

We're meant to do with the church.

Maintain it.

In that way.

I think what he's talking about

is hard work.

And he thinks it's us.

So it says,

I've written here,

the part that we couldn't do

to make us one

has been done.

Christ has accomplished that

on the cross

and in the resurrection.

And now we,

the body,

are one,

made in and through Christ.

But the oneness is on us.

The depth of the oneness

is our responsibility.

The maturity of our oneness

is on us.

How are we supposed to do that?

I think Paul preempted that question.

I can imagine the first hearers

listening to those words

and looking around at everyone

going,

really?

That guy?

There could be one with them?

That one?

They were a prostitute last week

and now they're in here

sat at the front?

Can you imagine

the kind of reality,

the mixed bag

of the first church?

church.

And Paul's writing to them

saying,

you're meant to be one with them.

I don't want you to look around now

but I'm sure if you did

you might feel similar.

I know people look at me

and often think that.

So,

Paul is,

Paul's caught us.

He said,

we're meant to be one.

And we've gone,

how on earth are we supposed

to do that?

And he's gone,

with the gifts that God

has given you.

According to the measure

of Christ's gift

in each of us,

we've been given the gifts.

God has come down.

He has shown us

what we need to do.

And he's given us

all we need.

And we can get a little bit

lost in gifts

and talking about them

into detail.

What's my gift?

What am I going to give?

We start getting the rotors out.

I'm going to join the prayer team.

I'm going to join

the coffee rota.

I'm going to cut the grass

because I love maintaining grass.

You know,

we start doing that.

But actually,

we're going to skip this.

We're going to skip

the gifts today.

Because you're going

to do that later,

I think,

in your midweek sessions.

We have the gifts.

We are the gift.

The details we can

sort out later.

I want us to really

get a bit deeper

on what it means

to be one.

What oneness

really looks like.

And I wonder

what images come to mind

when you hear the word

one,

be one.

Maybe teams.

We have some great analogies

often of football teams

and we're meant

to be a team like that.

Or family.

And we use the word family

and we talk about

how it's messy.

But we are one

even though,

you know,

we haven't talked

to our great aunt,

blah, blah,

because, you know,

she said that thing once.

We sort of think

oneness like that.

Or the caravan club,

you know.

Well, I've joined

and I go every now

and again.

We're one.

I'm part of that group.

But only the caravan club

know that I'm part

of the caravan club.

Oneness isn't about

being part of a team.

That's true

that it is an element

of it.

It's about unity.

It's about you

becoming us,

I becoming we.

It's the difference

between where

before I was in Christ,

I was just me.

And now in Christ,

I'm no longer that.

I'm part of the we

who believe.

Belonging in him

and belonging as us.

Living for each other

as one body

that can only truly

function as such.

We get what's being

asked of us, right?

Have you ever believed

so strongly in a cause

that it took over

your every day?

Your thoughts,

your actions,

your words.

Being one is when

that thing becomes

bigger than I am.

More important

than me.

That thing,

that unity

becomes my primary

focus

when I gather.

my first port of call

isn't what do I do?

What do I think

about this?

It's about what's

going on

in the we.

So this vision

at Christchurch

isn't fluffy.

I'm sorry.

It's not as light

as it can sound

when it's so nicely put.

You know,

one in Christ.

This oneness

is not aiming

to run a cake sale

without puff pastry

being thrown at each other

or getting through

another service

without another fallout.

Those things

are good to aim for

but it's much

deeper than that.

This vision

is about seeking

to achieve

an unbreakable oneness

so we will grow.

Not in number

but in Christlikeness.

Next week

the preacher

will deal with

what growth

in numbers

look like.

But what about

the growth

of the Christlikeness

of this church?

When people

look at us

will they see that?

They see a lovely

community group

which is nice.

But is that

what Jesus died for?

I'm not sure.

The kind of unity

that we're talking about

is actually

very specific

on Jesus' heart.

He prays for it

in John 17.

He prays that

they would be one

as you and I

Father

are one.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Let that one sink in.

That they

we

would be one

as Jesus

and the Father

are one.

I wonder what

that looks like.

I've got a little clip

just to break

the heaviness.

Yes, exactly.

That's what I

always say.

It's like,

God,

you get me.

Well,

you're an easy

guy to get.

I can't go home.

He's probably

waiting for me.

I mean,

he's going to be

my boss.

He's the younger

brother.

How old is he?

42.

Same.

My younger

brother's 42

also.

Same.

I mean,

32.

32.

32.

32.

Same.

Same.

Same.

I was going

to say,

I was thinking

the same.

You thought

32 and then

he said 32.

That's so

insane.

Crazy.

Do you want

a glass of wine?

I love wine.

Red wine?

I love red wine.

Same.

It's like

too same.

That's insane.

It turns out

the guys had

tons in common.

That's so weird.

Like,

the last

time I went

scuba diving?

Wow.

I'm eating

Captain

Clash.

Same.

Sorry.

I think so

often,

like,

I love that

scene.

It's so often

when we talk

about being

one and

unity,

we start

thinking,

oh no,

I've got to

be a clone.

I've got to

be able to

be the same

as that

person.

And we've

got to

like the

same things

and we've

got to

agree on

everything.

And,

you know,

I just

love that

scene.

Because so

often I

think we

actually try

and do

that in

church.

Like,

we,

and from

the front,

I think

there are

the leaders

and I'm

sure I've

been guilty

of that,

especially as

a youth

worker,

where my

agenda was

to bring

this group

of people

together to

look like

something that

I can say,

yes,

that's exactly

it.

And you

have said

the same

thing as

you,

so you

guys are

definitely

functioning

properly.

This guy

over here,

he doesn't

like this,

so he's not

there yet.

And there's

this sort

of oneness

means that

we basically

start becoming

sheep of

something,

and we

just get

boring.

And it

just looks

like that,

it's hilarious.

You know,

people aren't

interested in

the church,

because a lot

of the time

that's what

they think,

that they

leave themselves

at the door,

and they

come and

they be the

same,

42,

32,

that was,

I was

going to

say 32,

that's what

I meant,

we are

actually the

same,

let's maintain

this fake

thing.

That's

clearly not

oneness.

If that

was oneness,

that's an

unrealistic

aim.

And it's

not actually

a sign of

unity.

You find

that kind

of thing

in a social

media echo

chamber.

You find

it a lot

in cults

as well,

actually.

You should

be careful

of that.

If we

start to

look like

that,

we need

to ask

some

questions.

That

unity

that we're

seeking,

that Christ

has called

us to be,

is not

sameness.

It's a

biblical

oneness.

And Paul

goes on,

he says,

we must

no longer

be children,

tossed to

and fro,

and blown

about by

every wind

of doctrine,

by people's

trickery,

by their

craftiness,

and deceitful

scheming.

But speaking

the truth

in love,

we must

grow up

in every

way into

him who

is the

head,

into

Christ,

from whom

the whole

body joined

and knit

together by

every ligament,

with each

gift equipped,

and each

part working

properly,

promotes the

growth,

building itself

up in love.

love.

There's

something about

growing up,

that oneness

is about

growing up,

not sameness,

it's about

growing up

together,

finding ways

to be

knitted

together,

where we

still are,

are different

people,

with our

different

skills.

Oneness,

according to

Paul,

is when the

church,

full of

difference,

and variety

of gifts

and skills,

diverse in

all ways,

is working

together for

the glory

of God.

It's when the

church is not

divisive,

full of

deception and

infighting,

but full of

love.

It is when we

follow the

example of the

one who by

his love has

already made

us one.

This is the

point I really

want to get

clear,

hit home for

you, and I

want you to

take it

home.

Love.

We will

deepen our

oneness as

we love

each other.

We are

one, we've

been made

one in

Christ, but

we will

deepen our

oneness as

we love

each other.

The

oneness we

are seeking

that we

offer our

different gifts

to is bound

together by a

thick,

tangible love

that breaks

down the

barriers of

irreconcilable

differences and

deeply ingrained

my way and

my kindisms.

It's not

something we

can partially

opt into.

This love

modelled for

us in Jesus

perfectly, his

death and

resurrection.

Real love.

love.

And it's

that kind of

real love

that we

need to

develop our

oneness.

We are

called to

aim towards

something bigger,

something of

the agape,

and to offer

that to each

other.

That

unconditional

love that

compelled

perfection to

enter into

our broken

world,

willing to

be broken

so that we

the broken

could be

made

perfectly

whole.

This love

that deepens

the oneness

is far better

than any

collection of

skills could

be.

It's not

passive,

it's not

cute,

it's hard

work and

can be

messy.

Now I'm

not really

a gardener,

but if you

are a

gardener and

I get this

wrong,

apologies,

but I

think it's

a little

bit like

manure for

a rose.

It

stinks,

but it's

worth it

because for

embracing

the muck,

you get

the beauty.

Or if

you're a

gym member,

which I

used to

be,

as you

can see

it's not

so true

anymore.

Have you

ever used

a TENS

machine?

Now if

you,

this is a

popular

thing,

I've had

four kids

so I

definitely

know this,

it's a

popular

thing

during

birth

and

stuff,

but

actually

I

remember

when they

first got

popular

and people,

anyone,

would use

them,

but generally

it only

would work

if you were

already really

skinny,

and then you'd

put it on

and it would

make you look

really tough,

but it was

all surface

level stuff,

it was shallow,

you looked like

you were strong,

you had the

muscles because

the machine did

all the work

for you,

but you

actually weren't

any stronger,

you just

looked the

part.

The real

love that I'm

talking about,

the real love

that I think

we are needing

in this church,

in the church,

is much more

like a bench

press.

So if you've

ever done a

bench press,

you know the

point is you

try and lift the

heaviest weight

possible,

make the most

amount of noise

and get hurt.

like you're

not working

out if you

don't hear the

screams in the

gym.

Like that bench

press is meant

to be hard work

because you only

actually build

strength by

ripping the

muscles.

The TENS

machine makes

you look great,

yeah look at

that six pack,

I've never

actually had one

but I hear they

exist.

The bench

press rips the

muscles so that

they grow back

stronger.

It's real

strength.

And I think

that that's what

we need to seek

for is a bench

press kind of

love.

Real love.

We're good at

the TENS

machine love.

All of us are

and it's not a

criticism of

Christchurch,

it's humanity.

We are good at

surface level love.

When it's okay

to give you love

because I'm safe,

there's no risk

to me.

That's TENS

machine love.

We're called for

the bench press.

And now you're

thinking like I

am, how on earth

are we going to

achieve that sort

of oneness?

No one does it,

right?

Not really.

And you're

looking at me

and I can be

honest right now

and say there

are people who

just know how

to break my

niceness.

You know?

There are people

who just know

how to make me

snap.

And there are

people who are

just annoying.

Like it doesn't

matter how much

you try,

they just annoy

you.

And I'm that

person to

somebody else,

to other people.

And yet I'm

called in Christ

to find some

kind of deepness

and oneness

of love that

just transforms

that.

love that.

It breaks that

barrier.

What I'm not

saying is that

trying to achieve

this unity,

this oneness,

is about ignoring

our feelings.

And I'm not

saying that you

should feel bad

or guilty that

you have those

feelings for other

people.

We are human,

we are not

perfect, that is

normal stuff.

I mean I'm

annoyed at

Laura, my wife,

all the time

because she

never listens

to me.

And she's

annoyed at me

all the time

because I

never listen

to her.

But we are

loving and we

love each other

and we grow.

We're not wrong

for having those

feelings, it's

human, right?

And the fruit is

in the deepness

of the relationship.

So what I'm

really wanting

to stress here

is oneness is

not about

surface level

stuff.

But we really

do have to

push past

that barrier.

Christ didn't

die for us

to have mutual

disdain for

each other.

Can you

imagine that?

Jesus on the

cross.

I do this

so that you

may say

hello on a

Sunday

morning.

Really?

He broke

barriers that

were unbreakable.

He broke

the veil between

us and God

because of our

sin.

He broke

the veil between

us, me and

you.

The aim is to

get to the

oneness that

Jesus has with

the Father.

Wow.

We settle so

often, I

settle so

often for that

mutual disdain.

God, forgive

me.

Forgive me for

cheapening the

cross to that.

Yeah.

We could spend

ages in this

passage and

you're probably

thinking I already

have spent

ages in it.

But let's

move on.

Paul, right

at the start,

he gives us

some practical

actions.

He begs that

we, with all

humility and

gentleness, with

patience, would

bear with one

another in love,

make every effort

to maintain the

unity of the

spirit in the

bond of peace.

peace.

I just want us

to think about

these three

oneness elements.

Our oneness

will deepen if

we approach

each other

with all

humility.

We need to

get humble.

And when we

hear the word

humble, I

wonder about

you.

But it

quite easily

sits with the

meek and

mild picture.

You know,

Jesus sat

with the

lambs having

a cuddle,

or just

people smiling

all the time,

the dentist

posters,

this sort of

like,

everything's

lovely,

I'm so

humble.

But

interestingly,

and I

apologize if

I've used

this analogy

before, but

Moses,

in the

Bible, is

apparently a

very humble

man.

In fact,

he says of

himself,

now Moses

was a very

humble man,

more humble

than anyone

else, on

the face of

the earth.

A bit like

Donald Trump,

isn't it?

I'm the

most,

most

humblest

to earth.

But

actually,

this is a

really odd

hit to us

when we

think about

humility,

because Paul's

referring to

Moses as

his kind of

humbleness,

his humility,

because when

we actually

look at

Moses'

life, that

line, out

of context,

we miss

the point.

Moses was

willing to

take all

the hits.

Moses was

willing to

put himself

in harm's

way, to

go alone

to an

emperor, and

say, let

my people

go, to

go speak

even though

he had a

stutter.

He was

willing to

take the

hits for

the people

of Israel.

He was

insulted, he

was betrayed,

but as

long as

Israel achieved

the goal of

reaching the

promised land,

that was

fine.

That level of

humility, that

letting go of

me, my, and

I as the

priority, and

seeking the

good of the

other, seeking

the oneness of

the body, seeing

God's plans

fulfilled, for

the church its

oneness.

So our

oneness will

deepen if we

get humble.

And our

oneness will

deepen if we

approach each

other with

gentleness.

So hand in

hand with

gentleness is

humility.

They go together

really naturally,

don't they?

Because one is

about the

other, and

one is about

the approach

of the other

being first.

So I used

that analogy

earlier of the

muscles.

muscles.

But loving

each other isn't

quite as harsh

as that.

We must carry

gentleness.

Not dragging

people into our

world and our

views, but

opening up our

worlds, and

being willing to

enter other

peoples.

Something about

gently becoming

vulnerable.

It's a word we're

scared of.

It's a word we

keep being told

we're meant to

not have.

Vulnerability is

a bad thing.

And again, as a

youth worker,

vulnerability was

like a thing we

had to protect

against.

In many ways,

that's very

important.

But on the

flip side,

actually,

vulnerability is

normal.

It's that taking

that step of

faith.

When you don't

quite know what's

going to happen,

putting yourself in

that sort of

vulnerable position.

So it's about

gentleness.

Oneness comes,

deepens in our

gentle vulnerability,

entering into

each other's

worlds, being

willing to see

the other's

view, being

willing to see

things differently.

And this is

kind of the

main bit.

If we love

each other,

right, if we're

humble and

gentle, our

oneness will

deepen.

That's what

Paul says.

But there's

that word in

there that we

can never

forget.

We also need

patience.

We live in the

Instagram world,

the instant

message, the

prime delivery,

the swipe right

till you find

what you like

world.

And if any of

that was lost

on you, ask

someone who's

been on their

phone for most

of this talk and

they'll explain

what I'm talking

about.

We live in

an instant

world.

But how

often do

great movements

crumble because

they couldn't

wait any longer

for results?

Loving

towards oneness,

it takes

time.

It's about

breaking through

barriers that

actually is so

much easier to

leave up.

It's about

getting past

people's

stubbornness.

And their

self-centeredness

and my

self-centeredness

and seeing

us under

Christ and in

Christ as

something far

more significant.

But we're

trying to do

that in a

world that

says, well,

I think

first that

must be

right.

Well, I

don't like

that.

I'm going to

go there.

I want that

to change

because it's

not the way

I would do

it.

That's the

world we

live in.

And yet,

this oneness

that we're

called to is

so much

messier than

that.

It's where

we acknowledge

all of those

views, but

we seek a

new thing

together.

This in

Christ thing,

this church

and light

and dark

places thing,

this thing

that the

world doesn't

see that

many similarities

with,

actually.

When the

world can

look at us

and think,

yeah, I

get that,

yeah, it's

nice, it's

a bit like

this and

that, that

worries me.

Because what

they should

say is,

why on earth

are you

chatting to

that person?

And why

do you do

things that

way when

you're like

that?

The church

should be

something

groundbreaking

in the

world.

And that's

what it

means to

be one,

is to be

groundbreaking

in a world

where there's

division,

is to find

true oneness,

not sameness,

oneness.

We need

patience,

we need to

be humble,

we need to

be gentle,

and we

need that

love,

that real

love,

being willing

to support

each other,

to enter

into oneness

with each

other,

with that

love that

resembles

Christ for

us.

After all,

he did it

for us,

and we

didn't deserve

it.

Shouldn't

we do the

same for

each other?

Our vision

is to be

one in

Christ,

to see

oneness

in Christ,

lived out

in our

living as

the church

together,

through our

loving each

other.

And so I'll

leave you with

this thought,

where do you,

where do we,

where do I,

need to invest

love into

Christ's church

to bring about

that deeper

oneness?