A healthy church knows they are not God’s only gathering of Christians in their community. Brothers and sisters, in 500 years when people look back on us today, what will they see that we could not see? What are the egregious mistakes we’re making that we don’t know we’re making? What are our blind spots?
I can’t really know. Here, I think, is a great temptation in our consumeristic culture: we can subtly train people to love our brand more than they love the church.
I started planting Resurrection Church in 2014. We are taught to craft vision statements and mission statements and core values and all these things which (and here is the part you don’t say out loud) will set you apart from other churches.
Is that the posture we take towards one another? I think this is the wrong posture. How can we not stress the ways we’re different, but how can we stress the ways in which we are part of the same faith?
A healthy church understands that it is not another competitor in this market for religious people to come and consume religious goods. A healthy church understands itself to be one gathering of local believers among many gatherings of local believers who, in love and peace and unity, take the gospel to our neighbors and the nations.
Church, we are not the end all be all. We are not all that. God does not need us. Now, here’s the question before us: How can we live with the awareness that we are not alone? We’ve seen the problem. Great. Now let’s build something.
Let’s consider how the gospel demands a unified church and practically how we can begin to live that reality out.
John 17:20-23:
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Unity and Witness of the Church
Jesus is praying in his high priestly prayer, not long before his crucifixion.
Here, in John 17:20, he’s not just praying for the disciples around him, but he specifically prays for you and me. Did you know that? Jesus prayed for you and me before his death.
I am not asking just for these disciples, but for all who will believe in me through their word. What is his prayer for all who will believe from the word of the Apostles? THAT THEY MAY BE ONE. Just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, I pray they may be in us.
I pray that they may be one. That the unity of Godhead would be a sort of aspirational model for us–that we would think of ourselves as wrapped up together, with one another, ALL held in the hands of our Triune God.
Wow.
So that the world may believe that you have sent me. The witness of the church is tied to the unity of the church.
Jesus prays that Jew and Gentile would be one; that people who have every earthly reason to stay away from eaIch other and hate each other would be brought near to one another by the love of Jesus.
And that the world would see the POWER of that love. It’s a love that is greater than any earthly difference. It’s a love that overcomes obstacles. It’s a love that won’t let go–a glorious love!
The glory that you have given me, Jesus prays, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
The Church should provide for the world a picture and taste of God’s love.
So, how do we live this out with other churches?
Partners, not Competitors
That word partner may not be strong enough. Because in Christ, we belong to one another. I’m not saying every church is healthy or the right place to be for every person. I’m not saying I don’t have significant disagreements with other churches. After all, I am a church planter. I felt called to start a new work and invite people to join us in this work, and I don’t think that is wrong or sinful in any way.
We have a distinct ministry philosophy that is like some churches and very different from other churches. It’s not wrong to distinguish the ways this church is different from another church. But in our distinguishing, we must not be seeking to gain an advantage over another or hold on to power and status.
Here’s a good way to think about it: We don’t glory in what makes us different; we glory in the glory we have received. What brings us together is stronger that what keeps us apart. And what/who brings us together? JESUS!
Jesus is better than the Resurrection. Jesus is better than my preaching. Jesus is better than our ministry philosophy. Jesus is better than our programs. Jesus is better than our logo, distinctives, and strategy.
Early Christians loved to rally around their favorite leaders, too. And that would stir up divisions among them. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for this spirit of jealousy and strife. Are you not acting like the world when you say, “I follow Paul” or “I follow Apollos”? (1 Corinthians 3:4).
We might say it like this: Are you not acting worldly when you say “Oh, I go to Resurrection” or “Oh, I go to [fill in the blank with any other church in town].”
Yes, love this church. Commit to this church. Belong to this church. Fight for the health of this church. (We have talked extensively about these things and will continue to do so.) But, my friend, don’t get obsessed with this church. Don’t start viewing other churches as a threat to this one.
We don’t want another church to lose unless we’re playing softball.
We pray for other churches.
We help other churches if we can. We rejoice with other churches.
We receive help from other churches when we can.
We help plant new churches by sending out some of our best people.
We send out missionaries to make disciples and start new churches all over the world.
