Unity in Our Diversity

This year, our church is studying the book of 1st Corinthians in detail. I am thoroughly enjoying it, and am learning so much. This week's text was 1 Cor. 1:9-17, where Paul is encouraging the church body to be united, instead of causing strife over the minute differences.

Here are the highlights:
Likemindedness is caring about the core issues together


Three things we can do:
- Strive for unity in our our diversity
- Remember leaders are only human representatives
- Focus on the person of Christ

The clincher for me, though was:
Love is a testimony when 2 people who are very/greatly/significantly different, love each other.  It is not a testimony when people who have the same beliefs love each other. How often do we think about it that way?? Wow! Something to try to live out....and that is what I'm going to try to be doing.....

Pastor shared a story, that definitely made the point, and I want to share it with you:
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!"
He said, "Nobody loves me."
I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?"
He said, "A Christian."
I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"
He said, "Protestant."
I said, "Me, too! What franchise?"
He said, "Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"  He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."
I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"
He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"
I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

Bet you weren't expecting that ending!! But, isn't that such a perfect example of how we bicker over nothing?!? That definitely wasn't a 'Salvation Issue'!! And yet, he murdered somebody!! (Of course it was a fictitious example. :p)