Church, Diversity that Leads to Unity, pt.3

Choirs are dying. In fact, according to some who’ve studied the modern church’s music problems, it is going quiet because there is an absence of godly, trained musicians willing to give their gifts back to Christ through service to Him in His church. I share this problem with you not to produce guilt, but to demonstrate just one way that elevating one gift to the exclusion of other gifts breaks down the Body of Christ. These days, ‘diversity’ is receiving a lot of press, as they say. But the world’s brand of diversity is vastly different from Christ’s will for His local churches. The World’s Diversity Christ’s Teaching tries to force the world into conformity.| Concern for the unity of local churches. Divides people who were together. | Unifies the church in service to Christ. Race, politics, and status are used to categorize| All who repent & believe the gospel. Creates elite/rejects others.| Removes superficial divisions for the glory of Christ. At Coggins Church, we’ve been studying the division among the Corinthian Christians. Paul is addressing each problem area one at a time, often showing that the root problem is pride. Some in the church find a way to elevate themselves at the expense of others in just about everything the church does, and the use of spiritual gifts is no exception. The answer, says the Apostle, is to grasp and embrace both the unity and diversity of Jesus Christ Himself, and to extend this understanding to the interpersonal workings of the local church. Spiritual gifts bring unity out of diversity. The Spiritual gifts work together, equipping the local church to accomplish the will and work of the Savior, as demonstrated in the Book of Acts. Jesus Christ established the one organization where true diversity not only can happen but does happen.