One Church working together for the Glory of God

(1 Corinthians 12, John 17) 

One Church

Talking about One Church can be a confusing concept because there are so many different types of churches. There are almost as many types of churches as there are types of people. In a letter to the early church community, the Apostle Paul wrote this:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. [1 Corinthians 12:12-13]

This passage says we are different, but we are also one body. Even with our differences, we need one another. Each member has its own function. Later in his letter, Paul explains further:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet,
“I have no need of you.” [1 Corinthians 12:21]

Working together

Or, if you want, I can break this down and use the theological term I use with my girls:

“Teamwork makes the dream work.”

All our efforts are about the team, not the individual church. And that team is Team Jesus. Each church plays a critical role in this. We all have things we are good at, and we need one another.

God’s calls us to unity for His Glory
When we get lost in the activity of our local community, we can sometimes lose sight of the larger purpose of what God is doing in Christ. This recalls a passage in the Gospel of John. Jesus was on his way to die and shared these parting words to his disciples in the form of a prayer:      

“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” [John 17:20-21].

The unity of the church speaks to the reality that God is real, and Jesus is God! People come to know who God is through Christian unity. If the Church can’t get along, how do we expect to bring unity to the world? We know this only through Christ! This is why it is vitally important for us, the church, to work together.

This is why it is so important for the church to work together for the greater good, even in light of our differences. This is why Easter Outreach and our 40+ church partners come together in a unifying effort to serve our neighbors. Working together in the Lord’s name brings glory to the one we serve, Jesus Christ! 

To find out how you can get involved in this One Church effort to serve our neighbors, click here.