Kingdom Influence Part 4
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Our series is called Kingdom Influence, and today we are talking about the importance of staying focused on Jesus in a divided world.
1 Corinthians 1:10–12 (NIV)
10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
Over the last few weeks, we have been laying a foundation. In the introduction, we talked about identity, knowing who we are in Christ. In Part One, we talked about worldview, learning to see the world the way Jesus sees it, not simply the way culture trains us to see it. In Part Two, we talked about exegeting our community, paying attention to the people God has placed around us, and how He is already at work among them. Last week, we centered everything on the cross, Christ, and Him crucified as the unmovable center of our faith.
So today, Paul helps us ask the next natural question: What happens when something good slowly replaces the best thing?
In 1 Corinthians 1:10, Paul appeals to the church in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be united in mind and thought, with no divisions among them. The Corinthian church was not rejecting Jesus. They loved Him. They were active, gifted, and passionate. But over time, their focus shifted. They began organizing themselves around leaders, preferences, and personalities instead of around Christ Himself.
Paul explains that some were saying, “I follow Paul,” others, “I follow Apollos,” others, “I follow Cephas,” and even some saying, “I follow Christ.” That last group sounds right until you realize they were using Jesus as a badge of superiority rather than a bond of humility. Even good things can become dangerous when they replace our shared devotion to Christ.
Notice Paul does not command the Corinthians. He appeals to them. Unity cannot be forced. Unity is not uniformity. It is shared devotion. It is choosing to center our lives, our loyalties, and our relationships on Jesus above everything else.
Jesus prayed for this in John 17 when He asked the Father that His followers would be one, so that the world might believe.
John 17:21 (NIV)
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you 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.
That connection matters. Our unity is not just for our benefit. It is part of our witness. The church does not lose influence because it lacks passion. It loses influence when its passion becomes fragmented. The world already knows how to divide. The church is meant to show a better way by keeping Jesus at the center, together.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.