Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (I Corinthians 1:10).
In a world full of divisiveness and confusion, people need a place to turn in order to obtain stability in their lives. The church, God’s family, needs to be that place.
As God’s people, we need to be the best we can be. We need to share common faith, common purpose and common effort. This is how we will properly influence the lost in the world.
Did you know that a church is way more than just a building? The church is not ours- it belongs to God. He has established it to be the catalyst to help people find their way into the Kingdom of God.
Who is the head of the church? The following Scriptures tell us God has made Jesus the head of the church:
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:21-23).
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).
We need to take the church seriously. Jesus- the head of the church- certainly does. In Mark 11, He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. He told them in no uncertain terms, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” His church is a place of worship- worship to God alone.
Then there is God’s people. We come from all walks of life, but we have our Savior in common. It is a tremendous honor to be God’s people. Notice the words of I Peter 2:9-10:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Before we became God’s people,we were engaged in sinful things that brought shame and condemnation into our lives. Those sinful things are gone! Condemnation is gone according to Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Shame is gone also. Joel 2:26-27 declares that God’s people will never be put to shame.
Finally, there is God’s harmony. Make no mistake- confusion and discord are not of God. Scripture speaks strongly against this type of behavior:
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them (Romans 16:17).
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (I Corinthians 14:33).
God’s desire is that His people operate in unity. When unbelievers- surrounded by divisiveness and confusion- see this they are drawn to what the church has to offer. Again, the proof is in Scripture:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).
As Christians, we must remember- the church is God’s church. We must remember we are God’s people. Then we must take responsibility to serve in harmony. We want people to see that God has so much more to offer them than what they are seeing in the world.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 
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