Unity Through the Gospel: Overcoming Tribalism in the Church

Devotional

Day 1: The Gospel Unites Beyond Differences

The gospel serves as a powerful antidote to tribalism within the church. When believers focus on the core message of the gospel, they can transcend secondary disagreements and foster true unity. This unity is rooted in humility, as the gospel encourages individuals to decrease while God increases, allowing for collective worship of Christ. By centering theology on the gospel, believers can overcome divisions and sectarianism that arise when non-scriptural issues take precedence. [02:16]

"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 one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a secondary issue that has caused division in your church or community. How can you refocus on the gospel to promote unity in this area today?

Day 2: Seek Spiritual Nourishment

Believers must prioritize environments where the Word of God is preached with truth and power. Spiritual nourishment is essential for growth, and finding a church that provides this is crucial for personal and familial spiritual health. In situations where the Word is not preached effectively, believers have the choice to seek a new church or humbly discuss the need for sound preaching with church leaders. The importance of being spiritually fed cannot be overstated, as it is vital for spiritual maturity. [06:27]

"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your current spiritual diet. Are you being nourished by the Word of God? What steps can you take this week to ensure you are spiritually fed?

Day 3: Preaching Transforms Hearts

Preaching is distinct from teaching in that it aims to transform hearts, not just inform minds. It involves exhortation and application, moving beyond mere commentary to engage the listener's affections and inspire genuine life change. The goal of preaching is to inspire a deep, heartfelt response to the gospel, leading to transformation. This transformative power of preaching is essential for engaging the heart and affections of the listeners. [13:44]

"And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual." (1 Corinthians 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: Think about a recent sermon that moved you. What specific aspect of the message engaged your heart, and how can you apply it to your life today?

Day 4: The Weight of Church Membership

Church membership is a serious commitment involving mutual accountability and care for one another's spiritual well-being. Elders have the responsibility to shepherd the congregation, ensuring members are spiritually nurtured and disciplined according to biblical principles. This mutual accountability is crucial for maintaining a healthy church community where members support and care for each other. [27:23]

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Hebrews 13:17, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your role within your church community. How can you actively contribute to the spiritual well-being of others in your congregation this week?

Day 5: Balancing Ministry and Personal Life

Pastors must manage their time effectively to avoid burnout, prioritizing their spiritual health and maintaining a balance between ministry duties, personal study, and family life. This requires discipline, wisdom, and a heart aligned with God's purposes. Avoiding the pitfalls of people-pleasing and perfectionism is essential for sustaining a healthy ministry and personal life. [33:26]

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV)

Reflection: Consider your current work-life balance. What practical steps can you take to ensure you are prioritizing your spiritual health and avoiding burnout?

Sermon Summary

In today's discussion, we explored the profound impact of the gospel on overcoming tribalism within the church. Tribalism often arises when non-scriptural issues take precedence over the gospel, leading to division and sectarianism. By centering our theology on the gospel, we can achieve unity despite differences in secondary matters. The gospel fosters humility, which is essential for true unity, as it encourages us to decrease while God increases, allowing us to worship Christ collectively.

We also addressed the challenge of being in a church where the Word of God is not preached with truth and power. In such situations, believers have a choice: find a church where they are spiritually fed or humbly approach church leaders to discuss the need for sound preaching. The importance of being nourished by the Word cannot be overstated, as it is essential for spiritual growth and maturity.

Furthermore, we discussed the distinction between preaching and teaching. Preaching is not merely a transfer of information but a call to transformation, aiming to engage the heart and affections of the listeners. The goal is not just to inform but to inspire a deep, heartfelt response to the gospel, leading to genuine life change.

We also touched on the significance of church membership and the role of elders in shepherding the congregation. Church membership should be taken seriously, as it involves mutual accountability and care for one another's spiritual well-being. Elders must understand their responsibility to guide and discipline the flock faithfully.

Lastly, we explored the challenges of pastoral ministry, including managing time effectively to avoid burnout. Pastors must prioritize their spiritual health and maintain a balance between ministry duties, personal study, and family life. This requires discipline, wisdom, and a heart aligned with God's purposes.

Key Takeaways

1. pleasing and perfectionism. [33:26]
** [33:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Gospel and Tribalism
[01:20] - Unity in the Gospel
[02:16] - Clarity on the Gospel
[03:22] - Humility and Unity
[04:12] - Preaching with Power
[04:56] - Finding Spiritual Nourishment
[06:27] - Importance of Being Fed
[07:07] - Unique Ministry of Preaching
[08:32] - Encouraging Church Leaders
[10:06] - Helping Pastors Preach Better
[12:18] - Sermon vs. Lecture
[13:44] - Goal of Preaching
[16:04] - Preaching and Heart Transformation
[19:25] - Addressing Sandemanianism
[25:45] - Church Membership Importance
[27:52] - Managing Ministry Responsibilities
[33:26] - Spiritual Health and Burnout
[35:43] - Rhythms of Work and Rest
[38:50] - Engaging with the Congregation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

1 Peter 2:2 - "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." [06:27]
2 Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." [04:12]
1 Timothy 4:13 - "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching." [14:27]

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Observation Questions:

What does 1 Peter 2:2 suggest about the importance of spiritual nourishment for believers? [06:27]
According to 2 Timothy 4:2, what are the key components of preaching that Paul emphasizes? [04:12]
How does the sermon describe the difference between preaching and teaching? [13:44]
What role do elders play in the spiritual nourishment and discipline of church members according to the sermon? [27:23]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the gospel serve as a cure for tribalism within the church, and what role does humility play in achieving unity? [03:22]
In what ways can believers ensure they are being spiritually fed, and what steps might they take if they find themselves in a church where the Word is not preached effectively? [06:27]
What is the significance of preaching being more than just a transfer of information, and how does it aim to transform hearts according to the sermon? [13:44]
How can church membership be taken more seriously, and what responsibilities do elders have in shepherding the congregation? [27:23]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you experienced division in the church over non-scriptural issues. How can you apply the gospel to foster unity in such situations? [00:25]
If you find yourself in a church where the Word is not preached with truth and power, what practical steps can you take to address this issue? Consider both personal actions and how you might approach church leadership. [04:12]
How can you personally contribute to a culture of humility within your church community, allowing for unity despite differences in secondary matters? [03:22]
Think about your current church membership. How can you engage more deeply in mutual accountability and care for others' spiritual well-being? [27:23]
Evaluate your current spiritual nourishment. Are you receiving the "milk and meat" of the Word? If not, what changes can you make to ensure you are spiritually fed? [06:27]
Consider the balance between your ministry duties, personal study, and family life. What specific changes can you make to avoid burnout and maintain spiritual health? [33:26]
How can you encourage your church leaders to focus on preaching that transforms hearts rather than just informing minds? What role can you play in supporting this shift? [13:44]

Sermon Clips

The gospel is the cure for tribalism, because tribalism happens when some non-scriptural issue takes priority. So, tribalism, you see, particularly rears its head when tradition rather than Scripture rules. So, think of the Pharisees, who were known as a sect. They were a sect because they were a people of such strong traditions. [00:00:14]

And it is the gospel that gives us our center in theology, and when we have clarity on the gospel then we align ourselves together to the central things. And when we have clarity on what that gospel is, then we can say there are other important issues that matter to us, but they are not the very heart of the gospel. [00:00:58]

Unity can only happen among the humble because we will be particularly disunited if I feel you must do things my way and I will not back down and do it your way. And so, where there is pride, there will be disunity. But the effect of the gospel is to make God increase and us decrease. [00:02:59]

So, it's critically important that you be fed the Word of God, and not just you, but your wife, your children as well. The only other option would be to approach your leaders humbly and bring to their attention what you feel like they should be doing. That would be a very hard thing to do admittedly, and it could be divisive. [00:05:15]

The Word of God is the growth food that you must be fed as well as the meat of the Word. And if you're not receiving the milk or the meat of the Word, you're going to be spiritually stunted, and it will be hard for you to grow. And I do think there is a special dynamic that occurs with the preaching of the Word. [00:06:45]

A sermon without application and exhortation is not a sermon. It's only a lecture, and there is a world of difference between a lecture and a sermon. Lloyd-Jones, who preached from this pulpit said, "A lecture can be given any time. It can be given today, next week, next month, next semester, but a sermon must be delivered now." [00:12:27]

The goal of a sermon is transformation. The goal of a sermon is regeneration. And so, preaching stands on the shoulders of teaching and reaches higher and it goes further. And so, it's just a complete misunderstanding of what a sermon even is to say that it's just a running commentary. [00:13:44]

And what Lloyd-Jones saw is that belief meant that sermons were devoid of any attempt to move the hearts of the listeners to feel their sinfulness, to feel the weight of the glory of Christ. But what he got out there so well in that lecture was that if you have that Sandemanian idea that all I am seeking to do is deposit information into the heads of my listeners. [00:17:51]

We preach the gospel in order that hearts might be transformed, so that out of new hearts of flesh, people actually trust in God, and therefore, choose to fight sin and live holy lives. But that's not mere information. Their hearts are being turned in the power of the gospel. [00:19:18]

I think we have tremendous men that I'm surrounded by in our church who are fellow shepherds, fellow elders. They are not my elders. Notice, they're Christ's elders that I serve alongside and who is serving along with me. They don't belong to me, but still there is an aspect of shepherding shepherds. [00:26:26]

And a good rule of thumb—and this is just a rule of thumb, but—give your mornings to God, give your afternoons to men, and give your evenings to your family. And to be fairly structured with that, you have to discipline yourself to learn to say no and to wake up early, which means you've got to go to bed early. [00:28:03]

Burnout, it can be the result of an overwhelming concatenation of circumstances, but very normally burnout is actually the consequence of a spiritual or character issue. And so, if you see yourself heading towards burnout—and busyness is not an indication that you'll be doing that. You can be very busy and find you have the spiritual and physical energy to keep going. [00:32:36]

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Unity Through the Gospel: Overcoming Tribalism in the Church

Devotional

Day 1: The Gospel Unites Beyond Differences

Day 2: Seek Spiritual Nourishment

Day 3: Preaching Transforms Hearts

Day 4: The Weight of Church Membership

Day 5: Balancing Ministry and Personal Life

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Unity Through the Gospel: Overcoming Tribalism in the Church

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