Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
1 Corinthians 1:10
1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Unity in Diversity—
The strength of God’s people lies in their union with Him through His only-begotten Son, and their union with one another. There are no two leaves of a tree precisely alike; neither do all minds run in the same direction. But while this is so, there may be unity in diversity. Christ is our root, and all who are grafted into this root will bear the fruit which Christ bore. They will reveal the fragrance of His character in the talent of speech, in the cultivation of hospitality, of kindness, of Christian courtesy and heavenly politeness. {6BC 1083.3}
Look at the flowers in a carpet, and notice the different colored threads. All are not pink, all are not green, all are not blue. A variety of colors are woven together to perfect the pattern. So it is in the design of God. He has a purpose in placing us where we must learn to live as individuals. We are not all fitted to do the same kind of work, but each man’s work is designed by God to help make up His plan (The Review and Herald, July 4, 1899). {6BC 1083.4}
Christ Jesus is the head of the church and we are all the members of the body of the church. Just as the physical body is made up of different members, that is the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, legs, etc., they all work together to function as a whole. Each part performs a different function intelligently created and designed by God specifically with differing roles. It is the same for each one of God’s children who have a different purpose in life. Not all of God’s children are fitted to be ministers. There are many who are to labor as bible workers, lay ministers, evangelists, teachers, colporteurs, and so on. However, the goal is the same for all, having Christ Jesus as the root in all done for His names’ sake. All are to join in one mind and judgement, which is Christ Jesus. We are to bear the same fruit that Christ bore, so when people see us, they see Jesus. He has a plan for each one of us in our life. However, we are to work together in carrying out His plan of salvation. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Ask God for strength to fulfill His will for you in this life.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come before You in thanksgiving and praise. We are so thankful and eternally grateful for doing a work in us, which is Christ Jesus. For giving up Your only begotten son as a sacrifice on our behalf. For taking all of the world’s sins upon You, and taking away the sin of the world. For making the cure for sin available to all that will come to You, that through You and Your stripes, we are healed. Immorality is rampant in the world. We are so thankful for Your help in overcoming the sickness and disease Satan spreads like wildfire by his temptations. We thank You for being the head of the church where Your children can congregate as the body to carry out Your plan of salvation. Thank You for giving us different skills and talents to perform the differing tasks needed to reach the world with the good news of Your second coming. It is an honor and privilege to serve You, and for that, we are thankful. We pray that You help us to continue to come together in one mind and judgement, which is in You. Help us to speak the same thing and there be no divisions amongst us. Help us to bear the same fruit as You bear, so when people see us, they will not just see us, they see You in us. Help us to reflect Your light unto this dark world that those in darkness see the light and walk in it. We thank You for creating us in Your image. We pray that You place us in the place we need to be where we are most fitted to do the work You have appointed to us according to the gifts and talents bestowed upon us. We pray to fulfill Your will for us in our life. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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