In the movie Mean Girls, Cady is new to public school. There’s a great scene where her two new friends give her a tour of the cafeteria pointing out all of the very specific cliques, including groups like Varsity Jocks, Preps, Burnouts, and Desperate Wannabes. They end the tour at their own table and refer to themselves as Actual Human Beings. It’s a hyperbolic example of the school cafeteria, but it is so entertaining and relatable… because we do divide ourselves! Cooperation, not competition, should be the goal!

We separate ourselves socially, based on our interests, our relationships, our wealth. And it’s not just in school. We have church cliques, too. Sometimes, to the detriment of others, we only spend time with whoever is like us- other people from your D Group, other people in Chi Alpha, other people in the worship band, other AV volunteers, other preschool volunteers. And the longer we do that, the deeper divisions can become. And the things that divide us become less that we just like the people that we like and more that we only like people who think like us.

Church can still be deeply divided by people on both sides of social, political, and theological issues. Thankfully this is not something new. Scripture isn’t silent on this.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?”  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth saying, “whoa whoa whoa. You may be church people, but you’re argumentative and jealous. You’re acting just like the world around you. There’s nothing about you that distinguishes you as different or holy from this culture you’re in. “

Paul is clearly saying that the divisiveness in the church at Corinth has hurt their witness. They look just like anyone else. If we’re arguing with one another, divided by our preferred teacher, or our preferred worship style, if we can’t handle conflict in a healthy way… how are we different from anyone else?  Remember: cooperation, not competition!

When we allow the gospel to work, it changes us from the inside out. It changes our hearts and our minds. It changes the way we think and the way we see people. It changes the way we act, the words we say. It changes the way we treat others.  Because, as Paul tells us here in verses 6-9, it takes all of us working together as a team, through the power of God, to accomplish his purposes.

Whatever our divisions are, there’s purpose in how God made us. There’s opportunity in the talents, passions, and gifts each of us have. The church, our church, needs every one of you to live out the gifts and calling that Jesus has for you. We are not at odds with one another just because we’re different. In fact, being different from one another makes us better as a whole!

Paul is calling us here to walk away from the temptation of competition and instead to focus on cooperation. We are united by one God who has called us to his one purpose. Even though we are all different, we all accomplish that together, through the motion of God himself.

I love the way it’s worded here. It says in verse nine that we are God’s coworkers. Your translation might say co-laborers. It means that you and I aren’t just here for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You and I are part of God’s work. We are working, we are laboring, alongside the God of the universe. The God that spoke into existence all things. The God that created deep sea creatures, black holes in space, hummingbird hearts, and baby laughter. That God, who decided that we needed emotion and color and the taste of a ripe peach, is calling you and I to come join him in his work. We are called to love God and love others, to share the good news of the gospel, and to serve the church as we are gifted.