What About Good, Clean Christian Competition?
a sermon based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
by Rev. Randy Quinn

When I was in college, I studied Building Construction. I sought an education that would help me become a contractor. One lesson I learned was how competition could be helpful. We were talking about construction crews, and the example involved roofing. "Set up your roofers in two teams," the instructor advised us, "and have each team start on opposite sides of the building. That way, the two teams will compete with each other and put the roof on quicker than if you had everyone working on the same side."
That kind of healthy competition works in a variety of settings. Around Thanksgiving, the local High Schools 'competed' against one another in a food drive. The results were phenomenal.

But there is a limit to the helpfulness of such friendly competition beyond which it becomes destructive. Paul has heard about some of the competition in Corinth and he is convinced that it is approaching, if it hasn't already arrived at, the point of becoming destructive.
It seems as though several different people were important to the Corinthian Church. Because of his ministry there, the church may have thought it was founded by Paul (Acts 18). But Apollos had also visited the city. This particular passage suggests that maybe even Peter had been there, though it's more likely that students of Peter had come to Corinth. And like churches today, there were some people who would remember one or the other of these former "pastors" with fondness.

Each had done things differently, but each had made a significant contribution to the church. The "competition" was healthy in that it brought in more people and strengthened the church as a whole. Until controversy began to threaten the church.

It's hard to tell exactly what the controversy was. We know that there are groups within the church who have made their own claims, and these groups seem to disagree with one another. To support their arguments, the groups each appeal to a different authority. They were no longer respecting one another's opinions. Each considered their own perspective to be correct while everyone else seemed to be wrong.

This week I was in New Orleans with the Navy Reserves. All of the reserve Chaplains assigned to the Marines meet there every year to look at our common ministry among and with the US Marine Corps and to help each other be more effective. And understandably, there is some 'friendly competition' among us. Some of us feel that our particular Marines are better than others. Some of us feel that the way we meet their needs is more effective than others. And some of us feel that our particular faith group is better than others.
And while most of the competition is friendly, there is a danger involved as well. One of the speakers in New Orleans quoted a Marine Corps General who was speaking about what he has perceived among us; perceptions based on overheard conversations and comments made to him by and about Chaplains.

His remarks were insightful, but they also had a sharp edge to them as we realized how easy it is to cross the line of "friendly competition" into destructive behavior­. He reminded us that we need to remember our calling. He said we need to be faithful to the God who had sent us here. He challenged us to work as a team to meet the needs of the people we serve.

Like the church in Corinth, like all congregations, like our own denomination, differences exit among us. But they need not reduce our effectiveness. In fact, they can be seen as a source of strength.

In our own church, we have various groups and factions. I don't need to remind you of that. You already know it. Some are more interested in our children's programs than worship. Some are more interested in music than outreach. Some are more interested in our investment in the buildings than in our community outreach. Some are more interested in finances than fellowship.

None of this is wrong. In fact, there is a sense in which it is healthy. By offering several different groups, we can allow your particular gifts and strengths to be recognized, appreciated, and utilized. By allowing each person to find their own 'niche' we find that we are more effective overall, working as one team to proclaim the Gospel in a variety of forums, formats, and frameworks. But it can easily erode into a destructive pattern if the common goals and purposes are not recognized, honored, and respected.

My own belief is that we allow competition to become destructive when we lose our own sense of worth and value. If we feel we are not valued by others, or feel as if we are worthless, we begin to look at the flaws in someone else's arena so that we don't look as bad. And slowly but surely everything begins to crumble.

There were those in Corinth who looked to Paul, the founder of their church and said "we belong to Paul" as if that made them better than the others. Some claimed to 'belong to Peter' who was more directly connected with Jesus as if that made them better than the others. Still others made a claim to 'Apollos' for their own reasons, and made the same claim: "we are better than you".

To Paul, this was non-sense. For they all belonged to Christ. Without Christ, there is no church. Without Paul, without Peter, or without Apollos, the church could exist, but not without Christ. That is not to say that we need to be all the same. We need only be heading in the same direction. Some friendly competition may make the journey more fun. Some friendly competition will increase our effectiveness.

You see, in the body of Christ, there is room for -- no, there is need for -- the Paul's and the Peter's and the Apollos'. Just as there is need in our church for Sunday School and choirs and trustees and outreach committees. We cannot be whole without each of us, without all of us.

Similarly, I believe, there is room for and a need for a variety of churches. No one denomination, no one congregation can claim the fullness of Christ without the recognition of, acceptance of, and celebration of others who begin from a different perspective.
Paul reminds us that our value, our worth, our very purpose is derived from the cross of Christ. In that act, God has purchased our salvation. In that act, God has claimed us. And so it is that we all belong to God. And as servants of God, we are all on the same team. Healthy competition may make our team better, but we must always remind ourselves that we are on the same side, that we are in the same camp, that we have the same owner.

We are one in Christ. Amen.