Out of Many, One- Dr. Lamb’s Sermon on Unity
INTRODUCTION
First Corinthians 12:14-16 reveals- “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
This three-verse extract from Paul’s first letter to the nascent Christians of first-century century Corinth is representative of the entire 12th chapter of this Epistle. No two human beings are exactly alike. God has created each of us to be unique individuals. Our Creator had good reasons for doing so, and Paul likens the wide variety of persons to the amalgam of parts that constitute the human body. All are important, and each contributes to the functionality of the total organism. “It takes all kinds” is a secular proverb that distills the essence of the message that Paul attempts to convey in First Corinthians 12.
Form is typically directly related to function in living creatures. Man, the glory of Creation, is blessed to inhabit an adaptable form, and is thus able to utilize his mind and body for a wide variety of functions. Education prepares each person to properly fulfill the duties that Providence has ordained for them. But even though every young scholar can be regarded as a tabula rasa (blank slate), there are innate proclivities in children that begin to manifest themselves at an early age. An attempt to work with, rather than against the character of a child will ensure that their education process will not be stymied by the pedagogue trying to swim against the current.
As noted, every individual is unique, but the character traits of a person may be accessed and described by employing some traditional categories that seek to broadly define one’s personality. The historical quantity of these categories is four, which affords analysts an opportunity to represent them in a four-part graph. Quadrants representing similar personalities can be placed adjacent to each other, and opposites personalities can be consigned to diagonally opposite quadrants.
The theory of the four humors (temperaments) is one of the oldest personality theories in the world. It can be traced back to the 4th century BC Greek physician Hippocrates, who believed that human moods were affected by an excess of four bodily fluids (called humors): blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. In the 2nd century AD, another Greek physician, Galen, took this idea and made it into a personality theory. He believed that the fluid you had most in excess made you either a sanguine, choleric, melancholy, or phlegmatic. A quadripartite chart that models Galen’s theory will be replicated below-
The four-part set of personality types utilized by Dr. Lamb for his sermon is designated the 4MAT Learning Model. It is used by educators to access individual students to determine what manner of teaching style is most appropriate for each. The 4MAT system was created by Bernice McCarthy. Her publisher proclaims that “Most educators consider Bernice McCarthy’s work to be a key contribution to the development of the learning styles movement and the differentiated classroom.” Her 2005 book Teaching Around the 4MAT® Cycle- Designing Instruction for Diverse Learners with Diverse Learning Styles has resulted in the creation of dozens of graphics that illustrate her technique and its effective application. The chart below reveals the four basic types of learner, Ms. McCarthy’s twenty-first century variant on Galen’s second-century original-
Dr. Lamb noted that the personality types of the four basic types of the youthful scholar persists into adulthood. The teacher is supplanted by the leader, or perhaps the employer. The potential, and ultimate productivity of a person can be maximized by first determining their fundamental disposition, and then engaging them in a manner that enhances the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of each personality type. Many people possess personalities that are a blend of two or more of these basic types, so each unique individual will require a customized approach, one that is designed to bring out the best in them. Dr. James Lamb’s topical sermon was a valiant attempt to mitigate an attitude that is regrettably conspicuous in the contemporary Seventh-day Adventist Church, and can be best described by reference to a verse that can be discovered twice in the Book of Judges-
“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
A King does exist, however, and freely offers His guidance to all. Unity in the body of Christ will be the inevitable result if the members of this body simply trust in Him, and obey Him.
James Lamb holds a BA in Theology, an MA and a EdD in Education Administration. He served as a teacher and principal for 22 years in Adventist schools, and as V.P. for Education for South Atlantic Conference. He is married to Dallacile Harris with two daughters: Jenae and Ariane.
THE SERMON
At the beginning of the worship service, two Elders of the church read what was perceived by the congregation to have been the entirety of First Corinthians 12, Paul’s analogy that compares the members of the body of Christ to parts of the human body. Paul celebrates the diversity of spiritual gifts that God grants to those who have chosen to follow Jesus, but emphasizes the overarching need for unity in verses 4-6:
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”
Verses 24 and 25 (cited by Dr. Lamb at the beginning of his presentation) also advocate unity in the church, and anticipate Paul’s focus on love, the exclusive subject of the short chapter that immediately follows Chapter 12-
“For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”
“Based on Scripture reading today, we can conclude that we are one. In fact, every day we carry around money in our pocket that says ‘E Pluribus Unum… out of many, one.’”
Dr. Lamb observed that this is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. He provided a colloquial definition of synergy- “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” He notes an exception to this ideal- “Unfortunately, too often, the people of God, when they have differences of opinion begin to pull in different directions.” Every part of the human body is essential for the proper function of the complete organism (even “vestigial” components like the appendix contribute to the mix by forsaking to dangerously inflame themselves). Similarly, the proper functioning of the church depends upon each and every member. Unity, however, does not require uniformity. Dr. Lamb proclaimed that it “…does not mean that we have to be exactly alike, in how we think and what we do. It does not mean that we will always agree.”
Dr. Lamb did not propose to censure the fact that we disagree, but only the manner whereby we disagree. The “practices of the world” have infiltrated the church regarding the means whereby we resolve our differences. The speaker insightfully revealed that “the recent presidential elections seem to have encouraged, empowered, and emboldened people to deal with their differences in a confrontational manner.” People cast stones at one another via social media, shielding themselves behind noms de guerre (an assumed name under which a person engages in combat). All of this negativity should not come a surprise to us, Dr. Lamb noted, because Matthew 24:12 has given us advance warning about this present evil age-
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
Incendiary and abrasive relations are a hallmark of American society at present, but it is painful to bear witness to the infiltration of this unmannerly approach into God’s house. Some hypothetical, yet regrettably accurate instances of murmuring by the Berean membership were now provided-
“I’m not giving one penny to the R3 campaign! [An effort to raise funds for facility improvements.] In fact, I’m going to the business meeting and oppose everything. Let me call members of the church who haven’t been there in years, and have them come and vote everything down!”
“You know, I want green carpet! Why are they getting blue? I’m not giving anything!”
“What’s taking so long with the renovations anyway? I told you they don’t know what they’re doing! That’s why I didn’t give!”
Dr. Lamb observed that displays of poor attitudes were not confined to the church proper, but had spilled over into the church school. Hell hath no fury like an incensed parent, airing their grievances, without restraint, before school administrators. The speaker/educator revealed these individuals to be frequently “coming to the school fussing, and cussing, and berating them… we’re not perfect, but no school is perfect. We’re always looking to improve, always make things better, but I’ll give you this guarantee- when perfect parents send perfect students, as God is my witness we will provide perfect teachers!”
“People who profess to be followers of Christ treating each other terribly, saying all types of mean things, causing dissention just shouldn’t happen.” Initial expressions of support for various church ministries becomes supplanted by a will to destroy, rather than to build up. Dr. Lamb now recited a variation of the poem Wreckers and Builders by Edwardian English poet Edgar A. Guest-
I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.
I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
As the men you’d hire if you had to build?”
He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.
I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”
And I tho’t to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?
Dr. Lamb reminded everyone that the early Christian church was not marked by division. Satan had declared total war against God’s people from the outset. The persecutions of this church by Rome, and the many martyrdoms that attended this persecution resulted not in a dwindling of its ranks, but rather an increase. He noted that “…for every person that died, ten more joined the church.” Satan’s attempts to destroy the church from without were fruitless, so he “decided to destroy the church from inside.” This is a recurrent theme throughout the pages of Ellen G. White’s history of the Christian church, The Great Controversy. Dr. Lamb compared the infiltration of the body of Christ by Satanic emissaries to the subterfuge employed by Greek adventurers when they presented a Trojan Horse to the defenders of Troy. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
The sermon now shifted its focus from the regrettable, but all-too-common mutual shortcomings of a large percentage of the membership (70 to 75 percent, if you have done the math) to a narrower concern with the characteristics of individual members. This shift marked the introduction into the sermon of Bernice McCarthy’s 4MAT template, a very useful tool not only for educators, but for anyone who may wish to take advantages of the insights into human character that it provides. The speaker noted the incredible variety of species that our God has created, and further noted that no two examples of these many species are precisely identical. The snowflake is a prime, and frequently cited example of this amazing phenomena, and Dr. Lamb did not fail to include it in his litany of created objects. “God has done the same with people. Even identical twins are not exactly alike. So today I am going to take you to school and share some things about yourself, and give you an understanding of the persons who are sitting beside you…”
[The information Dr. Lamb would now present served to render his hearers more Christlike, for Jesus was an infallible analyst of men’s characters. John 2:23-25 records this- “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”]
Dr. Lamb introduced his tutorial by relating how its content came to his notice- “A few years ago I took a class with Elder Conrad Gill. It was called 4MAT…” The class included a description of the different functions of the two hemispheres of the human brain- “The left is word-smart, the right is picture-smart.” This information, and the fact that many people principally rely on either the left or right sides of their brains to process data led to the introduction of the four basic learning styles that are the basis of the 4MAT technique. Dr. Lamb described these learning styles as being inherent in everyone, and immutable throughout one’s lifetime. He had subjected himself to the 4MAT assessment four times in the last twenty years, and “every time it comes out almost exactly the same.”
The four basic learning styles are simply designated 1,2,3, & 4.
“…they dislike conflict, they dislike insensitive, dogmatic people, sarcasm, working alone, being rushed, no opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. They will go along just to keep the peace, because they don’t want to upset others.”
Educators who neglect to answer their characteristic question, Why, will be frustrated in their attempts to get through to the Type 1 Learner. They best learn in a social setting, and may appear to be unmotivated in the absence of peer support. A strong desire to please others is the primary source of their motivation.
“Now the 2’s (you’re going to hear about yourself somewhere in this), the 2’s, these are the Analytical Learners. If you want to learn about them, picture a book, blueprints, a computer. The Analytical Learner has to ask the question ‘What?’ Their motto is ‘Stick to the Plan!’ They’re intellectual, logical, accurate, conservative, they are good planners, they critique information, they love to do research, they like routine, order, and detail. They want to know ‘What do the experts think about it?’ But…”
“…they dislike information that is out of order, disorder, noisy environments, impromptu situations where they have no time to plan.”
Dr. Lamb mentioned Nehemiah, and his highly systematic 52-day rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem as a notable example from Scripture of a Type 2. Another Type 2 Bible hero was Daniel. Despite the threat of being cast into a den of loins for doing so, Daniel persists in his inflexible routine of praying thrice daily toward his former homeland.
He observed that Type 2’s and schools were made for each other. These scholars are self-motivated, and need not be told to study.
The PowerPoint projection that described Type 3’s designates this group as Common Sense Learners. Their salient attributes will be listed, rather than quoted, as Dr. Lamb’s description of these is missing from the YouTube video of the 8/12/17 service, so it will be improvised up to the point where the recording is restored. A representative image for Type 2’s includes a farm tractor and a waterwheel. The 1’s are prone to ask “Why?” 2’s are interested in “What?” The 3’s all want to know “How?” A possible motto for this type might be that of the State of Missouri- “Show Me!” Common Sense Learners are [the video is restored at this point] “…efficient, dependable, they are great doers, they work well alone, they are problem solvers, they have a natural technical skill, they like “hands on,” they are ‘Get to the Point People…’” As do the other three Learning Types, 3’s have their shortcomings-
“…they dislike inactivity, using time for anything they believe is not useful, lateness, wasting time, standing in line, working in a group cause’ it slows them down, and they can be impatient.
“Notable 3’s in the Bible- Paul; ‘These Christians have got to go! I’m gonna wipe them out.’ Sarah- “God has taken too long, Abraham. We got to come up with our own plan!’ And then, when the plan goes wrong; ‘Abraham, she has got to go!’”
Parents of Type 3 Learners should be aware that their offspring enjoy solving problems, being involved in investigative projects and experiments, but are warned by Dr. Lamb that this type enjoys “blowing things up.”
“And then there are the 4’s, the Dynamic Learner. When you think of a 4, I want you to think of a kite, a sailboat, or a spaceship. They ‘Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before,” that is their motto. The Dynamic Learner wants to know ‘What If?’ They’re energetic, outgoing, enthusiastic, they seek hidden possibilities, they are risk-takers, very intuitive, they try new things, they want the ‘big picture,’ not just the details. They drive math teachers crazy. They can reach an accurate conclusion in the absence of logical justification because they are very intuitive…”
“…they dislike restrictions, no options, silence, rigid routines, rules, and statistics.”
David was revealed by Dr. Lamb as being a good example of a Type 4 person. David displayed audacity when he offered to take on Goliath. Another characteristic incident was not noted by the speaker, but the eating of the holy shewbread by David and his men when they were in a desperate situation is another example of unprecedented audacity.
Having now familiarized the congregation with the four basic personality types, Dr. Lamb began to use these types to provide examples of how each would react to specific situations drawn not only from the Bible, but also drawn from our own era. These observations served not only to clarify the differences between the four types, but were very amusing to his listeners. Four concise, but pithy statements, delivered in a rapid-fire manner, resulted in the sermon assuming the complexion of a stand-up comic delivering a series of one-liners. Comedian Henny Youngman’s routines consisted entirely of one-liners, but these jokes were typically unrelated to each other. Dr. Lamb’s routine, however, possessed a thematic unity in consequence of the audience’s newfound familiarity with the natures of the four “stock characters” who formed the cast of his imaginary comedy skit. A joke that is immediately followed by an even bigger joke is referred as a “one-two punch.” In Dr. Lamb’s presentation, his didactic content was framed in what might be designated a “one-two-three-four punch.” This novel technique largely explains why so many who were witness to the delivery of the sermon found it to be so engaging, and so memorable. The bitter medicine of admonishment was rendered much less noxious by the addition of a heaping spoonful of rhetorical sugar.
“The 1’s, when they see Jesus walking on the water, are glad He’s back; ‘Oh! Now we’re back together as a group!’ And they’re social.”
“The 2’s are calculating the windspeed, and how much water is dropping, and trying to determine how much longer we will stay afloat, just in case Jesus don’t do something.”
“The 3’s are trying to get them to row together and turn them in the direction of the waves so they don’t capsize.”
“But a 4, Peter, in the storm, ‘Jesus, can I come walk on the water with you?’ That’s a 4, a true 4.”
“Parents, a 4 wants to know “what if?’ They are creative. They think outside of the box. Some of them live outside of the box, and some of them don’t even know where the box is.”
Dr. Lamb revealed that he was parent to a 4. They can successfully complete a task, despite any distractions that may be present. They do not care to “color inside the lines.” They are subject to being mislabeled as indolent scholars, but this inertia is the result of placing too many restrictions upon them.
“When they [the four basic types] make a decision such as buying a car…”
“The 1’s, they are usually going to buy a van or a large SUV because they have a social nature, and they want their friends to join them all the time. When they buy a car or do something, they ask their friends, or they will buy it because they like the salesman.”
Now 2’s, they will buy cars like Volvos and Mercedes because they will analyze, research, look in Consumer Reports, compare the models and dealers, and they will buy a vehicle based on ‘it is the best for the money, and for ‘what it will do for me.”
When you see a 3, they’re gonna be driving a pickup truck, like Sister Ballard [a lady who is 2-like regarding her training as an accountant, 3-like when it comes to the common-sense implementation of her 2-like analyses, but heavily inflected with a 4-like artistic bent as well], because how it works when they buy, they’re gonna lift the hood, they’re gonna check the tires, they’re gonna take it for a test drive… they want to know how it works.”
“And then the 4’s, because they are free-spirited, they wanna know ‘How does it look? What color does it come in? Does it come in a convertible?’ And they will actually go to but a family car, and drive away in a sports car, as they briefly think about the payments.”
“If we wanted to fly…”
“The 1’s would come up with the idea of flying.”
“The 2’s would actually design the plane.”
“The 3’s would build the plane…”
“…and then the 4’s are the test pilot. They’ll get in and see if it will fly.”
Dr. Lamb stated that his auditors had probably recognized their own categories as being one of the fundamental four. A failure to do so could be explained were the hearer in possession of a brain that was not biased toward either hemisphere, but was rather “whole.” An example of such a well-rounded individual selected by Dr. Lamb to illustrate this “blessed” type was the same person who had accompanied him to the seminar which had introduced him to the 4MAT assessment system, fellow educator Dr. Conrad Gill.
“He has the social piece.” (1)
“He has the organizational piece.” (2)
“He has the ‘get it done’ piece…” (3)
“…and he has the creative piece.” (4)
“The 1’s, you have to allow them to talk.”
“If you interact with a 2, they want figures, detail, the plan.”
“If you interact with a 3, they don’t want to talk. They just want to do…”
“…and if you interact with a 4, you have to give them the latitude, the change; you have to stay fluid.”
The speaker now repeated a reference to the adhesive that serves to keep all of these disparate types bonded together, and all working together to accomplish tasks that none could begin to hope to achieve on their own- “We are all one in the body of Christ.”
[Metaphysical poet John Donne, adept at conveying spiritual principals through the use of allusion and metaphor, was the compositor of the following 400-year-old poem, No Man is an Island. It exhibits a strong affinity with the 12th chapter of First Corinthians. A portion of the next-to-the-last line was requisitioned by Ernest Hemingway to serve as title for one of his characteristically laconic early novels-
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.]
But a “natural conflict” exists between individual learning styles, Dr. Lamb revealed, and this is an inevitable consequence of the innate differences between us. It is as if Donne’s illusory islands were floating about the ocean, banging into each other. These collisions need not be destructive, however, if the islands remain tethered to a sub-oceanic rock.
“Remember who created us, and our learning style… God! God knew that there would be natural, natural conflicts that WE must work through. Child Guidance [a 1954 compilation of Ellen G. White’s various writings upon this topic, and a balm applied by the White Estate in a belated attempt to partially heal the societal wounds that were inflicted by the 1946 release of Benjamin Spock’s Baby and Child Care], Page 205 says- ‘Marked diversities of disposition and character frequently exist in the same family (and we are a family), for it is in the order of God that persons of varied temperament should associate together. When this is the case, each member of the household should sacredly regard the feelings and respect the right of the others. By this means mutual consideration and forbearance will be cultivated, prejudices will be softened, and rough points of character smoothed. Harmony may be secured, and the blending of the varied temperaments may be a benefit to each.’”
“Testimonies, Volume 4, Page 128 [also by Ellen G. White, and from a chapter entitled Self-Exaltation]- ‘We cannot all have the same minds nor cherish the same ideas; but one is to be a benefit and blessing to the other, that where one lacks, another may supply what is requisite. You have certain deficiencies of character [you have deficiencies of character!] and natural biases that render it profitable for you to be brought in contact with a mind differently organized, in order to properly balance your own.’”
“You see, 1’s and 3’s are opposites. 2’s and 4’s are opposites; naturally created by God that way.”
“The 1’s… they will go from the front of the church, to the back of the church, around the back, down the side because they love this social aspect, they love fellowship, and they like the events that bring us together like the Sabbath School picnic. They make great ushers and greeters. They will stand in the door shaking the pastor’s hand no matter how long the line, talking to the pastor. They love it when the pastor says ‘turn to your neighbor.’ They enjoy meetings, just for fellowship. They want the service to be interactive. They like holding hands during prayer. They want praise and worship fellowship to be longer, but they are challenged when they have a Type 3 pastor.”
“3’s are just the opposite. When we are welcoming the visitors, they MAY go around in a circle. They MAY shake [the hand of] the person in front of them. They usually do on the side, and then say ‘OK. That’s enough. We’ve done that; let’s keep moving!’ They want to know ‘why do we have presentations, baby dedications, baptisms, communion, and Tract Attack [a post-service evangelical tradition inaugurated by Elder James Coleman] all in the same day?’ The don’t like 7-11 songs… a song with 7 words and 11 verses. They say ‘why does the choir have to say Hallelujah twenty, thirty times? God got it on the fifth time!’ They need time to move… you’ve got to give them something to do; don’t waste time, ‘don’t ask me to stand if I’m a visitor, don’t try to guilt-trip me into doing anything, because you can’t! If I don’t want to stand, I’m not going to stand! Don’t read me announcements that are printed in the bulletin. Don’t ask me was anyone who was overlooked during communion? Was anyone overlooked? [a seemingly inevitable, and laboriously rectified component of the church’s quarterly Holy Communion celebrations]. The deacon came right by them! Why weren’t they paying attention?’ Now, they don’t make the best ushers, unless you want them to hold the door. You see, when a family of six come[s] at noon, looking for a ten-o’clock seat…”
“…a 1 will go all over the sanctuary, trying to find it for them…”
“…but a 3 will look at them and tell them to ‘check the balcony.’ That’s a 3. They are challenged, though, by Type 1 pastors.”
“Then there are the 4’s. They’re just the opposite of the 2’s. They like graphics to go along with the service. They like live illustrations and testimonials during the service. They like guest musicians. They like it when the choir does a reprise, and the impromptu additions during the praise songs. They like change- ‘Change stuff up! Surprise me. Do ANYTHING different. They’re moving the podium. Good! Something different! I like the table and chair look. Turn up the music! Don’t talk so long!’ And they are challenged by Type 2 pastors.”
“Here’s a side-note, parents. Oftentimes your child will come home and say, ‘my teacher doesn’t like me!’ But it’s not that the teacher doesn’t like your child. They may have opposite learning styles, and there is a natural conflict.”
“In our worship…”
“The 2’s are enlightened by grace. They open their mind to God’s Word.”
“3’s apply grace. They respond to God’s grace.”
“4’s are empowered by grace. They integrate God’s grace. They seek new possibilities.”
“You see, the 1’s and 4’s, they like to worship in spirit, but the 2’s and 3’s, they like to worship in truth. But John 4:24 tells us that God is spirit, and those who worship Him in spirit AND truth. We have to stretch into those other areas. The challenge is that we should not allow our learning styles to dominate other aspects of our lives. Our leadership, parenting, relationships cause us to think negatively of someone else because they are different than you. The 1’s and 3’s, 2’s and 4’s have to stretch to understand each other’s needs. We have to work together, and we can’t make excuses about who we are.”
Dr. Lamb revealed that his youngest daughter is a “4,” but added that self-awareness of one’s basic learning type should not be used as an excuse for improper behavior, nor should it preclude an honest effort to understand and empathize with others.
Authority granted to some inappropriate personality types may have contributed to the 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. Dr. Lamb stated that 80% of the top NASA brass consisted of Types 2 and 3 individuals. Too much of an emphasis on adhering to the mission schedule meant that a hasty and inadequate inspection process overlooked the faulty “O-ring” that was the cause of this catastrophe. The broader perspectives of Types 1 and 4 would have served to temper the relatively myopic worldview that distinguishes Type 2 and 3 technocrats.
Mutual understanding is important if we are to work together in an effective manner. Dr. Lamb again invoked Ellen G. White’s insight when he quoted from Page 296 of The Desire of Ages (a chapter devoted to a description of Christ’s disciples)-
“The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, truehearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with their brethren. These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have their tests, their grievances, their differences of opinion; but while Christ was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension” [Ellen G. White subsequently reveals that love is the glue that served to bond Christ’s inner circle].
“Christ is the cinch that draws all of us together,” Dr. Lamb truthfully asserted.
Two sentences from Ellen G. White’s Testimonies to the Church, Volume 6, Page 42 were now quoted by the speaker-
“The Spirit can never be poured out [Dr. Lamb repeated this significant proviso three times for his listeners] while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of His church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working” [Sister White adds that “Nothing so offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and discouraging”].
[An outpouring of the Spirit is prerequisite for Christ’s reappearance. To impede this event, as opposed to striving to expedite it is a consequence of efforts to infect others by vociferously sharing one’s own toxic attitude with others. Matthew 15:11 records Christ’s injunction for backbiters and talebearers- “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”]
Ephesians 4:26 served as Exhibit C for the case that Dr. Lamb was presenting to a divided jury-
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Exhibit D was drawn from the second chapter of the Book of Acts. The disciples were “waiting on God in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost,” Dr. Lamb related, “but actually God was waiting on them. You see, finally, when they were of one accord, the Holy Ghost came on them. That does not mean that their thinking, and that their acting was the same.” The speaker noted that the Greek term that is translated as one accord [Strong’s Greek: 3661. ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothumadon)]- is a combination of two shorter words; homo (same) and thumadon (passion). “Once they understood the mission, once they had the same passion, the same drive, the same direction, the Holy Spirit fell on them, and they did a mighty work for God.”
Dr. Lamb, in summation, transported his listeners from a renown Judean upper chamber to the sanctuary of a church in Atlanta, Georgia, and advanced the narrative by about 2,000 years.
“God has given us a work to do in this church, and in His school, and in 2017… He is just waiting.”
He is waiting on you. He is waiting on me. He is waiting on us! Dissention must be abated, and divided factions must become reunited. Dr. Lamb compared God’s people to an army, and stated that “…we are in a war against sin.” He asked a few rhetorical questions of the jury (and many of the members of this jury also happened to defendants themselves), all of which commenced with a word that had been previously revealed as characteristic of Type 3 learners… How? Type 3’s are described as Common Sense Learners. Dr. Lamb would now attempt to, metaphorically, knock some common sense into the congregations’ collective head. The speaker would offer a few pragmatic and practical directives that should, one hopes and prays, serve to reunite an entity that seems to be fragmented at present. Jesus once memorably proclaimed, “…if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (from Mark 3:25), and Dr. Lamb referred to this symbol for the body of Christ that our Savior, as well as His imitator Abraham Lincoln so memorably employed. Dr. Lamb now declaimed a very short poem-
“We’ve got to ask our heavenly Father for a change of heart,
Cause’ we can do much more together than we can do apart…”
“We need unity!”
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
“God expects us to come together, to work together to accomplish the task before us. We cannot do it individually, but we must do it together. We must understand that we are all different, and our differences are made to bring us together so that we can do what God wants us to do. We cannot make excuses. We cannot look at each other and say, ‘Well, because they are not like me then I am not going to be a part.’ We’ve got to understand that the Devil wants to use those differences to drive us apart. And so…”
“The 1’s, if you’re not careful, the Devil will have you gossiping, and spreading information that you shouldn’t be spreading.”
“The 2’s, the Devil will have you scheming, and working out plans to destroy the work of God.”
“3’s, God will have you jumping on people, wanting to fight all the time…”
“And 4’s, Satan will have you making decisions that will affect you for the rest of your life, like Samson.”
“…and so today, we are here. We stand together. We cannot stand apart.”
One last very short poem concluded the sermon-
“I need you… You need me;
We are all a part of God’s family.”
The prosecution rested its case.
POSTSCRIPT
O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t.
–William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act V
Uber-humanist Aldous Huxley, in his 1931 novel Brave New World, envisions a distant future where the intelligence level and disposition of every individual is predetermined by an elite group of powerful technocrats, the Alpha-Pluses. People are created artificially, mass-produced in baby factories that the author refers to as hatcheries. Huxley’s work was heavily influenced by a book that he discovered on shipboard while voyaging to America- My Life and Work, by Henry Ford. Ford was a genius when it came to efficiently mass-producing automobiles, but is less well-known for his efforts to engineer the characters, and the lifestyles of his employees (particularly those of immigrant stock, who stubbornly insisted on maintaining the traditions of their native lands). Ford’s mighty effort to Americanize his workers was a misguided and unwelcome disruption of these workers’ lives by the chauvinistic industrialist, and it is a blessing to descendants of his workforce that his intervention resulted in no lasting damage. The offspring of the immigrants continue to celebrate not only their acquired status as American citizens, but also enhanced identities that are a legacy of their various Old-World origins.
The contemporary residents of Detroit are not in the least ashamed of being referred to as hyphenated-Americans. Henry Ford should have limited his mania for standardization to objects, rather than both objects and people. He troubled the life of his son Edsel due to an insensitive and sustained campaign to form his character into an exact duplicate of that of the of the father (“father” with a small “f”). Diversity was anathema to Henry Ford, and he expended much time and treasure attempting to remold this untidy planet into a semblance of his own image. There inarguably exists such a thing as too much unity, and Ford foreshadowed the rise of state-sanctioned socialism throughout the world that was only partially renounced in the wake of the defeat of fascist Germany and Imperial Japan. Ironically, it was the man who led the allied nations to victory in the European Theater who subsequently, as President, augmented the quantity and power of the United States’ government bureaucrats to an unprecedented size; soldier/statesman Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In the future social milieu envisioned by Aldous Huxley, the smallest group (as a percentage of the total population) is the bright and versatile Alpha class. They constitute the decision-making and supervisory class. Lesser groups (tractable Betas-Pluses, Betas, and Beta-Minuses, the drudge-like Gammas, etc. etc.) form the majority of the population. The protagonist, a renegade Alpha, asks one of the preeminent Alpha-Pluses why they did not choose to exclusively produce the superior Alpha models. The Alpha-Plus replies that they had experimented with this approach before, but that the exclusively Alpha population expended most of their time in planning ways that they could destroy their fellow Alphas.
Christians are commanded to overcome their natural proclivity for prideful self-aggrandizement. Paul urges us in First Corinthians 24- “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” The acquisition of this unnatural altruism is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. As Dr. Lamb noted, the Spirit is averse to entering a body of believers who are divided against themselves. Reconciliation must precede an indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Dissention and discord only serves to preclude this indwelling, and an unmitigated level of animosity only results in the perpetuation of a viscous cycle; the deeper the level of the disharmony, the less likely it is that the Spirit will manifest itself to contribute to the congregation’s unification process. As the case with one’s personal salvation, it is the body of Christ that is obligated to take the first step. This token of sincerity will then be reciprocated by an entity who is in a position to reciprocate the body’s friendly initial gesture, and to bless this contrite and supplicant body through the addition of compound interest, just as on the Day of Pentecost that is described in first chapter of the Book of Acts.
Competitiveness, as opposed to cooperation, does nothing to assist in the establishment of unity, but rather fosters the malignant growth of a dysfunctional organization that is that is truly lesser than the sum of its parts. The typical member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is intelligent enough, and also perceptive enough to have, at some point, easily recognized the truth and authenticity of SDA doctrine, and is also capable of managing their own affairs should the need arise. An immense organization is best administered through the application of a well-defined chain of command, and the General Conference thoughtfully provides a chart that clearly defines this chain of command. God calls upon all hyper-competent, prima donna members to suppress their natural, but un-Christlike proclivities, their inborn Neitzschean will-to-power. Peace and harmony can only be established and maintained when the majority of the members (and, ideally, each and every member) of the church make a conscious decision to subordinate their wills to that of another, to come to one accord.
Huxley’s hypothetical new world provides for a small number of citizens who like to give orders, and a much, much larger number of citizens who docilely and cheerfully follow the orders of the less numerous group. Harmony in the present-day body of Christ can only be effectively established if every member subordinates themselves to the one and only authority in existence who has historically maintained a perfect performance record as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the universe- God the Father. Even His only begotten Son Jesus, who has demonstrated Himself to be coequal, and coeternal with the Father, shall ultimately, in the interest of unity, lay down His own authority so that the Father may become all in all.
The Eternal Truth is that the hierarchal structure of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is duly constituted, duly elected, and is a faithful reflection of an impartation of a Holy Spirit that is frequently invoked to offer inspiration and guidance. GC President Ted N.C. Wilson seems to dedicate an ever-increasing portion of his time and energy in urging the need for unity in the body of Christ. His seemingly constant restatement of this reasonable plea is necessitated by the enduring presence of a multitude of obdurate Alphas, a not-so-loyal opposition who are all (despite their depredations) bona fide members of the body. A recent sermon at Berean Church included a statement to this effect- “The Seventh-day Adventist Church is the only organization on earth that pays money to people who are trying to destroy it!” This postscript will conclude with the complete text of Fundamental Belief #14-
Unity in the Body of Christ
The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In Christ, we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children.
Psalms 133:1- “A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Matthew 28:19-20- “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
John 17:20-23- “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”
Acts 17:26-27- “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us…”
Romans 12:4-5- “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
First Corinthians 12:12-14- “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
Second Corinthians 5:16-17- “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Galatians 3:27-29- “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Ephesians 2:13-16- “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby…”
Ephesians 4:3-6- “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Ephesians 4:11-16- “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Colossians 3:10-15- “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
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