“What Is a Christian?” (Isaiah 6:1-8) - Meaningful Membership I -

UMC Today

We Methodists are getting a divorce. After four decades of debate on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ ordination, some of the traditionalists (the conservative) broke away and formed a new denomination, “Global Methodist Church” in May 2022. A couple of years ago the United Methodists began to talk separation. Some of us thought that we’d have a friendly divorce. But now we see things are getting ugly and this schism brings so much pain to the church. For instance, as of this past week one of our sister UM churches in the county split into two churches over this very issue. My heart was troubled throughout the week, and I’m still grieving. As we going through this challenging time, we cannot but ask fundamental questions: “Is a church split inevitable?” “What is a church?” “What is a Christian?” “What does it mean to be a church member?” Starting from today, we will explore these questions under the theme of “meaningful membership” for five weeks, and the at the end of the month we will have an opportunity to commit or recommit to the church membership. It is my prayer that through this sermon series we may have a better understanding of the church and that we may have more love to Christ and his body – the church.

One Lord

What makes someone a Christian? What are the marks of a true Christian? As I was pondering this question, today’s passage brought a new sense of clarity and gave me the answer. First of all, a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus Christ – cherishing him, treasuring him, following him as one Lord and one and only Savior. Today’s scripture begins this way: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord” (v. 1). Uzziah and Isaiah were first cousins. Uzziah's death was not just an event of state. It was personal and profound. Uzziah was a powerful king, who reigned for 52 prosperous and secure years. Isaiah greatly relied on King Uzziah, but now he is dead. Assyria’s threat has become imminent. In this hopeless, desperate situation Isaiah encounters the true King sitting on the throne, then he says, “My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!” (v. 5). His lips are cleansed, his sin is forgiven, his heart is regenerated. It was the moment that Isaiah became a Christian who encountered God [Christ] and treasured him as his one King and one Lord.

The Apostle Paul commends Ephesian Christians to make every effort to keep the unity of the church and describes what Christ’s Church looks like this way: “There is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 6:4-6). That’s the church. We may have many doctrines, many traditions, many opinions, but we only have one Lord, one Head of the church – Jesus Christ. In his sermon On Schism, John Wesley edifies us this way:

“Separation [schism] is evil in itself, being a breach of brotherly love, so it brings forth evil fruit . . . the most mischievous consequences. It opens a door to all unkind tempers, both in ourselves and others. 

"Beware of schism, of making a rent in the Church of Christ. That inward disunion, the members ceasing to have a reciprocal love 'one for another,' (1 Cor. 12:25,) is the very root of all contention, and every outward separation. Beware of everything tending thereto. Beware of a dividing spirit; shun whatever has the least aspect that way.

The unity of the church comes through shared experience of the new birth (“seeing the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted”; Christian experience). Where there is a Christian, there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one Head, one God.

One Calling

Secondly, a Christian is a person who is called and commissioned. As soon as Isaiah was born anew, he heard the voice saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And he said, “Here am I. Send me!” (v. 8). Jesus said to his disciples [Christians], “Go, make disciples.” All Christians are called and have same highest calling, one calling, “Making disciples of Christ.” We may have different gifts. Some of us are encouragers. Some are generous givers. Some are helpers. Some are leaders. Some are teachers. But whatever gifts we are given, we must use them for one calling.  We encourage, we help, we serve, we lead, we teach, in order to make disciples. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

We learn from Isaiah’s calling that we are called not to be successful, but to be faithful. The message Isaiah had to preach to the people of Israel was not the words of comfort and encouragement, but the words of warning and judgment. The more he preached, the more the people turned away from him. The more he called for repentance, the more they refused to listen. He even had to preach naked and barefoot for three years as a sign of warning. As he so faithfully continued to preach and live out his calling, God preserved the remnant (“the holy seed,” v. 13) as he has promised. Then real healing, real repentance would begin, and the stage would be set for the promised Messiah to come.

There are times when we just want to throw in the towel. For me personally, I had to admit there were several times when I were about to quit ministry. I was ready to give up. I was discouraged. I was afraid. I felt so exhausted to the bone. But every time I was going through the darkest valley, what sustained me was my calling. I heard the voice saying, “I have called you.” “Don’t be afraid. Keep on preaching…for I am with you… for there are many people in this city.” “Stand up for truth. I will be at your side forever.” After this, I was ready to face anything. I was able to stay the course. Christians, you and I, are called. We are called to be faithful. We are commissioned to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

UMC Tomorrow

When I think about the UMC’s future, it’s depressing. But still, we can rejoice no matter what, because Christ is still the Head of the Church, and he knows what he is doing. For Christ’s Church and his followers, there is one Lord, one calling.

As I close, let me share the words of John Wesley:

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”

May you and I be one of those 100 Christians who desire God alone. May we focus on the mission that God has entrusted to us instead of divisive issues. May we make every effort to keep the unity of the church until the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.