Every church I've ever known has been plagued by division, complaining and factions that tug and pull at the heart and soul of the Gospel often leaving it in tatters. People outside the church who are looking for something to believe in see what is happening and believe the Gospel of Jesus, a Gospel of harmony, forgiveness and grace, is poor alternative. They opt instead for the pursuit of individual happiness, self-fulfillment, and a "winner-takes-all" world view. Although it's effects are not always immediate, this worldview will ultimately leave their lives tatter, torn and troubled.  But what can we do? My Advice - try the Church! You heard me, try a church as your only hope, not as you want to be, but as it is and was created to be, a place of healing for the sick.  Division has always been a part of the human psyche ever since Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, and Paul and Barnabas. We're fractured people trying to gather people who will affirm our brokenness without suggesting we change. So, naturally faction develop and grow.  Paul was trying to get heal some faction in the Corinthian Church. Apparently there were division over preference, leadership and control, just as there is today. Paul suggests that the Corinthians had lost sight of their true target, purpose and mission. To avoid these division and the betrayal of the Gospel, we need to remember these three key steps:  ASSIGNMENT: We are co-workers in God’s Service. We are builders of the House, Field hands of the Harvest, Contributors to the Body INTERRELATED: We require community. We need others. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” Martin Luther King, Jr. FOUNDATION: We are rooted in Christ. Like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one. FOCUS: Becoming a Church for all Ages! Sermon Notes: Sermon Notes 02.23.14 Church for all Sermon Slides: Worship Slides 02.23.14 Sermon Audio: Church for the Ages 2.23.14E Church for the Ages 2.23.14L