Embracing Unity: God's Vision for His Church
Summary
In this message, we explore the profound importance of unity within the church, as envisioned by Christ. Unity is not just a desirable trait but the very essence of how God intends for us to live together as His family. The Bible emphasizes unity among believers more than it discusses heaven or hell, underscoring its significance. Christ's vision for unity was so paramount that it was the focus of His prayers before His crucifixion, as seen in John 17. This unity is not about uniformity but about celebrating our God-given differences while focusing on what we share in common.
We are called to be agents of unity, tasked with preserving the harmony within our church family. This involves focusing on shared beliefs and values, such as our faith, hope, and the Holy Spirit, rather than our differences. Unity requires intentional effort and a commitment to work through conflicts and disagreements. It is crucial to avoid bringing worldly values and conflicts into the church, as these can cause division. Instead, we should strive to offer encouragement and build each other up, fostering an environment of love and acceptance.
Unity is not accidental; it requires continuous effort and a willingness to work through challenges. We must be realistic in our expectations, understanding that the church is made up of imperfect people. Despite its flaws, the church is deeply loved by Christ, and we are called to love it as well. This love involves living with the tension between the ideal and the real, striving for growth while accepting imperfections.
Ultimately, unity in the church is about living in harmony, being sympathetic, loving each other as family, showing compassion, and acting with humility. By doing so, we can be the answer to Jesus' prayer for unity and set a positive example for the world.
Key Takeaways:
1. Unity as a Divine Mandate: Unity is the soul of fellowship and the core of God's vision for His church. It is emphasized more in the Bible than heaven or hell, highlighting its importance. Christ's prayer for unity in John 17 underscores its significance as a divine mandate for believers. [01:48]
2. Celebrating Differences: Unity is not about uniformity but about celebrating God-given differences while focusing on shared beliefs and values. Ephesians 4 outlines seven key aspects we share, such as one body, one Spirit, and one hope, which should be our focus. [08:05]
3. Intentional Effort for Unity: Unity requires intentional effort and continuous work. Ephesians 4:3 encourages us to make every effort to maintain unity, emphasizing that it doesn't happen by accident but through deliberate actions and choices. [17:09]
4. Avoiding Worldly Conflicts: Bringing worldly values and conflicts into the church causes division. We must avoid being sucked into societal fights and focus on the moral issues that align with biblical teachings, as highlighted in John 18:36. [24:06]
5. Loving the Real Church: We are called to love the real church, with all its imperfections, as Christ does. This involves living with the tension between the ideal and the real, striving for growth while accepting imperfections, as seen in Ephesians 4:2. [36:16]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Introduction to Unity
- [00:24] - Importance of Unity
- [01:35] - Jesus' Prayer for Unity
- [02:34] - How to Achieve Unity
- [04:35] - Our Role in Unity
- [05:56] - Steps to Promote Unity
- [06:12] - Focus on Commonalities
- [07:39] - Celebrating Differences
- [09:46] - Avoiding Division
- [11:36] - Handling Irritations
- [16:04] - Passion and Purpose
- [17:09] - Working at Unity
- [22:42] - Avoiding Worldly Fights
- [36:16] - Loving the Real Church
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Unity in the Church
Bible Reading:
1. John 17:20-21
2. Ephesians 4:2-6
3. Romans 14:19
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Observation Questions:
1. According to John 17:20-21, what was Jesus' prayer for believers, and why is it significant that this was His focus before His crucifixion? [01:48]
2. In Ephesians 4:2-6, what are the seven key aspects that Paul mentions we share as believers? How do these aspects contribute to unity? [08:05]
3. Romans 14:19 encourages believers to concentrate on certain things. What are these, and how do they relate to creating harmony within the church? [06:25]
4. The sermon mentions that unity is emphasized more in the Bible than heaven or hell. Why do you think this is the case, and what does it suggest about the importance of unity? [00:51]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17:20-21 reflect His vision for the church, and what implications does this have for how we interact with fellow believers? [02:16]
2. Ephesians 4:2-6 lists several aspects of unity. How might focusing on these shared beliefs and values help prevent divisions within the church? [08:21]
3. Romans 14:19 advises believers to focus on harmony. What might be some practical ways to apply this advice in resolving conflicts within a church setting? [06:25]
4. The sermon discusses the importance of avoiding worldly conflicts within the church. How can believers discern between necessary moral stands and divisive worldly issues? [24:06]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced disunity in a church setting. What steps could you take to promote unity in similar situations in the future? [04:58]
2. The sermon emphasizes celebrating differences while focusing on commonalities. How can you actively celebrate the diversity within your church community this week? [07:39]
3. Consider the worldly values that might be influencing your church. How can you help shift the focus back to biblical values and unity? [18:07]
4. Think about a conflict you have had with another believer. How can you apply the principles from Romans 14:19 to work towards reconciliation and unity? [06:25]
5. The sermon mentions the importance of loving the real church, with all its imperfections. How can you practice this love in your interactions with church members this week? [36:16]
6. Identify one area in your church where you see a need for greater unity. What specific actions can you take to be an agent of unity in that area? [05:31]
7. Reflect on the idea that unity requires intentional effort. What is one practical step you can take this week to contribute to the unity of your church community? [17:09]
Devotional
Day 1: Unity as the Core of Fellowship
Unity is the essence of fellowship and the heart of God's vision for His church. It is emphasized more in the Bible than heaven or hell, highlighting its importance. Christ's prayer for unity in John 17 underscores its significance as a divine mandate for believers. Unity is not merely a desirable trait but a fundamental aspect of how God intends for us to live together as His family. It is the soul of fellowship, the core of God's vision for His church, and a divine mandate for believers. The Bible emphasizes unity among believers more than it discusses heaven or hell, underscoring its significance. Christ's vision for unity was so paramount that it was the focus of His prayers before His crucifixion, as seen in John 17. This unity is not about uniformity but about celebrating our God-given differences while focusing on what we share in common. [01:48]
Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV): "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Reflection: Consider a relationship within your church community that may be strained. How can you take a step today to promote unity and peace in that relationship?
Day 2: Celebrating God-Given Differences
Unity is not about uniformity but about celebrating God-given differences while focusing on shared beliefs and values. Ephesians 4 outlines seven key aspects we share, such as one body, one Spirit, and one hope, which should be our focus. Unity in the church is about living in harmony, being sympathetic, loving each other as family, showing compassion, and acting with humility. By doing so, we can be the answer to Jesus' prayer for unity and set a positive example for the world. It involves focusing on shared beliefs and values, such as our faith, hope, and the Holy Spirit, rather than our differences. [08:05]
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many."
Reflection: Reflect on a unique gift or perspective you bring to your church community. How can you use it to celebrate and enhance the unity of your church family today?
Day 3: Intentional Effort for Unity
Unity requires intentional effort and continuous work. Ephesians 4:3 encourages us to make every effort to maintain unity, emphasizing that it doesn't happen by accident but through deliberate actions and choices. We are called to be agents of unity, tasked with preserving the harmony within our church family. This involves focusing on shared beliefs and values, such as our faith, hope, and the Holy Spirit, rather than our differences. Unity requires intentional effort and a commitment to work through conflicts and disagreements. [17:09]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: Identify a conflict or disagreement you are currently facing. What intentional steps can you take today to work towards resolution and unity?
Day 4: Avoiding Worldly Conflicts
Bringing worldly values and conflicts into the church causes division. We must avoid being sucked into societal fights and focus on the moral issues that align with biblical teachings, as highlighted in John 18:36. It is crucial to avoid bringing worldly values and conflicts into the church, as these can cause division. Instead, we should strive to offer encouragement and build each other up, fostering an environment of love and acceptance. [24:06]
James 4:1-3 (ESV): "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Reflection: Think about a recent situation where you were tempted to bring a worldly conflict into your church community. How can you refocus on biblical values and promote peace instead?
Day 5: Loving the Real Church
We are called to love the real church, with all its imperfections, as Christ does. This involves living with the tension between the ideal and the real, striving for growth while accepting imperfections, as seen in Ephesians 4:2. Despite its flaws, the church is deeply loved by Christ, and we are called to love it as well. This love involves living with the tension between the ideal and the real, striving for growth while accepting imperfections. [36:16]
1 Peter 4:8-10 (ESV): "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: Reflect on an imperfection within your church that frustrates you. How can you choose to love and serve your church community despite this imperfection today?
Quotes
Unity is the soul of fellowship. If you destroy a church's unity, you rip the heart out of the body of Christ. Unity is the essence. Unity is the core of how God wants us to experience life together in His church. Unity in the church is so important. I think I mentioned this last week. The Bible has far more to say about Christians living in harmony and unity than it says about heaven or it says about hell. Did you know that? [00:00:24]
Jesus' last prayer request was that the members of His church would live in unity. Number four, God gives us His glory so that we'll be unified. And number five, our unity is our greatest witness to unbelievers. Number six, unity removes fear and creates boldness. If you want to be less fearful and more bold, this is the key to it. [00:03:28]
Focus on what we share, not our differences. When you get together with other Christians, focus on the things we have in common, what we share in common, not our differences. Romans 14 verse 19, I love this, the Phillips translation, it says this, let us concentrate on the things which create harmony. All right, let us concentrate on the things that create harmony and on the growth of our fellowship together. [00:06:07]
Unity is not uniformity. Did you hear that? You might write that down. Unity is not uniformity. God doesn't, when He says, I want you to be united, He doesn't want us all to be alike. If He'd done that, He would have made us all alike. Sorry, that's not gonna happen because God made us all different. [00:10:24]
Unity requires intentional effort and continuous work. Ephesians 4:3 encourages us to make every effort to maintain unity, emphasizing that it doesn't happen by accident but through deliberate actions and choices. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, bind yourselves together living in peace with each other. [00:17:09]
Don't bring worldly values into the church. Yeah, why? Because every time you bring worldly values into the church, it causes division. It causes division. Now, one of the world's values, and we see it everywhere today, is the idolizing of celebrities. You know, we now live in a celebrity culture. [00:17:59]
Don't be sucked into the world's fights. Now, I don't have to tell you that there's a lot of conflict out there in society, in our culture, in the world. People are arguing about everything, and today it's gotten worse because we have the communication tools through the internet where anybody can argue about anything, and they do. [00:22:51]
Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love. Believe me, in all of the counseling that I've done with people in our church, people can become disillusioned with the church for many understandable reasons, and the list could be quite long. I could give you a long list of legitimate reasons for becoming disillusioned with the church. [00:36:16]
Offer encouragement instead of criticism. All right, just when you're talking to people, offer encouragement instead of criticism. That is so counter-culture. Our culture doesn't offer encouragement; it offers criticism. That's all it offers. People make a living being critics. Nobody makes a living being an encourager. [00:42:59]
A wise mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is. That's scripture. That's the Bible. The more pleasant your words, the more persuasive you'll be. You might write this down: I am never persuasive when I'm abrasive. All right, I'm never persuasive when I'm abrasive. [00:45:46]
Live in harmony with each other. And then he says how. How we live in harmony: be sympathetic, love each other as family, have compassion, and be humble. Okay, he says the way you live in harmony with each other is these four things: you be sympathetic, you love each other's family, you have compassion, and you be humble. [00:53:12]
Jesus is still waiting for us to be the answer to His prayer. The last thing Jesus said before He went to the cross is, "Father, may they be one." We're anything but that. The church is not one. It's divided. It's divided by politics. It's divided by COVID. It's divided by wearing a mask. It's divided by racism. It's divided by all kinds of different stuff. [00:56:03]
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