In our journey of faith, unity and perseverance are essential. The scripture reminds us of the beauty and power of dwelling together in harmony, where God commands a blessing. Unity in the Spirit is crucial, as division is a tool of the enemy. We must strive to maintain the bond of peace, recognizing that we all see in part and need the Holy Spirit's guidance to see clearly. Our focus should be on Jesus, not on human accolades or achievements. [00:37]
Ephesians 4:3-6 (ESV): "Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Reflection: Who in your life do you need to reach out to today to restore unity and peace? How can you take a step towards reconciliation and harmony?
Day 2: Maturity in Faith Requires Daily Renewal
True maturity in faith involves contending for the faith and striving to enter through the narrow gate. This requires daily renewal of our minds and a commitment to spiritual growth, moving beyond worldly success to focus on spiritual maturity. The journey of faith is not about achieving perfection but about growing in obedience and humility. As we renew our minds, we align ourselves more closely with God's will and purpose for our lives. [04:19]
Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you need to renew your mind today? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform your thoughts and actions in this area?
Day 3: Obedience and Humility Over Perfection
Our faith journey is about obedience and humility, not perfection. We must be willing to make amends and seek reconciliation, as these acts of humility testify to the transformative power of God in our lives. True authority in ministry comes from God, not human recognition. We must be faithful with what God entrusts to us, whether it be material wealth or the souls of others, and walk in integrity and obedience to the Holy Spirit. [16:03]
Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Reflection: Is there someone you need to seek forgiveness from or offer forgiveness to today? How can you take a step towards reconciliation and demonstrate humility in your relationships?
Day 4: Authority Comes from God, Not Human Recognition
True authority in ministry comes from God, not human recognition. We must be faithful with what God entrusts to us, whether it be material wealth or the souls of others, and walk in integrity and obedience to the Holy Spirit. This obedience often requires us to humble ourselves completely, as Jesus did, becoming of no reputation. Our journey is about exalting Jesus and fulfilling His purpose for our lives, pressing on despite challenges, and keeping our eyes fixed on Him. [23:00]
1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Reflection: In what ways are you seeking human recognition over God's approval? How can you shift your focus to seek God's authority and guidance in your life today?
Day 5: Empowered by the Holy Spirit for Righteous Living
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life of obedience and righteousness, cleansing us from sin and enabling us to walk in the authority of the gospel. Our journey is about exalting Jesus and fulfilling His purpose for our lives. As we contend for the faith, we must be vigilant against complacency and pride, which can lead to spiritual downfall. The Holy Spirit leads us to confront our past and make restitution, not to earn salvation, but to walk in integrity and demonstrate the reality of our faith. [35:07]
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need the Holy Spirit's empowerment to live righteously? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you in this area today?
Sermon Summary
In our journey of faith, unity and perseverance are essential. The scripture reminds us of the beauty and power of dwelling together in harmony, where God commands a blessing. Unity in the Spirit is crucial, as division is a tool of the enemy. We must strive to maintain the bond of peace, recognizing that we all see in part and need the Holy Spirit's guidance to see clearly. Our focus should be on Jesus, not on human accolades or achievements. True maturity in faith is not about worldly success but about contending for the faith and striving to enter through the narrow gate. This requires daily renewal of our minds and a commitment to spiritual growth.
Jesus exemplified this journey, moving from servanthood to kingship through His resurrection. We are called to move beyond elementary teachings and enter into the fullness of life in Christ. This involves a radical commitment to the Spirit-led life, where we add virtue, knowledge, and self-control to our faith. Our faith journey is not about perfection but about obedience and humility. We must be willing to make amends and seek reconciliation, as these acts of humility testify to the transformative power of God in our lives.
The Holy Spirit leads us to confront our past and make restitution, not to earn salvation, but to walk in integrity and demonstrate the reality of our faith. This obedience often requires us to humble ourselves completely, as Jesus did, becoming of no reputation. True authority in ministry comes from God, not from human recognition. We must be faithful with what God entrusts to us, whether it be material wealth or the souls of others.
As we contend for the faith, we must be vigilant against complacency and pride, which can lead to spiritual downfall. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life of obedience and righteousness, cleansing us from sin and enabling us to walk in the authority of the gospel. Our journey is about exalting Jesus and fulfilling His purpose for our lives, pressing on despite challenges, and keeping our eyes fixed on Him.
Key Takeaways
1. Unity in the Spirit is essential for receiving God's blessing. Division is a tool of the enemy, and we must strive to maintain peace and unity, recognizing that we all see in part and need the Holy Spirit's guidance to see clearly. [00:37]
2. True maturity in faith involves contending for the faith and striving to enter through the narrow gate. This requires daily renewal of our minds and a commitment to spiritual growth, moving beyond worldly success to focus on spiritual maturity. [04:19]
3. Our faith journey is about obedience and humility, not perfection. We must be willing to make amends and seek reconciliation, as these acts of humility testify to the transformative power of God in our lives. [16:03]
4. True authority in ministry comes from God, not human recognition. We must be faithful with what God entrusts to us, whether it be material wealth or the souls of others, and walk in integrity and obedience to the Holy Spirit. [23:00]
5. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life of obedience and righteousness, cleansing us from sin and enabling us to walk in the authority of the gospel. Our journey is about exalting Jesus and fulfilling His purpose for our lives. [35:07] ** [35:07]
Psalm 133:1 - "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"
Ephesians 4:3 - "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Luke 13:24 - "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
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Observation Questions:
What does Psalm 133:1 say about the value of unity among believers? How does this align with the sermon’s emphasis on unity? [00:37]
According to Ephesians 4:3, what are believers encouraged to do to maintain unity? How does this relate to the sermon’s message about the importance of unity in the Spirit? [01:38]
In Luke 13:24, what does Jesus mean by striving to enter through the narrow gate? How does this concept of striving relate to the sermon’s call for contending for the faith? [04:19]
How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in helping believers see clearly and maintain unity? [02:28]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the sermon interpret the idea of unity in the Spirit as a defense against division? Why is division considered a tool of the enemy? [01:13]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between spiritual maturity and worldly success? How does this relate to the idea of striving for the narrow gate? [04:07]
How does the sermon illustrate the importance of humility and reconciliation in the believer’s life? What role does the Holy Spirit play in this process? [16:03]
According to the sermon, what is the source of true authority in ministry, and how should this influence a believer’s approach to their calling? [23:00]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you experienced division within a community. How did it affect your spiritual journey, and what steps can you take to promote unity in your current community? [00:37]
The sermon emphasizes the need for daily renewal of the mind. What specific practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to focus on spiritual growth rather than worldly success? [04:48]
Consider a relationship in your life that may need reconciliation. What steps can you take this week to seek forgiveness or make amends, following the example of humility discussed in the sermon? [16:03]
How can you ensure that your focus remains on Jesus rather than seeking human recognition or accolades? What practical steps can you take to align your actions with this focus? [03:05]
The sermon warns against complacency and pride. Identify an area in your life where you may be complacent or prideful. What changes can you make to address this and walk in obedience and righteousness? [09:55]
How can you be more attentive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life? What practices can help you discern and follow the Spirit’s leading more effectively? [02:28]
Reflect on the concept of striving to enter through the narrow gate. What challenges do you face in your faith journey, and how can you overcome them to continue pressing on towards spiritual maturity? [04:19]
Sermon Clips
"The scripture says how good and how pleasant it is when brothers can dwell together, and that's where the Lord commands a blessing. And it's important for us that we remain unified in the spirit. We don't get in carnally minded and we are arguing in the flesh because of our pride. The satan comes to divide and conquer. His kingdom isn't divided, otherwise his kingdom wouldn't stand, and so it's important that we don't become divided, otherwise satan will win." [00:33:55]
"We have to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace until we all come to the unity of the same faith. There's one faith, there's one baptism, and there's one Lord Jesus Christ, and we see in part brother sisters we see in part. We don't have the whole, the whole vision. We see what's in front of us we see what we what the Lord has allowed us to understand based on the journey." [00:01:44]
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter and will not be able. Many will try to enter will not be able, and they're going to say Lord we ate and drank in your presence, and we heard you preaching the gospel we were there among you and he's going to say I don't know you, I don't know you. So striving and contending for the faith is something that's a daily thing. It's a daily decision to renew your mind, to do self-assessment on your spiritual walk and your spiritual journey." [00:04:19]
"Moving on to maturity is far different than that we have to contend for the faith which was once delivered to us as the saints. The scripture says in Luke 13 it says strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter and will not be able. Many will try to enter will not be able, and they're going to say Lord we ate and drank in your presence, and we heard you preaching the gospel we were there among you and he's going to say I don't know you, I don't know you." [00:04:19]
"Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me though he die yet shall he live, and do he live he shall never see death. Brothers sisters we have to enter into this radical life of the spirit. We'll become partakers of the divine nature, adding to virtue what knowledge, after you take a step of faith and you just reckless abandonment you push all in with Jesus then all of a sudden you go in your reading time and the Holy Spirit leads you to find out it is written." [00:13:46]
"I took this radical decision to go make amends with somebody because the Holy Spirit was leading me and I thought I might get a criminal record out of it because of the way that I dealt with things through extortion in my old life and all that, and I went into reconcile. I remember a time in my life I had God bitterness and it and unforgiveness and hatred and murder was in my heart way back in 1997 1998 because a friend had cheated me with money." [00:14:30]
"The Holy Spirit may ask you to deal with deal with things of your past to clean up your past. He's not going to bring you down I listen to brother Warnock he says you're not going to bring you down a notch or two so that he can use you, he's going to bring you down to zero it says of Christ that he was made of no reputation, being found in the likeness as a man he humbled himself to become obedient even to the point of death the death on the cross such a humiliating thing." [00:22:15]
"Jesus has to have given you his authority, we don't need authority from some guy who has a paper on the wall, we don't need authority from some some professor in a school who's going to give you a PhD, you don't need some high priest to put a caller on you and tell you that you're a man of God, you need the almighty God to appoint you for ministry, and when he speaks to you you obey if we are not faithful brothers sisters with unrighteous mammon which I'm sharing these testimonies about then he will not entrust you with the true riches that come from God because his saints and his souls are way more precious than the 70 bucks in your wallet or the check that you're about to write for restitution." [00:23:00]
"Brothers sisters we need to spend time among the brothers and just confessing our shortcomings and our weaknesses, bearing one another's burdens and praying for one another, just reaching out sometimes even if we can't get together we can get together in this modern age through telephone and through texting and say brother hey how's it going I'm just reaching out just to see how you're doing there to have more to care about the interests of others more than our own interests." [00:10:20]
"Brothers sisters you got to sit at Jesus street to learn his ways, you have to spend time as John did having your head on Jesus chest to to hear his secrets, he spoke of in Malachi of two brothers who spoke to one another, them that feared the Lord, and they were sharing with one another and it says the Lord hearkened in he listened in on what those brothers were saying about him, and the Lord made a a declaration he said they shall be mine on the day that I make them my jewels." [00:31:11]
"Brothers sisters we have to enter into this radical life of the spirit, we'll become partakers of the divine nature, adding to virtue what knowledge, after you take a step of faith and you just reckless abandonment you push all in with Jesus then all of a sudden you go in your reading time and the Holy Spirit leads you to find out it is written, wow, it was written all along." [00:13:46]
"Brothers sisters we need cleansing we read also a couple weeks ago from one Peter speaking about since you have purified your souls through obeying the truth through the word of God which lives and abides forever allow this to become a living word, a rhema word that man who does these things shall not just live by them but we might breathe in the breath of God and we might proclaim the oracles of God by the spirit through faith." [00:35:07]