Unity in the Spirit: Reflecting Christ's Mission
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound theme of unity within the church, emphasizing the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in fostering this unity. Drawing from John 17 and Ephesians, we delved into Jesus' prayer for unity among His followers, highlighting that the Holy Spirit unites us in the mission of Jesus. This unity is not just a superficial agreement but a deep, spiritual bond that mirrors the unity between Jesus and the Father.
We began by reflecting on the beauty of unity in team sports, where individual players rise above personal glory for the sake of the team. This unity is rare in the world, often marred by dysfunction in various aspects of life. Jesus' prayer in John 17 reveals His desire for His followers to experience the same unity He shares with the Father, a unity that confirms the mission of Jesus and demonstrates God's work in the world.
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this unity, as seen in Ephesians 2, where Paul speaks of Jesus preaching peace to both Jews and Gentiles, bringing them together into one family. This unity is facilitated by the Spirit, who reveals our need for a Savior and draws us closer to Jesus and each other. However, maintaining this unity requires effort and humility, as Paul urges in Ephesians 4. We must be completely humble, gentle, patient, and bear with one another in love, recognizing that unity does not mean uniformity but a beautiful diversity brought together by the Spirit.
Selfishness is the primary obstacle to unity, as it shifts focus from the collective mission to individual preferences and desires. In the church, this can manifest in various ways, from worship style preferences to personal opinions. To combat this, we must prioritize the gospel and the mission of Jesus above all else, allowing the Spirit to guide us in humility and service.
Ultimately, unity among Christians is built upon Christ's work and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. In a world filled with division and disunity, the church's unity can be a powerful testimony to the reality of Jesus' mission. As we strive for this unity, we must continually rely on the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live out the gospel and love one another deeply.
### Key Takeaways
1. Unity Reflects Jesus' Mission: Unity among Christ's followers confirms the mission of Jesus. When we are united, it shows that God is at work, and the message of reconciliation through Jesus is real and powerful. This unity is a testimony to the world that Jesus was sent by the Father to bring forgiveness and reconciliation. [03:49]
2. Selfishness Destroys Unity: The biggest obstacle to unity is selfishness. When individuals prioritize their own preferences and desires over the collective mission, it leads to disunity. Recognizing our own complicity in this and striving for humility and service is essential for maintaining unity. [07:07]
3. The Holy Spirit Facilitates Unity: The Holy Spirit is the one who unites us in the mission of Jesus. As we draw closer to Jesus, the Spirit reveals our need for a Savior and brings us together as one family. This unity is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a work of the Spirit. [14:38]
4. Unity Requires Effort and Humility: Maintaining unity requires effort and humility. Paul urges us to be completely humble, gentle, patient, and to bear with one another in love. This involves recognizing our limitations, giving others the opportunity to shine, and serving without seeking recognition. [18:54]
5. Unity Does Not Mean Uniformity: Unity in the church does not mean uniformity. We are all different, with unique gifts and backgrounds, but the Spirit brings us together to form a beautiful, diverse family. Embracing this diversity while focusing on the mission of Jesus strengthens our unity. [30:03]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:13] - The Beauty of Team Unity
[03:49] - Jesus' Prayer for Unity
[05:39] - Unity Confirms Jesus' Mission
[07:07] - The Problem of Selfishness
[10:32] - Christian Unity Mirrors Jesus and the Father
[13:22] - Ephesians 2: Unity in Diversity
[16:10] - Maintaining Unity Requires Effort
[18:54] - Instructions for Unity: Humility, Gentleness, Patience
[22:16] - The Importance of Gentleness
[25:29] - Learning Patience in Community
[28:39] - Bearing with One Another in Love
[30:03] - Unity Does Not Mean Uniformity
[31:37] - The Holy Spirit's Role in Unity
[33:31] - Unity in a Divided World
[35:05] - Invitation to Follow Jesus
[36:29] - Praying for the Spirit of Unity
[37:51] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. John 17:20-23
2. Ephesians 2:17-19
3. Ephesians 4:1-6
#### Observation Questions
1. In John 17:20-23, what does Jesus pray for concerning His followers?
2. According to Ephesians 2:17-19, what role does Jesus play in bringing unity between Jews and Gentiles?
3. What specific qualities does Paul urge believers to exhibit in Ephesians 4:1-6 to maintain unity? [17:18]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in fostering unity among believers? [14:38]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is unity among Christ's followers a testimony to the world about Jesus' mission? [05:39]
2. How does selfishness manifest in the church, and why is it a significant obstacle to unity? [07:07]
3. What does it mean that unity does not mean uniformity, and how can diversity strengthen the church? [30:03]
4. How can the qualities of humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love contribute to maintaining unity in the church? [18:54]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced unity in a group setting. What factors contributed to that unity, and how can you apply those principles to your church community? [02:13]
2. Identify a personal preference or opinion that might be hindering unity in your church. How can you prioritize the gospel and the mission of Jesus over this preference? [08:52]
3. Think of a situation where you struggled with selfishness. How can you practice humility and service in that area to foster unity? [07:07]
4. How can you actively rely on the Holy Spirit to help you be more humble, gentle, patient, and loving in your interactions with others? [18:54]
5. In what ways can you embrace and celebrate the diversity within your church while focusing on the common mission of Jesus? [30:03]
6. Consider a relationship within the church that has been strained. What steps can you take to bear with that person in love and work towards reconciliation? [28:39]
7. How can you pray for and promote the spirit of unity in your church this week? What specific actions can you take to be a uniter? [36:29]
Devotional
Day 1: Unity Reflects Jesus' Mission
Unity among Christ's followers confirms the mission of Jesus. When we are united, it shows that God is at work, and the message of reconciliation through Jesus is real and powerful. This unity is a testimony to the world that Jesus was sent by the Father to bring forgiveness and reconciliation. [03:49]
John 17:20-21 (ESV): "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
Reflection: Think of a time when you experienced unity within a group of believers. How did this unity reflect the mission of Jesus, and how can you contribute to fostering such unity in your church community today?
Day 2: Selfishness Destroys Unity
The biggest obstacle to unity is selfishness. When individuals prioritize their own preferences and desires over the collective mission, it leads to disunity. Recognizing our own complicity in this and striving for humility and service is essential for maintaining unity. [07:07]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where selfishness has caused disunity. What steps can you take today to prioritize the collective mission over your personal preferences?
Day 3: The Holy Spirit Facilitates Unity
The Holy Spirit is the one who unites us in the mission of Jesus. As we draw closer to Jesus, the Spirit reveals our need for a Savior and brings us together as one family. This unity is not something we can achieve on our own; it is a work of the Spirit. [14:38]
Ephesians 4:3-4 (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."
Reflection: Reflect on how the Holy Spirit has worked in your life to bring you closer to others in your church. How can you rely more on the Spirit to foster unity in your community?
Day 4: Unity Requires Effort and Humility
Maintaining unity requires effort and humility. Paul urges us to be completely humble, gentle, patient, and to bear with one another in love. This involves recognizing our limitations, giving others the opportunity to shine, and serving without seeking recognition. [18:54]
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: In what ways can you practice humility and gentleness in your interactions with others this week? How can you bear with someone in love today?
Day 5: Unity Does Not Mean Uniformity
Unity in the church does not mean uniformity. We are all different, with unique gifts and backgrounds, but the Spirit brings us together to form a beautiful, diverse family. Embracing this diversity while focusing on the mission of Jesus strengthens our unity. [30:03]
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: How can you celebrate the diversity within your church while working towards unity? What unique gifts do you bring to the body of Christ, and how can you use them to serve the collective mission?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Unity shows that the world that we take Jesus seriously. We take his message personally that we are a part of this reconciliation work as we proclaim the good news that God loves people who are far from him, that God loves people who have been wrestling and struggling with sin. God loves them enough to send Jesus, the Son of God, to die on their behalf, to lift and remove the burden of sin from their heart so they can be a part of God's family." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Jesus came to gather people from all the world into the family of God. He came to proclaim peace to those who were far away. He's talking about the Gentiles. And to those who were close. He's talking about the Jews. Jesus came to proclaim peace and to bring these folks into God's family, into God's household." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We cannot save ourselves. We need Jesus. And the Spirit's the one that reveals that to us and draws us into the family of God. And doing so, the Spirit builds this unity in us. And so as we come closer and closer to Jesus, and instead of being people from different cultures and backgrounds, we are one family brought together." (25 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The Holy Spirit helps us walk in unity. In all of these, we need the Spirit to do this. But as we're doing this, we also have to recognize that unity does not mean uniformity. And I am so grateful. Because every one of us in this room, are all made in the image of God, but we are all so, so different. And the Lord takes all of the potpourri of our differences and makes something awesome. Makes something beautiful out of us." (41 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Maybe you're not yet following Jesus. I know that the church maybe isn't the most exciting thing for somebody who's not following Jesus. And maybe you've seen enough of things in the news where you're like, the church is a mess. And I'm here to tell you, yep. I mean, you can quote it, like make that a quote, yep, Jason. Like, yeah, we're a mess. And the sooner we can acknowledge that we're a mess, the sooner we can bring some correction. The sooner we can bring healing." (36 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The Holy Spirit unites us in the mission of Jesus. And as we are looking at this passage we'll start in John 17 and then we're going to spend some time in Ephesians and we're going to come back to John 17 just so you kind of know where we're going today. But the simple fact that Jesus the night before he was crucified was praying for his 11 disciples. That were still with him at the time. Judas had already left. But he didn't just pray for those 11. He prayed for us. I find great comfort in that." (53 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The biggest problem for unity is selfishness. Selfishness breaks unity. And think about in your own experience where you've seen a great team, maybe at work or even in your home, start to fall apart. It usually starts falling apart because of somebody's selfishness. And if we're really honest, we're a part of that as well. We can't just say, that person's so selfish. But I'll say like, oh, that person here. Oh, me? We have to recognize our own complicity in these things." (38 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Christian unity is an invitation to the unity that Jesus enjoys with the Father. And this is something we can't obtain on our own. We can't do this on our own. Because what was in the way before Jesus was our own sinfulness. And so Jesus, being fully obedient to the Father, laid his life down so that our sins could be forgiven, so that we could have that kind of unity that Jesus has with the Father. But also, with one another. Where we are known, and we are loved, and we are encouraged, and we are supported." (39 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The Spirit unifies us in the mission of Jesus. Jesus prayed for this unity, and he answers that prayer as the Spirit comes and dwells among each believer and in the church. We'll talk more a little bit about that next week as well, as we talk about Father's Day. But today, I want to look at Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 17 through 19. And here, Paul is writing to a church that's coming from all kinds of different backgrounds and challenges, and they're trying to build this new community of the church and trying to understand, how do we do this?" (41 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Unity among Christians is built upon Christ's work and it is strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Christ made it possible through his sacrifice and the Holy Spirit builds us together. And we need, we need unity all the more in seasons of disagreement and tension in the world around us to recognize that in this hodgepodge of people, Jesus is bringing people from all cultures, all nations, all economic backgrounds, all political ideologies, all these different things, all these things. The church can come together and we can all be transformed to be more like Jesus." (36 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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