Unity in Christ: Embracing Truth and Purpose

In today's sermon, we explored the profound necessity of unity within the body of Christ and the urgency of our mission to spread the Gospel. We are living in times where the return of Jesus feels imminent, and it is our collective responsibility to reach out to those around us—our neighbors, coworkers, children, spouses, and siblings—with the transformative message of God's love and salvation.

We delved into the concept of truth and its unchanging nature, despite our fluctuating emotions and circumstances. Truth is not subjective; it is absolute and found only in God's Word. We must anchor ourselves in this truth to navigate life's challenges and resist the temptation to return to the bondage of sin after experiencing the freedom Christ offers.

The sermon highlighted the importance of submission to God's authority and the leaders He has placed in our lives. Unity is not about uniformity but about embracing our differences and coming together under a common purpose. Like a symphony orchestra, we each have a role to play, and when we follow the lead of our divine Conductor, harmony ensues.

We were reminded that the enemy despises unity and thrives on lies, but we have the power to overcome his deceit by grounding ourselves in the truth of God's Word. The world is watching us, and our unity as believers can be a powerful testimony that draws others to Christ.

As we move forward, let us resolve to live in the freedom Christ has won for us, to embrace unity amidst diversity, and to be conduits of hope to a world in desperate need of the Savior.

Key Takeaways:

- Unity in the body of Christ is not merely a lofty ideal but a strategic imperative. When we operate in unity, we reflect the nature of God Himself, who exists in perfect unity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our unity is a testament to the world of God's love and power, compelling others to seek the source of our harmonious existence. [01:23:40 <9sa-xQwWGqU>]

- Truth is the bedrock upon which our faith stands. It is not subject to the whims of culture or personal preference. As believers, we must be diligent in seeking the truth from God's Word, allowing it to shape our lives and decisions. When we are grounded in truth, we are not easily swayed by the shifting sands of societal norms or personal emotions. [01:17:10 <9sa-xQwWGqU>]

- Submission to Godly authority is a key component of unity. When we submit to the vision and leadership that God has placed over us, we align ourselves with His divine order. This submission is not a sign of weakness but of strength and obedience, which leads to the flourishing of God's work among us. [01:05:52 <9sa-xQwWGqU>]

- The enemy's tactics often begin with subtle lies and discord, especially within our homes and personal relationships. By recognizing these attacks and countering them with the truth of God's Word, we can maintain unity and prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold in our lives. [01:19:31 <9sa-xQwWGqU>]

- Our individual and collective purpose is to fulfill God's will, which requires us to set aside personal agendas and embrace the diversity within the body of Christ. When we unite under God's purpose, we become a formidable force against the darkness, shining God's light and hope into a world that desperately needs it. [01:24:09 <9sa-xQwWGqU>]

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 17:4 - "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do."
2. John 8:32 - "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
3. Ephesians 4:3 - "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

#### Observation Questions
1. What does John 17:4 reveal about Jesus' relationship with God and His mission on earth?
2. According to John 8:32, what is the result of knowing the truth?
3. How does Ephesians 4:3 instruct us to maintain unity within the body of Christ?
4. In the sermon, what analogy was used to describe the importance of unity and submission to God's authority? ([01:14:47])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jesus' submission to God's authority in John 17:4 serve as a model for our own lives? ([01:15:59])
2. What are some practical ways we can anchor ourselves in the truth of God's Word as mentioned in John 8:32? ([01:17:10])
3. Why is it important to embrace diversity within the body of Christ, according to the sermon? ([01:07:01])
4. How can recognizing and countering the enemy's lies help us maintain unity in our personal relationships? ([01:19:31])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled with submitting to Godly authority. How did it affect your sense of unity with others? ([01:05:52])
2. Identify one area in your life where you need to anchor yourself more firmly in the truth of God's Word. What steps can you take this week to do so? ([01:17:10])
3. Think of a relationship in your life where there is discord. How can you apply the principles of unity and truth to bring harmony to that relationship? ([01:19:31])
4. How can you actively appreciate and embrace the diversity within your church community? Share one specific action you can take this week. ([01:07:01])
5. The sermon mentioned the urgency of our mission to spread the Gospel. Identify one person in your life who needs to hear the message of God's love and salvation. How can you reach out to them this week? ([01:24:45])
6. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt tempted to return to old habits or sins. How can grounding yourself in the truth help you resist that temptation? ([01:17:10])
7. How can you contribute to the unity of your small group or church? Share one practical way you can support and encourage others in their faith journey. ([01:23:40])

Day 1: Reflecting God's Unified Nature
Unity in the body of Christ is essential to reflect the divine harmony of God. When believers come together in unity, they mirror the perfect relationship within the Trinity, showcasing to the world a living example of God's love and power. This unity is not about being identical but about working together with our diverse gifts and perspectives to fulfill God's purpose. It is a strategic imperative that requires intentionality and a commitment to the collective mission over individual preferences.

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity of your local church body this week through your words and actions?

Day 2: Grounded in Unchanging Truth
The truth of God's Word is the foundation upon which believers must build their lives. It is absolute and unchanging, regardless of cultural shifts or personal feelings. In a world where truth is often seen as relative, Christians are called to stand firm on the biblical truth, allowing it to guide their decisions and behaviors. This steadfastness in truth provides stability and direction, enabling believers to navigate life's challenges with confidence and grace.

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17 ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to align more closely with the truth of Scripture, and how will you take a step toward that alignment today?

Day 3: Strength in Submission
Submission to godly authority is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the strength found in God's divine order. By aligning with the vision and leadership that God has placed over us, we foster unity and contribute to the flourishing of His work. This submission is an act of obedience and trust, recognizing that God's ways are higher than our own and that He works through the leaders He has appointed.

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Hebrews 13:17 ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate a spirit of submission to the leadership in your church or spiritual community this week?

Day 4: Counteracting the Enemy's Lies
The enemy seeks to sow discord and lies, particularly within our closest relationships. Recognizing these tactics is the first step in maintaining unity and preventing the enemy from disrupting our fellowship with God and with one another. By grounding ourselves in the truth of God's Word, we can counteract these lies and stand firm in the face of spiritual warfare, preserving the unity that is so precious to the Lord.

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11 ESV)

Reflection: What lie or area of discord has the enemy been using to disrupt your peace, and how can you apply the truth of God's Word to overcome it?

Day 5: Embracing Diversity in God's Purpose
God's will for His people involves setting aside personal agendas to work together in unity, embracing the diversity within the body of Christ. Each believer has a unique role to play, and when united under God's purpose, the church becomes a powerful force against darkness. This collective mission shines God's light and hope into the world, drawing others to the love and salvation found in Christ.

"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (Romans 12:4-5 ESV)

Reflection: How can you better appreciate and encourage the diverse gifts and roles within your church community to strengthen the body's overall mission?

The one thing that I love about football is that you can see the unity, right? Each team has 53 members on the official roster. Each one is distinct, right? They have different responsibilities, they have different expectations, but they bring it together in order to reach that one goal, which is to win the Super Bowl.

Come on, man! They don't have their own agenda. They practice, and the quarterback knows what he's supposed to do, and the receivers, and the linemen, and the offense, defense, and both sides are heading in one direction.

Imagine on game day if an offensive lineman said, "You know what? I know I'm supposed to be doing this, but I'm going to play quarterback today." I don't think that's going to work out so well. But that's what we do with each other.

I got my own purpose and my own stuff that I want to accomplish, and I need all of you to fall in line. And then we wonder why stuff's not working out. We all have to be united under one purpose, which is for the kingdom. Yes, right? Anything outside of that is our own agenda.

The one thing that I love about this church—I've had so many conversations with Pastor Keenan, and he always says, "I want people to understand that my name is not on this building. It's not Keenan's church; it's God's church."

He has given me a vision. I hope you understand this is not Pastor Keenan's vision; this is a vision that God has given him to give to us. And me being a servant, it's my responsibility to fall into Pastor Keenan's authority because God has given him that vision for me to follow.

What happens in church? The pastor gives the vision, and somebody else says they have a vision for what this church should look like and what we should be doing, and then there's discord in the church. It's important that we fall underneath the vision that God has given this church because when there's discord, God can't work. When there's not unity, God is not coming in.

That's right! And God has blessed us too much to have discourse and challenges that come from the outside. The devil wants to destroy what God is doing here. Yes! And we make a commitment not to let that happen.

We make a commitment together to put aside what I think is right for what God says is right. But we each individually have to make that commitment apart from sin.

It's okay for folks to be different than you, right? It's okay for folks to think differently than you. It's okay for people to come from different areas that you're not familiar with. It's okay.

The problem is we want people to be just like us. We want people to think like us and act like us and talk like us and eat the same foods that we eat and vote like us. God is saying, "I need you to take all the unique differences and put them together to work towards the goal."

Yeah, towards the purpose is to accomplish God's will. God made us different for a purpose and for a reason.

God made color. To my white family, we're going to stop saying something, and I know you mean well when you say it. Sometimes I have conversations with my white family; we talk about race, and one of the things that they say is, "Well, I just don't see color."

Now, I know what you mean when you say it, right? What it means is, "I love you regardless of the color," and "We're friends regardless of the color." But to every person of color that is said to, we interpret that as, "I don't appreciate the way God made you, and I don't appreciate your culture, and I don't appreciate your music and your food."

We need to start seeing color and start appreciating color. What I've learned is sometimes people are the only group that we don't appreciate color. We go outside and we look at God's creation; we look at the trees and the animals and the food and the leaves, and we marvel at God's artistry.

But then when it comes to people, we say, "I don't see color." No! To my people of color, we need to stop being so offended so easily. We need to stop being so offended, especially by ignorance.

By definition, ignorance is not knowing, and I'm not going to be mad and upset when someone is ignorant. They don't know what they're talking about. My wife is a way better Christian than me.

When the twins—I have twin boys; I have three sons, and I have twin boys. My oldest is sitting right here. When my wife was out walking one day with the twins and they had a double stroller, the twins are like in tre. So this old white lady came to talk to Jamie, and she looked at the twins, and in her innocence—my wife is white, if you didn't know; she's sitting right here in the front row, got blue eyes—the lady, Jamie, pulls back the blanket, and the lady sees two brown babies.

In her ignorance, she says to my wife, "How did you get two brown babies?" My wife is telling me this story, and I'm like, "That cannot be a real story that happened." But it was!

In my wife, in her Christianity—'cause I'm a little bit different—my people have different creeds in life, and some people's creed is like, "I hope things don't happen," and "I hope people don't talk crazy to me." But for me, I get a different creed, and I'm like, "I wish somebody would ask me a question like that."

But the Lord knew I shouldn't have been there, so my wife was there, and she had a lovely conversation with this lady. I refuse to be offended because I know who I am and who I belong to.

That's right! That's right! There's nothing that anyone can say that's going to offend me because I'm confident and secure in the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me. We need to stop being so offended, right?

My grandmother used to say, "If people knew better, they would do better." That's right! And if they don't do better, that's between them and God. Don't worry about it! I'm not going to be worried anymore. Whatever you choose to believe and do, at some point in time, you're going to have to give an account for that, and that has nothing to do with me.

God made us different, right? We are supposed to be different. Men are supposed to be men, and women are supposed to be women. I don't care what the culture says, right? God made us distinct for a purpose and a reason.

In order for unity to happen, we have to have different ideas. We have to have people coming from different areas to give input so we can head in the right direction. I don't want everybody in my group just like me. I don't think I would be friends with me!

Imagine if there were two of you. I see all the wives looking at their husbands like, "Thank God there's only one of you!" I don't want everyone like me. I love the diversity in my circle of friends because I'm learning and I'm growing and I'm figuring things out that I didn't know.

One of my best close friends, Mike, is back there. Me and Mike don't look anything alike, but I'm learning from him, right? I'm learning what it is to be a man of God. I'm learning from people who are different than me and have a different experience than I do.

What happens is once we start appreciating the difference, we find a commonality. And the commonality that we share is Christ. Once we find that commonality, then unity begins, and trust begins, and then we're moving in the direction that God has for us.

We need to start accepting people's differences apart from sin. God has called us to be unified. Part of the reason is that we are walking around without purpose. God gives us this purpose, and it gives us the direction if we just listen and obey.

My son is in band; he's been playing this trumpet for a couple of years, getting really good. I love listening to him play. So at the band concert, they have different age groups. They bring out the five-year-olds and so on and so forth.

So the four and five-year-olds come out; it's like 15 of them. The teacher, like herding cats, is trying to get them to line up, and finally, she gets them lined up. Then they bring out these recorders. Anyone know what the recorders are? It's the worst instrument ever invented! I know there's no recorders in heaven.

The lady says, "One, two, three," and these kids just start blowing and spitting all over these recorders, and it's terrible! It's horrible! They don't have any direction. They're over here blowing these recorders, and they just want to be louder than the next person.

Some of us, we're just walking around with our recorders blowing, and there's no direction going on. We're over here trying to just make noise. We don't have anything positive to say. There is no truth in anything that we're saying, but we want to give somebody a word.

But as the kids get older, you can see the structure. You can see the purpose that they have. And then the last group gets out. What's different between the first group and the last group? A conductor comes out!

Everyone is doing their own thing, and the conductor takes that stick, and he bangs, and all of a sudden, the attention is all on him. With all the differences and the musical instruments, they start to play, and then there's harmony because they're listening to the conductor.

I don't know about you, but the Lord is the conductor of my life. When He steps up and says, "I need you to listen," I have to step in tune to that. He brings unity to the chaos and all the things happening in our lives.

He goes and He taps that, which is the word of God, and I got to be rooted in this word. Who are you listening to, and who is the conductor of your life? I have to go to the source. You can get all the information that you want to and still not have truth.

Back to verse four: "I have accomplished the work that you have sent me to do." What Jesus is praying is that He is telling us that He has come under submission to God's authority. Even though they are one, Jesus comes under submission.

In order for us to be in unity, we have to come under submission to the leaders in our life that God has sent. We have to come underneath submission.

In verse 19, one of the key elements for unity of purpose is sanctification and truth. We all have a different idea of what truth is—your truth and my truth and our truth and what I can see and what I believe and what I can feel and what I think.

Truth has to come outside of ourselves because our emotions change; our preferences change. You ever been to a restaurant and ordered something that looked good, and it comes out, and it looks so good until somebody else's plate goes by, and you’re like, "I should have ordered that"?

All the time, our preferences change. That's why I can't rely on how I feel, yeah, because circumstances change. But the source and the rock is the same all the time. What God says doesn't care about your circumstances or how you feel or what's going on in your life; it is the same.

That's why I have to go to the source. We have to rely on truth, and truth can only come from one place. God says, "When you know the truth, the truth shall set you free." And who the Son sets free is free indeed!

Some of us have been set free, and we’re still living in bondage. What Jesus did on the cross is set us free from that sin and death, and we accept it and then come back to it. We come to the altar, and we leave that baggage, and we walk away only to return again and pick it up because we're used to it.

I love watching the Animal Channel. When my wife and I were feeding our twins and they were young, waking up every two hours with twins was tough. The only good thing on TV was the Animal Planet, so we would watch.

I watched this one lion that was out in the wild, and its leg was broken. The rescuers found it and brought it in and put it in a cage and mended it. What the lion realized was it was easy; they would just throw the food to him. He didn't have to hunt; he didn't have to defend any territory.

After some time, the lion got better, and they went to release the lion back into the wild. They opened up that cage, and the lion wouldn't leave! The lion had been so used to being in bondage, he couldn't remember what freedom was like.

Some of us are living in that cage of bondage with the door wide open, and God is saying, "I've done the work for you. All you need to do is claim it and walk out." And we're still living in bondage.

Yes, sir! Today I resolve, as a church and individually, that we will no longer live in bondage. God is saying we know the truth, and the truth has already set us free. We just need to walk in it.

The enemy hates unity; he hates unity. Satan hates the truth. The Bible says that he is the father of lies. In order to tell a lie, you have to know the truth. The devil knows God's truth; more importantly, he believes God's truth.

That's why he's working so hard to feed us these lies. He is the father, and if you are the father, that means you got children. Come on! And we are allowing the devil to plant seeds in our lives.

It never starts off with something big; it's always something small. The first way he tries to attack us is in our homes and our marriages with our children. If he can just plant a seed...

But I go to the source. I have to understand the source. The source gives you confidence that when it's foggy and you hit turbulence in your life, He's there.

I love to fly; I love being on airplanes. My wife, not so much. I remember we were going to Hawaii, and we're sitting on the plane, and she was asleep. Turbulence hit—you know, you better believe it shakes your soul!

The pilot gets on; he hits that button, and he says, "This is your pilot speaking. We just hit a little bit of turbulence. The best thing for you to do is go ahead and sit down and put your seatbelt on and stay there until the duration of our flight. We'll be landing shortly."

You feel good; that's confidence! Imagine that same plane with a different pilot, and you hit that turbulence, and the pilot said, "Uh, well, I don't know what that was, but y'all need to go ahead and sit down and put your seatbelts on. I'mma put mine on too, and we're going to figure it out, and I'll get back to you."

I'm like, "Lord, you can get me off this plane immediately!" See, the Lord is the pilot of my life, and when that turbulence hits, I'm not scared because the Lord already told me that I am the way, the truth, and the life.

I'm not scared, and I'm not worried because if you wait until the turbulence hits to try to find it, it's too late. We need to be in tune that when God speaks to us, we know where to go and how to act and how to respond before the turbulence comes.

God wants us to have unity. See, there's something that happens when we have unity.

Jing, come on! The world is searching for something that they can't find. They're looking to a person, to a president, to a leader to bring it, and it's going to be empty every single time.

The world needs to see God's glory. When we are unified in church, it activates the Lord to be able to bless us, and the world is watching us. I promise you, think twice about what you post; think twice about what you say because the world is watching you, and they need to see the church unified in hope.

The world needs hope, and the only way they're going to find it is if we show them because they don't know God. We know God; we are showing the world God.

And then what happens is people will be attracted to what they see, and these chairs will start filling up. People say, "I don't know what's going on, but something special is happening at that church. Let me go check it out."

I don't know what's happened, but my neighbor invited me, and people will look at you and be like, "Look at your tests and trials! How are you worshiping the Lord?" Because I know who my source is, and I don't need to be afraid when that turbulence comes.

The only way that's going to happen is if we are bonded together in unity. God has a plan for our lives; He has a plan and a purpose that is perfect, and all we have to do is be united with all of our differences and all of our color and all of our stuff and all of our culture and all of our ideas headed in the same direction.

We need to put our personal agenda aside. We need to take our differences and put them together to learn from each other, to love each other, and start forming those relationships so unity can be found.

The thing that happens is that when we activate God and we begin to see His glory, He starts to show up in ways that we didn't know existed. When people look at your situation and say, "How did that happen?" all you can say is, "I don't know, but God!"

That He turns things over; He turns them around. That diagnosis that you got, God said, "I'm not through with you yet!"

Every day we have an assignment, and our purpose is to accomplish the will of the Father. Today I resolve that us as a church continue to move towards unity, continue to move towards that same goal and that purpose, which is to win as many souls as we can for the kingdom.

I'm a firm believer that Jesus is coming back soon, and He has commissioned us to go and compel them to come because time is running out. Your neighbors need you; your co-workers, as hard as it is, they need you too. Your children need you; your spouses need you; your brothers and your sisters, they need you because I believe time is coming to an end.

Christ has called us for such a time as this. Now, today, this week, there's going to be someone on your job that needs to see and hear the good news. Go in with a smile on your face!

I know it's hard on Monday mornings, and people say, "Why are you so happy?" Because I got the joy of the Lord in my heart! That regardless of what this week brings, I know my source.

Bow your heads.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day. We thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. Thank You for the freedom that You have given us through the truth of Your word.

I pray for every individual here at home, Pastor Keenan and his wife, that You would continue to touch us and guide us and protect us and lead us. Help us to know and understand the enemy's attacks, that we have the full armor of God on in every single moment and situation of our lives.

Help us to allow You to be the conductor of our lives, that You are piloting, and no matter the turbulence, You are leading, and everything is going to be okay.

In Your holy and precious name, everyone said, "Amen!"

We're going to transition to our time of offering. Can I have the offering people come on down? Before we conclude, I just want to remind you, those of you who have given to the church financially in 2023, and we have your contact information, you have already been emailed your tax statement.

But if not, you can go to the Limitless table, and they will have that back there for you for the next couple of weeks. So please, please remember that.

Adrian is going to come and lead us in the song quickly, and then I'll come back in.

1) "I refuse to be offended because I know who I am and who I belong to. There's nothing that anyone can say that's going to offend me because I'm confident and secure of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me." [01:10:53 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

2) "In order for unity to happen, we have to have different ideas... I love the diversity in my circle of friends because I'm learning and I'm growing." [01:12:01 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

3) "The enemy hates unity. Satan hates the truth... he's working so hard to feed us these lies. He is the father of lies, and if you are the father that means you got children." [01:19:31 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

4) "The world is searching for something they can't find... the world needs to see God's glory. When we are unified in church, it activates the Lord to be able to bless us and the world is watching us." [01:22:34 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

5) "God has a plan for our lives... all we have to do is be united with all of our differences... headed in the same direction. We need to put our personal agenda aside." [01:23:40 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

6) "Jesus is coming back soon and he has commissioned us to go and compel them to come because time is running out. Your neighbors need you, your co-workers... they need you." [01:24:45 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

7) "Truth has to come outside of ourselves because our emotions change... What God says doesn't care about your circumstances or how you feel, it is the same all the time." [01:17:10 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

8) "We make a commitment together to put aside what I think is right for what God says is right. But we each individually have to make that commitment apart from sin." [01:06:27 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

9) "The Lord is the pilot of my life and when that turbulence hits, I'm not scared because the Lord already told me that I am the way, the truth, and the life." [01:21:17 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)

10) "When we activate God and we begin to see his glory, he starts to show up in ways that we didn't know existed... all you can say is 'I don't know but God.'" [01:24:09 <9sa-xQwWGqU>] (Download)