“The Care And Feeding Of Our Unity” |
Preacher: | Rev. John H. West, III |
| Date: | February 21, 1999 | |
| Notes: | First in a Series |
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
This begins a Lenten series on the unity of the body of Christ. This highlights our need for wholeness. We are the whole church, not many separate churches.
Twenty-six years ago, I was in seminary in Pittsburgh. I had a professor who did not teach me a thing. The only thing he said that remained with me over the year is that most people look for the Holy Spirit when there is unity. When the church is “lovey dovey” and people are in agreement, that is when the Holy Spirit comes.
The church doesn't need the Holy Spirit when it is unified. It needs the Holy Spirit when it is devided. This is because the Holy Spirit brings unity to the church.
- When the deacons and trustees can't work together, we need the Holy Spirit.
- When the church meeting becomes a fight, we need the Holy Spirit.
- When the choir can't sing in the same key, we need the Holy Spirit.
- When the church fights and people can't sit next to each other, we need the Holy Spirit.
We need the Holy Spirit in the church because He tears down walls of race, sex, class and denomination. He binds us together as one. The Holy Spirit is the glue that binds us as one body in Christ. The Christian faith centers its central truths around that.
| Exodus 20:4-5 | Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; |
We serve One God |
| Deuteronomy 6:4 | Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: |
God is One God |
| John 14:6 | Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. |
One Way to God |
There is but one church. We are called to be one family in the church to care and love and respect each other. You can't make it by yourself. You can't slip and slide, dip and dive. God is calling us into one church. Where two or three are gathered together in Jesus' Name, He is there in our midst (Matthew 18:20).
There is but one church and we are called to be one family in Christ to care for each other, love each other and respect each other.
You can't make it by yourself. You can't slip and slide... dip and dive. God is calling us into one church. Where two or three are gathered together in Jesus Name, He is there in our midst.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19)
We can walk together as one.
Let's discuss how we can keep the peace in Christ. How we can maintain our unity in Christ. How we can support our oneness in Christ.
Verse 3 of our text tells us to diligently strive to keep the unity of the Spirit. It takes an effort to maintain unity. It comes from God through the Holy Spirit.
Verse 4 of our text tells us that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope. Siloam is one church.
Don't refer to your brothers and sisters as "them people." It is dangerous to talk about "them and us." Jesus spoke about two men who were praying. One man prayed as if he owned the place. The other man was a poor sinner in need of a savior. He smote his breast and said, "Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner."
God doesn't answer the prayer of pride... God answers prayer from the heart.
Verse 2 of our text tells us to be humble and gentle. Be patient with people. We all make mistakes.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)
Our words should not tear people down. Our words should build people up.
God can take a prostitute and make her a prophet. He can take your wildness away. God may be working on you. He will be patient with you because when God gets through with you, you will be pure gold.
Let's stop talking about each other.
Let's stop tearing each other down.