John 13:34-35 says:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
One of the saddest attributes of the Christian church today is the divisions that are within. I know that this is not something that just happened in our time and era, but it is something that has been going on for a long time.
Before we dive into the lesson today, understand that unity, and prayers of unity, are pleasing to the Lord. He desires for us to dwell together in unity.
Psalms 133:1-3 says:
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:
for there the LORD commanded the blessing,
even life for evermore.
UNITY WILL TAKE
Do you remember the children’s bedtime story about the two goats? “When two goats meet upon a narrow bridge over deep water, how do they behave? Neither of them can turn back again, neither can pass the other, because the bridge is too narrow; if they should thrust one another they might both fall into the water and be drowned. Nature, then, has taught them that if the one lays himself down and permits the other to go over him, both remain unhurt. Even so people should rather endure to be trod upon than to fall into debate and discord one with another.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says:
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
We have more denominations in Christianity than we do with all the monies in the world.
There are
UNITY WILL TAKE
John 17:17-23 says:
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Whoever coined the phrase, “truth in one hand and love in the other” did not understand Jesus’ teaching on unity or correction. It is wrong to hold God’s truth in one hand and His love in the other. He holds His outstretched hand unto us and found within it are both His love and His truth. Because one cannot be without the other, and the one compliments the other.
Our sanctification (being set apart) comes through the love and truth of God’s Word. Jesus says we are sanctified by the truth. We are
UNITY WILL GIVE
Throughout the message we have heard the words, sacrifice, unity, selflessness, truth and many others. One that we would not expect to hear about unity is the word power. Being unified brings us power, especially when speaking about the Gospel of Jesus.
John 13:34-35 says:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye
“Separate the atoms which make the hammer, and each would fall on the stone as a snowflake; but welded into one, and wielded by the firm arm of the quarryman, it will break the massive rocks asunder. Divide the waters of Niagara into distinct and individual drops, and they would be no more than the falling rain, but in their united body they would quench the fires of Vesuvius, and have some to spare for the volcanoes of other mountains.” —Dr. Thomas Guthrie
What church struggled the most in our scriptures? The believers in
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 says:
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
Finally, our conclusion is that unity takes sacrifice and love. Unity gives power, but on the opposite side of that statement is this… We will have no power in division.