Congregations that are unified will model the essential qualities of forgiveness, unity, and peace that the secular world considers difficult to reconcile. 2) – Col. 3:22-4:1, The Supremacy & Sufficiency of Christ in the Family-Home: Slavery/Service Under the Lordship of Jesus (Pt. And let more people accept the truth of love and move in the right way, then it would be quite easier to push down the kingdom of darkness. No wonder Jesus was so adamant when He prayed “May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. It is the one thing that every Christian needs. That could only be achieved through the power of unity. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. It’s is a miracle in and of itself that the Church lasted and made it through all these years. The body cannot be a Body without unification, for then it will simply be a set of unrelated parts. Jesus took his time to pray for the harmony of the church. Ephesians 4:5 encourages the church to not only continually strive for unity, but be eager to do it. Ezekiel 37:17. Such is the church who is divided. We have only been consistently taking communion for a couple weeks and it has been a wonderful experience. There is not more than one baptism which identifies a born-again believer as a follower of Christ. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1. It is understandable but is it Kingdom minded and unifying? It is a powerful witness. We cannot do this on our own. Our unity as believers — even believers who disagree or share different characteristics — is a message to the world declaring the goodness of God and the power of His Spirit. The Motivations to Desire Unity – v. 2:1, E-Mail (will not be published , required), You can follow any responses to this entry through the. They were trying to figure it out and relying only on the Holy Spirit. one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”, Paul had much to say about the importance of unity as product and proof of the gospel, and he underscores it in his regular use of sibling and family language when he’s dealing with divisions in churches, whether it be the Jew-Gentile divisions of the Roman church or the status divisions of Corinth (e.g., 1 Cor. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Unity keeps the church’s body expanding, progressing, and working to its maximum potential. And thus, when the church is uncommonly united, this coincides with the disunity observed in most of the world’s organizations. … Unity gives courage. The body cannot be a Body without diversity; otherwise, it will all be functioning without vibe. Our lack of unity as Christians affects the world’s understanding of the testimony about Jesus Christ. So important is unity to the Lord that He dedicated a whole Psalm to the subject. The unity of the church body must model the unity of the gospel. But how much more are the Christians who are meant to love each other and to move in peace, and not in disunity. Can you imagine if a prominent speaker came into one of our modern day churches and told everyone to set aside money each week and then he would take it back to a church that needs it. 1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. This is especially true in a world as fragmented and divisive as ours, where countercultural unity among diverse people stands out. John 17:23a “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. We love others better as a whole and make a bigger impact for the Kingdom when we can move forward as one, unified in one cause, to serve people in the name of God and glorify Him. We are members of the body of Christ; we become unified when we pray together, study God’s word together and work together to share the gospel. Ephesians 1:10b “… he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. We were connected and offered our space for them to use no strings attached. The prayer of Christ is not that the churches make mindless slaves to the corporate vision. There really is no other way to maintain unity without love. This love must be core and received through Jesus Christ. Oneness is required for the most successful presentation of the Gospel. If God had created more than 400,000 species, why wouldn’t He want churches with distinct abilities and talents to reach out to people? The Head (Jesus Christ – see 1:22) reveals direction through the hierarchy of leadership He has called into position. That is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Tagged: church unity, church family, partnership, The Most Radical Mission for Christians May be the Most Mundane, Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community. Do you know that if all the Christian churches in the city had come together in unification instead of battling each other, we would have more influence in our communities? He hoped that the church would follow the example of God, the Father, and the Son. Praying for unity is ultimately the way we pursue it, knowing that we are incapable of living the Christian life to which we’re called on our own. But, as seen in Jesus’ prayer, it might be more appropriate for churches’ networks to be known more for their unity than for their innovations. It represents every aspect of our faith. link to Daniel and The Lion's Den Coloring Pages (Daniel 6), link to King David Coloring Pages (1 Samuel 16:1-13). 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. It has been a great time of reflection, prayer, and has brought our small group closer. We should zealously pursue this unity, seeking to bring peace within the body of Christ and love … We must be diligent to keep the spirit of peace that binds us. Thank God, Paul says there are not two bodies; there is but one. Tony Wolfe is the Director of Church Relations at the SBTC. When we remember the death and shed blood of Jesus we realize that nothing else matters. Unity is the only way we can be one through the body of Christ. When things are comfy for the church, it finds reason to squabble and divide. This is why Paul warned the church in Ephesus to “give no opportunity to the devil” (Eph. We’re trying to get away from doing things the same way over and over. Many churches do this, but not to extent Paul is suggesting here. “There is one body,” (Eph. That is why communion is so important for us and why we believe that Jesus wanted believers to take part everytime they came together. Unity in the Christian church has been a challenging thing since the earliest days of Christianity. As Corinthians 12 teaches. When believers in the church body are divided, it communicates to the world that the message of salvation in Jesus Christ is subject to amendment and/or discontinuity. 4:27). “By this all people will know that you are my disciples,” said Jesus, “if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Please contact Sally if you are planning to attain. In significant ways, unity is as important outside the Church as it is within. He wanted the proof of this amazement not only to be theoretical. Please bring your church weekly prayer sheet inside the bulletin to the meeting. We can be vast and varied while being totally in harmony with who we are in Christ. The fact is, we are sinners, and it can often be difficult to live out our calling to be unified. Praying for unity is ultimately the way we pursue it, knowing that we are incapable of living the Christian life to which we’re called on our own. One body pulling south and the other body pulling north. Besides, Jesus said we should love our enemies In Luke 6:27-28. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled us to include people of other faiths in our circles of friendship. Why Unity is Important for America (and the Church) by Ronnie Floyd. The challenges we face, the spiritual battles we fight, demand that we embrace the truth that we “are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. Why? When the churches become more unifying, they repurpose more energy and time into the dire issues of those who are not yet reunited with their heavenly Father. We should zealously pursue this unity, seeking to bring peace within the body of Christ and love each other well. There is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. The body cannot be a Body without diversity; otherwise, it will all be functioning without vibe. After communion we transitioned into talking about why is unity important in the Church. Christian unity helps to keep Christ at the core of all activities. After communion we transitioned into talking about why is unity important in the Church. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ephesians 4:5 encourages the church to not only continually strive for unity, but be eager to do it. 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. If it is “work,” and especially if it is a work in need of “diligence,” then there must be something larger at stake when unity in the church is failing. Anything else negatively affects the church’s ability to be productive for the kingdom of God. Let’s look at a few realistic aspects in which a church can show that God is operating in it. The body of Christ must work together to follow the direction of God’s instituted leadership. Now that doesn’t mean we’re going to have to agree with what everybody does, so we’re all going to get along, and it’s cool if we keep living in a little sin here and there. In John 17:20-23, Jesus beseeched that all believers would show a divine harmony always. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Directionless. Ephesians 4:3. Imagine a team with less talented but dedicated and united team mates overpowering another team that is more competent, well-funded, and more famous but lacks unity. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

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