| Q. What does the Bible have to say
about unity? ANSWERS
I. UNITY FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
"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" (John 17:20, 21).
A. This is the real
Lord's prayer. This truly is the Lord praying. However, this "real" Lord's Prayer is often ignored. 1. Near the very
end of Jesus' life on earth He prayed to the Father regarding those He would be leaving
behind. 2. Jesus
prayed that His Apostles may be ONE as He and the Father are ONE 3. Also prayed
for those that would believe in Christ that they might ALL BE ONE as He and the
Father are ONE 4.
Just before he is to die on the cross, Jesus Prays for the unity of believers 5. You
cannot read and understand the bible and believe that division is God's will. 6. Division
is Sin. Sin is the transgression of the will of God. 1 John 3:4. His will is for disciples to be united. Whoever causes division and fosters it, therefore, is sinning. 7. There
is a 8. Let us look
at Unity from a biblical perspective
1. 1 Corinthians 1. Ephesians 4:1-6. a. One
church. II. Christ's Prayer for Unity - John 17:11, 16-21* A. Christ
Prayed for Unity 1. The Nature of
this Unity (11). a. Keep them in your name [WHERE? In the name
of God]. b. That they may be ONE even as we [Jesus and
Father] are ONE. i. As He and the Father are ONE. ii. Together with
the Father and the Son. 2. The Results of
this unity (20-21). a. That the world
may believe the Father sent the Son. b. That we might
be sanctified (17). 3. The Means of unity (17). a. Sanctification. i. Set apart for a
holy purpose. ii. Divided from
sin, united with God. b. This sanctification is through truth, the word of God. i. God is Love. ii. The
word of God is Truth. iii. We
are unified with God in Love when we are sanctified through His word. B. Jesus
prayed and died for unity. He certainly
took religious division seriously! III. Paul Pled for Unity -1 Corinthians A. Unity is a
serious thing (Paul took the problem of religious division seriously). 1.
I plead with you brethren ... (vs. I would like for you ...) a.
Exhort, beseech, plead, appeal. b. Appealed
to the authority of Christ "by the name of our Lord." c. Division
creates contention. d. Division
gives the impression Christ is somehow divided. e. That our
allegiance is to some man rather than to Christ. B. The
solution to the problem. 1. Speak the
same thing. a. 1 Peter b. "Speak
where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent" 2. Have the
same mind. a. We should
have the "mind of Christ" (Philippians 2:1-5). 3. Have the
same judgment. a. Judgment is
based upon the logical application of knowledge. b. We must share
the same standard of authority. (1) Not majority
rule, traditions of men, personal feelings. IV. God's Plan for Unity - Ephesians 4:1-6*** A. One
Body. 1. Unity of organization. 2. One church a. Ephesians 1:22-23; 3. The body is under the control of the head
(Christ vs. man). a.
The parts of the body must work in
conjunction (l Corinthians 12:1 2, Romans 12:4-8). B. One
Spirit. 1. Unity of revelation. a. The word
of God by which we know truth and sanctification. b. Reference Paul's word "same" (speak the same, same mind,
same judgement). 2. The Godhead - One Deity; Jesus-Father-Holy Spirit unified. C.
One Hope. 1.
Unity of purpose. 2.
Hope of the resurrection from the
grave, hope of salvation. 3.
1 Peter 1:3-5. 4.
5.
2 Corinthians 5:1. D. One Lord 1. Unity of authority. a. One in authority, one supreme, a ruler, one
who has power over life and death. b. In
order for religious people to be of the same judgment, all have to recognize the same authority, i.e., the same Lord. 2. The Godhead - One Deity. a. Christ. E. One Faith. 1. Unity of doctrine. 2.
Jude 3 contend for "the
faith." 3. People cannot share a "common
faith" Titus 1:4 unless they are united in affirming the "one
faith." 4. This One Faith is the system of belief
revealed in the NT through the word. a. Romans F. One Baptism. 1. Unity of practice a. Mark b. Romans 6:5 - We are united in the likeness
of His death, His resurrection c.
Acts d.
We are now in unity with God. e.
We are now members of that One body. G.
One God. 1.
Unity in Deity. a. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one as He and the Father were
one (John 17:20,21). Conclusion A.
Unity is a theme that runs throughout
the bible. 1. Religious division is a Sin. 2.
Fellowship with darkness is a Sin. 3. May we strive to unite one with another with Christ. B. Very end of Christ's life
on Earth he prayed for unity, that we might all be one with deity, 1. Jesus died for unity; we must not take it lightly. C.
Paul pled for unity and told us HOW
to get there. 1.
Speak the same thing. 2.
Same mind. 3.
Same judgment. D. God gave us a plan for unity. 1.
By listening to that ONE Spirit (His
word). 2. We can obtain that ONE Faith. 3. Be baptized in that ONE baptism. a. Be joined with the savior in death and
resurrection. b. So that we might be free from sin. 4.
That we might have that ONE hope of
salvation when. 5.
The ONE Lord adds us to his ONE body
His only church. 6.
We are now in fellowship with the ONE
God. E. Invitation. 1. If you have NOT been led by that ONE
Spirit, unto that ONE Faith, & ONE
Baptism to belong to that ONE Body the 2.
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess,
Be Baptized. 3.
Perhaps you have strayed from the
Lord. 4. Will you remain united with the world, yet
divided from God and his people. 5.
Repent and turn from the sin that is
keeping you from God. 6. Respond today so that you might be with
the Lord for eternity. (from above) John 17:11,16-21 11 And I am
no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy
Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that
they may be one, even as we are one I6 They are not of
the world, just as I am not of the world 17 Sanctify them in
the truth; your word is truth. I8 As you sent me
into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their
sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 I do not ask for
these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 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. 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my
brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. I2 Now I say this, that each of you says,
"I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos,"
or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of
Christ. " 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for
you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1 I, therefore, the
prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling
with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness
and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body
and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one
faith, one baptism; 6
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (NKJV) 1 Therefore if
there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy
by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you
look out not only for his own interests, but also for
the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be
in you which was also in Christ Jesus, |
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