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Oct 14, 2018

Unity

Unity

Speaker: Tyler Ferguson

Series: The Believer's Journey

Category: Sunday Morning

Keywords: unity

When God’s people are in unity with both God and one another, then God commands the blessing both for us and for all of those out there who do not yet know Jesus.

Psalm 133  Dwelling in Unity 

Psalm 133 gives a picture of what this unity looks like, but the main point of the Psalm is in the first and last verse.

Psalm 133:1, 3b  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! . . . For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.

Here are three things that threaten to disturb our unity.

1) Unity is threatened when we are not dwelling together. True unity in the church does not exist when we do not “dwell” with one another – when we don’t make a point of doing life with one another. When we just show up on Sunday mornings and put on a happy face, the enemy can trick us into thinking that as long as there is not real drama, there is unity. Unity is not just the absence of problems, but the presence of real relationships. Unity cannot exist when God’s people are isolated.

2) Unity is threatened when we prioritize our opinions above the truth.

Romans 14: 17-19 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Paul instructs how to deal with different opinions about how things are to be done and how life is to be lived. Life in the church is going to consist of differences in opinions. Paul’s answer . . . Don’t fight! Romans 14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.

We must not come into our relationship with the Lord carrying our opinions about the way things should work, trying to force the church to comply with those things. Instead, we should leave those opinions at the altar and see what the Word of God has to say.  Focus on what God has tasked us, His church, with.

3) Unity is threatened when we are not being unified with the Lord.

The story of the Gospel is primarily about unity. It’s about a God who sent His Son on a mission to restore the unity that once existed in the garden between Him and us. The curtain of the tabernacle was designed to separate where God dwelt to where man was. God so desires unity with us that He sent His son on a mission to change this once and for all. Matthew 27:51 records that when Jesus finally died that painful death on the cross, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom,” thus restoring unity between man and God forever!

Like orchestra members following a maestro, our unity with one another is dependent first and foremost on our willingness to be in unity with the Lord.

When God’s people are in unity with both God and one another, then God commands the blessing both for us and for all of those out there who do not yet know Jesus.

1) How is “dwelling” related to unity?

 2) What are some practical ways that you handle differences of opinions?

3) What can we say to people who separate or isolate themselves because others don’t agree with them?