Sermon Tone Analysis

Our church has become so diverse --- started as a Filipino church.. aren’t you glad we are different

There is a celebration here, we may have come from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds but the Spirit of God united us.

UNITY IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Still in the sermon series of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Worldly Unity and a Godly Unity.

Unity versus uniformity.

Equity versus equality.

The world and the culture wants to highlight division by race, gender and social status.

The Bible teaches us that unity was made a reality by Jesus

Unity is a product of the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is not a Spirit of camaraderie or friendliness.

It is not manufactured.

Wonderful book, the book of Ephesians.

Different from all other epistles, while most of the other epistles address specific issues in a particular church, the book of Ephesians does not, so in effect, it is like a letter written for all churches and for all generations.

Ephesians Chapters 1 to 3 is all doctrine.

These majestic chapters teach us how:

We have been united with God through our redemption in Christ (Chapter 1)

Jews and Gentiles have been united by the salvation by grace through faith (Chapter 2)

A unity in the revealed mystery of God and the manifold wisdom of God.

We are all fellow heirs, we are of the same body, the church, we all share in a spiritual inheritance

We are partakers of the same promise in Christ through the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Paul gives us insights on the work of the Holy Spirit in the church by two prayers and a plea in the book of Ephesians:

Two prayers and a plea.

Prayer for wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God.

2. Prayer for strengthening.

3. A plea to preserve unity.

We come to today’s text on unity:

You notice that Paul did not pray for unity.

The oneness of believers in Christ is already a spiritual reality.

Our responsibility is to guard, protect, and preserve that unity - Warren Wiersbe

We have a responsibility, Paul did not pray that we become one, but he gave a plea..

I beseech you - is a plea out of love .. God no longer talks to us the same way He talked to the Old Testament Jews --- “If you obey Me, I will bless you” but rather because of the Lord Jesus, God says “I have already blessed you, now in response to My love and grace — obey Me.”

How is unity achieved.

The qualities of unity.

lowliness or humility - powerful

gentleness or meekness - is not weakness

longsuffering - long-tempered (enduring without outbursts)

Forbearance - “bearing with one another in love” - sticking it out because of love

2. The demand of unity

Endeavoring - there is an eagerness to this action of keeping.. present participle, we must actively be working to keep the unity — stay on guard or Satan will move in to wreck it.

“The Bond of Peace”

We have peace with God, there is a bond between the believer and God, you are no longer at war with your creator.

The enemy steals this peace through the carnal mind.. the carnal mind..

“those who do not have peace with God will never have peace with other believers.”

3. The Basis of Unity.

One Body - we belong to the Global church

One Spirit - The Holy Spirit indwells every believer

One Hope of your calling - We all look forward to the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus (the rapture).

Read the scripture together...

Unity is only made possible by the Finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, unity is the fulfillment of the prayer of Jesus.