Unity in the Spirit & Communion With the Father

INTRODUCTION

WED NIGHT ACTIVITIES START NEXT WEDNESDAY

2022 – Year of Relationship

2023 – Year of Community

TENSION/TRUTH

COMMUNE + UNITY = COMMUNITY

Unity is HUGE!

Psalm 133 (NASB95)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Coming down upon the beard,

Even Aaron’s beard,

Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon

Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.

Where is our unity? What are we united in?

Ephesians 4:1–3 (NASB95)

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

OUR UNITY IS IN THE SPIRIT

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

Our place of unity is not primarily around a cause, a mission, or a vision…it’s unity in and through a PERSON…the Spirit of Jesus.

Philippians 2:1–4 (NKJV)

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB95)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

COMMUNE + UNITY = COMMUNITY

OUR UNITY IS IN THE SPIRIT &

COMES FROM OUR COMMUNION WITH THE FATHER.

John 17:20–23 (NLT)

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

OUR UNITY IS IN THE SPIRIT &

COMES FROM OUR COMMUNION WITH THE FATHER.

APPLICATION

Our unity and our community has to come from our communion with God because we have nothing to offer of any true value and worth outside of Him.

Everything we need comes from Him. Everything we are blessed with to be a blessing to others comes from HIM. He is the great I AM. And it’s through our communion with the I AM that we receive what we need for a life of community with others.

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE – John 6:35-63 (Follows Feeding of the 5,000)

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

John 6:48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.

John 6:53

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

We consume the Bread of Life through partaking Communion and through our communion with Him through the Word of God.

OTHER ‘I AM’ STATEMENTS

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD – John 8:12, 9:1-7 (Healed Blind Man)

He provides the light we are to follow, it’s the truth that sets us free, bringing sight to both the spiritually and physically blind. It’s this light that we receive and then reflect to the world to do the works of Jesus (John 9:4-6)

I AM THE DOOR AND I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD – John 10:7-18

Jesus is the door into abundant life here ON EARTH and eternal life forever because He is the good shepherd that gave up His life for us.

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE – John 11:1-44 (Resurrection of Lazurus)

When we believe in Jesus, we are reminded that He conquered death and the grave, therefore we should have no fear.

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE – John 14:6

The way to access the Father is through the Son. He is the WAY to God. He is the TRUTH for which we have searched after. His is the LIFE for which we have longed for.

I AM THE VINE – John 15:1-8

We must ABIDE in Jesus and REMAIN IN HIM, staying continually present with Him. He is the SOURCEof all GROWTH, MATURITY, AND PRODUCTIVITY in the Kingdom of God.

OUR UNITY IS IN THE SPIRIT &

COMES FROM OUR COMMUNION WITH THE FATHER.

LANDING

Community must be based in receiving the love of the Father so that we can love others as He loves us.

John‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭TPT‬‬

“Jesus knew that the night before Passover would be his last night on earth before leaving this world to return to the Father’s side. All throughout his time with his disciples, Jesus had demonstrated a deep and tender love for them. And now he longed to show them the full measure of his love. Before their evening meal had begun, the accuser had already deeply embedded betrayal into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now Jesus was fully aware that the Father had placed all things under his control, for he had come from God and was about to go back to be with him. So he got up from the meal and took off his outer robe, and took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ dirty feet and dry them with his towel.”

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JOHN 13 – Last Supper…washes feet of disciples…washes Judas, the one who will BETRAY Him…washes Peter, the one who will DENY Him…washes Thomas, the one who will DOUBT Him…

John 13:34 NASB

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.