Living in Unity
Unity in Community • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 10 viewsWhat is looks like for the church to live in unity
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Transcript
Today we start a new series. This series has weighed on my heart.
I see the direction our society is taking, and Pastor Paul reminded you of that last week.
As the days get darker God’s people are to shine brighter.
However, that is not always the case.
Christians want so desprately to be accepted by society, but the path of society is not the path of the church.
One day as I was reflecting on this I was led to Psalm 133.
Let us read together this short little Psalm as the main text for todays lesson.
Chair Bible pg. 417
A Song of Ascents, of David.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Cool let’s dig in!
“Together in Unity” verse 1
“Together in Unity” verse 1
I want take some time here with this phrase.
The word unity is not in the Hebrew text, just the word translated “together”
This is not a mistake. the translator want us to see the idea behind the Hebrew.
The word for “together” means unity, community, with cooperation and interchange.
Often taken to refer to brotherly harmony in a general sense.
However, the context of the verse is better understood as a hope for the reunification of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel.
The division eventually led to the downfall of both Israel and Judah.
As I thought about this I was reminded of the words Paul wrote to Corinth 1 Corinthians 1:10
10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Ties to the New Testament
Ties to the New Testament
The idea of this Psalm ties directly to thoughts and words use in the New Testament.
The idea of brothers dwelling together, in community, with cooperation is seen in two Greek words.
The first is found in Colossians 3:14
14 In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Let’s look at the phrase “bond of unity.”
The Greek word means to be in perfect harmony, the bond of perfect unity in the church.
The sense of the word is a connection based upon kinship or marriage.
To have a common interest understood as something that fastens various parts together.
What I beautiful picture this word paints of the church.
The word conveys the idea of that which binds together like ligaments or twists in a rope.
Like Paul’s point in Ephesians 4:16
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Do you see the importance? - Develop
The second word is found in Acts 2:42
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
The Greek word for fellowship here is koinonia which can also be translated partnership.
An association, the intimate bond of fellowship which unites Christians.
The sense of the word is the act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate association or group.
Especially of marriage or churches.
Other words that can be used community, communion, joint participation.
What is God showing us?
What is God showing us?
There seems to be something very important that God is trying to reveal to us in His word. Would you agree?
N.T. Wright, “Perhaps the most important point is that Paul saw God’s messianic people as family. They were siblings, brothers and sisters.”
The thought here is contained in the two Greek words for “bond of unity,” and “fellowship.
We are not brothers and sisters by birth but by adoption. This idea of a family that shares koinonia, as we saw that fellowship was used to translate it is imply one possibility.
It leaves us with the sense that more needs to said to truly grasp this word in English.
It’s more than fellowship, more that family. It is an intimate spiritual bond which unites Christians.
My sense from this word is that if a church truly has this bond then it is not so easily broken. There is a thought in the Old testament - Ecclesiastes 4:12
12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
That is what I see in this word koinonia
What does this have to do with church today?
What does this have to do with church today?
The purpose of this series is to consider how important it is for us as the people of God to live in unity and understand what that means.
There are so many fractures in our society today
So much division, hatred, and anger!
Unfortunately the Church has followed suit and stated fracturing.
As this continues it becomes even more important for us as a church to live together in unity.
Many times I have walked the hallways of our building.
I reflect on the Pastors that came before me.
All the issues and problems they faced during their time.
Still Amazing Grace is here!
Our church in its years has seen 5 wars, the great depression, Covid-Lockdown, many other things, and we are still here.
One wonders what were the factors that allowed us to survive.
I see two at the top of the list - The sovereignty of God and brothers and sisters living together in unity!
Our future as a church lies in the same!
I do not dwell in the past but I seek to learn from the past!
As I reflect on the here and now God has brought us us all together for a purpose in His Kingdom.
We all have talents and gifts that God desires us to use here at Amazing Grace.
The words for “bond of unity” and “fellowship” remind us that we need each other.
This is what I seek to remind us in this series, to accomplish our God given task as a church we need to live together in unity.
Conclusion:
I want us all to consider the picture the Apostle Paul paints for us: Romans 12:6-13
6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith;
7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching;
8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Look at how Paul reveals the necessity of being devoted to one another.
Everyone of us has a purpose, in this body, in Amazing Grace!
We should not be working alone, but together.
This is also the picture given to us in Psalm 133.
Love is built into the word for “bond of unity” from Colossians 3:14.
Love, Paul says, binds everything together in perfect harmony.
This means love unifies and heals!
N.T. Wright, “The virtues which Paul encourages the Colossians to develop are the virtues of community: mutual kindness, truth telling, forgiveness, acceptance across traditional barriers of race, culture, and class. It isn’t just that building up and fostering such community is itself one of the virtues. Since “love” is the primary virtue, community is the primary context.”
We are all as Christians then to exhibit these virtues, all of us, but recognize that each one is called to a different set of tasks!
Amazing Grace is a wonderful place full of love and joy, but it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves from time to time how much we need each other!
