Prayers for Unity

Unity

Does any one here think the

World is practicing Unity?

Most time it feels like everything is an argument pending

OR you just “stand and wonder” what WE THEY THINKING?

Whether you want to start with what appeared to be a mockery of Christ

at the Olympics

or

The political attacking and the buy in with people around us

People do not know ABSOLUTE TRUTH any longer.

Any situations come to mind where you didn’t see Oneness happening?

I recently saw a situation, where a person ask for help on FB?

They had paid a deposit to a company in another country for a vacation activity.

The company cancelled the activity, and said they would refund the deposit.

Three months later, deposit not returned.

A post was on FB, asking people in a Group from that Country,

How could they get help?

Sounds easy huh

Well the comments are mostly helpful

BUT

There are a variety of opinions from good to “what you talkn about Willis?”

To report to the police

Bash him and keep bashing

to justifying and defending his actions

let it go your american and have money

My point is that in a controlled release of information you see peoples hearts

and the responses can be opposite and diverse

Should Theft be wrong and all identify it as such

We struggle to agree on the simplest things

We likely have laughed

when we say we are wearing a gray shirt, and someone says it is

more ash colored, or granite, or charcoal,

or OH MY GOSH IT IS GREY

and then it is the whole GREY or GRAY

In our Christian Walk --- we have likely heard conflicting opinions on things

There are some totally crazy one out there

and have been their since JESUS ROSE from the TOMB

People love their opinions — all too often laced with PRIDE

and it is OUR OPINIONS since the Fall in the Garden of Eden that Has gotten us in Trouble

OPINIONS and PRIDE are the tools of Satan

Today we see that Jesus wants something better for us.

Our Mission is ONENESS

and the easiest way is to WALK WITH GOD TOGETHER

We often Walk with God like a 3 to 5 year old

We run ahead

We get distracted

We refuse to hold a hand

BUT when Fear and Trouble enter we run behind Him to protect us

Jesus is Calling us today to ONENESS

Not based on our Pride and Opinions

But to:

ALL CENTER ON ONE THING

the SIMPLE ACTION OF PRAYER

ONENESS in CHRIST

Listen to our final verses in our Prayer mini series today

John 17:20–26 (ESV)

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.

22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

THAT THEY ALL BE ONE

That they may be one even as we are one

That they may become perfectly one

BECOMING ONE

Don’t we all want ONE to be ONE with someone

We desire to be know deeply by at least one other person

So deeply that they celebrate and correct in a loving way

because they KNOW you.

to have a bad moment or day with them and know they know you so well that you are forgiven

TRUE ONENESS is likely hard for us to imagine

True Oneness here is

All fully focused on Jesus as LORD and KING

All focused on the TRUTH — Scripture

All Submitted to the Spirit and not Self

All focused on HELPING Others to Grow in Fruit of the Spirit

Broken Unity

Self centered - not Christ Centered

Pride - I am right and you are wrong

Inflated Expectations

Limited Communication

Demands not Discussions

Jesus wants to be YOUR one

But he is praying for US to be ONE together

Jesus wants us to practice ONENESS, not BROKENNESS

We know a church is full of sinners

but there needs to be some thing more than that present

Focus on the COMMON GOAL

support, correction, encouragement and Teaching

This is Jesus praying for the future church

Not JUST gathered in one place on a Sunday

or wearing a certain badge

but BY living a life that is centered on Him

a life that effects us and effects other is a CHRIST CENTERED WAY

I just started mentoring a young Christian that i met in an online meeting.

He is stressed trying to balance life, work and ministry

He expressed feeling things like I am not doing enough for God

He made this statement

“i feel this guilt that i am not doing enough or living up to my calling BUT i still have to work to pay bills.

Friends

So many wonderful things

Jesus is praying that we have UNITY

Unity with each other which should support unity in our life

We are not to separate or categorize our life to Church things and World things

We are to Unify them

my response to this young man

and to you is the same

Look at thing differently and correctly

Your ministry work is your work

your ministry life is your life

Do ministry in every action, every breath

Can you see that the Fruit of the Spirit is meant to be used as

life actions,

thought actions

they are not to be different at work and church

But rather become who we are and how we are.

Would the world be a better place if WE as Christians

accepted this Prayer to be UNIFIED with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ????

To live out

Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Knowing God

John 17:24–26 (ESV)

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

God provides us with everything we need --- all the resources to GLORIFY HIM, be Faithful to Him alone

Firstly --- Jesus intercedes for us

John 17:9 ESV

9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Secondly ---Church Fellowship and submission to Discipleship

John 17:11 ESV

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.

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Eighteen: The Prayer of the Overcomer (John 17))

We need all three if we are to experience true sanctification

--a sanctification that touches every part of our inner person.

With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word.

With the heart, we love God’s truth, His Son.

With the will, we yield to the Spirit and live God’s truth day by day.

It takes all three for a balanced experience of sanctification.

THE WORD OF GOD IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO US

Jesus is the WORD

Jesus left us with THE WORD to study, learn, grow and grow others

if the WORD is the Sword

can you weld the Sword

BUT no matter you level it is seeking to move to the next that is important

WHILE WE ARE LEARNING

We can be secure in Christ because of

His nature --- we are able to know Him

His desire --- we can see and experience His desire for us

His Sacrifice --- assurance of Salvation

Jesus protects HIS OWN

You may ask about Judas

--- and Jesus addresses that in HIS PRAYER

Judas was not a Believer

Jesus is the LIGHT and Judas chose DARKNESS

Jesus is the Water of LIFE and Judas chose THIRST and Wanting

Jesus is the Way and JUDAS walked the Other way

Jesus KNEW

John 6:64 ESV

64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)

Judas was never truly one of Christ’s Own

Next week we are going to discuss Judas and the Arrest of Jesus ---

We leave today closing out our mini series on Prayer

This Prayer of our LORD

Be Reminded of these things

You are God’s Own

You are God’s Gift to His SON

God provides all needed Resources for You

to

Glorify Him and to be Faithful

We must look beyond our definitions in our prior life

Not our race

not our denomination

not our past mistakes

not our OLD IDENTITY

not our old Actions

or our Old Abilities

BUT to Build our New LIFE

our New IDENTITY

Must be In CHRIST ALONE

Focus on Oneness — Growing in oneness and Growing Others aside of You.

One in all things

All for ONE and ONE for ALL

Allowing the ONE to permeate through ALL the Things in your Life

Chose always the Way of Jesus.