Younited Living in an Divided World

Persecution and Division Surrounding the Church

1 Peter 5:6–11 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.”

The Blessings of the Lord flow from the Place of Connection!

As long as you leave a lamp unplugged it’s not really serving its purpose. But plug it in and it can light up the room!

Psalm 133:1–3 “How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony! It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing— life forevermore.”

Jesus is the head of the Church. When the body is connected to him and to each other, the SAME SPIRIT that resides in Jesus also lives in you!

Dem Bones: Knee bone connected to the thigh bone Thigh bone connected to the hip bone Hip bone connected to the back bone Back bone connected to the shoulder bone Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone Neck bone connected to the head bone Hear the word of the Lord.

The greatest work of the enemy is getting you isolates and separated from the place of God’s provision…

Divide you away from the body of Christ

Divide marriages

Divide parents from their children

Divide cities and nations

Peter Writing to a Persecuted Church Living in a Divided Age

It’s interesting that we so easily forget that for the large part of the church’s history Christianity has actually thrived in cultures that are divisive and unwelcoming.

In his letter Peter reminds the church that sometimes you’re going to find yourself in a divided culture. But there is a way to keep that culture from getting into your life… by remaining connected to Jesus.

It really should not be strange to us that the world around us finds the ways of Jesus irrelevant and sometimes offensive.

John 15:20–21 “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.”

What’s IS really strange is when we forget it is in those divisive and charged political climates that the church is called to be the light of Jesus in a dark place!

Similar to the church that Peter is writing to here in 1 Peter 5.

How may of you have heard this saying before: “Nothing unites people like a common enemy.” (I have seen that, and in some ways it’s true…usually ends in tearing each other down.)

Here’s what you need to remember: The goodness of God is far more powerful at uniting people together than any common enemy!

Peter quotes Joel in Acts 2:17 “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.”

Truth: When the people of God are led by the Spirit of God, no persecution, no division from hell can stop the Promises of God!

[Do you really believe that?!?!?]

It’s important for me to underscore something first that I think is so easily brushed past in our society: There is a Devil.

[Thought I might get at least a couple AMENS in this Pentecostal church!]

Jesus called him, “The father of lies (Jn 8:44).”

He is “the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2).”

He is “the deceiver (Rev 12:9)”

He is “the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10).”

Make no mistake, the author of division, and fear, and all forms of evil is Satan, and his intent is to destroy anything good God has created.

Peter’s Warning: Watchful and Sober-minded

Recently I was talking with a friend (a pastor) who was telling me how he was living with an overwhelming since of fear and panic. It had griped his life. He told me that it was a feeling that was relentless. It never left him. When I asked him what was driving all that emotion he said it was “the feeling that I’ve completely failed in life.” [I know that feeling.] So I asked him the same questions God asked Adam and Even: “Who told you that lie?”

Principle: The enemy will drop a lie into your mind that will then become truth for you. Pretty soon it will literally eat away at your soul and drive you to the fear and scarcity that creates division in your mind, your spirit, your family, and community.

So much of what is dividing us is just a case of being driven by FEAR & SCARCITY!

When we fall asleep in our spirit, we fall victim to the games of the Devil.

When we become intoxicated on news feeds and culture entertainment we can’t see straight. Everything gets blurry and the truth get buried.

Wake up! Be alert! Your enemy prowls around like a lion seeking who he can devour!

[REPEAT] When the people of God are led by the Spirit of God, no persecution, no division from hell can stop the Promises of God!

Overcoming the works of the enemy in your life is really a simple formula (it’s not complicated):

Gather to worship around the table of the Lord.

Serve the City.

Pray - pray first, pray often, pray always

The power of God is released when his people pray!

1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Never stop praying”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

*It’s amazing how simple the formula is. But if you repeat it over and over, “no weapon formed against the church will prevail.”

Here are the Promises of God for your Life:

He will RESTORE your peace and joy.

He will CONFIRM your calling and purpose.

He will STRENGTHEN you to face the trial and suffering.

he will ESTABLISH your identity as a son/daughter of God.

To live Younited in our Divided World, we need the Holy Spirit (the real & living presence of Jesus Christ).

Can I ask you something this morning…

Is Jesus really present in your life?

When was the last time you felt his power?

When was the last time you hear his voice speaking PEACE to you?

I can’t thin of a better place to be united than at the altar today, in the presence of Jesus, in worship.