The Unity of the Church

Review ALL IN series. Purpose for the series: how our discipleship process is just beginning like it was for them…

Context:

Last time we were in Acts, we read about the prayer in Acts 4 and the resulting outpouring of the Holy Spirit…

For the next couple weeks I want to look at the results of that outpouring:

Acts 4:31–35 NASB95

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. 32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Pray

There are several evidences spoken of that are a direct result of this Acts 4 outpouring, not least of which is the boldness they were praying for.

Remember, they were praying after experiencing the threat of persecution…

They were praying for boldness in the face of opposition, so God’s answer was this outpouring where they came out speaking the word with boldness…

But the effects of this outpouring were more than just a bold tongue…

It was also a drawing together of the body into a deeper unity, reminiscent of that which began in Acts 2.

If you remember from a few weeks ago, part of the result of the outpouring in Acts 2 was that:

Acts 2:44–46 NASB95

44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

In Acts 2, they were just over 3000, and now they had more than doubled, adding another 5000 just before the Acts 4 outpouring…

And now the Holy Spirit has been poured out again and God gives them what they ask for, but He also gives them what they didn’t know they NEEDED…

While the boldness was necessary, what they didn’t know they needed was a bond of unity that would be the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John:

John 17:19–23 NASB95

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even 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 sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

And now the prayer of Jesus was coming to pass in this second outpouring in Acts 4.

Not only is this a fulfillment of the prayer of Jesus, but the prayer of Jesus also reveals why they NEEDED this unity as much as the boldness:

John 17:21 NASB95

21 that they may all be one; even 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 sent Me.

He prayed for the unity of believers for the sake of the world…

So that the WORLD MAY BELIEVE that Jesus is from God.

Unity is the prerequisite of effective evangelism.

Explain prerequisites in college courses as an example of this statement.

If we can’t be unified in here, they won’t listen to us out there.

Unity is the prerequisite of effective evangelism.

“The church is not simply a religious body looking for a safe place to do its own thing within a wider political or social world. The church is neither more nor less than people who bear witness, by their very existence and in particular their holiness and their unity (Colossians 3), that Jesus is the world’s true lord, ridiculous or even scandalous though this may seem.” ― N.T. Wright, Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues

Our unity, or lack thereof, is a flashing billboard to unbelievers declaring the authenticity of the Gospel we preach.

Repeat

If we proclaim to be Christian, yet cannot be unified with the Body, we preach a gospel of lies and deception.

Unity is so important that the NT spends more space and words speaking directly of unity than it does about heaven or hell.

The primary thrust of the majority of the New Testament letters is teaching these newly birthed communities of believers how to live and to live in unity.

It was this unity that Paul later writes about in 1 Cor. 12:12-26

1 Corinthians 12:12–26 NASB95

12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Our unity is likened by Paul unto the function of a healthy body wherein Christ is the head, and we are all members.

A body that is out of sync finds itself in a state of unrest we call dis-ease. A body struggling through the fight with dis-ease enacts a sophisticated set of defenses that the world’s best military could only dream of…

Your body has a highly tuned mechanism used to track disorder and disease and react accordingly.

Let me give you an example. If I were to fall down these stairs and break my arm, my body would immediately jump into action:

The body’s primary set of defenses kick into action as the nerves in my arm send signals at the speed of light to my central processing system (brain). At the moment the brain receives the signals, it interprets the signals as a sign of danger and immediately begins to cause the rest of the body to react.

Now these signals are what I will experience as extreme pain. But the pain is designed to alert me to the fact that something is wrong and give me a meter as to how wrong it is.

At the same time as my conscious is reacting to the feeling of pain, my internal defense system deploys a complex set of corrective measures. The capillaries in around the break expand to allow for increased oxygen, antibodies, proteins and other fluids to help with the healing process. We experience this as inflammation.

The bones start to form new tissue almost immediately to begin the mending process that takes weeks and sometimes months to complete.

Now this is the normal case.

But when a body experiences a disrupt in the unity between the complex systems that allow for this defense and healing to work, there is an interrupt in some portion of the process.

If the nerves cannot send the signal to the brain that something is wrong, there may be no healing process at all.

This is what happens when there is a lack of communication in the body. Progress is slowed, healing is limited, and purpose is hindered.

We can’t afford to have a lack of communication in the body, especially with the Head of the Body, who is the central point of control.

If, on the other hand, one of these pieces begin the recovery process, but then go into overdrive and try to do everything itself, the body will typically find itself growing parts that do not belong, draining the resources of the body without actually contributing to the body… We call this cancer.

To take the illustration one step further, cancer is a part of the body that looks like body, grows like body, but lacks the contribution to the body that the rest of the body puts in.

Eventually, this growth of useless body will either cause other parts of the body to act out of unity, slowly dismantling what the body is meant to accomplish, or it will grow to the place that it hinders the function of the body by its sheer size.

Cancer takes in and grows, but refuses to be in unity with the rest of the body…

It looks productive, because it’s growing… It takes in resources, grows in size, learns the lingo, can recite the scriptures, but does not contribute to the body… It’s a cancer.

All parts of a healthy body contribute to the functioning and well-being of the body.

This is why in our place in Acts 4, the immediate example of unity was consistent generosity.

Acts 4:32 NASB95

32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.

They were one, so they demonstrated that with their finances.

This is not to say that money is everything. On the contrary, it takes both money and involvement to make this work.

But Jesus said:

Matthew 6:21 (NASB95)

21 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The book of Acts church was unified in idea, they were unified in deed, and they were unified financially…

This is the principle our our giving. We are generous because we are part of the body.

We give because our heart is with the body of which Christ is the head.

This is a thing that cannot be faked forever.

Authentic unity only comes from a bond of love, powered by the Holy Spirit.

That is why we spend so much time in this church in prayer and in fellowship.

I honestly think we do a great job overall of maintaining a bond of unity that reflects the love of Christ.

I think we do a great job of loving on one another and showing our care for one another.

The challenge is two fold according to this pattern in Acts 4…

First, this bond of unity is supernatural. We need a fresh outpouring to keep this bond as we grow…

They had unity from Acts 2, but when they grew, God gave them a fresh outpouring that resulted in unity for the growth they were experiencing…

As we grow, we need a fresh outpouring to help us keep the grace it takes to stay in unity…

Second, our behaviors should reflect our unified call, in this case Acts 4 uses giving as a benchmark of our unity…

If you’re not giving, Jesus says your treasure is not with the body…

If you’re in unity, you give.. That is the pattern of the New Testament, book of Acts church.

Which means, if you don’t give you’re not in unity with the church.

So in following with the pattern of Acts 4, I want to pray that God pour out His Spirit on us, and I expect that when God moves, the result will be the same as it was in Acts 4: A unity both in word and in deed, as a body and with giving…

I’m not going to take up an offering, I want you to pray and let God guide you in this act of unity…

If you do want to give you can do it online or in the boxes in the back. That is between you and God.

As we worship together, let God speak to you… Let His Spirit be poured out on you…