One in Christ: God's Desire for the Unity of His People (Part One)

-We’re going to be doing something of...

…a topical study tonight.

And we’ll be beginning in the book of Genesis...

…if you’d like to turn there...

…and follow along in your Bibles.

Pastor Scott was originally scheduled...

…to deliver the message tonight...

…But he, of course, is still out of commission...

And, I’ve been working on...

…the concluding sermons for...

…our Marriage, Family, and Sexuality series...

…that he and I have been doing together...

…and my initial thought was to...

…just go ahead and jump into that tonight...

…but, to be quite honest...

…though, I’ve already put hours of study...

…into our final topic in that...

…I don’t feel quite prepared for it yet.

(The topic is Divorce and Remarriage, BTW)

-So, as Providence would have it...

…I’ve had this topic (Christian Unity)...

…on my heart for some time.

If you look at the way...

…professing Christians treat each other...

…on the internet and social media today...

…it’s quite disheartening.

And, my soul has begun...

…to be grieved by it lately...

Especially since those of the Reformed striping...

…are often some of the worst offenders.

-So, I thought it would be...

…a helpful preventative/corrective for us...

…to do a topical survey of the Word of God...

…on the subject of Christian Unity.

-Now, I initially thought that...

…this would be a single, quick and easy, sermon.

But, as I began to study on it...

…and compile the biblical data...

…I realized very quickly...

…that this could turn into a whole sermon series!

The Bible just says that much about it!

And that simple fact alone...

Ought to show us how much God cares...

…about the unity of his people.

Amen?

-Well, since we don’t have...

…a primary text to expound...

…let’s just begin with a word of prayer.

Pray

-Like almost every topical study...

…this one, too, has it’s foundations...

…in the book of beginnings!

Look at Genesis chapter 2:

After God had created the universe...

And then created the man...

To rule over it...

As his image-bearer...

After he commissioned the man (in 2:15)...

…to his work of Cultivation and Preservation...

He said that something was missing.

That something was still incomplete...

…in his work of creation.

He said:

Genesis 2:18 (ESV)

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone...

You see, God, who by very nature is communal (Think the trinity)...

…created his image bearers...

…to exist, function, and serve his purposes for them...

…in the context of human community/society.

And the first and most fundamental element of that...

(apart from the triune nature of the Godhead)

…was/is found in the institution of marriage.

-We all know what happened:

Genesis 2:21–24 (ESV)

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

And thus, human community/society...

…was created to enable God’s image bearers...

…to fulfill their duty...

…to serve and glorify God on the earth.

And, to begin with...

…it was beautiful.

There was only harmony.

There was only Shalom.

Shalom between the two image bearers...

Shalom between them and their Creator!

Genesis 2:25 (ESV)

25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

All was well.

-But, of course, Sin—Through Satan’s temptation...

…entered into the world...

…and the perfect shalom...

…that God had established on the earth...

…was Violated and Vandalized.

After Adam and Eve had...

…set aside the Word of God...

…for what seemed right and best to them...

This happened:

Genesis 3:7 (ESV)

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Shame had replaced their shalom with each other.

-And what was worse than that:

Genesis 3:8–10 (ESV)

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

Fear had replaced their shalom with their creator.

And the consequences of their sin...

…would have far reaching effects.

Remember this?

Genesis 3:16 (ESV)

16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Going to be an ongoing struggle

Their peace and unity would be...

…constantly threatened by their sinful natures.

And again, worst of all:

Genesis 3:24 (ESV)

24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Shalom with God was perpetually vandalized too.

-But, it keeps getting worse.

In the very next chapter...

…they commence their work of...

Filling the world with image bearers...

Building community for the glory of God...

But, it was quickly apparent...

…that Adam had passed on his guilt...

…to his offspring:

Genesis 4:8–9 (ESV)

8 ...Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

What’s the answer to that, Christian?

-Now, as we all know...

…sin continued to spread...

…and vandalize the shalom...

…of God’s image bearers...

Eventually getting so bad...

…that we read this:

Genesis 6:5–8 (ESV)

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

And God destroyed humanity...

…Saving only one small community...

…to continue his work through.

Now, after the floodwaters subsided...

…and Noah and his family...

…stepped out on an essentially newly renovated earth...

…to start everything over again...

God reaffirmed his commitment to community/society:

Genesis 9:1 (ESV)

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

And he even codified one of his moral laws...

…in order to help protect it:

Genesis 9:5–7 (ESV)

5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

But, of course...

…it would take more than a fresh start...

…for God’s image bearers to...

…regain the shalom that was lost in the Fall.

Even, after all the bad influences had been removed...

Noah fell into sin (drunkenness)...

His son (Ham) then sinned against him...

(“exposing his nakedness”)

And eventually it spiraled “out of control” again...

…to the point that this happened:

Genesis 11:1 ESV

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

That had a certain unifying effect, right?

But, again, the seed of the Serpent...

…rebelled against God’s authority...

…and brought that shalom crashing down again:

Genesis 11:4 (ESV)

4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Directly opposing God’s direct command!

But, like the Antediluvians...

…their collective power...

…was no match for the power of God.

Genesis 11:6–9 (ESV)

6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

And the possibility of the restoration of Shalom...

…got even further out of reach.

How would humanity ever have unity now?

What would be their common bond?

What could they possibly unite under now?

What’s the answer?

Their God, of course!

That’s the solution.

-And even though it was the judgement of God...

…that had once again...

…stripped away their unity because of sin...

God remained committed to his...

…original design and command for his image bearers.

Except now, it began to take...

…a more particular shape.

-Out of all the fallen mass of humanity...

…he chose a single family...

…as a remnant, through which...

…in some way, the effects of the fall would be reversed...

…and shalom would return to humanity:

He told them:

Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV)

6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

And he called them to unify… AROUND HIM.

He told them:

Deuteronomy 6:4–6 (ESV)

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

And then he promised them:

Deuteronomy 7:12–15 (ESV)

12 “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.

13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil...

14 You shall be blessed above all peoples....

15 And the Lord will take away from you all sickness...

Sound like the reversal of the Curse...

…and the restoration of Shalom?

But, what was it contingent upon?

The same thing it had always been:

Obedience

Conformity to the Divine image

What happened?

They Broke the Covenant too...

…and God kept his word:

Deuteronomy 8:19–20 (ESV)

19 And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

And indeed, this large, unified people...

…called out of the rest of humanity...

…unto the name of the LORD...

Fell into gross idolatry...

Eventually Civil War

And were dispersed among the nations...

…whose gods they had begun to serve.

-But yet… God did not give up...

…on the promise to restore shalom:

Jeremiah 32:37–40 (ESV)

37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety.

38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.

So, a New Covenant was promised...

Wherein God, would finally...

Put an end to sin and its effects

Establish his people in peace

(With Him)

(With Each Other)

And when the angel of the Lord in Luke 2...

…announced the birth of Jesus as the Christ...

Luke tells us:

Luke 2:13–14 (ESV)

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

The way of peace had finally come.

Shalom was finally in reach for the people of God...

Through the person and work of Jesus Christ...

…whom Zechariah (John’s father) had said would:

Luke 1:79–80 (ESV)

79 ...give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

-So, while the purposes of the Incarnation were manifold...

This one is quite prominent.

In both:

His Teaching

His Work of Redemption

He was intended to return his people to Shalom.

-So, for the rest of this study...

…this is what we’re going to do:

We’re going to work our way through the NT...

…looking at:

What Jesus taught/commanded concerning the peace and unity of his people...

What Jesus did to bring us into that peace.

And by the Grace of God...

…that ought to, in fact:

Luke 1:79 (ESV)

79 ...guide our feet into the way of peace.”

-Alright, rather than going in logical order...

…like we did with the OT survey...

…We’re just going to deal with these texts...

…in the order that we come to them in Scripture.

(this list isn’t at all exhaustive...

…but it’s certainly long)

(So, we’ll just go as far as we can)

-We’ll begin with the Sermon on the Mount:

The Beatitudes began with...

…many correctives that hinted at...

…Christ’s desire for his people...

…to be at peace with one another:

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:5 ESV

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:7 ESV

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Then he outright says:

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

(elaborate)

Moving forward we see...

…corrective examples of how to do that...

…while living in a fallen world:

Matthew 5:21–24 (ESV)

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’

22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:38–41 (ESV)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Matthew 5:43–45 (ESV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

(i.e., don’t internalize it and get angry)

(seek restoration)

“It’s ALWAYS your move, Christian!”

-What if your brother...

…keeps sinning against you?

Well, Jesus spoke to that to:

Matthew 18:21–22 (ESV)

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Told the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

And made this application:

Matthew 18:35 (ESV)

35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Remember:

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

-Luke has some similar teachings lumped together...

…with an added admonition at the beginning:

Luke 17:1–4 (ESV)

1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Matthew 5:9 ESV

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

And Remember, Christian:

1 Corinthians 7:15 (ESV)

15 ...God has called you to peace.

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