The Unified Church (Part 2): A Unified Focus
The Unified Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsDisunity in our relationship with God and disunity in His Church comes when we lose focus on what truly matters the most. In order to be unified in Christ we must have a unified focus. This message challenges us to have a unified focus that leads to being a unified church!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
This past week I discovered the music of Taryn Harbridge, she is a Christ-follower, artist, composer, and musician from Pennsylvania. Her work is incredible! If you like hymns, celtic folk music, and music from the Getty’s you’ll love what God does through her talents.
Think of an Orchestra
In an orchestra, each musician plays a different instrument, and each instrument contributes a unique sound.
Despite these differences, all musicians follow the same sheet of music and respond to the conductor’s direction.
This collaboration results in a harmonious performance where diverse elements come together to achieve a unified purpose.
Similarly, a unified church, while composed of individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives, comes together as we have a united focus on Christ!
Unity is not about uniformity but a masterfully designed diversity with a unified focus is nothing less than a masterpiece of the Master.
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
1) Remember Your Calling! (v.1)
1) Remember Your Calling! (v.1)
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The calling we have received from Jesus is the call to “Follow Him”.
It is the calling to Belong to Him
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
It is the calling to be made new in Him.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
When the priority of our lives is to be who Christ made us to be and died for us to be, we will grow in our unity with Him and with one another.
This kind of unity cannot be achieved when we are neglecting our calling to be His. Nor can we grow in unity if we are not taking His calling seriously.
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Our calling is to live all of life, all for Jesus!
The power of Christ draws us into unity with Him and with one another as we daily focus and remember that we are His.
2) Refine Your Character! (v.2-3)
2) Refine Your Character! (v.2-3)
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
As we draw near to Christ, we are conformed our lives to who He is. This produces a new character within us.
Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, eagerness to maintain unity.
All of these things are very distinct from the world around us.
These things part of the fruit that Spirit of God that dwells in us, produces in our lives.
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.
As we allow the Spirit of God to work in our lives we grow in the eagerness to maintain unity.
We generally seek or have an urge for disunity when we are the opposite of these characteristics: proud, impatient, not willing to bear with one another, not eager to maintain unity, not eager for peace in the Spirit.
I can almost guarantee there has never been a church split when the people of God are allowing their character to be refined by the Spirit of God and are practicing humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and an eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The Spirit of God, alive in us, will keep us in unity when our focus is on letting Him shape our character.
3) Realign Yourself with Christ! (v.4-6)
3) Realign Yourself with Christ! (v.4-6)
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
As the Spirit of God helps us to focus on our calling and refines our character, we begin to focus less on ourselves and become more aligned with Christ!
Part of having a focus on unity is not being unified for unity sake, but being unified in Christ!
Being a reflection of Christ and His Righteousness must be our highest ambition!
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When we align ourselves with Christ we become one body, united by the Holy Spirit as we embrace the only Hope in following Jesus.
When we yield ourselves to Christ we declare there is ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism (of the Holy Spirit), ONE God who is over all and through all and in all.
“Over all”: Speaks to His Sovereignty
“Through All”: Speaks to His Providence
“In All”: Speaks to His Presence
Only God can unite His people. Only God can keep His Church unified. Only God is over all and through all and in all.
This is why we must have a unified focus upon Him!
Closing
Closing
We will be The Unified Church when we have a united focus of remembering our calling, refining our character, and realigning our lives with Christ!
May we “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. As we do so, we will be a shining light in a dark and lost world that declares there is one body and one Spirit—just as we were called to the one hope that belongs to our call; for there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
May we be the harmonious masterpiece of the Master!
