ATMOSPHERE

Series: ATMOSPHERE – part 1 --

Unity: The Atmosphere of Blessing

Atmosphere is something we are all affected by! may not know exactly how to describe it, but we recognize it

Places Have Distinct Atmospheres ..... How Many Know There’s a Major Difference Between

Weatherford vs Honduras

5 star restaurant vs McDonald’s

Football game vs Hospital

Whatever The Atmosphere – Your Life Is Affected By It !

In this series of messages we are going to look at several atmosphere’s that are vital to your personal growth and the advance of the Kingdom -- WE ARE ALL AFFECTED BY OUR ATMOSPHERES WE CREATE ....

Today – I want to deal with a difficult one – UNITY!

Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing -- Life forevermore.

THERE -- Somebody say There -- There God COMMANDED A BLESSING

The THERE God is talking about is NOT Mt. Hermon -- BUT it is found in the PLACE OF UNITY.

I Want to talk about UNITY TODAY .... The Place of the Commanded Blessing

I REALIZE -- when your talking to people -- like us at OLC about UNITY -- you are breaking the natural mold -- because people are NOT BY NATURE UNIFIED

IN FACT BY NATURE WE ARE COMPETITIVE -- by NATURE WE ARE JEALOUS -- BY NATURE WE ARE UNTRUSTING -- BY NATURE what we don’t know about somebody else makes us stay away from them

HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT WHAT YOU’RE NOT UP ON -- YOU’RE DOWN ON

There’s Certain People That People Don’t Like But Have Never Met -- But They’ve Already Prejudged Them Because Of What They Think About Them Or A Certain Situation

A guy said to me one day – “Pastor John, I may not know everything unity is, but I know when it ‘ain’t”

Most of us have experienced the uncomfortableness that comes from walking into a room and feeling the atmosphere’s -- Full of tension -- Had undertones of strife & distrust -- it was awkward

MEN -- ever been at home and knew “You really shouldn’t go in the kitchen right now” - you knew the atmosphere was not conducive for your words or your well being

The bible demonstrates the power of unity and the toxic effects of strife and discord:

Gen 11:1-6 (NLT)

At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia[a] and settled there. They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!

There’s NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE for people who learn to LIVE IN UNITY

God’s assessment – people in UNITY can accomplish anything

Think about in a Marriage when they both get on the same page

How About in a business when everyone dreams the same thing and want to complete it

HOW ABOUT OUR CHURCH -- In UNITY we can accomplish anything

James 3:14-16 (NKJV)

But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

LISTEN -- when you live in discord -- you don’t even have to wonder if hell is going to target you -- CAUSE when you’re living in Strife with others and jealousy and you make it ALL about You -- there is going to be evil working

LISTEN -- when there is jealousy, strife, selfishness, self centeredness, bitter feelings -- evil gets to work in that place!!!

It doesn’t matter how many times you shout or run around the building or prophesy -- if you have attitudes about others or go home and fuss & fight == you’ll never get that evil work to leave your house UNTIL YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN HARMONY

HOW MANY KNOW IT HAPPENS IN A CHURCH -- BIBLE SAYS

“Where Unity is nothing is impossible”

-- There’s nothing as a church we can’t do if we’re of ONE MIND IN ONE ACCORD -- God never said there had to be a 1,000 or 10,000 -- in fact the beginning of the early church was small -- but they were in ONE ACCORD AND BAM -- SUDDENLY THERE CAME A SOUND!!!!

GOD CAN DELIVER BY A FEW OR MANY -- DEPENDS ON WHO IS WILLING TO WALK IN UNITY OF THE SAME COMMITMENT

HEROD & PILATE hated each other UNTIL they got Unified to Kill Jesus -- they became best of friends & partners to accomplish A NEGATIVE WORK

Have you ever noticed (whether in school, work, or church) that whenever people get offended they seem to find each other -- it’s like they have a homing signal -- may not even liked each other before but now they’re best friends

PAUL & SILAS experienced UNITY in prison together in a very positive way -- they didn’t sit around and fuss -- they began to SING, SHOUT IN UNITY & SAW GOD MOVE

I’m talking to all of us today -- moms, dads, kids -- anybody can complain about their situations BUT WHEN WE DECIDE TO GET IN UNITY -- WE CAN BE SUPERNATURALLY RELEASED FROM PRISON AND DECIDE WE WILL BE OVERCOMERS TOGETHER!!

I’VE GOT A FEELING -- 2019 IS GOING TO BE AN OVERCOMING YEAR CAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE OF YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!!

Psalms 133 – It is a part of the ‘Songs of Ascent’ – sung as the pilgrims made their way to Zion for festival -- Always upward – so it is a call to a ‘higher’ level of living!

The EXTENT that unity affects the atmosphere

‘Behold, how good and how pleasant …’

Behold – something to pay attention to, gaze at

‘HOW’ is used twice – inexhaustible

Not just good – ‘HOW good’

Not just pleasant – ‘HOW pleasant

INEXHAUSTIBLE -- you can’t figure out How Good Or How Pleasant

When You Quit Striving, Fighting, Fussing, Complaining And Pursue HARMONY In All Your Relationships -- YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT HOW GOOD IT IS

THE GREATER THE UNITY -- THE GREATER THE POWER

I wonder if that’s why JESUS had to put some people out of a room before HE would pray for someone

When ‘LOVE’ exists in the body of Christ – the mission of the church becomes believable and tangible! ‘By this shall all men know …”

SOMEBODY SHOUT -- HOW GOOD, HOW PLEASANT

The criteria that ESTABLISHES unity

‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for BRETHREN to dwell together in unity …”

‘BRETHREN’ – not natural, blood relatives

PEOPLE who have a common Father & Elder Brother -- given themselves over completely to JESUS

UNITY is a product of the Spirit -- so that even when I disagree with you, I don’t walk away from you

SEE -- when we truly LIVE IN UNITY -- I may not understand your head but I’m connected to your HEART -- I may not get what you’re thinking but I KNOW who you are

When We Have Made A Total Commitment To Christ As The Lord Of Our Lives -- Our Common Ground Is Not Our Doctrine … Worship Styles … Ethnicity … Social Standing – It Is Our Faith In Christ Jesus!

Ephesians 4:3 (GW)

Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to maintain the unity that the Spirit gives.

IN OTHER WORDS -- we don’t create Unity -- we are called to maintain it & protect it -- GOD creates it, You guard it

ILLUSTRATION

get 3 guys upfront -- 1 in the middle is JESUS -- the two on either side

Notice – the distance between people?

The Closer Both Parties Get To JESUS, The Closer They Will Get To Each Other!

The atmosphere of your home, work, life – all changes when Jesus becomes the Lord of your life!

The ENGAGEMENT needed to discern unity

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to DWELL TOGETHER in unity …”

Everyone can live in unity as long as they don’t have to be TOGETHER

YOU can’t ever experience UNITY if you never bump up against each other

That’s why The enemy delights in keeping people separated!

Mark 3:25

A house divided against itself can not stand’

That’s a natural house -- a church house -- a schoolhouse -- a work house -- a national house

ANY HOUSE divided against itself cannot stand -- the greatest threat against America isn’t ISIS -- it is the internal fighting that keeps our leaders divided

The Devil Desires to divide –

• Husbands & Wives

• Parents & Children

• Blacks & Whites & Latinos

• Rich & Poor

• Political Parties

• Churches – worship styles

• Generations – old from young

1 Cor 12:14-21 (NLT)

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

Who shall we tell – ‘we don’t need you?’

I’ll tell you who we do it to -- THE DIFFICULT PEOPLE

Please give me the privilege of making an announcement this morning

Everybody In The Building Is One Of Those Difficult People -- You Are A Difficult Person To Somebody

SMALL PROBLEM –

•Remove all difficult people and the building would be empty

•Remove all difficult people and we’d never grow / mature

It is in our TOGETHERNESS that we find our PURPOSE … our VOICE … our STRENGTH!

When we are ‘together’ – we make up for what someone else is lacking

That is Why hell is fighting against the church gathering!

Why demonic forces seek to divide saints over politics, money, worship, etc – there is power in partnership!

“…. For there God commands the blessing, life forevermore”

When people live in UNITY – the atmosphere is established for a COMMANDED BLESSING!

WHEN GOD COMMANDS A BLESSING – NOTHING CAN STOP IT FROM TOUCHING YOUR LIFE

What Would Happen In Your House – If You Started ‘Dwelling Together’ In Unity?

What Would Happen At Outreach Of Love Church – If We Started ‘Dwelling Together’ In Unity?

COMMANDED BLESSINGS!!!