UNITY 2021
Notes
Transcript
Quick Quiz!
Quick Quiz!
Here is a quiz for everyone, what happened on the 6th of November?
16 years ago, a group of young adults decided that they wanted to start up a church to outreach and share the gospel with university students.
There was a passsion for the gospel, a passion for reaching the lost and a passion for Jesus.
Fast forward now to now, what’s happened to that passion? Does it still exist? Has anything changed and why?
I want you to picture this church in 20 years time, where will the church be? What will you be doing for the church? Who is controlling the church?
Unity
Unity
Unity, it’s a familiar word but it’s meaning has the power to move mountains, make deserts forests and forests deserts, it has the power to make barren lands habitable and habitable lands desolate. Unity has the power to rise empires and collapse empires.
Imagine what unity can do amongst 12 adults and the Holy Spirit? There their message spread across the world and inspired kingdoms to bend the knee to a foreign but mighty God.
Imagine what unity can do amongst us, are we united? Are we in unity? Are we in unison of passion in mission and purpose and what is that mission and purpose?
1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Let’s unpack these verses because it seems confusing, and we will start with who wrote this Psalm?
King David, you might have read that it says ‘a song of ascents’, it is considered that this Psalm was sung when the Israelites were ascending into Jerusalem of the temple to worship during the religious festivals.
This was a song sung in praise and worship thanking God for the unity amongst the believers to come together, far and wide to worship the Lord.
I hope that when we come to church, what is our attitude? I hope it’s the attitude of joy and fellowship with God’s children, because the first verse introduces the song.
The first word that is starts us off is the word ‘Behold’ (Hin-neh), it’s like, pay attention, something important is about to be declared (or sung), and what is that important thing that is to be delcared.
1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
There are two adjectives here, good and pleasant. The word ‘good’ (tohb) is the same word that is used during creation when God created everything and it was very ‘tohb’ (good). This concept of unity was what created the heavens and the earth. Three Divine Beings working together in unison as one. A Tri-unity, to create. If we all are united in mission and purpose, imagine what the wonderful creative work of God can do through us?
The word pleasant (na-ihm), means sweet, lovely, pleasures, and delightful tells of unity amongst people of various backgrounds dwelling together and unifying themselves in the worship of the Lord.
How many of us know each other intimately? Is it wrong to know someone intimately? The word brothers or brethern denotes a tie of intimate relationship, though the Israelites sing this song to worship the Lord they also are intimate with each other. Hence, when we read Matthew 13:55, we see the reaction of the Nazarenes saying:
54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.”
I hope this isn’t our reaction to our fellow Christian and friend? In order for us to be united we how well do we know each other, and how well do we use that knowledge about each other? Is it for good or is it for evil? How should we then allow God’s creative work to do something good in us? How can we be that pleasant delight for those around us and as well as to God?
And we’re not going to take the verse literally like all of us dwelling under one roof. But, it should be taken poetically. Like brothers and sisters coming together under one roof to worship are we united? Is there unity amongst us?
2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
In verse 2, David is describing what the unity of the brethren is like as they dwell together. It’s a weird kind of verse and a weird verse to sing.
David considers the unity of brethren like precious oil on the head and running down on the beard of Aaron and running down the collar of his robes.
Yet, what is this precious oil that is being used here? Evidently it isn’t some common oil that is being run down from the head. But, it is a sacred oil, a holy anointing.
This type of anointing oil was fragrant mixed in with quality spices like, myrrh, cinnamon, sweet-smelling cane, cassia and olive oil. So, not only was Aaron anointed with oil, he also smelt pleasant and sweet that others can take in the smell.
When we are united together, what is the fragrant smell that people have when they are with us, is it pleasant or is it off putting? How many of us has been in a room with someone with a bad ordour? Or, had some type of clothing that has that musty smell? How did that make you feel?
Think of those fond memories you’ve had and imagine the smell. For me, I don’t know why, but in Indonesia there is always this smell of the sewerage, because in Jakarta, the sewerage are open like a river. Although, I had so many fond memories in Jakarta, I still remember that smell. Now, when I come back to Sydney, there is only one place where the sewerage is open and that is Eastwood. It’s not like I would dive inside the sewerage water just to relive the past. It just brings me back to my travels with my family. Oh and I also smell this type of smell in Chinatown and Cabramatta.
What fragrance are we emitting or diffusing when we as young adults are united together? Can we be united in mission and purpose? Can the Lord creatively work amongst us?
What is the symbolism of the precious oil? The Holy Spirit and the precious oil anoints both head and to toe showing to us that even though we are all different and work in different areas of the church. We still partake in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We are consecrated; set apart for a holy purpose.
We are set apart in unison for the creative good work of the Lord, if, as an individual, you aren’t united then you cannot partake in that creative work of the Holy Spirit. This type of setting apart does not do well for the individual which will lead the person to sin. This is why we need to work together and be in unison and support one another.
Notice that in verse 2, it’s an individual that’s being anointed.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Here we have Mount Hermon mentioned, this mountain is located at the northern boundary of the half-tribe of Manasseh a mountain that has its influence with the dew that falls upon the mountains of Zion.
Again, the symbolism of water (which dew is made up of) points us back to the Holy Spirit. It also points us to cleansing and refreshments. With the unity of love and kindness. Imagine how people would feel when they see young adults of a church united in mission and purpose? How blessed would they be when they enter our doors.
When we are in unity, when we all work together with the goal in advancing the gospel message. In verse 3, it says, “...for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
The blessing that we receive we give so that others can obtain the spiritual fruits of life.
So you might be wandering? What is our mission? What is our purpose?
This is something that we as young adults need to discuss with ourselves, it can’t be done by me, it’s something that must be done together.
I’ll share with you what we have planned so far for this year!