One In Christ
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
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. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
Thesis:
The gospel call us to ONE faith in Christ.
The gospel makes us ONE family in Christ.
The gospel leads us on ONE mission in Christ.
The gospel produces ONE kingdom in Christ.
In John 17, Jesus prays for His people. In Hebrews 7:25, we are told Jesus is still praying for His church. Jesus is praying for us. It always blesses me when I discover that someone has been praying for me. But the reality that Jesus is praying for us is just mind boggling. Isn’t that amazing? The Lord is praying for us.
What might Jesus be praying for us?
He’s definitely praying for our faith and unity. He also praying that we would be ONE or unified in the mission He gave us.
in my time, we will look at our one mission and one kingdom.
Matthew 28:18-20 is the mission that he has given to us. This is sometimes called the “Great Commission.”
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In this one passage, Jesus lays out the mission of every individual Christian and church. Our mission is to preach the gospel and make disciples. Jesus is praying that we don’t suffer mission drift.
What is mission drift?
Mission drift is what happens when we become distracted from pursuing the primary mission of the church in order to pursue something else.
Mission Drift occurs when we…
Conflate “debating” politics with preaching the gospel
Choose comfort/preference/tradition over being on mission for the gospel
Confuse individual passion and/or gifting with our primary purpose of making disciples
Comparison cycle (always measuring ourselves with others gifts/role/performance)
Commit to doing good works without ever mentioning the gospel
Philippians 1:27 challenges us to avoid “mission drift” and to live with FOCUS on the gospel and ONE mission that Christ has given us.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Again, we see the Scripture calling us to live with as ONE family with ONE mission in Christ. Philippians says our hearts are to be united in this. Our minds are to be united in this and our efforts, our striving, are to be united in this. Church, we are ONE in Christ.
Let’s EMBRACE our mission together. Let’s embrace the reality that in one church, there is a diversity of gifts, roles, passions but only one mission!
Lastly, why is any of this important?
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The gospel makes us ONE family with ONE mission seeking ONE kingdom in Christ.
We seek above everything else, the Kingdom of Christ. This is how we as Christians can know if we are pursuing the right mission. Jesus is glorified. More disciples are made. The knowledge of the gospel is spreading. A growing desire to keep the commandments of God.
The kingdom of God is personal in that it calls every individual Christian to play a specific role. The Kingdom of God is transcendent in that no individual gift, or individual Christian or individual Church or generation is able to perfectly represent it.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
One gospel producing one church, committed to one mission resulting in one king being glorified. This is what it‘s all about. Jesus Christ being worshiped and glorified everywhere for all-times.
Before I close in prayer,
consider these aspects of unity:
Pray for our unity in the gospel as ONE church, with ONE mission.
Pray for patience for yourself and others as we navigate this season.
Renew your commitment to our core values of Gospel, Community & Generosity.