Unity...Why the enemy is trying to destroy it!

Two men are standing on a bridge, one is about to jump off and the other is trying to talk him out of it. The man asks the jumper, "So are you a Christian or a Hindu or a Jew or what?" The jumper replies, "A Christian." The man says, "Small world, me too! Protestant, or Catholic, or Orthodox?" The jumper answers, "Protestant." The man replies, "Me too! What denomination?" The jumper says, "Baptist" The man replies, "Me too! Southern Baptist or Northern Baptist?" The jumper answers, "Northern Baptist." The man replies, "Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?" The jumper answers, "Northern Conservative Baptist." The man replies, "Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern region?" The jumper answers," Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." The man replies, "Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1912?" The jumper answers, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region council of 1912." The man then pushes the jumper off the bridge and screams, "Die Heretic!"

There has been so many oportunities for the Church to be divided over the years.

This has only increased during the Covid 19 pandemic.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard conflicting opinions.

We should listen to the governent and close down.

We should listen to God and remain open.

We should open back up to the public

We should stay closed to be safe

We should remain physically distanced

We should hug one another

Everyone should wear a mask

no one should be forced to wear a mask

Everyone should be vaccinated

No one should be forced to be vaxed

Un vaxed people should not be allowed in public

People should not loose their rights just because their aren’t vaxxed

I did not see the pandemic coming,

But when it arrived I quickly discovered its intended purpose

make no mistake about it. satan sent covid.

The word that God gave me is that this is another effort of the enemy to bring division within the church.

As I prophesied at the beginning of Covid 19 pandemic. Before the lockdowns

One of the primary purposes of the demonic weapon .

Was that the church would be isolated from one another.

There would be an abundance of irrational Fear

and a dramatic increase in Economic turmoil

That's what the enemy wanted to do cause fear. Cause isolation. Increase poverty

The true intent of the weapon has come to light

Isolation was to make way for division

The enemy not only wants to isolate, but he intends to isolate with the purpose of division

Jesus warned us in

Luke 11:17 NASB95

But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.

satan knows the only way to slow the advance of God’s Kingdom on earth is to destoy unity in the Church.

Not only in the church but also in families. as well.

John 10:10 NASB95

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

satan hates you because you are made in the image of God.

satan can’t touch God, so it goes after God’s creation.

all in effort to steal kill and destroy

The only way satan can slow down God’s will is by our will against God!

In continuing this mini series on Prayer let’s take a look a look at the

The Real Lord’s Prayer

video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZXj2_P5iqs

John 17 NASB95

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

God desires Unity in His family and in His Church.

don’t believe me.

What does the BIble have to say about Unity.

1 Corinthians 1:10 NASB95

Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Peter 3:8 NASB95

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;

Psalm 133:1 NASB95

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

2 Corinthians 13:11 NASB95

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Romans 12:16 NASB95

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Romans 15:5–7 NASB95

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Acts 4:32 NASB95

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.

Psalm 133:1–3 NASB95

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.

Do you need more?

It is very evident that God counts Unity as a thing of necessity

But its also very challenging when each on of us, even the people in this room, have so many differnt opinions on so many topics.

How can we be in Unity as God expects?

We in order to protect unity we must first prepare ourselves

unity begins with you!

Ephesians 4:1–6 NASB95

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Therefore

Eph 3

So whenever we see the word therefore, whatever is about to be written needs to be read in light of what has come before. 

Right? He is saying because of this… I want to urge you and exhort you to walk in a new way.

So Paul is making the connection between faith and practice, between doctrine and duty.

Knowing the truth will lead to living the truth!

Your justification will lead to your sanctification… two stage process… 

We get saved and then we get transformed. 

So if chapters 1-3 were the calling…

now we are shifting to how to walk, how to live, worthy of the calling…

And it is going to be about how we walk… 

In other words the practical, day to day living that will begin to set us apart from those who don’t live in light of the Gospel.

Our walk will be empowered and transformed as we begin to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.

a. Humilty

def humility: the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people : the quality or state of being humble

Proverbs 11:2 NASB95

When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

1 Peter 5:6 NASB95

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

b. Gentleness

def gentleness: free from harshness, sternness, or violence

Titus 3:2 NASB95

to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

2 Timothy 2:24–26 NASB95

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

c. Patience

def Patience: : the ability to remain calm and not become annoyed when dealing with problems or with difficult people

Romans 8:25 NASB95

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Proverbs 15:18 NASB95

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.

Ecclesiastes 7:8–9 NASB95

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

d. Tolerance

def tolerance: sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own

Worlds view is is actually intollerant

not referring to bad doctrine

1 Timothy 6:3–5 NASB95

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

2 John 10–11 NASB95

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

e. Love

def love: strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

1 Peter 4:8 NASB95

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

John 13:34–35 NASB95

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

f. the bond of peace

Bond = chained together

def peace: freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

Isaiah 26:3 NASB95

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

Romans 12:18 NASB95

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Hebrews 12:14 NASB95

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

conclusion

JP sears video How To Get Offended - Ultra Spiritual Life episode 52