Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Dismiss Children

Great breakfast yesterday.

Thanks Tony, Dave, and the guys who were here setting up and tearing down to make that thing happen.

looking forward to the next one on April 2nd.

I love being apart of Liberty.

This place is full of such amazing people.

People that love the Lord, they serve one another, and have a desire to impact their homes, this church, and their community with the gospel.

I believe one person can spark change on a grand scale but it takes many people working together to scale up and bring lasting change.

I believe this is one of the reasons God didn’t entrust the spread of the gospel to just one person, one organization, or one methodology.

All of the Apostle’s were there to receive the great commission directly from the lips of Christ.

Paul planted multiple churches throughout the region that operate independently of one another.

Paul and Peter were two completely different people with different approaches to ministry and styles of preaching.

Yet, they didn’t contradict one another.

They didn’t fight and argue between one another.

They had their differences but they were unified in their goals.

It’s that unity I want to speak to you about this morning.

Before we do that though, I want you to see 5 enemies of unity in the church and home.

5 Enemies of Unity in the Church and Home

1. Lack of Shared purpose

Jesus said that some believed He came to unite them yet He said he came to bring division.

While obviously true, we must see on what truth He is bringing division.

The Gospel will either unite us or divide us at a deep level.

What you believe about Jesus and His death burial and resurrection will determine whether you can be unified with those who believe the Gospel.

2. Failure to Communicate

While this can pertain to the logistics of an event or the ongoing operations of the church, I believe in the church family it centers around not just how often but how clearly the gospel is communicated.

3. Gossip

It’s unfortunate how synonymous churchgoers and gossip have become.

I believe this is because we have confused gossip with slander.

Slander is spreading false reports.

We would all say that’s bad.

However, what if what you are saying is true.

I mean if Sheryl’s husband is a drunk and your just telling people about it or if someone has upset you because they said something and you go talk to someone OTHER THAN the person who said it…that’s gossip.

Don’t do it.

Gossip will not exist when we all follow

4. Lack of Forgiveness

When someone offends us and we wont’ forgive them.

We may say we forgive.

But we won’t trust them again because then they would take advantage of us...

5. Prioritizing Secondary Issues

It’s too hot in the auditorium, it’s too cold in the auditorium, he calls it an auditorium and not a sanctuary, they call it a sanctuary and not a worship center, they sing hymns and no new songs, they only sing new songs and not hymns, the carpet should be this color, the sign should say this....

There are towns in the south that have First, Second, and Third Baptist Churches because of splits over issues revolving around secondary issues.

People dieing for their faith in foreign lands and we take offense to these things…God help us.

How do we defeat these enemies?

How are we supposed to overcome these things.

We can’t but He can.

And through Him we can because

That all starts right here were Jesus is with His disciples int he upper room.

We are hours away from his passion and crucifixion.

his betrayal is at hand.

And he sits to dine with not just the faithful 11 but also with Judas..Judas Iscariot.

Who is Judas Iscariot?

Judas Iscariot is the man that has walked with Jesus for 3+ years and will now betray him for 30 pieces of silver..

And what did Jesus do in these last moments with this tratior in his midst?

Did he call him out?

Did he tell his apostles to unite around their hatred Judas?

Follow along with me and we will see what Jesus did...

Luke 22:14-30

PRAY

How do we keep the enemies of unity out of our homes and our church?

I. Build the bonds of unity on a strong foundation

A strong foundation is required for a home to stand the test of time.

If you have cracks in a foundation you have some major problems.

Many of you have been bonded with others over a foundation throughout your life.

You may not think of it that way but let me illustrate

In high school or college you had a mascot or fight song that was important to you.

My high school was and still is the falcons.

We didn’t have a fight song per say but the student body did have a song that if it came on during a dance everyone would stop and sing.

It was called “I’ve got friends in low places.”

I didn’t sing, I was one of the friends they were talking about.

Maybe you have a group of friends that are united over your love for a sports team, or a hobby, or work.

Whatever it was or is, you have a foundation that bonds you with others in your life.

These types of foundations can change though.

My wife attended a school called Sullivan South.

They were the Sullivan South Rebels.

Now remember, we came from Tennessee.

Their mascot was a confederate soldier and the “unoffical” school flag was a confederate flag.

The county closed this school and 2 others to combine into one large school and now her mascot doesn’t exist.

If she had friends who were bound because of their attachment to that school…that school is gone.

The foundation is gone...

Jesus sits with His disciples and tells them that He has desired to eat this passover with them.

He has been looking forward to this moment.

The passover feast is a celebration of the Israelites Exodus out of Egypt and onto the promised Land.

It is called the passover to call to remembrance the death angel that passed over the Israelites doors that had the blood of the lamb on them.

It is at this feast, this last supper, that Jesus lays the foundation of their unity and the focus of their lives going forward.

He takes the bread and prays over it and says “this is my body which is given for you...” Then he takes the fruit of the vine and says “this is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you...” This do in rememberance of me.

They are bound not by their desire to see Rome overthrown, their hatred for Judas, in fact at this point Judas is STILL THERE.

They are bound by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

His death, burial, and resurrection.

The gospel of Jesus is an unchanging foundation that unites those who believe on Him deeper than secondary issues and allows us to overlook the things that offend our flesh to forgive as we have been forgiven.

To be taken advantage of in the name of Jesus.

To show love and expect nothing back because of Christ.

It is the Gospel of Christ that keep a home together and a church unified towards the Lord’s vision for them.

Jesus told a parable in

Matthew 7:24-28

Build your house, build your church, build your relationship, on the foundation of the gospel and no matter what winds blow, storms come, or how much snow falls the house will not fall because it will be built on the sure and unchanging foundation of the gospel.

Are the relationships in your life that are not built upon the foundation of the gospel?

It’s time to break them down and rebuild upon a sure foundation.

Because it takes a strong foundation to build lasting unity.

The Disciples had the belssing of starting their relatioships out being built upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ.