Pursuing Unity

Text: Ephesians 4:1-6

This weekend we watched the Chiefs end their Super Bowl Run as they lost their AFC championship bid to the Bangles. I actually have not comment on that Game except to say that it is in our collective conscience.

It is interesting to me to watch two dozen grown men manuevering and working to defend, protect and sheild a ball. I don’t mean to exhagerate the humor of this picture but it is interesting to watch the unity that comes from a shared objective.

When these teamates decide that the ball is the their shared focus. They literally move heaven and earth. becaus they have one thing to protect. - the ball. In this passage we find the one thing we are meant protect.

‘Organisational unity’ is also known as a range of other terms like; ‘interconnectedness’, ‘alignment’, ‘collaborative community’ and ‘shared purpose’....just to name a few.

The definition of organisational unity and has been described as follows; “unity of purpose is a positive powerful effect of creating meaningful work for individuals with a mission and sense of direction for the organisation as a whole”, Denison and Mishra, (1990). “The ability to bring together people from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures and generations [leveraging] all they have to offer towards the organisations goals”, Ibarra and Hansen, (2011). Nayar (2010) states; “it is about getting people to operate across business functioning boundaries”. Furthermore, Adler, Heckscher and Prusak, (2011) believe it is about; “marrying a sense of common purpose to a supportive structure where these organisations are mobilising all the workers, knowledge, talents and expertise to foster innovation, agility, efficiency and scalability”. Weber (1902) states; “a shared purpose is a collaborative community built on trust and organisational cohesion that is more robust than self-interest and more flexible than tradition”. Finally, “it’s a description of what everyone in the organisation is trying to do, [offering] guidance at all levels including; from top managements business strategy, to joint planning by teams right down to individuals contribution”, Alder Heckscher and Prusak, (2011). - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/value-unity-organisation-craig-mowll Craig Mowll

Need: Relationships designed for Fellowship

III. Viewing Fellowship as a meeting with food.

Trans: Five characteristics to Fellowship Living

I. Fellowship Living is Gentle Dealing.

"Lowliness and Meekness" show the tie between them they are to be looked at together. Lowliness is one's view of self - when we are nothing then nothing can offend us.

Meekness is having the ability to treat someone the way you wish to be treated.

Ill: Take any relationship already in place. You don't keep friends by being a jerk.

Gentle dealing is detrimental to living in fellowship. A true relationship is not built with out humility and gentleness.

Some may say "They need to toughen up." Would that really be what Christ would say. Does that sound like the response Christ would give.

Everyone get a low SELF- esteem and refuse to treat others as if you are something special.

II. Fellowship Living is Patient Reaction.

Ill: Dynamite and the length of its fuse.

We all have a fuse. It is a matter of making that fuse longer. Success is found in distancing the time between stimulus and response

It is not that we are not to get angry - Eph 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not:"

Suffer longer between the stimulus of anger and crossing the line into reaction.

III. Fellowship Living is Affectionate Support.

Forbearing means to hold up, support. We are given how to do such: through love.

Ill: "This is a safe place". Coming home from school and treating my brothers like I had been treated all day. But it was their home too.

This church is your safe place.

When one is hurting let's hold them up. When we come here to this place we must build together a place that the world cannot touch. When a visitor comes in and fails to understand we will protect them too.

IV. Fellowship is Passionate Agreement.

Endeavor - we are to passionately seek for unity. We are to protect or "keep" our unity. It was given to us by the Holy Spirit

III: Fragile jewel that will impact our ability to perform.

First, check yourself - mote/ beam

Second, handle relationship directly involving you.

Third, pray for by name those relationships that do not directly involve you.

Conclusion: