The Enemies of Unity

Zoom Out: Avoiding the Enemies of Unity

THANK PASTORS/MINISTRY

Follow up Pastor Smith on significance of PROPHECY. . . Testimony about Pastor John’s word to me that I will preach a few years back at NEW YEARS EVE SERVICE.

“I had TWO MESSAGES that were really on my HEART and so struggled to pick which one I was supposed to share, but then I realized they are two different angles of the same problem. . .SAME MESSAGE.”

"A DIVIDED world needs a UNITED Church!" QUOTE UNKNOWN

Sometimes we like to dig through the Word just because we have a shovel when there’s gold on the surface. This Word is not deep, no language studies, etc. It is surface level, super applicable truths that are hard to do.

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Big Idea: Unity requires us to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

(H) How many of you have ever seen an awkwardly CROPPED pic? Clearly cropping someone OUT, (MAYBE YOU)? Cropping is choosing to FOCUS on one AREA to the neglect of others. . . Do we do this in LIFE?

Sometimes we need to <ZOOM OUT>, SEE BIG PICTURE

(C) This works in RELATIONSHIPS, including marriage. Story about BRITTANY and I + MUSHROOMS.

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Three Enemies of Unity:

(NONE of these are the DEVIL, I think sometimes we give him too much CREDIT and don’t solve issues we are creating for ourselves!)

1. Focusing on Your Personal Interests (Selfishness)

2. Focusing on Your Differences (Division)

3. Focusing on the Blessings of Others, (rather than your own) (Envy/Comparison)

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1. Focusing on Your Personal Interests

(3) Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

One of the biggest BATTLES facing the American church is over personal PREFERENCES!

The Church is not BURGER KING!

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I want to share with you one of the biggest MIRACLES in the NT, and you may not have ever heard about it. Natural DOCTORS can work on the BODY, but it takes CHRIST to do a work on the HEART.

Background: Covenant of CIRCUMCISION with Abraham. . . (Genesis 17:10-14) set God’s people apart. BIG DEAL

The covenant of circumcision was to be applied to EVERYONE who was MALE, if they were born at 8 DAYS OLD they would be circumcised. . . if they were brought into the nation through any means they were to be circumcised.

According to this covenant, all GENTILE believers would be CIRCUMCISED .

God further validated circumcision by requiring it of all male children eight days old in the LAW OF MOSES (Lev. 12:3).

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[T] Acts 15:1-6 The JERUSALEM COUNCIL. (Previously in Acts 14 Paul and Barnabas were working with the church in Antioch roughly 300 miles away, this is where the dissension in Acts 15:1 takes place)

(1) But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (2) And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. (3) So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. (4) When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. (5) But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” (6) The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. Acts 15:1-6 ESV

The following is an EXCERPT from the LETTER that they sent out, not requiring circumcision.

(25) it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord Acts 15:25 ESV

The Apostles and Elders came to one accord on probably the BIGGEST DISPUTE the church would have to deal with! During a time of SIGNIFICANT CHANGE!

**It was not a matter of your opinion versus mine! The question we often forget. . ., what is GOD’S OPINION on this matter!

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God had a BETTER COVENANT: Circumcision is an INNER WORK of the heart. . .Romans 2:28-29

Ironically, at the end of this chapter Paul and Barnabas SEPARATE over John Mark. Paul refused to take him, and Barnabas refused to go without him. . .

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2. Focusing on your differences

Lets focus on the CONNECTION not the differences.

(18) But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (19) If all were a single member, where would the body be? (20) As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 ESV

The BACK might not appreciate the HAND until it needs scratched!

We're different but all connected to the same body. Zoom out and look! All body parts are different, but all have the same BLOOD, and the same DNA!!

We serve the same Jesus. . .Let’s agree to agree!

Big Idea: Unity requires us to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

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3. Focusing on the blessings of others, rather than your own

(6) But godliness with contentment is great gain, 1 Tim. 6:6 ESV

We want to focus on OTHERS’ BLESSINGS but rarely their IDEAS, PREFERENCES, ETC. . .

My life LOOKS GREAT until I look at SOMEONE ELSE. . . Sometimes you have to zoom out and LOOK at YOUR LIFE. ---TESTIMONY

Remember ENVY is not a fruit of the SPIRIT, but is a work of the FLESH (Gal. 5:21).

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Challenge you to look at a FAMILIAR Scripture DIFFERENTLY:

(16) Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

Paul DOESN’T say to rejoice or give thanks in all YOUR circumstances. . .When was the last time you PRAISED God for a blessing in ANOTHER’S life instead of being jealous?

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Big Idea: Unity requires us to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

(A) Seek to destroy these enemies of unity from your life. . .

1. Prefer others above yourself

2. Focus on what we have in common, remember we have the same DNA and blood as Christians

3. Celebrate the blessings in your life and in the lives of others. “Give thanks in all circumstances, not just in yours. Thank you all and God bless you.”