Unity
John 17:20-21- Christ’s prayer for unity.
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 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.
Psalms 133:1-3 – The excellency of brotherly unity.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 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.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forever.
Ephesians 4:1 – Unity of the Spirit: The platform for unity.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Unity can be disturbed by 1) Worldliness, 2) Un-Christ-like conduct, 3) Doctrinal matters = man-made doctrine. Need one faith, one Lord, one baptism.
When unity is disturbed – Nehemiah – help keep the bond of peace
1) Remember the power of Godly sorrow. Nehemiah 1:1-4
If we don’t have Godly sorrow, we will devour one another.2) Remember the power of personal resolve. Nehemiah 2:5, 5:16
Work it out differences before you come to Worship. Matt 5:9 – be good listeners.
3) Properly assess the problem. Nehemiah 2:11-16
4) Accept your share of the blame. Nehemiah 2:17
5) Do more than your share. Nehemiah 3:1-33
6) Possess a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:1-6
7) Remember that God will help us. Nehemiah 4:19-20