It was the two teenage girls that came up to me after the service and said....'this is so great Pastor Dave. The seniors we prayed with were so kind to us. We felt so happy praying with them.'
The kids get it......there is a desire for unity........we are better together. There is a commanded blessing of life and favour upon all who choose to dwell together in unity. Check out Psalm 133 .
The fact is, unity is very important to Jesus. Since it is important to Jesus, it needs to be important to us. Where there is unity in the church, a family, a marriage there will be greater strength. The Bible says that 'a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.' Ecclesiasties 4:12
The opposite is true.......Matthew 12:25 'Every kingdom divided itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'
The question is, how can we have greater unity? As I look back over 35 years of being a pastor, experiencing every aspect of church and family life immaginable, I asked my self the question: From my experience, what would be the top three contributers to unity? There were a quite a few on my list but here's my top three. If you would like to add to the list or give me your top three go ahead. Post your thoughts at the bottom.
Top Three Contributors To Unity
1. When We Pray For One Another
I remember hearing the story of one pastor / counselor who insisted that couples coming to him for counseling spend a half hour in prayer together in the prayer room before coming into his office. Inevitabley the counseling sessions were cut short. Barriers and obstacles were overcome. Faith for a united future was re-established.
There is something wonderful that happens in the Spirit when God's people will humble themselves and pray for one another. If there is someone you are struggling with, let me encourage you to begin praying for them and when possible, with them. Give it a try.
2. When We Forgive One Another
Getting hurt, happens. It happens all the time in relationships, including in the church. Unfortunatly I have watched too many people hold onto their hurts, nurse their hurts, justify their hurts to the point unity is destroyed. There is only one way to get it back and that is to do what Paul teaches here in........
Colossians 3:12 - 15 'Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.'
3. When We Celebrate Our Diversity
What makes the Body of Christ so special is the value and the contribution that each one brings to the church. We're not all the same. How many of you are glad about that? At the same time, while we are all so different, we really do need each other. We are interdependent on each other and therefore need to love and honour one another including all parts of the body. The Apostle Paul describes it this way.......
1 Corinthians 12:12, 24-27 'The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all it's parts are many they form one body........24 God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.'
When it comes to our diversity and having love for one another......I think St Augustine in the fourth century was on to something when he said: 'In essentials unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.' We need to be careful when it comes to the things we allow to divide us.
The last thing I want to say is that unity takes effort. We have to work at unity because it goes so against our human and sinful nature. Paul said in Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’
Jesus made the effort for us so we could come into union and have a relationship with our Father God in Heaven. He died on a cross!!!!!
What about the relationships in your life, in our church, in the Body of Christ that need extra effort? Are you willing to make the effort. The blessing that comes with unity is worth it.
The kids get it. So should we.
Love in Christ
Pastor Dave
