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UNITY

 

By Bart Nelson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2005 – All rights reserved

Copying and translation authorized for free distribution.

 

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Phone – 253.564.3261

 

Email – etsministries@yahoo.com

 

 

As the Lord started to download this to me, He reminded me when I went to Spain for a year and a half. As He made it clear I was to go, I asked Him, “What do you want me to speak on?” The first thing He said to me was sort of an outline: Arise to who we are in Christ (this is a huge need in Spain, where the people are bound to works, trying to be saved. It is ingrained in them.) Next was: Awake to our unity in Christ (This is also key, as Spain is divided by many provinces, many with their own language, radical politics, and severe pride in each.) The last was: Battle as one (From Joel 2. Spain had little concept of spiritual warfare.)

 

Why are we to be unified?

  • It’s commanded – Eph. 4.1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
  • It’s exemplified – in Neh., in the triunity, in the early church, in creation around us
  • Jesus prayed that we would be – Jn. 17.11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
  • It’s necessary – nothing gets done without it Gen. 11.1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
  • We’re blessed and anointed – Ps. 133.1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore.

 

What are we to be unified around (has to be around something)?

  • Warfare -- Joel 2.7 They run like mighty men, they climb the wall like men of war; every one marches in formation, and they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another; every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, they are not cut down.
  • Certain doctrine – Eph. 4.4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism [this symbolizes following and obeying Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection, proclaiming all of it]; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
  • We’re a body/bride – only want one of those! 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. (Rom. 12.5) This is bigger than our denomination, network, ministry or ministerial group, race, age, gender, etc. This is universal. It is not uniformity, but in our diversity we are to be one. That doesn’t over look our differences, it acknowledges them and even celebrates them. We’re not all feet, eyes, noses, fingers, etc.
  • Agreeing prayer – Mt. 18.18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” The you’s here are plural, like y’all.
  • Our mission from God – GO YE, again, the you, again, is plural.
  • Communion – 1  Cor. 10.17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

 

How does it happen?

  • Doing the ‘whats’ will unify us.
  • Right before Paul told us we already were unified, he beseeches us to be and that we should to strive to be unified. Beseech = call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, exhortation or consolation): - call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, entreat, pray, appeal, beg. Strive = endeavor, keep, try your best, be eager, use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: - do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), labor, study.
  • It happens as we work out 1 Cor. 1 & Phil. 2 same mind, speak the same thing, look out for others, servants of all. 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? Phil. 2.1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (2 Cor. 13.11, Phil. 1.27, 4.2, 1 Pet. 3.8)