The Beauty of Unity
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Sticks from last week - stronger together than alone.
Let’s follow up on that with some super glue!
Not only are we stronger when we are together but stronger still when we have a unifying “glue.” Something that holds us together.
As we finish up our series on “better together,” let’s recall just why we’re better together as a church.
We are better together because we encourage one another - especially as we gather:
Heb. 10.24-25 “24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
We are better together when we develop strong spiritual habits together:
Acts 2.42“42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
We are better together when we strengthen one another in our faith.
Eccl. 4.12 “12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
Today we’ll talk about the beauty of unity.
1 How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!
What Kind of Glue?
What Kind of Glue?
There are all kinds of glue. They have their specific purposes.
People gather into groups and are “glued” together by those purposes. That’s ok.
The challenge we have in the church is that we bring all that sticky stuff from our culture to church with us.
Sometimes the glue we use to bind ourselves together is not the one.
Political affiliation, agreement on a social issue, anything really.
The only source of unity for the church is to be bound up together in a common love for and allegiance to Christ.
In fact, Jesus prayed about our unity. It’s fundamental to the mission he gave us.
23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
When We Need Some Glue
When We Need Some Glue
Our world feels more divided than ever. We can split into smaller and smaller affinity groups with every passing day.
If our purpose is to be united so that the world can see Christ, what do we do when we already feel so divided?
How do we get to a place where our differences and opinions aren’t the source of whether or not we love someone or stay in relationships with others in the church?
There are way too many reasons to be divided in the church, out of sync with one another and only one way to be unified.
Paul wrote:
18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
His practical advice was this:
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
This is the glue that binds us together in unity.
We’re stronger together as a group, but if we’re not glued together, unified in a common belief and purpose, we’ll fall apart.
We’re about to move into our time of communion around Jesus’ table.
it’s no accident that Jesus gave us this weekly reminder that we are united in Him. In his death and his resurrection.
Communion is for time with God but it’s also for us to share together.
Let’s pray.