"IT IS TIME TO BUILD"
LAST WEEK WE BEGAN OUR STUDY ON BUILDING THE HOUSE OF GOD... OUR TEXT IS THE BOOK OF EZRA -- A BOOK THAT IS ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE RETURNING FROM A 75 YEAR EXILE IN BABYLON -- RETURNING TO JERUSALEM TO BUILD THE HOUSE OF GOD.... AND AS WE WILL SEE, THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BUILDING THE HOUSE OF GOD...
AND THERE ARE AT LEAST 17 PRINCIPLES THAT THEY EMPLOYED THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT SUCCESS.... AND WE ARE GOING TO SPEND OUR TIME IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS DISCUSSING THESE PRINCIPLES... AND I AM CONVINCED THAT IF WE AS A CHURCH TRULY EMBRACE THESE PRINCIPLES (IF WE UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT AND LIVE THEM OUT) WE TOO WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AT BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE, RIGHT HERE IN EAST TAMPA.
LAST WEEK WE ABLE TO DISCUSS ONLY ONE PRINCIPLE, BUT AS WE SAID IT IS THE FOUNDATION PRINCIPLE, AND IT IS FOUND IN EZRA 1:5;
C:\Documents and Settings\smalone\My Documents\Sermons from EZRA\EZRA3
IF WE ARE TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE WE MUST BE A PEOPLE WHOSE HEART GOD HAS MOVED.
WE MUST BE A PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRULY GIVEN OUR HEARTS TO GOD -- PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVED BY THE CROSS, MOVED BY GOD’S LOVE, MOVED BY CHRIST’S SACRIFICE -- MOVED BY GOD’S GRACE.... AND WHO ARE MOVED BY OUR ADOPTION AS CHILDREN OF GOD....
AND WE MUST BE A PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVED TO TAKE ACTION... REMEMBER WE SAID LAST WEEK, THAT GOD’S MOVING SOMEONE’S HEART IS MUCH MORE THAN A WARM FUZZY FEELING ON SUNDAY MORNING (AFTER A MSG OR SONG) - YOU SEE, IF THE MOVEMENT OF YOUR HEART DOESN’T RESULT IN REAL, CONSISTENT, COMMITTED ACTION FOR HIS CHURCH. GOD DID NOT MOVE YOUR HEART. HE TRIED/HE SENT THE SEED... BUT YOU SHUT THE DOOR BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT HIM TO COME IN AND REALLY CHANGE YOU....
AND IT TAKES WORK AT TIMES TO OPEN A SHUT DOOR...(BUT WITH PRAYER, STUDY AND REPENTANCE IT CAN BE OPENED....
NOW BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT MORE PRINCIPLES FOR BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT I MEAN BY BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE:
BECAUSE BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE IS MUCH MORE THAN BUILDING A PHYSICAL BUILDING THOUGH THAT IS A PART OF IT, BUT THERE IS MORE..
IT IS TO BUILD THE CHURCH AND THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE... IT IS TO BUILD MARRIAGES, FAMILIES, PEOPLE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, IT IS TO DISCIPLE PEOPLE AND HELP THEM TO GROW IN CHRIST SO THEY CAN HAVE STRONG FAMILIES AND MARRIAGES..
IT IS TO BUILD A PLACE OF REFUGE
A HOSPITAL FOR THE SIN SICK. A SANCTUARY FOR THE TRIED, WORN AND WEARY.
IT IS TO BUILD A PLACE THAT IS REALLY REACHING OUT INTO THIS WORLD; IT IS TO PUT OUR LIGHT ON THE LAMPLIGHT STAND -- TO BE A BEACON OF LIGHT IN THIS WORLD...
IT IS TO BUILD A PLACE WHERE WE LOVE ANOTHER, ENCOURAGE, ONE ANOTHER, BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER, PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND CARRY THE BURDENS OF ONE ANOTHER...
AND IT IS TO BUILD A PLACE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP -- WHERE JESUS CHRIST IS LIFTED UP HIGH IN ALL HIS GLORY FOR ALL MEN TO SEE AND BE DRAWN TO....
THAT IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY IT IS TIME TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE -- IT IS A WORTHWHILE PROJECT -- IT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PURSUIT... A PURSUIT WORTHY OF ALL YOU HAVE, AND ALL THAT YOU ARE....
BUT ONLY THOSE WHOSE HEART HAS REALLY BEEN MOVED BY GOD -- WILL EVER EVEN GET UP GET BUSY AND BEGIN TO BUILD....
YES A HEART MOVED BY GOD IS THE FOUNDATION, BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE PRINCIPLES FOR US TO LEARN -- LET’S LOOK NOW AT :
PRINCIPLE NUMBER TWO TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE WE MUST BE A HOLY PEOPLE -- EZRA 2:61,62
WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DESIGNATE MEN TO THE PRIESTHOOD, THOSE WHO WERE CLASSIFIED AS UNCLEAN, WERE UNABLE TO SERVE AS PRIESTS.. GOD WANTED ONLY CLEAN/HOLY MEN TO SERVE HIM...
NOW THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES THAT WE ALL ARE PRIESTS -- PETER SPEAKING TO CHRISTIANS WRITES;
"BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD....." -- 2 PETER 2:9
THEREFORE CHRISTIAN’S BY DEFINITION ARE PRIESTS... AND GOD IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT TODAY’S PRIEST, ABOUT THOSE TAKING PART IN THE BUILDING OF HIS HOUSE TODAY, -- GOD IS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CLEANLINESS/THEIR HOLINESS...
PETER WRITES;
"THEREFORE (IN LIGHT OF WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST) PREPARE YOU MINDS FOR ACTION; BE SELF CONTROLLED; (HOW DO WE DO THIS --HE CONTINUES) SET YOUR HOPE FULLY ON THE GRACE TO BE GIVEN YOU WHEN JESUS CHRIST IS REVEALED.... AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, DO NOT CONFORM TO THE EVIL DESIRES YOU HAD WHEN YOU LIVED IN IGNORANCE. BUT JUST AS HE WHO CALLED YOU IS HOLY, SO BE HOLY IN ALL YOU DO; FOR IT IS WRITTEN: `BE HOLY, BECAUSE I AM HOLY..." -- 1 PETER 1:13-16
THE APOSTLE PAUL WRITES ABOUT HOLINESS:
"IT IS GOD’S WILL THAT YOU SHOULD BE SANCTIFIED...FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO BE IMPURE BUT TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE..."
-- 1 THESS 4:3,7
AND PAUL IN 2 CORINTHIAN 7:1;
"SINCE WE HAVE THESE PROMISES DEAR FRIENDS (WHAT KIND OF PROMISES DO WE HAVE FROM GOD -- SALVATION, FORGIVENESS, SPIRIT, GRACE, HEAVEN) LET US PURIFY OURSELVES FROM EVERYTHING THAT CONTAMINATES BODY AND SPIRIT, PERFECTING HOLINESS OUT OF REVERENCE FOR GOD..." WE ARE TO BE HOLY BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY
WE ARE TO BE HOLY BECAUSE GOD CALLS US TO BE HOLY
WE ARE TO BE HOLY BECAUSE WE REVERE GOD...
To be holy/sanctified, means to be Christ Like -- when we come to Christ (B-R-B) >> we are justified and are justification happens immediately -- we are declared not guilty when we are baptized into Christ.
But our sanctification is another mater -- Our sanctification is a process, a process whereby we become more Christ -Like.
It is God’s desire that we become Christ Like -- that we be like Jesus... God has called us to be holy, to be separated, to be different than the world.
We have been called to a different standard, we have been called to walk a higher road.. We are to be Holy, because God is Holy -- We are to be pure, because God is pure...
A. AND IF WE ARE TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE WE ARE TO BE HOLY -- BECAUSE GOD ONLY WORKS IN AND BRINGS VICTORY THROUGH A HOLY PEOPLE...
WE SEE THIS TRUTH DRAMATICALLY LIVED OUT IN THE EARLY PAGES OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA......
JOSHUA 7:10-14
JOSHUA 19-26
IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THIS BODY -- YOUR SIN EFFECTS THE ABILITY OF THIS BODY TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR CHRIST....
B. IF IT IS TRUE (AND IT IS) THAT GOD ONLY WORKS IN AND BRINGS VICTORY THROUGH A HOLY PEOPLE --- THEN A QUESTION THAT SHOULD BE OF ULTIMATE CONCERN AND OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE IS HOW CAN I BE HOLY/HOW CAN I BE PURE WHEN I LIVE IN SUCH AN IMPURE WORLD....
LET ME SHARE 4 STEPS WITH YOU THAT I FOUND IN THE BOOK 7 PROMISES OF A PROMISE KEEPER... STEPS THAT WILL HELP US TO BE HOLY/TO BE PURE...
1) MAKE A DECISION TO BE PURE
We need to be like Daniel, who while in Babylon refused to submit to the diet Nebuchadnezer told him to eat...(Even though it was going against societal flow in a serious way).
Daniel refused to defile himself by eating food that God had called unclean. The word defile means; to make unclean or impure, to corrupt the purity or perfection of, debase, sully, taint, dishonor, contaminate, pollute, dirty, soil, poison, smear, blot, blur, smudge, stain, tarnish, profane, infect, dishonor or disgrace.."
That’s not a pleasant list of words is it... Daniel; chose to stand tall and to stand for God -- despite the influence of the world around him; "it’s okay Dan to do these things..." Daniel knew and accepted God’s call to a higher standard.
Everyday we are faced with choices -- everyday we are asked to choose to either walk the high road of spiritual greatness or the low road of spiritual mediocrity and sin...sins of commission (things we do) and of omission things we don’t do, but know that we should.
WE NEED TO DECIDE TO EVERYDAY TO BE PURE/TO WALK THE HIGH ROAD.
2. THE SECOND THING WE NEED TO DO IS -- WE NEED TO PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
It is going to take more for us to be pure than simply avoiding all of the negative outside influences of this world, Though that is a good step -- It is not enough to just avoid the don’ts.
A pure and clean world will not make people pure -- Jesus said the real problem is in the inside -- that it is what’s inside that defiles a man..
Let me ask you, what kind of crop would a framer harvest who; removed all weeds from his field, who faithfully fertilized the soil; who ensured the field received the proper water -- WHAT KIND OF HARVEST WOULD HE HAVE IF HE DID ALL THAT BUT NEVER PLANTED THE SEED?
In the same way we will only reap a harvest of purity and integrity (in our lives) by planting the good seed of God’s word in our lives... And IT IS NOT ENOUGH to merely read The Bible, like you read the sunday paper. No, I’m talking about reading the Bible with a heart for God, about humbly seeking His face, about seeking to hear from Him, about allowing His word to penetrate deep into our hearts...(even when it hurts). about wanting God to show us what we need to do or not do in our lives, in order to be like His son...
GOD WILL, THROUGH HIS WORD -- REVEAL THE IMPURITIES THAT ARE IN OUR LIVES... THE IMPURE ACTIONS, ATTITUDES AND THOUGHTS THAT ARE CONTAMINATING OUR CHRISTIANITY.
But friends, this will only happen when we read the Word on a consistent basis, when we pray ON A CONSISTENT BASIS and when we reflect and mediate on what God has said to us..
Is this easy? Will it take time?
Do you want to be pure?
If we don’t take care of the inside of our lives -- no matter what we remove from the outside, we will never really be pure...
The Old man will continue to crept out from the inside out...
AFTER WE HAVE MADE A DECISION TO BE PURE
PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
3. WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHERE THE LINE IS (THE LINE OF PERSONAL SIN), AND THEN STAY A SAFE DISTANCE BEHIND IT.
Brothers we need to move beyond biblical absolutes and determine what kinds of things are healthy for us and what thing are not.
Let me share a few ?’s that one writer suggests we ask ourselves? IF WE/YOU Answer THESE QUESTION HONESTLY, THEY WILL US HELP DETERMINE WHERE THAT LINE IS.. AND HOW CLOSE WE’VE BEEN WALKING TO IT.
> In what areas of your life do you consistently struggle? (we all do)
> Are there any particular sins to which you are consistently vulnerable?
> Do any activities consume too much of your time?
> Over the past years, what has been Satan’s most effective "bait" to attract you? (I know what it is in my life -- and I bite that bait far to often)
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, THAT MORAL FAILURE IS RARELY THE RESULT OF A BLOWOUT; IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE RESULT OF A SLOW LEAK... IT’S GRADUAL LIKE A FROG IN THE KETTLE (WHY DIDN’T HE JUMP OUT? BECAUSE HE DIDN’T NOTICE WHERE HE WAS UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE....)
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WITH MOST PEOPLE THEY EVER SO SLOWLY CROSS THE LINE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG... WE DON’T REALLY DO BIG THINGS AT FIRST.. THEY SEEM SO LITTLE -- NOT A BIG DEAL -- I MEAN DAVID DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A BIG DEAL TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT BATHSHEBA -- AND THAT LITTLE SOMETHING WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE ---- LED TO ADULTERY, MURDER AND THE DEATH OF HIS SON...
YOU SEE; OUR ENEMY, THE DEVIL IS VERY CONSIDERATE. HE REALIZES THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY NOT BITE INTO A 16 OZ. STEAK OF SIN (ADULTERY, MURDER) SO HE VERY GRACIOUSLY CUTS IT INTO LITTLE BITES THAT DON’T SEEM LIKE THAT A BIG OF A DEAL -- BUT BEFORE LONG, IF WE KEEP BITING THOSE LITTLE BITES EVENTUALLY ADD UP TO A WHOLE STEAK...
AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT, WE ARE IN A POT OF HOT WATER... NOW WE DIDN’T WANT THAT... WE DIDN’T INTEND TO GET THERE...
WE DIDN’T THINK IT COULD HAPPEN TO US... BUT IT DID! AND IT DOES
LOOK AT SAMSON, BORN IN GODLY HOME -- UNDER THE PROMISE OF GOD.. HE WAS A LEADER OF GOD’S PEOPLE. SAMSON HAD EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM... YET, SAMSON NEVER DREW A LINE AND DEALT WITH HIS TENDENCY TOWARD SEXUAL LUST. AND FOR THAT HE PAID A PRICE, A HIGH PRICE...
We need to determine where our vulnerable spots for sin are.. We to locate the chinks in our spiritual armor... And then we need to draw a line and say, "I’M NOT GOING TO CROSS THIS, AS A MATER FACT I AM NOT GOING WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF IT..."
If lust is a problem don’t look at things you should not look at/or be with people in situations you should not be in...
If drinking is a problem don’t go to a place or be around people who drink.. If lust for wealth is a problem don’t watch lifestyles of the rich and famous or attend get rich quick seminars We need to stop playing with our weakens trying to see how close we can get without going over... Someone has said that doing that is like a scuba diver seeing how little air he can leave in his tank and still get to the surface.. THAT’S STUPID!
4. WE NEED TO STAND GUARD OVER OUR LIVES
We need to guard our hearts, AGAINST: what we see, against little things.... and we need to stand guard over our minds and be careful even about what we think. We need to be alert/we need to watch and pray as Jesus told the disciples in the garden, so we will not fall into temptation... And we need to as the bible says; take every though captive and make it obedient to jesus Christ...
ONE FINAL THOUGH ABOUT BEING HOLY.... BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PRINCIPLE #3 -- LET’S REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF OUR HOLINESS AND THAT EVEN WHEN WE STRAY AND BECOME UNCLEAN. FORGIVENESS IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE....
"IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND PURIFY US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.... - I JOHN 1:9
PRINCIPLE NUMBER 3; IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE EVERYONE MUST GIVE THEIR BEST... EZRA 2:69
"ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY THEY GAVE..."
MATTHEW 24:14-30
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND A MEMBER OF THIS BODY... GOD HAS GIVEN YOU SOME TALENTS/YOU HAVE SOME ABILITIES.... THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING FOR THE LORD’S CHURCH HERE IN EAST TAMPA.
NOW, GOD DOES NOT EXPECT US TO DO MORE THAN WE ARE ABLE... HE ONLY REQUIRES THAT WE GIVE OUR BEST. IF WE ARE A TWO TALENT MAN OR WOMAN, THEN GOD EXPECTS ONLY 2 TALENTS SERVICE... IF WE ARE A ONE TALENT MAN OR WOMAN, GOD EXPECTS ONLY ONE TALENT SERVICE.
BUT HE DOES, EXPECT THAT SERVICE... AND IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING IT YOU ARE ROBBING GOD.... HEAR IS MY REASONING FOR THAT STATEMENT...
GOD SAYS IN ROMANS 12
"THEREFORE I URGE YOU BROTHERS IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY, TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD -- THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP..."
AND GOD SAYS MALACHI 3:8-10
IN LIKE MANNER IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING YOUR LIVES IN SPIRITUAL SERVICE FOR THE LORD AND FOR HIS CHURCH, YOU ARE ROBBING GOD....
AND IF WE ARE TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE EVERYONE MUST DO AND GIVE THEIR BEST... MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK.... IN CHURCHES THROUGHOUT THE LAND SOME ARE WORKING HARD AND OTHERS ARE HARDLY WORKING FOR THE KINGDOM AN FOR THE CHURCH...
THE TALENTS AND ABILITIES GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ARE FOR HIS GLORY.... HE GAVE THOSE TALENTS TO YOU TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM -- NOT TO BUILD YOUR OWN KINGDOM TO THE NEGLECT OF BUILDING HIS...
AND AS JESUS TAUGHT IN MATTHEW 24; ONE DAY GOD WILL ASK ME & HE WILL ASK YOU TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HOW WE USED OUR TALENTS FOR HIS KINGDOM... IF HE CAME TO DAY WHAT ANSWER WOULD YOU BE GIVING HIM...
THE ISRAELITES RETURNING FROM EXILE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BUILDING GOD’S PHYSICAL HOUSE... THE TEMPLE..
THE PEOPLE’S HEARTS WERE MOVED BY GOD.... AND THAT MOVEMENT WAS MORE THAN A WARM EMOTIONAL FEELING -- THEY TOOK ACTION, THEY HAD REAL FAITH... AND GOD’S PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLEANLINESS OF THE PRIESTHOOD AND EACH ONE GAVE ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY... AND, IN LIKE MANNER, IF WE ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE HERE AT EAST TAMPA -- IT WILL ONLY BE DONE BY A PEOPLE WHOSE HEART GOD HAS MOVED .... HE MUST DO THE MOVING -- WE MUST DO THE WORK AND HE WILL SUPPLY THE POWER.
AND THE BUILDING OF GOD’S HOUSE MUST BE DONE BY A HOLY PEOPLE/PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEIR PERSONAL PURITY SERIOUSLY.... BECAUSE THEY ARE THOSE IN WHOM GOD WORKS AND BRINGS VICTORY THROUGH....
AND FOR THE WORK TO MOVE ON -- AND BROTHERS THERE IS MUCH WORK AT EAST TAMPA -- EVERYONE MUST GIVE THEIR BEST IN TIME TALENTS AND TREASURE.... THERE ARE SOME PRESENT WHO CAN AND SHOULD DO MORE...... WILL YOU STEP UP TODAY, DIG IN YOUR FEET AND GIVE OF THE BEST TO YOUR MASTER...
READ WORDS OF HYMN 170
PRINCIPLE NUMBER 4; TO BUILD GOD’S WE ALSO MUST BE A PEOPLE WHO ARE, "AS ONE MAN" EZRA 3:1
"...THE PEOPLE SETTLED AS ONE MAN IN JERUSALEM..."
READY AND PREPARED TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE.....
AND IF WE ARE GOING TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE WE MUST ASSEMBLE AS ONE MAN IN EAST TAMPA READY TO BUILD GOD’S HOUSE ...
LET ME SHARE A FEW PASSAGES ABOUT UNITY....
PSALM 133
I CORINTHIANS 12:12-27
JOHN 17:20-23
A. WHY IS UNITY SO IMPORTANT?
IN THE MOVIE MIGHTY DUCKS 2 -- A BUNCH OF KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE GATHERED TO FORM A HOCKEY TEAM - "TEAM USA" AND THEY ARE COMPETING IN THE JUNIOR GOODWILL GAMES...
AND WHEN THEY FIRST GOT TOGETHER THEIR WAS A PROBLEM WITH UNITY.... THE COACH, "COACH BOMBAY", REALIZING THAT THIS WAS ONE OF HIS FIRST PROBLEMS TO CORRECT HAD ALL THE KIDS STAND ON THE HOCKEY RINK IN A MASSIVE GROUP, AND HE THEN TIED A ROPE AROUND THEM ALL -- AND TOLD THEM TO SKATE... WELL, YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED -- THEY FELL -- BUT THEY EVENTUALLY GOT IN TOGETHER....
B. WHY IS UNITY AT TIMES SO HARD TO ACHIEVE?
AGAIN IN MIGHTY DUCKS 2 WHEN THEY INITIALLY TRIED TO SKATE TOGETHER, THEY FELL.... AND IN ONE SCENE, 1 PLAYER WHO IS TRYING TO GET THE TEAM TO WORK TOGETHER SAID -- "OKAY LET’S ALL GO RIGHT" -- AND THEY ALL STARTED TO GO RIGHT UNTIL ANOTHER SAID "HEY, WHO MADE YOU IN CHARGE LET’S GO LEFT"....... AND THEY FELL, AS EACH TRIED TO GO HIS OWN WAY. AND THAT, IS EXACTLY WHAT MAKES UNITY SO HARD, AND THAT IS WHAT JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT IN
JAMES 4:1-3
THE THING THAT MAKES UNITY SO HARD TO ACHIEVE ESPECIALLY IN OUR SOCIETY -- IS THAT EVERYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT THEMSELVES, ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS, ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT..... THEIR NEEDS, THEIR DESIRES, THEIR CONVENIENCE AND THEIR WAY COMES BEFORE THE CHURCH...
C. BUT, HOW IS UNITY ACHIEVED?
ONCE AGAIN IN THE MOVIE D2; THEY ACHIEVED UNITY -- THEY BECAME A TEAM BY WORKING TOGETHER -- BY HAVING A COMMON GOAL, A COMMON PURPOSE -- BY HAVING A COMMON ENEMY (TEAM ICELAND); AND, BECAUSE THE MORE THEY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER THE MORE THEY REALIZED HOW MUCH THEY NEEDED EACH OTHER....AND HOW EACH INDIVIDUALS SPECIAL TALENT IS WHAT GAVE TEAM USA THEIR IDENTITY...
IN LIKE MANNER, WE WILL ONLY HAVE UNITY IN THE CHURCH/WE WILL ONLY BE "AS ONE MAN" -- WHEN WE EACH EMBRACE OUR COMMON PURPOSE AND GOAL (TO PLEASE CHRIST AND TO BUILD HIS CHURCH) --
YOU SEE; UNITY IN THE CHURCH IS TO BE FOUND ONLY IN CHRIST -- AND WE’LL FIND THAT THE MORE WE WORK TOGETHER -- WE TOO WILL SEE JUST HOW MUCH WE NEED EACH OTHER; WE WILL SEE THAT EACH OF US HAVE SOMETHING UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LORD’S WORK/TO THE BODY....
UNITY DOES NOT MEAN CONFORMITY (WE ARE ALL EXACTLY THE SAME) -- I THINK THE VISION THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAD FOR OUR COUNTRY -- IS THE SAME VISION WE ARE TO HAVE FOR THE CHURCH... "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (FROM THE MANY ONE).. AND ONLY IN CHRIST IS THAT REALLY POSSIBLE....
AND LET’S NOT FORGET BROTHERS THAT WE TOO HAVE A COMMON ENEMY.... THE DEVIL WHO ROAMS ABOUT LIKE A ROARING LION -- LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR.... HE DEVOURS INDIVIDUALS/THOSE WHO LIVE ON THE FRINGES -- HE AVOIDS BODIES THAT ARE ONE.. HE FEARS UNITY
D. AND FINALLY WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF OUR BEING "AS ONE MAN..."
FOR THE MIGHTY DUCKS THEIR UNITY RESULTED IN A FEELING OF ONENESS -- OF BEING A PART OF A TEAM -- PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEY WERE.... AND IT ALSO RESULTED IN WINNING THE GOLD..
AND WHEN WE ARE, "AS ONE MAN" -- WE TOO WILL EXPERIENCE THAT FEELING OF ONENESS THAT WE ARE NOT IN THIS THING ALONE.... WE WILL EXPERIENCE THE TRILL OF BEING A PART OF A TEAM.... BEING A VITAL PART OF SOMETHING THAT IS BIGGER THAN WE ARE....
AND WHEN WE ARE AS "ONE MAN" WE TOO WILL WIN THE GOLD --
AND WHAT DOES WINING THE GOLD MEAN TO THE CHURCH -- WHAT IS IT THAT WE SHOULD BE AIMING FOR -- WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF OUR UNITY:
#1 IS AS WE READ IN PSALM 133;
"HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN BROTHERS LIVE TOGETHER IN UNITY....FOR THERE THE LORD BESTOWS HIS BLESSING, EVEN LIFE FOREVERMORE..."
WHEN WE ARE AS "ONE MAN" GOD CAN WORK THROUGH US TO BUILD HIS HOUSE..... GOD IS WITH US AND HIS BLESSINGS AND HIS POWER WILL BE HERE...
AND WE SEE #3 IN THE WORDS OF JESUS IN THE GARDEN --
JOHN 17:20-23
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE REALLY DO THAT...
ACTS 2:42....
THEY WERE DEVOTED TOT HE CHURCH/THEY WERE IN AWE OF GOD/THEY WERE TOGETHER (NOT JUST ONE SUNDAYS)...
THEY HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON -- THEY WERE AS ONE MAN
AND THE RESULTS...
THEY WERE PRAISING GOD, GOD WAS BLESSING THEM AND HE WAS ADDING DAILY TO THE CHURCH...
