Sermon Central
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Unity
Contributed by Damien Saylor on Dec 5, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: We are a family, unified under the Headship of Christ.
Sermon - Unity
- Something that I have pushed for, & wanted for so long, is unity.
- I have enjoyed the thought of people walking through those doors, & being
welcomed by a family that is just like their own.
- A reality people don’t seem to get is that the church is not the name of the
people/children of God.
- The name for the actual church is the Ecclesia/Ekklesia, the Greek word meaning
the called out assembly.
- In Acts 11:26 Barnabas & Saul assembled themselves with the Church, but that
word is the Ecclesia.
- When we’re labeled the Church, it confines us to one certain group of people, & by
all means & gestures we’re seen to all be alike.
- That doesn’t describe the church, because we’re called out in all walks of life,
from the death we all serve a part in, & to the life we’ve been given in Christ
Jesus.
- That didn’t change us into a clone that we now all think & act the same like.
- If we want real unity, then we have to accept that we are all different, & that’s
the way God has designed us.
- We Are the instrument through which God takes His Good News to the world
through.
- I intend to keep this message short, because the Lord has moved me to seek
Him this Morning.
- We’re going to walk through this building & pray throughout this church.
- We’re going to cast off any malice, anger, hatred, & any other demon
inspired thinking that is infecting this Church!
- We’re going to pray the Spirit, the Love, the Peace, the Presence of God
would fill this house once again.
- Now, open your Bibles To Ephesians 4:1-7. Paul wrote to Timothy, in whom he had
placed a lot of faith in.
- Paul plants a seed that is for the entire ecclesia, as we serve in the great commission.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
- Every one of us is given grace!
- The liar, the thief, the adulterer, fornicator, murderer, & just plain sinners are given
the same grace!
- One’s grace isn’t prettier than another’s. They’re all stamped with a cross that’s
empty, a tomb that’s empty, & Jesus Christ seated by Father God in Heaven.
* They all look the same!!!
- Think about that Grace, & let’s pray.
Prayer
- Paul said Timothy! Walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called!
- Ecclesia- Called out assembly, walk worthy(with an outward showing) of the
Gospel, The grace that we have received & also are preaching.
9 But ye are a chosen generation,(do you hear the word ecclesia here?) a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
- We are called out to be part of the Body of Christ.
- The Body that Christ is the head of!
- If we do not function properly in this Body. Yeah sure, you may make the Body
look bad, but that’s not what matters.
- You make the head, Christ look bad.
Q- Why else would Paul call Timothy to walk worthy of His vocation?
- If Christ is made to look bad, then no one can be saved, because people don’t
trust Him.
- At least not in this place!
- The way we treat people, the way we talk, the way we help. It all either
makes the head look good or bad.
- If People Don’t trust Christ, then they will answer for their own sin!
- We are called the temple of God.
- Yes, our body is called the temple for the Holy Spirit, But the Church, The
ecclesia, is called the temple/habitation of God.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
