Sermon Central
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Unity In Christ; No Walls Series
Contributed by John Raulerson on Oct 4, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Since Christ has udown the walls we should live in unity with our brothers in Christ. Lack of unity in the body of Christ is one of the greatest hindrances of evangelism.
Series: Experiencing the Riches of Christ
UNIFIED IN CHRIST
I believe the greatest hindrance of the church or the people of God experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings and the greatest hindrance of the people of God winning a lost world to Jesus Christ
∙is not the lack of resources whether they be spiritual or physical
∙is not the wickedness and the darkness of the world of which we live
∙and is not even the power of Satan and his legions of demons who constantly are working against the church,
But instead the greatest hindrance of our joy and effectiveness is the lack of unity among the brethren.
Jesus understood this very clearly as it was He who said, (John 13:35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Yes, one of the greatest desires of our Lord Jesus is that His people live in unity. On the night before He was crucified our Lord prayed for His people and what did He pray? (John 17:15-23) 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
No wonder that David, the great psalmist wrote in (Ps 133:1) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
The very nature of fallen man is to be at war with one another which is found even in the garden of Eden when Adam pointed his finger at Eve and blamed her for his disobedience to God and then spread to the children Cain and Abel, whereby through jealousy Cain murdered his own brother.
Man has been war with one another since the fall, but this should not be so within the people of God, but sadly, throughout the ages the church has been at war against herself while the lost world is dying and going to hell.
It has been said many times that the church is the only army in the world that shoots its own soldiers. Folks, this has to stop.
I. THE HINDRANCES OF OUR UNITY (2:11-12)
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
A. Broken Relationship with the People of God
(Social Alienation)
When God called Israel to be His people, He did not call them that they may be boastful in their calling but instead that they may be a light unto the world and a blessing to all the world
(Gen 12:1-3) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
(Ex 19:5-6) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Yet, instead of being a blessing to all the world and fulfilling their call as a kingdom of priest, they warred against themselves and built up walls to the people they were called to bless.
∙ walls of religion
∙ walls of prejudice
∙ walls of politics
