Unity

by Pastor Sharron I Scott, Let Go and Soar Ministries

May 31, 2012

(Introduction by Pastor Walt Scott for Susanville Prison, November 15, 2014)

Psalm 133:1

1 How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!

John 17:20-26

Jesus Prays to the Father, for All Believers

(He had just finished praying for his disciples)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

INTRODUCTION

Why unity? Many people speak of unity today, including myself. Why do you think that is? I feel that to answer that correctly, we need to see what Father God's original intention was for us in regard to unity.

I believe it started originally with the tower of Babel incident. Mankind all spoke the same language and probably looked somewhat the same, skin color, etc. They were untied although they wanted to make a name for themselves by building a city with a tower that reached to the heavens. I feel they were self-promoting and excluding God. God saw what they were doing and confused their language so they couldn't understand one another, and scattered them over the whole face of the earth. The Lord said in Genesis 11:6-7:

First of all, God's covenant with Noah was:

Genesis 9:1

9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.

They weren't complying. Secondly, they were becoming self-reliant and not honoring their creator. So God destroyed the unity that they had because it was a false, counterfeit form of unity that did not recognize God.

So, mankind was scattered over the earth and formed different languages, peoples, nations, cultures, skin color differences, and so on. All of this caused much division among the many different people. There have been multiple wars, deceit, violence, etc. over the long history of mankind because of our differences and disunity. We just have to read history to know this. I believe God wanted that unity then, and now, to be centered around our trust, hope, obedience, faith and belief in Him, our creator. (Psalm 133)

When we gather together to worship, it always causes disappointment in me to see different age or ethnic groups always gather together. Or, just people who are old friends and are familiar with each other. Most people have a comfort—or comfortable—zone, and prefer to stay there. That is not what God intended, and is not how we are instructed to fellowship. If we can't step out of this comfort zone in church, how can we carry out the Great Commission outside of church?

(Original message begins here)

The eyes of my heart and my spirit keeps returning to John 17:23. It touches me deeply to know that our Savior prayed to His Father for us just prior to being taken prisoner, knowing that his death was imminent (John 18 ref. only).

In His prayer, Jesus says “May they be brought to “complete unity,” unity is what Jesus and God have. They are one. All decisions are made in harmony with a common goal. No dissension. Jesus is asking that the body of His followers and future followers be “brought to” complete unity with Jesus, the Father, and each other. Not individually, but collectively. That indicates a journey that we cannot make on our own. If we could achieve unity without God, we wouldn’t need Jesus. Certainly we have not yet arrived. The Body of Jesus Christ (the Church) includes all people, and is not fully whole until all Christians and pre-Christians become one in Christ Jesus. That is God's and our goal. (Note: I don’t use “believers” here, because you can “believe” without receiving Christ. Just as satan did. Also note that Jesus did not include the Holy Spirit in his prayer, because they had not yet received the Spirit at Pentecost. But certainly the Holy Spirit is in unity with the Father and Jesus).

Philippians 2:1-4

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Division of purpose, even interpretation of the Word, has kept us apart. We say we seek unity, but who among us will sacrifice their opinions? unity indicates a “oneness”. For that we ALL need to surrender pride and ego. The enemy is very successful with denominationalism. Those calling themselves the “One True Faith” (two denominations from my past experience immediately come to mind) believe that all others are excluded from salvation. We are so wrapped up in “converting others” to our “One True Faith” that we do not love unconditionally. We feel that if we can baptize them “into” our Faith, we have removed them from “wrong thinking”.

Ephesians 4:1-7 & 11-13

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

We cannot baptize into unity. We cannot take ourselves into unity. If that were so, Jesus would have said “will go to” instead of “be brought to.” We can only arrive at unity by being “in Christ”. What does that look like? Being one with Christ, in communion with Him, in intimate relationship with Him; where there is no ego, no self, no confusion, and no false humility. It is to “know the Master’s business”. To be in Christ is to be filled with His Holy Spirit. All worldly concerns are set aside. We focus on love, worship and serving. It is not the HOW of it, but the DOING. unity is absolutely unattainable for us if we seek it in and of ourselves; it is only ours if we see Christ. In Christ alone we will find it. Looking for Jesus in others, and shedding all else is the only way.

Romans 6:3-5 & 15:5-7

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Do we find ourselves asking “How are they dressed? Are they clean? Do they speak in tongues? Do they sit or stand when they should? Do they pray silently? Do they worship my way, as and when I do? Do they exercise? Do they eat right? Do they treat others well? Do they drink, smoke, take drugs? Do they look like me?” None of these things matter! Not in unity. These are God’s concern, not ours. Our concern is to seek Christ first in ourselves and then in others. Anything beyond that is our own path to “conformity,” and NOT God’s unity. Remember, in God's eyes we are all EQUAL.

Leave to God the work of polishing us. I search for a glimmer of the heart of Jesus in each person’s eyes. That is all. First, Jesus. Past that, I strive to introduce each of His beloved to who they really are in Heaven (as the Spirit reveals to me), without the influence of this world. I show them the road they don’t yet see. For, aside from Jesus, there is no freedom—only conformity to the world manufactured and manipulated by the enemy; a distraction from our true purpose-- the purpose of unity with God.

Seeking unity in Jesus gives freedom. From the place of freedom all judgment is the responsibility of the Father alone (aren’t we glad!?). If we look at each person through the eyes of Jesus, as opposed to looking at each person for conformity to what makes us comfortable, we go directly to the Source, which is Jesus. I see a cord—a connection within each soul, with a beginning and an end. If I reach in and grab on to the beginning, and another member of the Body grabs the end, the connection is strengthened. It is continuous, and extends to the heart of the Father. It is our lifeline to Christ. Seek Him alone, above all else.

It is because of the Glory of Jesus that we can be brought to unity. His glory, as He has given it to us, brings unity (John 17:22). Seek His glory within yourself and in others. There we will find Him. And there we will be brought to unity; with Him, and with each other. Thus, the Body of Christ will grow, be fortified and made mighty, not because of our strength, but with the collective heart of Jesus. No enemy shall pass through, or even survive proximity. Evil cannot exist in the presence of God. It is only there, in that place, we will see the Face of God. And without unity in the Body the world only sees hypocrisy, not true faith.

Colossians 3:12-15

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.