The Principle Of Harmony Series

INTRODUCTION

 SLIDE #1

 We have been looking at When God Builds a Church. Today we will move to the principle of harmony.

 How many of you have been a part of an organization where there were problems. People were fighting because they had different ideas about what the organization was supposed to do.

 It becomes like a tug-of-war.

 We are blessed to have a good spirit of harmony at FCC. We have wonderful leaders who model it and a great group of people who want to see our church continue to carry out its’ mission to reach lost people with the Gospel.

 Today I hope as we look at the principle of harmony we will all see how important it is for us to maintain a wonderful spirit of harmony within the FCC body.

SLIDE #2

SERMON

I. THE CONCEPT OF HARMONY

Before we can achieve something, we need to know what it is.

SLIDE #3

1. What is harmony?

 Harmony is defined as follows: 1- Agreement in feeling or opinion, accord, 2- a pleasing combination of elements in a whole.

 Picture if you will an orchestra. Let’s say they are going to play a Tchaikovsky’s Swain Lake. The performance begins. It is beautiful.

 Then the strings section decides to play Take Me Out To The Ballpark.

 The horns decide to play Amazing Grace.

 The violinist decides to play some fiddle music. What would you have? A mess!

 When the all the parts of the orchestra are on the same page, the performance is a good one.

 In sports, if all the players are not headed in the same direction, if each individual player has their own agenda, the team will not succeed. I have seen teams who had individuals who were worried who was getting the points or building their own stats instead of being focused on winning.

 Within the church, being in harmony means we are all striving for the same goal and of one mind in doing it. We set aside any personal agendas for the good of the church and its mission.

 The early church in Acts 2 was of one mind. (Acts 2:46). They were marching to the same beat focused on the same goals. God was blessing what they were doing.

 SLIDE #4

2. Why is harmony such an important part of God’s Church?

 SLIDE #5

 A lack of harmony will damage our mission.

 If we all have different agendas, it will be hard to focus on what we are called to do.

 If we have various agendas, it will cause strife within the church. Who wants to come to a fighting church?

 Let us look at James 4:1-3.

 SLIDE #6

 James 4:1 - 3 (NASB) 1What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

 People were focused on what they wanted instead of what God wanted.

 In the night Jesus was to be crucified, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed for one thing, one thing that would show the world that God had truly sent His Son.

 What was the one thing needed to prove the deity of Jesus? The ability to perform miracles? Powerful preaching? A worship band?

 Look at John 17:20-21 with me.

 SLIDE #7

 John 17:20 - 21 (NASB) 20“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

 Jesus prayed for harmony!

 Another thing harmony does for us is:

 SLIDE #8

 A spirit of harmony will ensure we are all working toward the same goals.

 The mission of this church is stated in the bulletin each week. The purpose of this church is to glorify God connecting people with Christ and helping those connected to grow in Him. When we are a part of the First Christian Church, this should be what we are working toward.

 If we are in harmony, we will all be striving to fulfill that goal. If our programs are in harmony with the statement, they will help work toward that goal.