Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan!
Acts Ch2 Vv1-2
Philippians Ch2 Vv1-5
As I stand here this morning it saddens my heart to know that at this very hour all across the world, we are more divide on this day that we call Sunday than any other day of the week. At this very hour all across the world and in our communities many would say that they are truly having worship. If you called any one who is claiming to be a Christian (this means a follower of Christ) at this hour most of them would say, “We are headed out to Gods house to worship the Lord”. But the question that God has brought to my mind is; how can this be, when there is so much separation in the very ones who claim to be for me? I want you to know this morning that God is not a God of separation! In other words there is no division in God!
This morning I am going to be bold and make a profound statement for the Lord. I want you to know that “Religion” is killing our world and society. I know you may say what? But I want you to know that Religion is man made, not God made! Far too many people are too focused on a Religion rather than a relationship with the Lord. When we turn our attention from having a religion, to a having a relationship with Jesus, I truly believe that we would know, “Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan”!
The only way we are going to put an end to this separation and start coming together is we must have communication with God. Communication with God establishes a relationship with him and having a relationship with God causes Gods word to convict our hearts so that we may repent. This is when we can accept him into our hearts and move from just having a relationship with him, to having a personal relationship with him. For in Romans Ch10 Vv 9-10 it says, “9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.
This simply means we have decided we’re going to live by Gods word and not by mans words. For I am reminded where Jesus told Satan in the book of Luke Ch4 Vv4, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”. Having religion means we are more worried about having communication with man and operating by his word instead of Gods word. I also want you to know this morning that just because Daddy and Momma have been in religion for 50 years and they may have even taught us to do it; but that alone don’t make it right. Everything we do must line up with Gods word and not our own.
Gods’ house is a house of prayer! This means that in order to tare down separation, we have to destroy “Religious segregation”. When I say this I am not just talking about “Race or Color”. No, “Religious segregation” goes deeper than that! Religious segregation deals with the way man believes that Gods house should be and not the way God said it is to be. Jesus clearly lets us know that his house should be a house of prayer and not for man to establish his on ways. Look at the book of Mark the 11Ch Vv 15-17, “15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves”.
Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan!
Just like Jesus was angry at the way the Money changers and the merchants had set up their own way in his fathers’ house. We to as Christians have a right to be upset at sin and injustice being done in the house of God. What is sin and injustice in Gods’ house? Anything that is against His will!
We can even take a look at Solomon in 2 Chronicles Ch7 Vv 11-17, after finishing the building of the temple of the Lord. The word of God says that God came to him at night. God told Solomon that He had heard his prayer and decided to make the temple a place for Himself. In other words God told Solomon that my presence will be in this place and it shall be a temple for sacrifices. I don’t know about you, but whenever you come into where Gods presence is, life changing events began to happen. I am not just talking about a building. I am talking about when we began to operate in and walk in the presence an anointing of God; mighty things began to happen in our lives and in the lives of the ones we come in contact with.
The only way we can achieve coming together with one another is by operating through the power of prayer and by being in the presence of God. I am here this morning to tell all of us that, Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan!
God told Solomon (taken from the NLT), “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you”. “ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land”.
I truly believe that we are experiencing a drought in this world because we have truly failed to set up a true temple for Gods presence to dwell in. For one thing too many of us are missing the mark trying to set up a physical building first. When we haven’t even started setting up our bodily temple. No wonder there is such a big separation going on! I can hear Paul telling us in the book of 1 Corinthians Ch6 Vv19-20, “19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”. Again Paul says to us in the book of Romans Ch12 Vv1-2, “1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.
Pastor, I just stop by on my home to tell some body, “Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan”!
As I looking around and take a survey of our world today. I can see why so many Christians are having a major spiritual drought going on in their lives and it is because we are failing to totally allow the presence of God to rule in every aspect of our lives. As a result it brings on a physical drought in our lives. (EXPLAIN: SOME DROUGHTS) We have to learn to trust God for everything.
Too many Christians are trying to live in the rinse cycle of salvation instead of becoming totally clean. Too many Christians are trying to wear only the pieces of armor that feels good instead of putting on the whole armor of God. Too many Christians are trying to walk with Jesus and with the world too. Look at what James Ch4 and the later part of Vv4 plainly tells us,
“whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”.
So in other words before we can effectively start tarring down the separation in the world, we must 1st tare the separation down between us and Jesus! The question is; how do we do this? We must begin to hate anything that is against Gods will! We must begin to hate sin in all forms! We must learn how to order our steps with the word of God. Simply put, learn to obey! In 1 Samuel Ch15 Vv22 we hear Samuel saying, “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”.
Look at somebody and tell them, Time for Separation Is Over and Coming Together Must Be Our Plan!
Just is case somebody is wonder, how are we going to come together? I believe that God has laid down “Five” simple principles of understanding for us to accomplish this. We are going to able to come together because of:
I. Gods Love For us!
John 3:16, “16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
John Ch10 Vv9-10 Jesus said, “ 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”.
Romans Ch5 Vv8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.
John Ch12 Vv Jesus said, “32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”.
We are going to able to come together because of:
II. Our Love for God!
Matthew Ch22 Vv37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”.
Mark Ch12 Vv30, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment”.
John Ch16 Vv27, “For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God”.
Romans Ch8 Vv28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”.
Romans Ch8 Vv39, “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
We are going to able to come together because of:
III. Our Love for Others!
1 Thessalonians Ch4 Vv9, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another”.
1 John Ch4 Vv7, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God”.
1 John Ch4 Vv11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another”.
We are going to able to come together because of:
IV. Our Witness to Others!
Matthew Ch24 Vv14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come”.
Matthew Ch28 Vv18-20, “18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen”.
Acts Ch1 Vv8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”.
I want to close on this Fifth and final principle. Look at somebody and tell them:
V. One Accord and One place!
Acts Ch2 Vv1-4, “1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”.
Philippians Ch2 Vv1-5, “1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
