Eph 4:2-3 NKJV
..with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Because of sin the unity between man and God was broken
Salvation re-unites us to God, and also to each other in one purpose of mind
In the previous 3 chapters Paul emphasizes the principles of unity
Chap 1 Paul speaks about being re-united with Him
There was a wall of partition Eph 2:14 separating us
Sin always divides; God against man, man against man and man against himself from within
Produces fights and quarrels
Christianity is the only religion that people see doesn’t take itself seriously
It’s time to stop playing with the holy things of God
John 17:22 sees Jesus praying that we all may be one…
It is only the Spirit of God that can unite us
If you understand who the Holy Spirit is and His purpose you will be united with gratitude to the Father through Jesus and to other members of His body
We cannot produce artificially the unity of the Spirit, and He doesn’t ask us to!
If the Holy Spirit isn’t in us, we cannot have unity
It is His work
It starts within and works itself outwardly
It is not mechanical
Paul asks us to take care not to break the unity of the Spirit that is already there if God’s Spirit is present
We are to maintain it
Illust
Like a car; it will not run effectively if we do not maintain the internal engine. It needs oil, water, fuel to spark and power up.
It’s no good having an external shiny car that doesn’t work!
We cannot neglect it, but with care and attention fill it up regularly
The Spirit is internal
2 Cor 13:14 says ‘Where the Spirit of God is, there is unity’
This unity is primarily spiritual, unseen; but shows itself outwardly
We cannot start with the external and hope to arrive at internal unity
One of the dangers is an appeal for people to work together and pray together
This is contrary to the Apostle’s teaching
When it is present, we will recognise it
Let’s look at ‘endeavour’
It doesn’t mean, ‘trying to attempt it’
Be diligent with speed; be quick about it
To ‘keep’, to guard, hold fast, preserve
We’re not told to make unity, or create it
We cannot be Christians without the work of the Spirit, because it is the Spirit Himself who unites us
People come together for common causes, but this is unity in only one area
Jade’s cancer, 9/11, famine relief etc.
Chap 3:10 powers will see and wonder at the unity of Jew, Gentile and God
How do we keep this unity?
With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love
KJV: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love
Meekness: ready to suffer wrong and commit everything to God
Humility and meekness the first things we need to keep unity
All: in every situation, at all times
Wear humility and meekness like a garment; not just Sundays
Forbearing: ‘to hold yourself up against’
If someone tempts you into a wrong attitude, then put up with it, suffer it
If someone disagrees with you, then so what?
Don’t retaliate, but consider whether they may in trying times, personal circumstances
You must never try to win one over, but forbear
In love: if you love them, you will forbear
You won’t show that you are right, even if you are!
By showing these characteristics, we preserve unity
It is all kept together by ‘peace’
If I cause trouble or strive, then I’m not a peacemaker
If I want my own way, then I’m not considering other better than myself
Unity is more than going with the flow, but inside you are divided
You cannot always have an opinion
We have some who claim rights to their own opinion
When and if you are a Christian, then you lost all rights to opinions
It’s only the Word that has the last say
You must trust those God has appointed over you and submit to those in authority
Pastors and ministers of the word must uphold the truth of scripture at all cost
Some are afraid to offend in fear of disunity
Some things we cannot agree to disagree on
It’s no wonder the laugh at the church when we can’t agree on what we believe in
The apostle’s creed
“United we stand, divided we fall.”
The day of Pentecost saw true unity
Acts 2 they were all together in one place; it doesn’t say they were one in any other way
Believers together can experience unity in the power of God
It was the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17
Let s endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
Note the capital S, not our spirit, but His
What will you do to keep this unity?
Illust
An old legend tells of a noisy carpenter’s shop in which the tools of the trade were arguing among themselves. Brother Hammer was told by his fellow tools that he would have to leave because he was too noisy. To which he replied, “If I am to leave this carpenter’s shop, Brother Gimlet must go too; he is so insignificant that he makes very little impression.”
Little Brother Gimlet arose and said, “All right, but Brother Screw must go also; you have to turn him around and around again and again to get him anywhere.”
Brother Screw said, “If you wish, I will go. But Brother Plane must leave also; all his work is on the surface, there is no depth to it.”
To this Brother Plane replied, “Well, Brother Rule will have to withdraw if I do, for he is always measuring others as though he were the only one who is right.”
Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper and said, “I just do not care, he is rougher than he ought to be and he is always rubbing people the wrong way.”
In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He had come to perform His day’s work. He put on His apron, and went to the bench to make a pulpit. He employed the screw, the gimlet, the sandpaper, the saw, the hammer and the plane and all the other tools. After the day’s work was over and the pulpit was finished, Brother Saw arose and said, “Brethren, I perceive that all of us are laborers together with God.”
Is it not wonderful how God uses all of us and our unique gifts in the building of His pulpit!
If this church is to see revival, then all of us must be filled with His Spirit
If we are filled, then we will demonstrate fruit and gifts
The priests wore cymbals and pomegranates
Cannot have one without the other
Begin to live like people who have the Holy Spirit
Some will irritate you, disagree with you, and even turn their back on you, but you keep being filled with the Spirit
As a church we need to understand the value of each person within this congregation.
If there is one fault to which we must address, it is need to value others more than self.
I know selfishness and self-centeredness are common sins, but they have no place in the body of Christ.
When confronted with our actions, we should openly repent of them to the brother or sister we have devalued.
If this church is to be united in the way Jesus prayed, it will come when we begin to value everyone here
Something great will happen when people value what God has given us, and each other
From this, unity will permeate, and the world, principalities, powers and all creation will see revival that only the Spirit can produce
Finish with Psalm 133
Here the anointing with oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit
This anointing through unity brings the blessing!
