“Unity in the Church”
By
Pastor M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Ephesians 4:1-6 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all”.
OPENING:- The other week I pulled out our New Member Booklet and began to discuss with the Church some of the aspect of the booklet. I went over Our Vision, Mission, Prayer, Focus Statement, and Pledge and I was talking about Love is what causes us to be effective in work, word, and deed, Colossians 3:17 says “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.
I began to talk about how amongst our small congregation that God was going to bless and in this blessing multiplication was going to take place and regardless of the multiplication that happens we must and will remain the church that Loves everybody. One of the main key factors in being a church that loves everybody is that there must be unity. Surely, everyone will agree that unity in the Church is of the utmost importance.
Although we agree that unity is of the utmost importance we must understand that the Church is not called to a superficial kind of unity (only in church on Sunday and Wednesday), it is not called to a handholding kind of unity (Oh isn’t that cute they are getting along), but it is called to a unity that mirrors the unity of the Father and the Son. This is what Jesus prayed for in John. 17:20-23, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (this is the church the body of Christ); 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. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 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”. This is unity and is what we as the church must strive for; however, this type of unity comes only through humbleness.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMBLE?
The dictionary says it is having or showing a sense of lowliness or inferiority. It is not a proud or haughty attitude, it is not being arrogant, but a spirit of deference and submission. It is not slavery or weakness, but it is the free will of a person to bring under subjection himself or herself in order, that, that which needs to be accomplished, is accomplished.
Humbleness is a modest estimation of one’s self Romans 12:3 says “For I say through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” John the Baptist said I must decrease that He may increase.
Humbleness is a self-abased attitude, the Bible says in Mark 8:34 “…Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The cross was a symbol of shame, disgrace and humiliation. The one carrying the cross had been judged by the magistrates and found guilty of a crime, they were sentenced to be crucified on a cross, this the Bible says is a curse, “curseth is he that hangeth on a tree”. So the cross represented shame, disgrace, humiliation, and a curse. For a person to willfully take up the cross was saying that they didn’t care of the shame, disgrace, humiliation, or so-called curse as long as they could do what needed to be done in-order to be like Christ. Humbleness is not searching for popularity and glamour, but is bringing yourself, your attitude, your pride, and your feelings under subjection and accomplishing that which needs to be accomplished. It is not looking for popularity in the eyes of society, but in the sight of God and that God may be Glorified.
Simply stated humbleness means being of a low estate. It is seeing others as higher than ourselves. The Greek word “tapeinoo” means to level a mountain or hill. A humble person is one that has no hills or mountains sticking up, they are not filled with arrogance and self-pride. They do not jockey for position or brag about their achievements, they are not worried about the fanfare and recognition. If we look at the mission of John the Baptist we understand that his purpose was to preach repentance, which is the humbling of a person before God in order that they may receive salvation. The Bible says in Luke 3:5 “Every valley shall be filled up and every mountain and hill made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.” John’s purpose was to make ready the hearts of people, to cause them to become humble and receive salvation. He understood his purpose; therefore, brought himself under subjection, he didn’t become arrogant and prideful, but understood that he had to decrease in-order that Jesus would increase. John the Baptist was poor in spirit, HUMBLED.
Ephesians chapter 3 ends with what is one of my favorite verses of scripture 20-21 says “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen”.
Understand “OUR VISION STATEMENT” that if we are to be to be a church of spiritual excellence, effectively teaching God’s word to the people of this world believing God that the washing of regeneration will be manifested, transforming the community, cleansing lives of all filthiness, giving a new spirit, and reconciling the lost back into a proper relationship with God. Then we must have unity. WHY: John 17:23 “That the world may know that Thou didst send (us) me”. Mark 3:25 says “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”.
Since unity is vital to our effective witness and making us a viable entity in the community, we should ask ourselves, "HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE THE UNITY WITHIN OUR CHURCH". Paul answers this question in Ephesians, chapter 4" Eph. 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called”. That ye walk worthy is to be in unity, without dissension, but with the same goal, desires, and aspiration of the vocation, the purpose we have, the job we must perform, wherewith ye are called. This is key here “wherewith ye are called”, this lets me know that this calling is ordained of God John 15:16 says it like this “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you”. Although we made the free choice to listen to the voice of God, it is He who has called us into the marvelous light 1st Peter 2:9 “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”.
In the verses that follow, Paul describes for us the manner in which we are to walk, he tells us how we are to walk Ephesians 4:2-6 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all..
First of all, Paul says that the worthy walk of the Christian must be done with "lowliness and meekness – this is humbleness". It takes a humble person to admit that they don't have all the answers. It takes a humble person to admit that their way of thinking is a work in progress. It takes a humble person to refrain from insisting on their own way. In order to be humble you must die out to self. You must get rid of selfishness. Controlled self-love is not selfishness; selfishness is an infected diseased self-love; and, as such, is the master-sin, the master-curse of man. The middle letter of pride is I, the middle letter of sin is I, and the middle letter of die is I. When you are infected with a diseased self love you get lifted up in pride which is a sin and then you die for the wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. When one lives for self; their outlook on everything is its bearing upon self; the glow which they cast over everything is one derived from self. Self is the horizon which limits all their views. They are not looking round on a noble landscape, and forgetting themselves in the beauty of nature and the awesomeness of the handwork of God; but are like a man carrying a mirror with him, into which he is continually looking, that he may see and admire himself; so that every object is seen in connection with self, and is only admired as it helps to set off self. Matthew 16:24 says “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”. Also – Mk 8:34, Luke 9:23.
Paul calls us to have"gentleness". Gentleness comes from the Greek word, praoteôs (prah-ot'-ace ), which is often translated as "meekness". The best definition I've heard for meekness is "strength under control".
Meekness, like humility, is also necessary for the preservation of unity. We sometimes refer to certain people in the church as having "strong personalities". Strong personalities are OK so long as they are under control. Where there are strong personalities, but no humility; where there are strong personalities, but no meekness, there can be no unity. If the first step to unity is humility, the second step is meekness.
Paul calls us to have "longsuffering", and to show "forbearance" towards one another. The instruction to be patient has to do with how we respond to the faults of others. The reference to forbearance reminds us that tolerating the faults of others is not a onetime act, but an ongoing practice that is only possible where there is patience.
It has been written of the Reformer, Martin Luther, that he had such a bad temper that he once called John Calvin "a pig" and "a devil". And Calvin, understanding the need to patiently forbear in order to preserve Christian unity, replied, "Luther may call me what he will, but I will always call him a dear servant of Christ."
And, of course, we must not forget "love". Paul says that we are to exercise all of these virtues--humility, meekness, patience, and forbearance--"in love". This makes perfect sense. It is love that is the foundation and which makes all of the other characteristics possible.
The reality is that the church is made up of people with different temperaments, different tastes, and different habits. And these differences aren't necessarily bad. Unity does not require that we try to become identical to one another, however, it mandates that we come together with singleness of mind, purpose, and goal in-order that the good may be done.
A.W. Tozer, a Christian pastor, preacher, author, magazine editor, Bible conference speaker, and spiritual mentor once said, “While the Church was to pursue unity, it was to do so by endeavouring to become like Christ”. He used the analogy of tuning pianos. If a hundred pianos were merely tuned to each other, their pitch would not be very precise. But if they were all tuned to one tuning fork, they would automatically be tuned to each other.
Unity in the church isn't trying to be the same as everyone else. Rather, it is becoming like Jesus Christ. Someone may say well I just am not like that or I just can’t fit in, well the problem is you need to get out of self and be like Christ. Stop trying to be like someone else and be like Christ. I have tried to be like my father in many ways and I do some things like he does. For example, when someone comes to the church for the 1st time or hasn’t been in a long time I will leave the pulpit and come down in the congregation to meet and greet them, that is what I do like my dad. However, I must be like Christ if I want to truly accomplish what God has set for me to do and be. To have true unity with others I can’t be like my dad, but I must be like Christ. Sure I have some qualities like my dad, but I need to be like Christ.
It is our union with Christ that provides the basis for our union with one another. Unless you are truly united with Christ you can never be united with His Church. How are we united with Christ Romans 8:9 says “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. This is more than coming to church every Sunday, Wednesday, or whenever it feels comfortable to come, this is a relationship with Christ, for we seek after relationship and not religion. John 3:3 says “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. John 3:5 says “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”. You must be born again in order to be in union with Christ.
Our union with Christ is something He establishes. John 15:16 says it like this “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you”. Although we made the free choice to listen to the voice of God, it is He who has called us into the marvelous light 1st Peter 2:9 “But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”.
This is why Paul writes, in Ephesians 4:3 “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. Because of what Christ has done on the cross, we do not need to manufacture unity it is something that already exists. Our responsibility is to preserve unity, our responsibility is to guard unity, not to manufacture it.
Our unity is based on the fact that we as Christians share the same Holy Spirit, we share the same Lord Jesus, God and Father of all. Paul also tells us that there is a common hope, a common faith, and a common baptism that should unite us. Ephesians 4:5-6 “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all..
Unity, as you can see, is much more than just getting along. There is more to unity than holding a service and inviting different people, denominations, and ethnic groups to attend. Unity requires that we remain tuned to the tuning fork, Jesus Christ. Unity requires that we hold the same beliefs about who God is. Unity requires that we hold to the same faith that we hold to the same gospel and that we treat each other the way that Christ would treat people. Unity requires that we crucify flesh and bring it under subjection by being transformed in the renewing of our minds.
One thing that really is interesting is how before Paul admonishes the Ephesians to be an effective church he exhorts them to be united. Paul understands that unity is necessary before lasting progress in the church can be realized. Yes I have a vision for this church, I truly believe that God has ordained me to lead this church and bring forth the vision He has impregnated with in my spirit for such a time as this. However, in order for this vision to be birthed and brought to fruition is going to take unity.
Working together is not as easy as it might sound. But the key to success is that we share common beliefs and we share a common goal. When we look at and understand the 5 circular rings that make up the church we see that it takes unity to be effective.
Our desire, vision, purpose, calling, and vocation is to move people from all the outer rings into the core, which is the Body of Christ, because it is more than the Core Membership of the Church, but a Core Relationship with Christ Jesus.
SUMMARY:- Prayer works and we are beginning to see the results of prayer. God is blessing and people are going to be added to the church as many as should be here. There are going to be different personalities, ideologies, methods, ways of thinking, and attitudes. For those of us that have been here there may be the tendency to fill as though you may not know a person enough and you just can’t find yourself getting close to them quickly. Well you need to rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus and realize that in order to be effective there must be unity.
We are called with and for a purpose; therefore, all that we do in word and deed must be done to the glorifying of God. Colossians 3:17 says “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.
We must show love inspite of what we might be thinking or experiencing at the time. The way we look, talk, and act will have an impact on actually moving people from the outer rings into the core and into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.
If we strive for the same purpose, have the same goal, and get in line with Jesus we will be unstoppable and the manifestation of the works of God will be seen here at Apostolic Glorious Church.
Pastor M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
