SERMON OUTLINE:
• unity is a satisfying experience (vs 1)
• unity is a spiritual experience (vs 2)
• unity is a supernatural experience (vs 3)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• The German philosopher Schopenhauer (Sh-up-en-how-er),
• Who compared the human race to a bunch of porcupines
• Huddling together on a cold winter's night. He said,
"The colder it gets outside, the more we huddle together for warmth; but the closer we get to one another, the more we hurt one another with our sharp quills. And in the lonely night of earth's winter eventually we begin to drift apart and wander out on our own and freeze to death in our loneliness."
• TRANSITION: What is true for the human race,
• Sadly, can often be said of the people of God (the Church!).
• In theory and in our songs, we want unity, to ‘huddle together,’
• But often we are together we can then hurt each other with our ‘sharp quills’
• The result, instead of drawing ‘closer together’ we can easily, ‘drift apart’
Ill:
• The Bible is big on unity, it says we are…
• Children of one family with one Father
• (John chapter 20 verse 17)
• Disciples in one school with one teacher
• John chapter 13 verses 13-35)
• Sheep in one flock with one shepherd
• (John chapter 10 verse16)
• Members of one body with one head
• (Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15)
• Stones in one building with one foundation
• (1 Peter chapter 2 verse 3, 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 11-12)
• That’s the theory! That’s how it should be!
• But in reality, Churches are not always as they should be,
• And it is not just a modern problem…
• e.g. Some of the New Testament churches,
• Broke the heart of the apostle Paul with their disputes and divisions.
• e.g. Even the twelve disciples argued among themselves,
• And they bickered and disagreed even when Jesus was right there with them!
• e.g. Sadly, even within our own type of Church circles,
• there has been much falling out over the years.
• There are those Christians who think unity is uniformity,
• Unless we agree with them on every point of doctrine (or style of practice),
• Then they will not ‘fellowship’ with you.
• But to me that is not unity but uniformity (what we find in the sects & cults)!
• We must all think the same, dress the same, and be the same.
• But to me that is not unity but uniformity.
• Unity is when two people can disagree about certain secondary issues.
• Yet still be of one heart and mind in Christ.
• Quote: St. Augustine said:
• "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
Ill:
• Make one fist and one open hand with your two hands.
• In the closed fist are the essentials of the Christian faith,
• These are the beliefs that you cannot disagree with,
• The traditional, Orthodox beliefs about God Christ and the Bible etc.
• e.g. The trinity.
• e.g. The virgin birth,
• e.g. The sacrificial death of Jesus.
• e.g. The physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
• Now that is not a complete list!
• Just some examples of what is essential to the Christian faith.
• Change any of those and you are no longer Christian.
Now in my other hand, which is open, are the secondary issues:
• They are still important but a difference in opinion will not stop you being a Christian.
• e.g. What you believe regarding in the spiritual gifts (Cessationism versus continuationism),
• e.g. The role of women and their ministry.
• e.g. The style of worship or the structure of your services and outreach.
• What happens for many Christians is over time,
• They start to highlight some of these secondary things,
• And over time they'll start to find their way into the close hand.
• And that always leads to division and separation among God’s people,
• Then we become hypocrites, singing that we are one in the Spirit,
• Preaching that there is only one Church,
• But in practice we only fellowship with the few!
• Those who agree with us in secondary issues!
Quote:
“Believe as I believe—no more, no less;
That I am right (and no one else) confess.
Feel as I feel, think only as I thing;
Eat what I eat, and drink but what I drink.
Look as I look, do always as I do;
And then—and only then—I’ll fellowship with you.”
• Quote: St. Augustine said:
• "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
(1). UNITY IS A SATISFYING EXPERIENCE (vs 1).
N.I.V.:
“How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!”
L.B.:
“How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live in harmony!”
K.J.B.:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
• “Good, pleasant, wonderful, beautiful”
• You can almost hear and feel the sheer delight in the Psalmists voice.
• There is something pleasurable about being in unison with other people.
Note:
• In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with the word, “Behold! Look! Gaze! Stare!”
• It is as if the writer is saying, “enjoy it while you can!”
• Because when it comes to human beings, even God’s people,
• Sadly, it might not last very long.
• Notice: The Psalmist uses a great combination of words,
• There is something “good” or “of God” and something “pleasurable” or “enjoyable”
• When God’s people “live together in unity”
(a). Unity pleases God.
• And that is why he says so much about it in his Word.
• e.g. John chapter 17, the true Lord’s prayer,
• Jesus twice mentions unity,
• And he mentions it in context of the church's witness to the lost world:
• Verse 21: “That the world may believe that you have sent me”
• Verse 23: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me”
• We live before the keen eyes of a watching world,
• That is only too quick to detect hypocrisy and defects in the church.
• And when we are not united the world takes note and will NOT believe!
• e.g. The New Testament letters warn again and again,
• Concerning those who would destroy the unity of a family or a church.
• (Rom. 16:17-20, (1 Cor. 1:10-11, (1 Cor. 3:3b, (1 Cor. 11:18, (Jude 17-19)
(b). Unity is pleasing (satisfying) for us.
Ill:
• Any parent will testify how good it is when your family gets together
• And the occasion is marked with laughter and joy instead of arguments and hurt!
• And any Church Leader/Pastor will tell you,
• How sad and annoying it is when Church members can’t get on together.
• Most of the time it is because they are acting like little children,
• Immature and unable to swallow their pride and work at building up a relationship.
• But what a contrast when God’s people work at getting on with each other.
• And I deliberately use that word, ‘work at’ because it doesn’t always come naturally.
• Like any relationship it takes effort and patience, but the regards are worth it!
Ill:
• Now we live in a culture that is overrun with a sense of entitlement and egocentrism,
• We live in the age of the ‘selfie’.
• Even as I speak,
• Selfies are being clicked and uploaded on every possible social networking sites.
• (Joke: pull out phone for quick pretend snap with the congregation).
• Now remember that behind every good selfie photo published,
• There are about 47 similar pictures that did not make the grade!
• After all we want to look good in our photos, don’t we?
• TRANSITION: Relationships that work,
• Are not built on an attitude of ‘self’
• Or a sense of entitlement and self-centeredness (that is the world not the Church).
• Remember the Bible says (1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5):
• (N.I.V.) ‘Love is not self-seeking’
• (ESV): “Love…does not insist on its own way”
• True love will put the good of the other person first!
• Anybody who wants to express true, biblical love.
• Will not insist on getting their own way or demanding their own rights.
• True love is always putting the good of the other person first!
• That is the instruction of the apostle Paul in passages such as Philippians chapter 2.
(2) . UNITY IS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE (vs 2).
“It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.”
Question: Why is “Aaron” mentioned? Why not just say, “High Priest”?
Answer: Because this verse is full of spiritual truth!
Ill:
• We see symbols and icons all the time in everyday life, they are everywhere.
• These symbols point us to something recognizable.
• e.g. when a person is hungry and driving on journey,
• They may well look for their favourite icon that represents fast food.
• The golden arches of McDonalds
• Or the white hair, beard, suit and glasses & face of Col Saunders outside a KFC.
• e.g. Or when someone is needing medical attention,
• They look for a blue “H” or red “+” which says a hospital is nearby.
• e.g. Couples wear wedding rings on their left hands in many Western countries,
• As a symbol that they are married.
• TRANSITION: The tabernacle and sacrificial system in the Old Testament,
• Began with Moses and Aaron.
• Moses was the lawgiver and Aaron was the High Priest of Israel.
Ill:
• Through the priesthood of Aaron,
• God made it possible for a holy God to have fellowship (unity) with unholy people.
• The people must recognise they had sinned, and that sin offended a holy God.
• They came sorrowful, repentantly to the priest with a sacrifice.
• The priest would offer sacrifices for the sins of the people.
• The blessing of these animal sacrifices were sinful people could enjoy unity,
• Be at-one-ment with a holy God.
• But the problem with these animal sacrifices where they were all only temporary,
• And they only covered over the sins of the people, they did not take it away!
• So, Aaron was a peacemaker, a unifier among God’s people.
• What he did was a symbol.
• Pointed forward in time to a greater sacrifice that was to come in Jesus Christ.
• (Hebrews chapter 10 verses 1-18)
• Jesus came to be our true High Priest,
• He offered himself, his own sinless body as a sacrifice for our sins, once and for all,
• To take away (not cover) our sins).
• So that when we trust in him, we can enjoy union (unity) with a holy God.
Ill:
• The great theologian and Puritan writer John Owen,
• Used to use this verse to compare and illustrate the grace of God.
• He compered the Holy Spirit,
• To the oil that was poured on to the High Priests head when he was ordained.
• And that the oil would flow from his head and flow down to his body.
"…as the oil flowed down so the Spirit is poured out on OUR HEAD, our Great High Priest and the Spirit flows down with all his blessings on to the body of Christ, the Church.
Christ is anointed and through him we are participants in his anointing"
• Unity is spiritual because it has to do with our relationship with God.
• Through Jesus Christ we can be united in fellowship with God.
Notice: the oil is ‘precious oil’
• Not your average everyday day, run-of-the-mill oil,
• This is special, different, extraordinary oil.
• The oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit,
• Who is lavishly poured out on us making unity possible as he changes our hearts.
• We would say far more oil was used than was needed.
Ill:
• When Aaron became a High Priest, he was anointed before the people.
• God commanded Moses to anoint Aaron with a special, fragrant oil.
• This oil was poured extravagantly on Aaron’s head,
• So much so that it flowed down his face and into his beard,
• But so much was used that it continued and then dripped down all over his costly robes.
• All those watching this event,
• Could see the oil flowing and they could smell its sweet-smelling fragrance.
• TRANSITION: God gives us more of the Holy Spirit than we need,
• So that we have the power to be in unity with other people.
• Remember that the oil flows down.
• From the head to the body.
• If we claim to be right with God, then the proof of that is we are right with other people.
Note: You see, all relational problems, at the root, are spiritual problems.
• If we’re not right with others, I suggest that the solution is spiritual.
• It reveals a spiritual problem in our life and the life of the other person.
• The gospel is all about reconciliation,
• First with God and then with others.
• e.g. That’s why the Bible tells us (Ephesians chapter 4 verse 3),
• “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
• e.g. That’s why we are told elsewhere (Romans chapter 12 verse 18),
• “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
• The Holy Spirit is generously poured out into our lives,
• Making unity possible between us and God and us and others.
(3). UNITY IS A SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life for evermore.”
Ill:
• Mount Hermon (or “sacred mountain”) is the highest mountain in ancient Israel,
• It boasts majestic, snow-capped peaks rising just over 9,000 feet above the sea.
• Today the Arabs call it “Jabel A-talg” which translates as “the snow mountain.”
• Mount Hermon’s three distinct peaks are covered with snow most of the year.
• As the snow melts it flows down to form the Jordan River,
• So, we could say, no Mount Hermon, no river Jordan.
• Also, the slopes of Mount Hermon, in the north, receive profuse amounts of dew.
• So, the melting snow and abundant dew,
• Would flow down the mountain giving life to wherever those waters went.
• TRANSITION: The psalmist longs for the “dew” of Hermon,
• To fall on another mountain, Mount Zion,
• Which is symbolic of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel.
Note: In the Bible dew is a symbol of the supernatural blessings of God.
• e.g. Genesis chapter 27 verse 28:
• When Isaac blessed Jacob and gave him the privileges of the first-born son,
• (even though he wasn’t the first-born) Isaac said…
“May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness –
an abundance of grain and new wine.”
Quote: Tom Elliff’s definition of blessing:
“A blessing is a sovereign act of God by which He causes someone or something to supernaturally produce more than would naturally be possible.”
Dew only appears when the conditions are right,
• The favourable weather elements for dew include.
• Clear skies, light wind, decent soil moisture, and low night-time dewpoint depressions.
• Dew forms when the temperature becomes equal to the dewpoint.
• TRANSITIONS:
• Likewise, God’s supernatural blessings appear when the conditions are right.
• And this Psalm makes it very clear,
• That one of those conditions is unity.
• This Psalm reminds us that God wants to pour out his abundant, supernatural blessings,
• On his people when the atmosphere of unity is right … in the home and in the church.
• Note: those two words in verse 3: “For there…”
• Question: Where?
• Answer: Where his people living together in unity,
• There God by his Holy Spirit allows his blessings to flow.
• Notice too: That blessing is “life evermore.”
• The waters of Hermon gave life to Israel’s agriculture,
• Likewise, God’s Holy Spirit gives supernatural life to those he falls upon.
Quote: James Montgomery Boice:
“Some things are good for us but not pleasant,
Other things are pleasant but not good.
But the unity we have as God’s people is both good and pleasant, it is a bit of heaven now!”
Ill:
• Two people were going up a hill on a tandem bike (one bike built for two),
• The guy at the front was pedalling with great difficulty,
• When they finally got to the top the guy at the front said, “Man! that was a steep hill!”
• The guy at the back replied,
• “You said it! If I hadn't kept the brakes on,
• We probably would have rolled backwards down the hill for sure!”
• TRANSITION:
• That is what happen when people do not understand how to work together
• Quote:
• “You all must have heard about the phrase United we stand divided we fall,”
Ill:
• The Word “Church” never refers to a building but to people
• It is the Greek word “ekklesia” and means “called out.”
• This, of course, would imply separateness.
• But the definition of words must be determined by how they were actually used,
• Not by their etymology.
• The word “ekklesia” was not used to emphasize separateness,
• But togetherness.
• The word “ekklesia” means “gathering” or “assembly.”
• It is about individuals being called together.
• Yes, of course, we are coming out of the world,
• But that is not the emphasis of the word.
• The word emphasizes our being brought together under the banner of King Jesus.
• Ironically, the word “Pharisee” means “one who is separated.”
• Whereas the word “ekklesia” was not used to emphasize separateness,
• But togetherness.
Quote: In his book The Pursuit of God, author A.W. Tozer wrote the following:
“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=DhAtXp5ln2F17LfeTkmz2zg5WSt2X9GX
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/uDIAAq2pzvc
