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UNITY
Psalm 133
I. The sweetness of unity.
Read Psalm 133
This is a lovely psalm. There is not a single word of lament, anger, or complaint, or negative thought.
The psalm celebrates unity like it is precious oil, and the dew of Mount Hermon falling as refreshing and life-giving rain on Jerusalem.
Paul began his letter to the Ephesus church by telling Christians there to be EAGER to maintain unity.
Ephesians 4:1-3 - read
The principle of unity is seen in the design of marriage.
God created the man, and took the woman from the man’s body. Then he said,
The two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24)
Many years later, Jesus said to the Pharisees:
…a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Mark 10:7-8
Paul wrote to the Macedonian church of Philippi that oneness among its members would “make his joy complete.”
Philippians 2:1-2 …if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
The word “unity” comes from the word “one.” In some languages, in particular the Spanish uno and Latin unum, the word for one is derived from the same root – un – as the English word unity.
When unity exists the plural, two or more, become - another sense - the singular “one.”
The motto proposed for the first Great Seal of the United States by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in 1776 was E Pluribus Unum. It’s a Latin phrase meaning "from many, one "
The phrase offered a strong statement of the American determination to form a single nation from a collection of dissimilar colonies. It described a unified nation of people from many different backgrounds, beliefs and different ways of thinking and doing things.
In any relationship – business, government, sports, other team activities – we are stronger and better when we are united, better positioned and equipped to fend off attacks by enemies.
A bundle of straws is stronger than a single straw.
Unity is person to person, brother to brother, sister to sister, or friend to friend. All combinations of unity are sweet.
In practically any situation of life, a group may be united or disunited.
There can be concord or discord.
Discord ranges from simple disagreements to enmity.
On his last night with the disciples, Jesus prayed for us.
He had been praying for the eleven. Then he prayed for all who would believe in him because of the disciples’ work.
Read John 17:20-23
Just as he and the father are one! That is a very high standard!
Jesus did not pray to us that believers in him would be “one.”
His prayer was to the Father.
The prayer of Jesus was not without purpose:
V23 - so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Unity among disciples of Christ is designed to show to the world that God loves us even as he loves Jesus.
I can’t read the prayer of Jesus and think of unity among Christians as being optional.
II. The elusiveness of unity in the church
The church has been demonstrating for centuries that unity is elusive.
Paul saw disunity in the young church at Corinth, and sought to correct the divisions by writing these words:
1 Corinthians 1:10-11 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
Quarreling in the church! What were those Christians quarreling about?
The bickering was about who baptized each of them, or who each one followed. It seems to have been considered prestigious to have been baptized by some of the early teachers.
Is that something for Christians to separate into quarreling camps about? Paul says it is not.
What was Paul talking about? Quarrelling.
Paul wasn’t talking about every single thing that would ever come before any church anywhere. He was appealing to them within a context! The context of Paul’s admonition is not glorying in man – Paul, Apollos, and Cephas - but in Christ.
“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” he asks.
No!
Paul wanted them to unite on the truth that baptizing and following is about Christ, not about men.
It is ironic that while unity is so sweet and precious, it seems that few things spark arguments among Christians more than talking about unity.
Efforts to achieve unity sometimes cause problems that wouldn’t occur if we “let well enough alone.”
Unity is a topic churches have often shied away from for fear of being forced to give up or ignore our beliefs in order to align ourselves with those of differing beliefs – or we must compel others to give up theirs.
Let me put your mind at ease. I’m not suggesting that we give up what we believe. That’s not what unity is.
Do you think we can all agree today about buttermilk? Is it good to drink? I say no. It’s only good for making pancakes and donuts. But I’m not flexible about drinking it.
If we are to reach agreement about buttermilk, I must convince you it’s nasty, or you have to persuade me to drink the vile stuff and like it.
I don’t see that happening.
Did Jesus pray to the Father for something has never been and will never be?
Jesus wasn’t praying and Paul wasn’t writing about buttermilk, or anything else where agreement is not possible.
He was talking about possible, not impossible, agreement.
The question percolates to the top, of whether unity is to be achieved within some context, such as a congregation of Christians joined together by agreement on common themes, or if the call to unity is city-wide or world-wide.
Shall we seek unity:
-just within this congregation?
-or throughout a “brotherhood” of people among the Churches of Christ whose view are generally similar to our own?
-shall we seek unity among all Churches of Christ wherever they are and however they have arranged their work?
-did Jesus intend for us to be united with people everywhere who wear the name “Christian” while thinking and acting very differently about certain doctrinal issues?
The wider the horizon, the more diverse are the beliefs and practices, and the more uncomfortable we are with being united.
Is “brotherhood,” churchwide, or worldwide unity even possible? (Man can and does prevent it.)
It seems to me that when Jesus prayed for unity, and Paul told the Christians at Corinth, Philippi, and elsewhere that they were to be united in the same mind and the same judgment, they spoke in the context of Christians who are associated with one another and work together promoting the kingdom of Christ.
There is a practical benefit to that, which doesn’t exist in the same way as having unity with a Coptic Christian in Egypt.
It would be lovely for all Christians throughout the world to be in full agreement and have unity on every point, but that does not have the same relevancy and application as it does within autonomous congregations working toward common goals.
We will always have some disagreements among ourselves on judgment, preferences, and the way some scriptures regulate the church and its members actions, but before the people in Montrose, we stand united. Why?
Jesus told us why:
…so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
That is the purpose Jesus cared about, so it’s what we ought to care about.
That is our frame of reference today as we look at unity. Unity among Christians working together in close association to present the kingdom of Christ to the world.
III. What hinders unity in the church?
A. The belief that something I value is worth destroying unity for.
Unity is destroyed when I elevate things that divide above those that unify.
We need to grasp the importance of the things that divide us and the things that unite us.
That is hard, because what one of us thinks is trivial, another thinks is vitally important.
Placing unity at a high enough level helps us to iron out our differences.
Perhaps there are exceptions, but in the main, the things that cause friction among Christians fall under one or more of these three headings:
• Judgment
• Preferences
• Scriptures understood differently
B. Opinions
Opinions are a fact of life that will always be with us.
One of the easiest things for Christians to do is have opinions.
One of the hardest things for Christians to do is to allow others to express opinions that differ from our own. Something in us wants to say, “You can’t think that!”
Like noses, we all have opinions, and not all of our opinions are alike.
That’s why we passed out review sheets on Michael Nelson’s visit.
As expected, our opinions vary – we are not all of the same judgment and preference.
But if we do end up with Michael coming here permanently or if we do not, we must all be in agreement – however that falls - that we will be unified in presenting salvation in Christ to the communities around us.
I might say, “We can only be united when everyone agrees with me.”
Does that even work within marriages, or families?
What right have I– more than another person - to make myself the clearinghouse of right and wrong opinions?
Opinions will never be the basis of unity, for we can never attain it. The solution lies elsewhere.
Why do Christians often deny others the right to have their own opinions?
Because as Christians, truth is infinitely important.
As Christians, we feel that we ought not to permit another Christian to express any untrue thing unchallenged, for fear that someone will lose their soul and influence others to believe a lie that we let pass.
That is borne of virtuous motives.
I may think that I am the last bastion of the truth; that truth will sink into quicksand and souls will be lost if I do not uphold it and separate myself from one who embraces something I believe is false, or who does not embrace a thing I believe is true.
If you’ve read book 3 in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series – The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - you might remember the Monopods.
Monopods were dwarfs that had been changed into strange creatures with only one thick leg and a foot, so they hopped around like fleas or frogs.
Lucy the youngest of the four children, thought they were funny and nice, and wanted to tell them that.
The Chief Monopod, seeing Lucy coming said it was regrettable that Lucy had not seen them before they were turned into Monopods, for as he said, “there’s no denying we are mortal ugly now.”
“Eh, that we are, Chief, that we are,” echoed the other Monopods. “You’ve said it, you’ve said it.”
But Lucy said, “I don’t think you are at all. I think you look very nice.”
“Hear, hear” said the Monopods. “True for you, missie. Very nice we look. You couldn’t have found a handsomer lot.” (not seeming to know they contradicted the last thing they said.
The Chief Monopod said, “She’s saying as how we look before we was uglified.”
“True for you, Chief, true for you. That’s what she said. We heard ourselves.”
Lucy hollered, “I did not! I said you’re very nice now.”
So she did, so she did,” replied the Chief Monopod. “Said we were very nice then.
Hear ‘em both, hear ‘em both,” chanted all the Monopods (not realizing the Lucy and the Chief Monopod had said opposite things). “There’s a pair for you. Always right. They couldn’t have put it better.”
“But we’re saying just the opposite,” Lucy said, stamping her foot with impatience.
“So you are, to be sure, so you are,” answered the Monopods, “Nothing like the opposite. Keep it up, both of you.”
“You’re enough to drive anyone mad,” Lucy said, and gave up.
Do I have to become a monopod to have unity?
The answer cannot be yes. The Monopods are comical, but to agree with everything anyone says is nonsense.
The Brazil nut is hard to crack. How do we crack the hard nut of unity?
Do I stand up for what I believe or stand for unity. (Scales)
That is the crux of this subject of unity.
Do I have to start believing and practicing what I believe is wrong for the sake of the unity Jesus prayed for?
There’s no way we can say that unity must be achieved by not standing up for what we believe is right. I don’t believe the bible teaches that.
We cannot – must not – discard either. Historically, churches have forfeited unity.
But unity doesn’t weigh nothing.
I can’t operate your scales for you. When there are competing interests to be protected, you have to weigh what is most precious to you and what you believe is most precious to the Father Jesus prayed to: Unity, or the thing that destroys it.
You may have to make that decision often. When you do, keep unity in the equation.
Jesus prayed that you would.
C. Whatever you believe, and whatever you do, do not let a root of bitterness germinate and grow in your heart.
If you feel bitter toward some person – or persons - the first thing you should do is pray for yourself. Then if you cannot be at peace, go to that person.
Hebrews 12:14-15 - Read
You may be correct in perceiving someone’s faults, but when you nurture that observation, you are in peril.
Address roots of bitterness and mend broken fences before the root becomes a tree.
IV. There are situations where unity must be set aside for the higher good or because unity threatens spiritual health.
In some situations, it is not only appropriate to break the bond of unity and separate. It is a necessity.
It is the influence of leaven.
Leaven can be either beneficial or toxic.
The most deadly poison known to man is botulinium (define).
A. An unrepentant immoral person (1 Cor 5:1-2 - read)
We all agree with Paul on that, don’t we?
We are united on the matter that this man was doing a bad thing, even if we don’t know all the specifics of the case.
On this, we in Montrose are united, along with Paul.
B. We cannot be united with a factious person (Titus 3:10-11)
One of the 7 things God hates is one who sows seeds of discord among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Don’t be that person.
C. We cannot be united with those who cause divisions (Rom 16:17-18)
D. We cannot be united with those who deny the teaching of Christ (2 John 1:10-11)
These are not small things!
Everyone should agree that these things have a harmful effect on the body of Christ.
V. The solution
What would it take to achieve the unity Christ prayed for?
Is it even possible for a congregation to have unity when no two people are of the same opinion on everything?
The answer is definitely not. This and every congregation proves it never happens that way.
But we can have unity in pursuing peace among ourselves.
Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
To the point, do we have unity in this church? Pause
I believe that we do have unity.
And just as strongly I believe there are differences among us because we are different.
The important thing is that we do not let our differences destroy the unity we have.
That will keep us strong, and it’s what Jesus prayed for.
