The Oneness Of God's People

First Church of God in Harvey

Sunday Morning – January 22nd, 2012

Let us pray

Welcome………

‘This is the day which the Lord hath made;” this 22nd day of January 2012; so “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” “O give thanks unto the Lord,” why should we give thanks? because he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever. Some people give thanks when they feel like it. Some people give thanks when they are feeling good, but we are called upon to give thanks because the Lord has been good. As we listen to the news, as we read the paper, the news can be discouraging, but we do not have to be discouraged, because the Lord has been good. You might say, pastor you sound like a broken record, but it does not change the fact, that the Lord has been good.

Has God been good to you? Can you still praise God despite how things might appear to be.? Jesus took the time to pray for you and for me. In fact he took the time to die for you and for me. While we were still in our sins, while we were wretched and undone, while we were without God or His Son, God demonstrates his love for us, He proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us. So often we spend time worrying about things that really does not matter, instead of taking the time to praise the Lord. The psalmist writes in psalm 107 verse 8, and he is talking about you, and talking about me, “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” If we are planning to make heaven our home, we better start learning how to praise God while we are here on earth.

I can hear somebody saying, pastor it does not take all that, but when you get home, I would like you to read Revelation 7 verses 9 through 17. Verses 9 and 10 reads like this, After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people , and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. That sounds to me like praising the Lord….

Our scripture reading for today will be taken from St. John 17 verses 20 through 26. Let’s all stand, and read from the screen. Please tell somebody, Jesus loves me too.

Our to-pic for today is, The Oneness of God’s People. Number 1…Jesus prayed that believers may be one; Number 2…Jesus prayed that believers may be perfected in unity and Number 3…Jesus prayed that believers may be with Him in glory.

As we look at our text for today, that word “oneness’ means, the quality of state of being one; singleness; the condition of being undivided; wholeness. Here we find Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, taking the time to pray for you and for me. It is said that he prayed for the weakest as well as for the strongest; for the diseased as well as for the healthy; for the orphan as well as for the children of the family; for the prisoner as well as for the free; for the believer in the darkest jungle as well as for the believer in the limelight. Jesus prayed for all of us, every one of us who believe today.

Jesus prayed that the believers may be one. He prayed that we all may be one. This is the central theme of our Lord’s prayer, the oneness of God’s people, The standard for unity is not what the United Brethren are doing, it is not what the other united churches are doing, but “the standard for unity is the oneness between Jesus and His Father. Believers are to be one just as the Father and Jesus are one.” That very same kind of unity that exist between the Father and the Son, should be the same kind of unity existing among believers. The purpose for this unity is that the world may believe that the Father sent Jesus.

So often we find in churches a lacking of unity, where those who profess being saved, profess being transformed, profess that a change has taken place, but there is no unity existing. There is a war going on. Jesus prayed that believers may be one. Jesus is saying that believers must be one; be unified, of one spirit and mind in proclaiming the central message of the gospel. How can we expect to reach a lost world if we are fighting among ourselves? How can we expect to see sinners changed if we are not united? How can we expect to see lives changed if we cannot get along with our brothers and sisters.