United We Stand... Divided We Fall

United We Stand | Divided We Fall

Lakewood Church of God | Speaker: Pastor Jonathan | Sep 3, 2017

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - KJV

9. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another

to help him up.

11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12. And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I. United = Walking Together

A. Benefits of Unity

1. v9 - Good reward for their labor

2. v10 - They can be strength to one another and pick each other back up

3. v11 - Comfort one another

4. v12 - Stronger together against the enemy

B. Living United

1. Safety in Unity - in a multitude of counselors there is safety

2. Provision in Unity - The early church knew this (had all things common)

3. Joy (Fun) in Unity - Unity brings color to life! (It's harder to be bored when we have each other - Charles)

II. Divided = stumbling and struggling alone.

James 3:8-18 - AMP

A. Expound on the choices that we have concerning blessing & cursing. - We MUST chose… We can’t bless (people, our situation, etc) one day and curse the next and live in the blessing…

8. But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.

9. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness!

10. Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.

11. Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter?

12. Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water.

13. Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom.

B. These are examples of things that cause division and we should avoid them.

14. But if you have bitter jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry, selfish ambition) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

15. This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal).

16. For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices.

C. This is God coaching us on things that bring unity and peace

17. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure (undefiled); then it is peace-loving, courteous (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned (free from doubts, wavering, and insincerity).

D. This is our promise = THE PAYOFF of Unity (Also Psalms 133)

18. And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God's will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts].

III. Our Prayer… “Bind” us together Lord

A. Old Testament Examples

1. Adam and Eve – Genesis 2:18

2. Elijah and Elisha

3. Moses & Aaron – Exodus 4

4. Moses and the Seventy – Numbers 11:6

5. Joshua & Caleb

6. Jonathan & David

B. New Testament Examples

1. Paul and Silas

2. Peter, James and John

3. The twelve Apostles – Matthew 10

4. Jesus sent them out 2X2 – Mark 6:7

Closing: We are better together. god needs us to be united!

¥ Imagine what we could do TOGETHER!

¥ What if we gathered around a common vision with common goals?

¥ This ministry is to big for us to do alone…

¥ You don’t have to do life alone…

WE CAN DO LIFE TOGETHER!