Unity

Sermon - Unity

- Something that I have pushed for, & wanted for so long, is unity.

- I have enjoyed the thought of people walking through those doors, & being

welcomed by a family that is just like their own.

- A reality people don’t seem to get is that the church is not the name of the

people/children of God.

- The name for the actual church is the Ecclesia/Ekklesia, the Greek word meaning

the called out assembly.

- In Acts 11:26 Barnabas & Saul assembled themselves with the Church, but that

word is the Ecclesia.

- When we’re labeled the Church, it confines us to one certain group of people, & by

all means & gestures we’re seen to all be alike.

- That doesn’t describe the church, because we’re called out in all walks of life,

from the death we all serve a part in, & to the life we’ve been given in Christ

Jesus.

- That didn’t change us into a clone that we now all think & act the same like.

- If we want real unity, then we have to accept that we are all different, & that’s

the way God has designed us.

- We Are the instrument through which God takes His Good News to the world

through.

- I intend to keep this message short, because the Lord has moved me to seek

Him this Morning.

- We’re going to walk through this building & pray throughout this church.

- We’re going to cast off any malice, anger, hatred, & any other demon

inspired thinking that is infecting this Church!

- We’re going to pray the Spirit, the Love, the Peace, the Presence of God

would fill this house once again.

- Now, open your Bibles To Ephesians 4:1-7. Paul wrote to Timothy, in whom he had

placed a lot of faith in.

- Paul plants a seed that is for the entire ecclesia, as we serve in the great commission.

Ephesians 4:1-7

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

- Every one of us is given grace!

- The liar, the thief, the adulterer, fornicator, murderer, & just plain sinners are given

the same grace!

- One’s grace isn’t prettier than another’s. They’re all stamped with a cross that’s

empty, a tomb that’s empty, & Jesus Christ seated by Father God in Heaven.

* They all look the same!!!

- Think about that Grace, & let’s pray.

Prayer

- Paul said Timothy! Walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called!

- Ecclesia- Called out assembly, walk worthy(with an outward showing) of the

Gospel, The grace that we have received & also are preaching.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation,(do you hear the word ecclesia here?) 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;

- We are called out to be part of the Body of Christ.

- The Body that Christ is the head of!

- If we do not function properly in this Body. Yeah sure, you may make the Body

look bad, but that’s not what matters.

- You make the head, Christ look bad.

Q- Why else would Paul call Timothy to walk worthy of His vocation?

- If Christ is made to look bad, then no one can be saved, because people don’t

trust Him.

- At least not in this place!

- The way we treat people, the way we talk, the way we help. It all either

makes the head look good or bad.

- If People Don’t trust Christ, then they will answer for their own sin!

- We are called the temple of God.

- Yes, our body is called the temple for the Holy Spirit, But the Church, The

ecclesia, is called the temple/habitation of God.

Ephesians 2:19-22

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: