Unity

I would like to take a little time this morning and talk about our goals for the future.

• Not our futures as in ourselves but the future of our church.

• And we have to understand that this is a very serious topic.

• We have to concentrate on growth for two reasons.

1 If we don’t grow we will eventually die.

• As time goes on congregations dwindle, thru the natural course of life

• people leave whether thru death or people moving,

• so we need to breath new life into our church family.

2 (and most importantly) It’s what God wants us to do

• We are called to go out and teach the message of Christ to the world.

• If we are going to be a Spirit led church,

• One where the Holy Spirit guides us in our decisions and blesses our actions

• We have to do what the Spirit calls us to do.

So how do we do this? Where do we start? We start by breathing life into it.

We start by bringing unity to it.

Psalm 133

1 How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.

3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

Another word for Harmony is UNITY

And the definition of unity Is the state of being one; (a oneness.)

The redwood trees in California are amazing.

• They are the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world.

• Some of them are 300 feet high and more than 2,500 years old.

• With this in mind You would think that trees this large would have to have an incredible root system,

• A root system that reached down hundreds of feet into the earth.

• But the truth of the matter is Redwoods have a very shallow root system.

• The roots of these trees intertwine.

• They interlock their roots with each other;

• So when storms come and the winds blow the redwoods still stand.

• With an interlocking root system they support and sustain each other.

• They need one another to survive.

And So do we!

There are a lot of examples of unity in the bible.

In the OT there is the sense of togetherness of persons (Gen 13:6),

Ge 13:6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.

We see examples of fellowship (Judg 19:6),

Jdg 19:6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together.

There are examples of praise (Ps 34:3).

Ps 34:3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

Isaiah 11:6-7 tells us that nature will be at peace with itself and with human kings.

Isa 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

Isa 11:7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.

Isa 11:9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

In the NT unity speaks about the faith that binds God’s people together

Eph 4:12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up Eph 4:13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The Believers Form a Community

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Act 2:42 -Act 2:47