EPISODE 0079 | Unity, Not Diversity, Is Our Strength
THESE NOTES ACCOMPANY EPISODE 0079
Unity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the heartbeat of a thriving church. In this episode, we explore how biblical unity, not diversity, is our true strength. Drawing from Paul’s letters and the early church’s example, we uncover how shared purpose, beliefs, and culture create a community that attracts God’s presence and transforms lives. You’ll gain practical insights into fostering unity in your faith, home, and church family. Don’t miss this conversation about living out God’s call to unity in a divided world!
Unity is a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
Unity is NOT Uniformity!
Three Metaphors:
We are a stone and Jesus is the cornerstone.
We are a part of a body.
We are a member of a family.
A commUNITY is a group of people in unity.
We all have a family, which Is the community of those who bear our last name: We must constantly fight for unity in our home.
Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
1. Unity is not possible without God and others.
The Community of God is a result of God’s work within us. To the extent that we personally experience God’s work in our lives, and our commitment to the family, we experience belonging.
How does this work? The process starts when we give our lives to Jesus and continues as we continue to surrender our life to him in a process called Sanctification or the process of how we become more like the Jesus we read about in the Bible.
Our spiritual growth is similar to our physical growth. We all start off in this journey of following Jesus as spiritual babies but as time goes on and we grow closer to God and closer to each other we continue to grow more and more mature.
Paul writes to the local church in 1 Corinthians 3:2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger.
2. Community is not possible without unity.
CommUNITY is made possible only through unity. It is in the word!
Jesus says in Matthew 12 that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Amos 3:3 Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?
1 Corinthians 12:18-21 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
3. Unity attracts the presence of God.
Psalm 133: 1-3: 1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Unity marked the early church.
Acts 2:46-47 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.
4. The Presence of God is what attracts others.
It’s easy to think that belonging and healthy community happens by accident, but it doesn’t. It happens because we have unity in 3 areas.
What Does Biblical Unity Look Like:
1. We Must be unified in purpose.
Why does the church exist? What is our shared purpose together? Jesus Defines the Church’s Purpose or Mission: 3 commands not suggestions for how to build His church. Each command was given after the resurrection at a different time and place so we wouldn’t be confused:
The night of the resurrection, he appeared to his disciples in the upper room, it is recorded in Mark 16 when he told them to Go and Preach or to: REACH the lost. (Mark 16:14-16)
Next two weeks later on a mountain in galilee in Matthew 28 he adds to this commandment and say Go and make disciples, here we see that we are not just commanded to reach the lost but to: BUILD those we reach. (Matthew 28:16-20)
Then just before Jesus ascends to heaven on the Mount of Olives he instructs his disciples in Acts 1:8 (this was written by Luke) not to start until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. So here Jesus tells them that they need help from the HS, they need to: ACT in the power of The Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)
This is at the core of our purpose. It is what Jesus commanded us to do. Remember his definition of this new spiritual family:
John 14:15: 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.”
2. We Must be unified in belief.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
John 1:14 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Three Tips When Reading The Bible:
1. Read it as a story about God not you. Don’t look at it like a to do list. Ask what did I learn about who God is, what is his character. It isn’t self-help. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you more about God.
2. Read it as it was meant to be read. Don’t read it out of context. Look around what you’re reading and leave your opinions aside.
3. Read it all. Not just 140 characters at a time! Don’t jump to conclusions. Read scripture as it was meant to be read. It is one story, of God. In many books. Helpful to read the Bible through each year.
3 Basic Rules of Hermeneutics (not all, but most helpful)
1. Interpret scripture with scripture. – seems to contradict itself – It doesn’t, seek to understand. Ex. Judge/don’t judge.
2. Interpret unclear passages with clear passages. Don’t scream where scripture whispers or whisper where scripture screams.
3. Ask if the passage is descriptive or prescriptive. – example Solomon’s wives and his many wives. It was but wasn’t what we should do.
3. We Must be unified in Culture
The values of God’s Kingdom are different from the values of the world. The culture of the early church stood in contrast to that of the world. When culture and values of the world seeped in, it caused dis unity in the Christian community. This is the reason for most of Pauls letters to the early churches:
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
We are to be in this world but not of this world. We are to love and engage this world but our culture is not to be marked by the same values of this world
1 John 2:15-17: 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
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