Unity in the Church

Recap— What is Fellowship?

• Close relationships, a common purpose, and an attitude of goodwill.
  • Past Several Weeks:
  • Partners in the Gospel
  • Resolving Conflict Well
  • Hospitality
  • Sacrificial Love

Today: Unity in the Church

Koinonia Requires a United Body of Believers That Follows Jesus Together.

A Picture of Unity

• Imagine several individual strands of cord, all with different colors, being woven together as one. That’s what unity in the church is like.
• Unity involves a commitment to live in fellowship despite our differences; not a demand that everyone become just like us.

Unity Was Important to Jesus.

Scripture: John 17:20-23

• Phrases about unity: “That all of them may be one” and “Brought to complete unity”
• There is a missional component to our unity — it helps us accomplish the mission Jesus has given to the church.

Our Mission: Glorify God, Love Others, Make Disciples.

• How does unity help us achieve that?
• Jesus says our unity will help the world know the truth about him, specifically that he was sent by God and that God loves them.

Unity not only improves the quality of our relationships within the church; it also increases the effectiveness of our witness outside of the church.

How does unity affect our mission?

• When people see a diverse body of believers loving each other and living in unity, they will be convinced that Jesus must really be who he says he is for people to live this way.
• When we fail to live in unity, we deprive people in the world of the chance to earn the truth about Jesus.

Paul Commands us to Pursue Unity in the Church. 

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

• “Make every effort” — It’s a priority.
• Don’t forget the character traits in verse 2 — we need to have the right heart for unity!
• Our unity is grounded in the central teachings of the faith — one Lord, one faith, etc. 

Jesus Prays for Unity. Paul Commands It. 

So what are we going to do about it?

• In my experience, unity is fun to talk about… until you have to practice it with real people.

The Churches of Christ started as a unity movement. They couldn’t get everyone to agree on everything, but they tried to pursue unity by focusing on the essentials.

• • In Essentials, Unity. (No room for compromise on the essentials).
  • In Non-Essentials, Liberty. (We can’t make our interpretations of nonessentials a test of fellowship).
  • In All Things, Charity. (We have to love others and embody the fruit of the Spirit no matter how much we disagree)
  • They weren’t perfect at it, but this was their goal. What could it look like for us to re-embrace this mentality?

The Pathway to Unity Runs through the Mind (Convictions) and the Heart (Commitment)

• Mind — What we believe. There are certain things that we must believe in be in Christ and have fellowship.
• Heart — There are also attitudes and character traits we need to develop for unity to work (humility, gentleness, patience, etc.)

What Goes Into a Heart for Unity?

• A Commitment to the Mission
• Healthy Conflict Resolution
• The Ministry of Hospitality
• A Spirit of Love & Generosity

Application — Unity in the Church

• Let’s make a commitment to God and to one another that we will make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
• Remember — This will improve our relationships and our witness!

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:8-12

Study & Reflection

• In your own words, how does the unity of the church help us accomplish the mission Jesus has given us?
• Let’s read more of the Ephesians 4 passage that Bryan mentioned in the sermon. Read Ephesians 4:11-16.
• What kinds of words and phrases does Paul use in this passage that connect back to the idea of unity?
• How does the ability to speak the truth in love (v. 15) help us achieve unity in the church? What if there is too much truth without any love? What if there are lots of good feelings, but no truth?
• Why is it important for each part of the body to do its work? What happens when certain parts of the body neglect their role?
• In a body, not every member has the same function, but they should be working toward the same goal. How does that principle apply to the church?
• Reflect: What is something you can personally do to make Southwest Church of Christ a more unified body of believers?
• Reflect: Why do you think it was so hard for churches to consistently practice “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity”? Why did that desire for unity ultimately turn into a divisive spirit in some churches?