The Fight For Unity

Yeah. Oh, good morning. Good morning, church. This morning How are you doing this morning? Oh, Camelback is back. There you go. We are in this series and we're looking at the church, the body of Christ. That's us. And the title is That's my church. And this is from God's perspective that we're looking at this. if if he were looking at our church and and just uh enjoying what he sees, what is it that he would like to see? What what are the areas that perhaps we can work on? And and this is the third week. And u we started our by a church that would be pleasing to God would be a church that is actually in awe of God, actually in awe of who he is. Just a a recognition that he is the creator of the universe. He is the one true God that intentionally shows himself to us in three different ways, the father, son, and the holy spirit, but yet one true God. And then the second week, we we talked about the fact that that would be a faithfilled

church. And this morning, the subject that I want to cover, I actually really considered putting it as as one of the points in a three-part message. But but the more the more I really looked at it and just really begin to open myself up to it, I recognized we need to give this the attention that Jesus gave to it. So it just we just need to cover this one subject today and that that means what does it mean to be a church that is unified? this word unity. And Jesus actually prayed this the night before he went to the cross. He prayed, "Father, make them one." That's us. Make my church one. Make my followers one. And it was that serious to him. Jesus connected the church's unity with its with its witness in the world. It's if if my church is one, it's it's going to be a billboard to the world of who I am and what I'm doing. So, how do we choose

in a divided world unity? How do we choose to be a unified church? And and I just I just want us to have real clarity on this be because it was that important to Jesus. You're either going to have unity or you're going to have division. And we have watched division in churches for years. As a matter of fact, I actually know a church that that split because because the people could not agree on which of two colors they were going to paint the walls on the inside of the church and it ended up being a split. I did more research there. There was a there was a church member in a church that actually hid the vacuum cleaner from the other church members. He he actually he was not pleased with the way they were taking care of the vacuum cleaner. So he hid the vacuum cleaner and this started a feud in the church that actually caused a split in a church. Churches have had arguments over

what kind of a heated argument over what kind of filing cabinets they should buy. And we don't have that problem anymore because we we just you put everything on computers. that then there was a massive fight in a church in an annual beating meeting becating annual meeting because the church budget was 10 cents off and that drove them into a huge argument in their annual business meeting. The there was a there was an argument and a fight in another church and they were trying to decide this one is personal for me. They were trying to decide the acceptable length of the pastor's beard. I mean, could could could you just imagine? And the church actually split. Listen to this. They split because they couldn't decide if a piece of land should be used for a children's playground or a cemetery. What did Jesus say? Let the dead bury the dead. How do you not put a children's? But they they they they actually split over that.

This one I I'll end it with this one because I could go on, but this this one they actually had a fight in the church over which picture of Jesus they should put in the foyer. I want to know who took the picture. I don't care which picture they took. Which picture of Jesus they were going to put in the foyer. They and it actually took them to the place where they had a huge fight. It's so easy for us to go down this path of division.

Unity division division di which means two two visions. If you have two visions you have coll you have clashing two visions do do it does not work. Unity means there needs to be one vision. I want to look I want to look at that this morning. Ju just real clarity. What is it Jesus want for us? His body when he says I I want them to be as one. What what does that actually come down to? How do we do that? How do we choose unity in a divided world when that's what's going on all around us? James, the brother of Jesus, in James 1:8 says, "A double-minded man, is unstable in all he does." When you have division, when you have dual vision, you do not have unity. He says, he James goes on to say that person should not be listened to. He He's like He's like someone who he's like a ship that is blown by the wind. You cannot trust it. A double-minded man is unstable in all he does.

How many of you and I how many of us have people in our lives who were who were like that? They're just really unstable. You you can't you can't rely on them. That's not what he wants for his church. Let them be one that they will believe that the father has sent them. You see, a church that pleases God is a unified church. How blessed we are, church, when we are unified. Proverbs 6:16, it says there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him. And he goes on to say, "A person who stirs up conflict in the community." We are starting to see the political ads flip onto our TV screen, doing nothing but dividing our community. Many of them just putting pictures and scenarios out there that are absolutely not true. And yet Jesus says to us, his followers, his church, in John chapter 17, he Jesus says this, "My prayer," he says, "my prayer is that

all of them, us, all of us, all of them may be one so that the world may believe that you have sent me." And then he goes on to say this. He says, "I have given them us." He's given to us the glory that you gave me. Jesus says, "That they may be one as we are one so that they may be brought to complete unity." What does that mean for us?

Jesus actually prayed that his followers would be one. Why did he pray that? So that the world would be would believe. So that we so that we would be a billboard to the world around us and the unity that we have as the body of Christ just us in this room and and then us as the greater church, the larger church that that we would have unity and that would be a billboard to the world around us and they would see that and they would recognize that we are his. He he he connected the credibility of our witness as a church to our unity. He just gives it and makes it so clear. And unity does not mean that we agree on everything. We just don't we are not going to agree on politics. The politicians don't agree. You have the Republican party, the Democrat party, and the independent party. And the the Republican party has well they have the Trumpers and the non-Trumpers and then conservatives and they don't agree on a lot of things. And

then you have the Democrats and it's a big tenth and it has groups in it that I'm I'm not sure what's going to happen at the end of that and and and they they just don't all agree anyway. And yet Republicans and Democrats don't agree and and and and that is going to happen. You and I have preferences in life. We're just different. We all have different characteristics. We have different personalities. God has created us different. And he has his church to have different personalities and different characteristics. And he was intentional about that. And and in spite of all that, he says, "I I want you to be one. You'll have different worship styles. You you'll have different Bible translations that you may want to use. You'll have different end time theologies. And you you'll you'll have different ways that you do ministries. And disagreement does not have to become division.

We're going to have disagreements, but but but we need to be careful not to let those disagreements become division because Jesus said and prayed that we would be one. Unity. Look at this up on the screen with me. Unity isn't surrendering our convictions or pretending that we're all alike. You and I have convictions from God's word that he's given to us personally and and we need to embrace those and live those out. Some of us may feel that that God has convicted me and and I shouldn't drink alcohol and some of us may be totally fine with with having a a glass of wine or or whatever. And those are personal convictions and and and we need to respect those things in one another. We need to recognize the world that we're ministering to. We're grateful we have CR here in our church where God is taking issues in lives and taking them out and placing his Holy Spirit in place of that. It isn't surrendering our convictions and

pretending that we're all alike. And unity is being different and deciding that even though we're different, we belong together because we're keeping the main thing, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that God sent his son to die for our sins. This dude is a sinner saved by grace. By the grace of God, by Jesus paying the price on Calvary, shedding his blood for my sins and redeeming my life. Many of us in this room, we we know that God has done that for us.

Ultimately, what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us. Church, we need to recognize that what unites us and what unites us as a church with the other churches around is infinitely greater than anything that might divide us. So, how do very different people live together? Well, let me just look at a few things with you. First we have to remember who the real enemy is. We we need to we need to fully understand this who the real enemy is. And Paul in Ephesians gives us clarity. He says we do not struggle against flesh and blood. We are not people struggling against people. The battle is somewhere else. And really the battle is the Lord. And he's won the battle. He he he goes on to say we but we struggle against rulers and authorities against here we go powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. See our struggle is not against each other. Our struggle is not against

flesh and blood. It's not against the person that we disagree with. It is certainly the evil one. It's not the Christian who votes differently or posts differently. And in our world, people post something and all it does is aggravate the living daylights out of a bunch of other people and they post a whole bunch of things. And World War 12 goes on on a on any given subject at any given time of the day and everybody is wasting their time causing problems and division and it's just nothing but a disaster. See, our enemy is not a church who worships different than us or people who attend a different kind of service. It's not your enemy. Our battle, he says, is spiritually. It's a spiritual battle. In John 10:10, Jesus says this, the enemy comes to what does he say? Steal and kill and destroy. That's all he wants to do. That's all he will ever do. steal, kill, and destroy.

He wants to steal our unity. He wants to damage credibility and destroy our witness and take our joy. Talk about when we talk about another ministry or another church in anything other than a wonderful positive way. When I talk to people and I ask them what church they go to, they they'll they'll tell me and I I have one of two responses. If if I know the church and I think the world of it, I'll say, "That's a great church." And if I don't know the church, when they say the name of the church, I'll say, "Hey, that's good. I'm glad you're there. Lord, help me to never say anything negative about the body of Christ." Proverbs 16:28 says, "A perverse person, you don't want to be a perverse person, a perverse person stirs up conflict and gossip separates close friends. It's divisive. It only does damage. It only hurts." Jesus wanted unity for his church.

So, when you and I feel ourselves getting angry or or critical or or maybe we're we're thinking suspiciously about another believer, we we we need to not get caught in that. We we need to we need to take the high road. We we need to we need to not let disagreement turn our brother or our sister in Christ into the enemy. And that way we stay in this place where Jesus wants us in this place of unity.

We need to remember who the real enemy is. We also need to remember why we are here. You and I, we've accepted Christ as our savior. We are saved by grace. We don't deserve it. We we we kind of sometimes forget that we're saved by the grace of God through his mercy paid the price for us. 1 hour, 4 seconds And then Jesus said, "You are now here for a reason." And and he gives us that 1 hour, 12 seconds reason in Matthew. He says this. He said, "Therefore, go and make disciples. 1 hour, 19 seconds See, I saved you. Now, I want you to go and and tell people that you are saved 1 hour, 27 seconds and that what I want for them is for them to be saved because the Bible says he's not willing that any should perish. 1 hour, 35 seconds Now, we know that many will, but he his heart is that all would come, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

1 hour, 47 seconds

Jesus didn't say, "Therefore, go and win arguments." He didn't say that. 1 hour, 55 seconds He didn't call us to win arguments. He told us to make disciples. And churches will be different. Different churches will have different styles, different methods, different ministries, different emphasis, different approaches. And you and I are all different personalities. And churches are going to have different personalities. And it's okay. See, different styles, same savior. Different styles, same savior, different methods, same message. The gospel of Jesus Christ. I've said a number of times on my again this morning my drive in here from a little bit further west where I live when I get close I I'm I'm already praying for the there's a onem stretch here church when I get to the Baptist church down there I've already prayed for the Baptist church and then I'm praying for love life and then I'm praying for Ebenea and then I then I'm

praying for the 23rd Psalm and I'm praying for Amazing Grace. I pray for those churches on Sunday mornings that that God would bless their service because we're all on the same team reaching the same lost world. And it's going to happen more if we're united. Don't don't don't give me a golf clap. You give me a real clap. Jesus was so intentional. Let's be passionate about what God's doing here at Camelback and at the same time, let's not be critical of any other ministry that God has called somebody else to because that means that means that we are being intentional about being united behind our savior.

So, how do different people live together in one body? Well, Jesus said, "I want you to love one another." Love one another. John 13, "Love one another as I have loved you. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples." How did he love you? He laid his life down, paid the price for your sins. How did he love you? He served. He continues to serve. He's at the right hand of God the Father, ever interceding for your sins and my sins. When God looks at you, he doesn't see the sin that you've committed. He sees the blood of Jesus Christ who paid the price for your sins and my sins. And he says to you and I, I want you to be united. I I don't want you to let stuff separate you.

Jesus didn't say the world is going to recognize that you're my church because you have coffee and donut holes and hot dogs. Now, I think it's a good thing and we shouldn't stop doing that. But that he didn't say the world is going to recognize that you're my church if you just if you get everything right. He didn't say that. they're going to recognize you're my church by the way you love one another. And and he said, you know, it's it's it's my love that you recognize and and you can love because I first loved you. And we can have convictions that God has placed on our heart and we can still be loving the church. Too often in the past, we've had convictions and we've tried to take those convictions and place them on sinners who are no good at getting things right or even beginning that until Christ and and we we just do more we can do more damage than good. We can have convictions and be loving and

we can disagree with one another and still be loving. And we can be passionate and still be loving because we're keeping the main thing, the main thing, the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that Jesus died for us and paid the price for our sins.

And Jesus prayed, "Father, make them one." See, unity doesn't start with them. Starts with me. Unity starts with me. Unity starts with you. See, instead of instead of asking who's causing division, I should be asking, am I contributing to unity? Am I doing it? Am I criticizing other believers? Am I assuming the worst in people who disagree with me? They disagree with me. or I'm I'm making them an enemy. He says, "No, no, it's not flesh and blood. That's not where this is. Am I taking a secondary issue and am I making it a primary issue? Or or am I loving people the way Jesus loved me?" No, no, no, no, no. Come on. That was a golf clap.

When our message is divided, when we are divided, our message is diluted. When we're divided, our message is weaker. When we're divided, our message is watered down. But when the church is united what Jesus prayed for, the world notices and the father is I don't I don't see this as a hard one. We should be knocking this one out of the park without much effort. And this is what the heart of Jesus pointed to. Over the last several decades, there have been many Christian leaders who have impacted the world for Christ. But there there kind of been two that I want to point to this morning. You have RC Sproul, great teacher, great theologian. Then you have Billy Graham. RC Sprru and Billy Graham disagreed on doctrine. They they RC Sprruel actually was a almost a spokesperson for Calvinism and Billy Graham was was was he stood tall on Armenian theology and free will. And after every crusade, you you had Billy Graham giving this invitation for for

for people to make the choice to walk down the aisle and accept Christ as their savior. Both of these men impacting a generation and people assumed that there were serious differences between them because they were worlds apart on theology. And RC Sproul was actually in Nashville, Tennessee. And he was giving a whole lecture to a large group of people about his theology, about the whole arena of predestination. And at the Q&A session at the end of his time, someone asked him a question. They said, "Dr. Dr. Sproul, you and Billy Graham on this this doctrine, you you guys are worlds apart. You have a huge disagreement. And and the person who asked the question went on to say, "Dr. Dr. Spruled, do you believe that in heaven you will see Billy Graham? Do you believe that you will see Billy Graham in heaven?" And there was a silence. And then RC Sproul said no.

And the silence that followed that no was even longer. And then RC Sproul said because when we get to heaven, Billy Graham will be so near the throne of God and I shall be so far from it that I will not have any chance of seeing Billy Graham. And a low soft healthy roll of laughter rolled over the crowd. And there's such there was such clear recognition that division was not going to happen there.

Don't divide Christians that Jesus died to unite over secondary or unnecessary issues. He prayed that we would be one. And as a church and in our personal lives, we just need to walk in that. We need to make decisions that unify the body of Christ. And if we have division one with another, Paul says, "Do whatever it takes, whatever it takes for you to resolve it with whoever that is." And the prayer that Jesus prayed will be effective and is being effective in the body of Christ in a huge way. And we will continue to be the billboard that says to the world, Jesus is who he says he is and he's going to do what he said he's going to do.

He said, "My prayer is that all of them us may be one, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Stand with me this morning. Let me pray with you, church. I I think we just need to do it. You go ahead and pray about it if you want. I don't think it's a prayer issue. I think we just need to do it. We need to recognize that God has called us. We We're going to be as different as can be in so many ways, but the thing that unites us is so much infinitely greater than anything that divides us might ever be. And Lord, I pray this morning. I pray for our church, our Camelback family. I I pray for the churches up and down this road. I pray for your body, your children. I pray Lord Jesus that these your words would find a hiding place in our heart. I pray father that that that we would recognize that we are not fighting flesh and blood,

but we are fighting principalities in an arena that you have already won the battle. Help us as as a church, Lord, to step into this, embrace it in our lives, and live it out in our families, in our relationships, in our church, and to the world around us. Do it in your name we pray. Amen. And amen and amen. Let's worship, church.We live in a world that seems increasingly divided. But what should make the church different?

The night before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed for His followers: “Father, make them one.”

Unity doesn’t mean agreeing about everything. It doesn’t mean abandoning our convictions or pretending our differences don’t exist. It means refusing to allow those differences to become division.

In Week 3 of That’s My Church, we discover why Jesus cared so deeply about unity—and why the way Christians treat one another affects the way the world sees Jesus.

Because disagreement doesn’t have to become division.

And unity doesn’t start with them.

It starts with me.

The sermon explicitly connects the church’s unity to its witness in the world, describing a united church as a “billboard” that points people toward Jesus.