Germinating the Seeds of Unity

Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. And if you would, we find ourselves
in chapter two. But if you keep a finger in chapter
one, we want to pick up just a portion of that. The passage
is there, at least part of what we’ll be covering today and then
place for notes there in your bulletin. Unity, as you well know, was
a major issue in the Philippian church. In fact, it will only
get a more fuller treatment as the epistle unfolds, even to
the point where Paul names names. I mean, we’ve all had our quibbles
in church. We’ve all had disagreements. We’ve all contributed to our
own local disunity, but how would you like to have your names put
down for all posterity? Well, that’s what Paul ends up
doing. But he’s only just introduced the subject. There is a connection
here in chapter two, verse one and following with what immediately
proceeds. And we’ll pick that up momentarily.
Paul has already introduced the idea of unity and cooperation,
not only in Paul’s work, but among themselves, the Philippians.
And now he comes back in full force with a new appeal to unity. As I said, the connection goes
immediately and clearly back to chapter 1, verse 27, which
we just concluded last Lord’s Day. Paul goes back to that admonition
that he had begun in verse 27. And as I said, because of that,
this continuing theme of this section is unity. It’s the cultivation
of what the Puritans call the fellow feeling. Sentiments that maintain that
unity. And along with that, the suppression
Selfishness and pride that tend to strike against unity. Paul had expressed his joy in
their spiritual warfare and certainly in their participation in the
gospel. But what he says at the outset
of chapter two is that his joy would be made full if the Philippians
would only be one. Would you please go back with
me to verse 27 of chapter 1? We’ll pick it up and get a running
start on chapter 2 because I want you to see also the connection
and the argument that Paul uses as he advances into this passage. Only conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come
and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are
standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together
for the faith of the Gospel, in no way alarmed by your opponents,
which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for
you and that too from God. For to you it has been granted
for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer
for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in
me and now hear to be in me. If there is any encouragement
in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete
by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit,
intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or
empty conceit, but with humility of mind, let each of you regard
one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look
out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of
others. Have this attitude in yourselves,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being
made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross.” And so humility there, Paul sees
as the grand and golden key to unity in the church there, exemplified
by none other than Christ Himself. As we said, unity is the focus
here. Paul is yearning for unity in
the Philippian church. And that was because Paul had
very likely learned, even from Epaphroditus, the fact that the
Philippian church was fractured to a degree. There was some dissent. There was some disunity among
them. You can pretty much sense that
not only by his words here, but by his appeal to the greatest
argument of all to unity and that of humility in Christ. He goes on to admonish them to
do all things without grumbling or disputing, which points to
the fact that they, like almost all others, were given to that. As I said, he points out by name
to Yodi and Syntyche in chapter 4, verse 12, and points out that
there was a damaging disunity originating with them. Paul knew to some degree that
there was a dispute in Philippi, at least one, and disunity because
of that. What existed among them probably
was a spirit of jealousy or selfishness, and because of that, faction.
And the knowledge of that preyed upon Paul. It haunted him and
even grieved him. And it minimized his joy or delight. It took away from that which
he should have been enjoying in full. And that’s why his appeal
here is so intense. Paul, unfortunately, was well
acquainted with disunity in most of his churches. In fact, in
nearly every one of Paul’s letters, there is at times a lengthy treatment of disunity. In Romans 13, Just
a single verse, verse 13. He says, let us behave properly
as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness. And look at
what company he puts disunity with. Not in carousing and drunkenness. Not in sexual promiscuity and
sensuality. Not in strife and jealousy. It was at least a potential problem
in the Roman church. We know that it was a grave problem
in the Corinthian church. Nearly the entire epistle is
seasoned, interspersed with admonitions and corrections of disunified
activity and behavior. But 1 Corinthians 3.3, he calls
them fleshly. For since there is jealousy and
strife among you, are you not fleshly? Are you not walking
like mere men? Here the church, God’s institution,
inhabited by people who forgot who they were. in living, as
he says, like mere men. The exhortation is simple and
clear in Galatians. He spells out the deeds of the
flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. And in the deeds of the flesh,
look at what company is kept by disunity. Idolatry, sorcery,
enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,
factions. It was a very grave thing in
Paul’s heart and mind. When Paul warned Timothy in 1
Timothy 6.4 about those that would come into his midst and
teach error, he said, of that man, he is conceited and understands
nothing. He has a morbid interest in controversial
questions and disputes about words out of which arises envy,
strife, abusive language, evil suspicions. As I said, disunity
was a problem in almost every one of the churches. Brothers attacking, belittling
each other. Ended up making a sad and sorry
spectacle in front of the watching world, didn’t it? Not only was their own spiritual
growth hindered, their ministry for the gospel was weakened. One pastor wrote of this tendency. Seen in Paul’s writings, such
pleading as this shows clearly the intensity of the Apostle’s
anxiety for the ending of all dissensions among his brethren.
It shows us how deep his conviction was of evil wrought by division
among Christians. That it injured the religious
life of believers themselves most seriously, and it was a
great obstacle to the progress of the gospel without. How lamentable, he goes on to
say, in our own time are the jealousies, the heart burnings,
the open dissensions in congregations and in and between denominations,
the bitter wranglings between churches, the angry denunciations
of Christian brethren, the venomous private quarrels between persons
professing godliness, Can we marvel that men of the world
look on this with derision and with keen and sarcastic irony? Quote, behold, these Christians,
how they love one another. That’s not how we’re called to
behave. It’s not how we’re called to testify to a dead, dying and
watching world. One Puritan wrapped it up this
way when he said this appeal for their unity as a kindness
to himself is presented with a solemn, fervent intensity demonstrating
both the depth of his love for him for them and his sense of
momentous importance at the matter at hand. How crucial was church
unity? Each illusion, each of these
four clauses, which we’ll look at this morning to a thoughtful
Christian heart is like a stroke of a rod of divine power calling
out a stream of sympathy and affection.” As we get into them,
I’ll tell you, every one of these is, as it were, an appeal to
your Christian profession. Every one of them. What I want to look at this morning
is this little matter of germinating the seeds of oneness. That’s
how Paul kind of positions them. that these things are supposed
to be part, even if in seed form, every believer’s life. No one
excepted. Every believer is supposed to
have and have tasted the encouragement of Christ, the consolation of
love, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the consummate affection
and compassion. Let’s look at these one at a
time. Elements of grace that contribute to the unity in the
church. Paul says, first of all, that the church may be unified by that hope that
is communicated to us by Christ. The church may be unified by
that hope that is communicated to us by Christ. We are encouraged
to look back and to think of those days before we knew that
hope, before we embraced Christ in salvation, and to think how
glorious a position we occupy now. It’s an interesting word,
discomfort. And I want to take a few minutes
on a couple of these words this morning. Most chiefly, this word. a compound word, parakaleo. Para, you’ve heard it before.
When we teach the parables, it means to cast alongside. But
here, just that first portion of the word para, alongside. Kaleo means to call alongside,
almost like you would a son or an intimate friend. And you would
call them alongside and put your arm on their shoulder or even
grab them by the chin. And you would admonish them or
encourage them. The word is translated many different
ways in Scripture, exhortation, appeal, encouragement, consolation,
comfort, and there is an element of that in any time that it’s
used. This is encouragement or exhortation
with a purpose. It is exhortation with the goal
of encouraging. At dinner with some Saints on
Friday night, and we were talking about confrontation, and I was
just sharing that I don’t fear confrontation. I don’t relish
it. I don’t look forward to it. I don’t go looking for it. But
when God brings situations across my path, I embrace that because
I’ve almost always seen good come out of it. That’s the mindset here. It is
exhortation with a purpose. When Paul says if here on each
of these clauses, he’s not implying doubt. He’s not questioning their
Christianity. He’s not wondering if they’re
saved. This disunity is so bad that
you may not be saved. That’s not at all what’s in Paul’s
mind. This if implies not doubt of the existence of these motives,
But it’s simply a form of an appeal to them, to what is well
known to exist in them. Paul knew that they had sensed
the encouragement of Christ. Paul knew that they had tasted
the fellowship of the Spirit. So Paul doesn’t say if, as if
he doubts whether the condition is really so, but really just
to emphasize that when that condition is present, The conclusion should
also be present. If you have tasted the encouragement
of Christ, if you in any way as a Christian have been encouraged
by Christ, then you should be one with your brothers. One pastor
said it this way. by the existence of such graces
among you, by the exhortation which is in Christ, by the comfort
of love, by the fellowship of the Spirit, by the attachments
and sympathies of the Gospel, I admonish you to fulfill my
joy by being like-minded.” The four clauses are really just
so many arguments why the Philippian church should cultivate a constant
and cordial oneness of judgment and pursuit. Paul’s not questioning
their Christianity. Paul’s calling their Christianity
to challenge them. And he says, if there is any
encouragement. And as I said, that word translated
encouragement, exhortation, comfort, consolation, it does have two
seemingly distinct meanings in the New Testament. Exhortation
on the one hand, encouragement on the other. And some people
would see those things as mutually exclusive. I don’t. Neither does
Scripture. It’s used almost interchangeably
in passages and most times the context must dictate the exact
flavoring with which that word is used. But as I said before,
it’s a beautiful word. It’s a beautiful word to call
for, to appeal, to admonish, to cheer, to encourage and comfort. All of those are elements of
this word. You know it well from that little word paracletos,
the paraclete, the promised one, the one that Jesus promised was
going to come and come alongside of us, even to come and to dwell
in us, the Holy Spirit. That’s the word that’s used of
the Holy Spirit. This exhortation of which Paul
speaks, which prompts or induces action in another. It’s not just
an exhortation to go and to do good. But what’s implied in this
word is it’s it is exhortation to unity and oneness. The exhortation
ultimately that finds its power in Christ. It’s not just an empty exhortation.
It’s not just a wagging of one’s finger in someone’s face. It’s
an exhortation to be what Christ has made us to be. In essence, what Paul says is
that if Christ, by his example and his sufferings and his conflicts,
if Christ exhorts you, then the conclusion is simple. And that ought to be all that
needs to be said. But Paul goes on and he’ll hit
us with three more exhortations of the same, same thing, same
thought. In four different ways, he brings
our Christianity to bear on our lives in the church. One paraphrased it in these simple
words, he says, if the fact of your being in Christ has any
power Let me exhort you to brotherly unity.” Does your Christianity
have any power? We’ve all been in churches. We
joked a couple of weeks ago about those annual meetings, those
church fights. They’re really just the beginning
of a church split in so many cases. Paul, as I said, Paul had unity
At the core of Christianity, the very core. Listen to his
words from First Corinthians. First Corinthians 12, even as
the body is one and yet has many members and all the members of
the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. He says to tear apart the body
is to tear apart Christ. For if by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave
or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit, for the
body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, because I’m
not a hand, I’m not part of the body, it’s not for this reason
any less the part of the body. And that’s what you have in some
circles. It’s saying you are not one of
us. You’re not in agreement with
us. And there is this tearing, this fracturing, this… I mean, call it what it is, this
dismemberment of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4, Paul had the same
thought in mind when he said, speaking the truth in love, we
are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even
Christ. from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together
by that which every joint supplies according to the proper working
of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the
building up of itself in love.” In other words, he says that
each part is absolutely indispensable. Everyone is needed for the growth
of the body. Secondly, and he just brings
up our Christianity in a whole new way. He’s already asked us
if there’s any encouragement in Christ and what Christian
hasn’t experienced encouragement, the hope of the gospel, the hope
of salvation, the hope of heaven, the hope of forgiveness. Haven’t
we all been incredibly encouraged by Christ himself? Secondly, The second element of grace contributing
to the unity of the church, not only a recollection of the hope
communicated to us by Christ, but secondly, a recalling of
God’s amazing love for us. I mean, could it be any more simple
than that? It really couldn’t. This is the
most basic element of the gospel. This is what we teach in Sunday
school. Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells
me so. For God so loved the world.” Paul goes back to the basics.
And he says, consider God’s love for you. And having considered
that, how on earth can you behave in such a way? How on earth can
you be disunified? How on earth can you tear at
each other’s eyes? The word here for consolation
occurs only here in all of the New Testament. It essentially
refers to that which pulls and draws the mind aside from care. It’s comforting words. It’s soulless,
is a often used descriptive of this word. Verbal encouragement,
kind conversation. We’ve got a new rule in our house.
Only kind words. New little phrase. Tent cards
all over the house. What a great thing. Only kind
words. Can you imagine such a home? Can you imagine such a church?
That’s what Paul wants. Verbal encouragement. Kind conversation. One said, that tender address
which cheers and excites. I mean, how many conversations
do we have in a week’s time with the saints that fails to cheer
and excite? Just that mundane or critical
or, you know, just hopeless speak. But to talk to the brothers and
sisters in Christ and to come away encouraged and heartened
and ready for battle and comforted. Listen to Paul’s words to the
Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1, 3-7, Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always
concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in
Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in
all speech, in all knowledge, even the testimony concerning
Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in
any gift awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. I mean, can you imagine the Corinthians after that? You
know, they probably likely ran all out of the church ready to
take on the world. And he hadn’t even gotten into
them yet. It was a friendly and a mild
persuasion. It’s that brotherly conversation
that we must be engaged in. That consolation. That’s that word. But here, it
is the consolation of love. It is that friendly conversation
that God has with us that essentially says, I forgive you not because
of you, but because of my mercy. Paul says, look, if this love
that you’ve experienced from God has any persuasive power
to move you, let it be in the direction of unity in the body
of Christ. If you have sensed God’s love
at all, if you have tasted it, you don’t have to have lived
it and enjoyed it to the full. If you’ve had even a glimmer
of the love of God, that perfect, undeserved love of God, is there
anyone in the body of Christ that is undeserving of your own?
That’s what he says. The Apostle isn’t talking about
his love for them. He’s not talking about a consolation
of love between the Philippians and the Apostle himself. He’s
talking about the Philippians’ love toward one another and that
it’s absolutely crucial to the unity of the body. Romans 5.8 Do you need proof? demonstrates his own love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And will we not yield our way? Love is patient. 1 Corinthians
13. Love is kind, not jealous. Love
does not brag and is not arrogant. And yet, will we seek our own?
Our own way, our own perspective, Second Corinthians 514, the love
of Christ controls us, having concluded that one died for all,
therefore all died. God’s love was so incredible
and so undeserved. It can be very easily said by
the apostle himself to be a controlling force in his life and not in
his only. Ephesians 5, 2, we are exhorted
to walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself
up for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant
aroma. And He does the same thing there
in appealing to us to look beyond our own feeble lives to see how
hopeless we were without God’s love, without the sacrifice of Christ.
1 John 4.16, we’ve come to know
and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love. And the one who abides in love
abides in God. And God abides in him. I’ll tell you, one Puritan said
it this way, very strong terms. If such comfort springs from
love, it should exercise itself in disarming prejudice, in hushing
strife, in soothing hard feelings, in removing misunderstandings,
preventing divisions, and generally, by its still small voice, knitting
together the members of the church and charming away those evils
which so seriously endanger its peace. We cannot we cannot allow ourselves
to ignore the love of God by ignoring the love of our brethren. By disunity, we can’t allow it.
There’s a third element of grace that contributes to the unity
in the church. The church may be unified by a recollection
of the hope. communicated to us by Christ,
a recalling of God’s amazing love for us. And thirdly, a realization
of our intimate communion with the Holy Spirit. Look at that third clause there,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, this is one of Paul’s
favorite words in this epistle. Four times in this little epistle,
he uses that word. And I can remember, you know,
in the 70s, and that’s how old I am with regards to being a
Christian, you know, in the 70s, koinonia was the latest rage. But what most people meant by
koinonia, quote unquote, fellowship, was usually nothing more than
an ice cream social. And then when the ice cream social
was done, boom, community was done. Koinonia was over and back
to business as usual, which was not a pleasant experience. Let
me tell you about this word. Koinos, originally the word meant
common or communal. And it’s used in a couple of
key passages. Listen carefully. Verse 44 of
Acts 2, all those who had believed were together and had all things
in common. Now, this isn’t, you know, proposing
communist rule or socialistic. You know, this was this was a
willing participation in a selfless endeavor, a sharing of things. Some people claim that they have
koinonia and yet they won’t let go of the coin. Acts 4.32, same
thought. The congregation of those who
had believed were of one heart and soul and not one of them
claimed that anything belonged to him was his own, that all
things were common, koinos, property to them. So that’s the root. That’s the root word. And then
the verb koinoniao means to share. Romans 13, contributing to the
needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Galatians 6.6, the
one who is taught the word is to share all good things with
the one who teaches him. Philippians 4.15, you yourselves
know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel
after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter
of giving and receiving but you alone. Here he’s talking to the
Philippians who were the exemplary church when it came to sharing. And he says to them, have you
shared in the Holy Spirit? Have you tasted the Holy Spirit? There are other words in this
family. Koinonikos meant generous or
liberal. Not that kind of liberal. Forget it’s an election year
and I got to check myself. 1st Timothy 6.8, if we have food
and covering with these, we shall be content. God is generous if we have those
things. And that’s what led ultimately
this word koinonia, fellowship, that commonality of things. The
noun form, Acts 2.42, again, they were continually devoting
themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to the
breaking of bread and prayer. In other words, what Paul is
urging them to hear, that original word there used in the book of
Acts was pointing to an element of the church that was to be
absolutely part of everything that they did. Not only the teaching
of the word. Everybody, you know, will talk
about, oh, yeah, we want good preaching. And a lot of people
will talk about communion in the Lord’s day and we need a
prayer meeting. But what is in and among those chief elements
for a healthy church is fellowship, koinonia, oneness of heart and
mind. That’s what the word meant. And
it went on to mean a partner, a sharer, a partaker. And Paul
basically challenges the Philippians and says, look, you are partakers. You have koinonia with the Holy
Spirit Himself. And so do your brothers and sisters
in Christ. And can you still carry on this
argument? Can you still create this dissension? Can you still fight and bicker
like children? The Spirit there is quite clearly
the Holy Spirit. They couldn’t possibly have koinonia
fellowship in one another’s spirit. Nowhere else is that verbiage
or language used. It is the Holy Spirit in whom
they have fellowship. It is the promised Holy Spirit
whom all the saints shared as their common life giver and sustainer
and strengthener and sanctifier. It was the Holy Spirit that we
are all partakers. 1 Corinthians 12.11, the one
and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually as He wills. He’s like the common bond between
us all. He is in me fully, but he is
also fully in you, each one of you. And he appeals to them,
to their part together in this life giver as a motive to that
holy unity, which should mark every congregation of Christian
saints. Paul loved that phrase and he
used it elsewhere. 2 Corinthians 13, 14 in one of
his most beautiful benedictions. I love when Paul finishes up
and you think he’s done and he issues a benediction and off
and running again, right? 2 Corinthians 13, 14, the grace
of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit. be with you all.” Is there anything
more amazing that Paul could have said? I can’t even imagine it. The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Paul says, look, if you’re partakers
of the Holy Spirit and His gifts and His influences, then you
must be one. You must be unified. You must
project a positive and unified image to the watching world. One saint from days gone by said
it this way, said the fellowship of the divine spirit is the very
basis of like mindedness. that correct apprehension of
the same truths which leads to like-mindedness, the felt reception
of common blessings which creates a one-heartedness, guards against
schism, all of it is affected by the Spirit of God of whom
they partake. If there is a joint participation
in the Spirit, then it becomes a mighty inducement and power
in securing unity.” And I would say, Conversely, if you have a church
or a body of people that can tear each other’s eyes out without
even a care or a thought. My question is, where is the
spirit? Fourthly. The fourth element of grace contributing
to the unity of the church. not only a recollection of the
hope communicated by Christ, a recalling of God’s amazing
love for us, a realization of our intimate communion with the
Holy Spirit, but fourthly, a remembrance of one another love. And Paul uses a word here that
just baffles me in our day and age. He says, if any affection
and compassion, he talks about his bowels. The word is splanxna. In their Greek thinking, it was
the organ or seed of compassion and emotion. It was a graphic
and powerful word. There was no stronger way to
talk about it. It was almost like talking about
something that was gut-wrenching. And that’s how he says Christians
ought to be loving one another. It’s from their inward parts,
from their seat of emotion, their affections. Jesus. This word is so common in the
Gospels and almost uniquely about Christ in His compassion and
how He felt moved in His inward parts for others. Just for one
example, Matthew 9.36, seeing the people, He felt compassion
for them. He was moved internally with
a love for them. It means to feel pity and sympathize. That compassion was the motivating
factor for Christ to work almost all of His miracles. Sometimes
it was because of the people that had asked themselves. Sometimes
it was for people who asked on behalf of others. Sometimes it
was Jesus Himself who would initiate just purely out of that innate
compassion that was within. It’s used in elsewhere in the
Scriptures of the inward parts, the seed of emotions. Luke 178,
because of the tender mercy of God with which the sunrise from
on high will visit us. That tender mercy, that tender
compassion spoken of there of God. Just to show you how the
Greeks used it, Acts 118. Here comes the graphic part.
This man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness from
falling headlong. He burst open it in the middle
and all of his splanksna, his intestines, gushed out. We talk about it that way. We
talk about our feelings in strong terms. I have a gut feeling.
That was gut-wrenching. I feel it in my heart. That was
a heartfelt thing. Paul appeals with strong terms
and says that your love for one another should be so strong it
should be from the core of your being. And where that tender feeling
does not exist, said one, that kind of union is impossible. Universal callousness is universal
hostility. And then, as offenses come, and
they do often come, as one member may hurt his neighbor by the
love of preeminence or adherence to his own opinion or deprecation
of those who differ from him, there is the need of the exercise
of these mercies in forgiving a brother’s trespasses, even
up to seventy times seven. Paul doesn’t say that, look,
in order to fulfill this affection and compassion stuff, you all
have to be best friends with everybody in this congregation.
That’s silly. In a big circle, big church,
even in a small church, there’s going to be a big circle of people.
And there are going to be smaller circles within that. That doesn’t
mean that you can’t have dear and intimate friends in the church
or that every friendship has to be on the same and equal plane. What it does mean, as one said,
that every believer should feel himself bound to every other
believer by cords of true and warm affection. that none of
the household of faith should feel himself treated as a stranger
or an outcast, that each should know that through sympathy and
prayer and help, his burdens were lovingly borne by his brethren.” But he goes on. And he says,
oh brethren, but how feeble this love is generally and how easily
mastered by separating influences, by temperament, by divergence
of view or worldly matters or non-essentials in religion. That’s what Paul was addressing.
Paul says, I don’t care what the issue is. I don’t care what
the issue is. Are you loving each other? Are
you affectionate and compassionate on one another? Even if you disagree
in principle on a point, do you love one another? Do you care
for one another? Are you ministering to one another
with the grace of God? That’s what Paul wanted to know. Believers, all of us, by God’s
grace, are God’s children. Just like in our home, we hate
to see when our own children bicker because we love them both. How much more does God detest
what He sees in some churches when we should be cherishing
one another with all that we have in common? The grace that
we’ve experienced, the love of God, the fellowship of the Spirit
to turn and tear is completely out of character. Those are the elements of grace
that contribute to unity in the church. We’ll look at how that
unity is described next Lord’s Day. Let’s pray. Our God, you are so merciful,
so incredibly merciful to take sinners such as ourself and to
lavish us with your love that is so abundant. Father, we are
humbled to be in your presence. We are ashamed in our own hearts
at some of the things that we’ve overlooked, some of the ways
that we’ve allowed disunity to embrace us. Father, grant us
the grace to germinate these very seeds that we’ve considered
this morning, that our church may fully Enjoy unity and may it be fully
joyful to you. We thank you and we praise you
in Jesus’ name, Amen.