Unity Episode Notes
As we come to our Miracle Offering on September 15th, Kerrin wanted to share what he felt is a powerful and prophetic message for our church, which is far bigger than an offering, but part of God’s call on us together and something that will unlock a power of God in our own lives.
These will be a focus for many years to come!
Psalm 133:1-3 (NIV)
1 How good and pleasant it is (I have to hear this!) when God’s people live (dwell – NKJV) 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 (commands) his blessing, even life forevermore.
Kerrin will never preach that life is easy. It just isn’t unless you’re a Disney Character and your existence is within the Princess castle.
The Bible here talks about a life that is GOOD and PLEASANT! We need that. Life is not easy.
Remember the old SPECIAL K ad – I’ll have what she’s having.
Have you ever looked at certain people and thought they have a pleasantness about them? Have you thought there is goodness in their life that they just seem to live in and you want some of it?
The KEY today to pleasantness and goodness is UNITY!
Unity brings into focus the JOY of the LORD which is our strength!
Unity acts like an OIL to life and causes things that could grind, to move smoothly and pleasantly.
Ever had a car or mechanical device without the lubrication and it grinds and crunches instead. When you get the right oil there is smooth motion and operation.
THAT’S WHAT UNITY DOES!
When we think of ‘Unity’ sometimes we have this false idea that it means: ‘Everyone is doing the same thing’ BUT that is not unity.
1. UNITY is EVERYONE or EVERYTHING – GOING THE SAME WAY! Think of it like a football team! – Essendon vs Eagles on Thursday
Players have a position – they are not all rucks. That would be dud.
They have different positions, strengths, styles, places on the field, roles etc.
The goal is the same – they are all going the same way. Not doing the same thing, but going the same way. Champion people who are on the team.
WE NEED UNITY PERSONALLY.
One of the first things we need in our lives is to have unity of our life.
The book of James is brilliant on this.
James 1:6-8 (NKJV)
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
This is talking about unity of prayer and faith! Without the unity – we become unstable!
But this is in every area of life and the whole book of James is really talking about getting our lives in UNITY right across the board. Unity keeps us stable.
It talks about UNITY in every area of our life:
Prayers being in unity with our faith.
Listening being in unity with our doing.
Our Faith being in unity with our deeds.
Our tongue being in unity with our calling, God’s word and self control.
Our desires being in unity with Gods desires.
Our patience being in unity with the seasons of life.
Have you ever been in a heated discussion with your husband or wife and your brain says – ‘Don’t say that….’ And yet your mouth ‘SAYS IT!’
Maybe been about to attempt something and your body says ‘Don’t do that’ and your ego says – ‘Go on, prove you can do it’
Yep, we usually regret both of those un-unified decisions for days.
We have all seen a person who says one thing and acts another! It looks like something is not right because they are not unified. You can see their unstability.
We e often have these divided areas of our life and wonder why there isn’t the oil of pleasantness and goodness operating.
Do our words line up with our beliefs?
Too many people say God loves them but don’t actually believe it.
They say I am a new person in Christ – but see themselves as dirty and broken. This shows a lack of internal unity.
Does our Mon-Fri life line up with our Sunday life?
Do we talk about eternity being important, but live for this world and life all week?
Do we want God, but chase money?
Do we desire great relationships but refuse to sacrifice for them or sow into them?
Do we want a great marriage but our words to our spouse tear it down?
Do we tell our kids God is important – but then miss His house/ church when it is not convenient or it’s a nice day for the outdoors?
We believe relationship with God is important – but does our time reflect that?
Do our disciplines line up with our goals?
Do our actions line up with our calling and purpose?
Do our commitments line up with our destiny?
Too many people say ‘one day when…’ No!
Live it NOW or you will never get to when.
We must take action to get unity in our:
Lives
Thoughts
Commitments
Disciplines
Attitudes
Actions
ALL THESE MUST BE UNIFIED AND CENTRED ON JESUS CHRIST and THE WORD OF GOD!
If we don’t, then the years roll on and we wonder why we never find the good and pleasant flow of God’s best for our lives.
What areas of our lives need to re-align with God’s purpose and Word so we can live in UNITY going on in our lives?
Like the book of James says, unless we get our whole life pointed the same way we become unstable.
2. WE NEED UNITY CORPORATELY This is where again the principal of UNITY is so powerful!
Where people understand corporate unity, and churches have everyone unified, there GOD commands a blessing when the people are in unity together!
The Psalm talks of the anointing oil flowing.
Churches where there is unity of heart, culture, vision – there is a powerful anointing!
Sense of God, an excitement, miracles.
That is literally why someone can come into a church and leave without any experience of God, life, presence of God and say its ‘unfriendly’.
Really they just haven’t tapped into the anointing present because they have refused to bring their spirit or life into unity with what God is doing there.
They can even like things, but if there isn’t a commitment of unity there will be emptiness to their connection with Gods people.
As we read the scriptures, whenever God’s people were unified it opened the doors for God’s hand to move in a generation.
After Egypt – when God allowed the faithless generation to pass in the wilderness, then they had a unified people of faith and they possessed the promised land.
When Jonathon was able to bring breakthrough to the Israelites and the army joined in and those who previously had been afraid were unified, they defeated an unbeatable host of Philistines.
When the twelve tribes were all unified under David and Solomon they were the most prosperous years of Israel’s history – since their division, they have never again achieved such greatness.
Even in the negative we see the power in the story of the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 11:5-6 (NIV)
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Imagine what is possible if the Church can work together in unity.
Kerrin wants to encourage every person here that if we can get together with heart, mind, spirit and work together in UNITY, then:
God will command – BLESSING.
Nothing will be impossible.
There will be a goodness and pleasantness to all we do.
It will release a powerful anointing of God.
We will be ABLE to STAND UP AS THE CHURCH WE SHOULD BE and reflect JESUS to the WORLD like never before.
With our Miracle Offering Coming – THE POWER OF UNITY and MIRACLE GIVING TOGETHER IS INCREDIBLE!
The understanding for us as a Church is the power of our unity in our giving at this time.
In 2018/19, we were blown away by what we could do together!
We paid out our debt after many years.
We put together plans and got those through council.
We had the money in the account allowing us to get our loan for the future.
INCREDIBLY – it was literally what we were able to do when we all worked together in giving and sacrifice, that meant we could step into our future and:
Reach More People.
Raise Champions – the generation of leaders.
Build for the future.
Unlock Generosity in people’s lives.
Reflect God to our community.
BENDIGO and BEYOND needs the church to stand up unified into ALL GOD HAS like never before! Let’s do something magnificent together!
3. WE NEED UNITY AS A COMMITMENT If Unity were easy:
Every Marriage would be bliss.
Every church filled to overflowing.
Every person – healthy and propelled into their destiny.
Every political party would be unbelievably successful and deliver even more than they ever promise.
But obviously not ALL of those things seem to be happening 100% of the time, so why is that? Unity requires effort and commitment!
Eph 4:1-4 (NIV)
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit.
MAKE EVERY EFFORT to get these unified:
In our lives – it takes effort!
In our marriages – make every effort!
In our workplaces!
With our Kids!
Here at CHURCH!
In our Connect Groups!
Too many people:
Make every excuse.
Make every accusation.
Make every issue so big.
Make every assumption in the negative.
Make every problem their focus.
Make everyone aware of THEIR POSITION and OPINION.
THE BIBLE SAYS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO KEEP THE UNITY!
In Psalm 133 it says to remain (dwell) in unitedness (together in unity) on a journey.
“Together in unity” is one Hebrew word and literally means – all together, unitedness.
Unity requires some serious effort and:
Refusing to envy or boast.
Does not allow being proud (in the wrong way), self seeking or easily angered.
Forgives – keeps no record of wrongs.
Rejoices in truth.
Always protects, trusts, hopes for the best in people and perseveres.
This sounds a bit like 1 Corinthians 13.
Let me explain the other option, without UNITY life is not good or pleasant – it seems easy BUT it’s:
Isolated and lonely – often struggle for deep, lasting relationship.
People have constant change (can’t agree in a one place enough to get the good, pleasant or blessing)
Unfruitful – notice that it seems some people can never get ahead and can’t get over the mountains.
Ungracious – usually why they cannot get along.
Religiosity – more interested in their opinions and rules than people finding freedom in Jesus.
Spectating – always watching others and commenting, but can never be a part of something because they cannot get unified to do so.
Our Miracle Offering is coming up – we can be spectators or part of what God is doing together here at Connect Church.
Hard – nothing is smooth or seamless – it’s always a struggle and fight. No oil of unity flowing in your life.
When we are able to get past:
Small thinking.
Negativity and Cynicism.
Fear and Insecurity.
We can get the OIL of UNITY and it make a difference in the pleasantness and goodness of life.
BUT IT TAKES EFFORT! MAKE EVERY EFFORT!
Refuse to allow ‘STUFF’ to get in the way of UNITY – because the cost is too high. Learn to trust and deal with problems.
4. WE NEED UNITY ON THE JOURNEY! Psalm 133 is one of a group of Psalms that were written as part of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem (road trip) for the three great feasts of God’s People!
These start at Psalm 120 and go to Psalm 134. It’s all about the journey!
David penned them as part of the journey, which is fascinating, because his call to unity isn’t just to ‘sit around and enjoy one another’s company’!!! It is literally God people moving together to a destination to worship and serve God!
WOW! That is powerful!
God wants us joined together in unity, not so we can sit around and sing KUMBYAH. But so we can press together into the UPWARD call of JESUS CHRIST!
He has a destination for us!
THERE IS A REASON and DIVINE PURPOSE for us to journey together in UNITY!
There are things for us to be unified around, to possess and unite around and to work toward!
Jesus put it like this:
Matt 16:18 (NIV)
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That is why we will do a Miracle Offering every year! Because we will continue to work together for the reason of ADVANCING GOD’S KINGDOM TOGETHER!
There will always be something to stretch to, work together for and journey toward! Plunder Hell and populate Heaven.
Church is not just ‘a Christian community’.
It’s those that Jesus has set free, joining together to share that hope with as many people as possible! To help people become part of God’s family.
Let’s make a decision to:
Pray together.
Work together.
Praise and declare God’s goodness together.
Reach out to win the lost together.
Give together.
LET’S MAKE EVERY EFFORT – to be unified in heart, spirit and vision!
Genesis 11:5-6 (NIV)
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
September 15th will be Celebration Sunday.
If we can get united, we will be unstoppable in the Kingdom of God!
Suggestions for Discussion Questions Discuss the difference between everyone doing the same thing and everyone going the same way.
Do you agree with the statement – without the unity we become unstable? What does this mean to you?
How do you get God’s best for your lives?
Can you imagine what is possible if we can work together in unity?
Listen to more episodes…
The post Unity, Purity, Wonder Pt 1 – Ps Kerrin Wallis [01/09/2019 AM] appeared first on Connect Church Bendigo.
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