HOW CAN WE LIVE IN A POSITIVE MANNER WITH OUR FAMILY OF FAITH?
I. BECOMING AN INSTRUMENT OF CHRISTIAN UNITY.
A. Opponents of Christian Unity.
1. Self.
2. Satan.
3. Society.
B. Benefits of Christian Unity.
1. The Holy Spirit is given Space and Permission to Work.
2. Guests are Supernaturally Comfortable.
3. The Mission of Our Church is Free to Thrive and Grow.
4. It is Good for us Personally.
5. It is Good for the Church Membership.
6. It is Good for New Christians.
7. It is Good for the Outside World.
C. Promoting Christian Unity in our Family of Faith.
1. By Praying for Unity.
2. By Preparing for Unity.
3. By developing Patience for Unity.
4. By Making Sure Unity is Paramount.
a. Personally
b. Corporately
5. By Personally Creating an Atmosphere of Christian Unity.
a. Submitting to the Holy Spirit.
b. Submitting to Other Believers.
c. Refusing to Promote your Personal Agendas.
D. Instruments of Christian Unity.
1. Love.
2. Inclusion.
3. Possessing the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23
4. Encouragement and Affirmation.
5. Biblical use of Our Spiritual Gifts.
APPLICATION
1. Are you really Interested in Creating Unity in our Family of Faith?
2. Do you Pray for Genuine Christian Unity in our Family of Faith?
3. Do you Promote Genuine Christian Unity in Your Conversations and Social Media?
4. Do you Put Others First?
5. Will you Confess your Love of Disunity?
CONCLUSION
I recently read about a church in Chicago, Ill. St. Stephen's church, which is called, "THE CHURCH AT THE END OF THE ROAD."
What a fitting location for the church of Jesus Christ. There are so many people who, for one reason or another, feel they have come to the end of their road. Maybe they have reached the end of hope, or strength, or money, or self-confidence. Whatever the cause, the feeling is real and very painful.
Just think of how many people Jesus met at the end of the Road while He was on earth.
1. Nicodemus.
2. The Woman at the Well.
3. The Woman caught in Adultery.
4. The Blind Man.
5. The Woman in Simon the Pharisees Household found in Luke 7, had come to the end of the road morally and found herself at the feet of Jesus weeping and anointing him with perfume. This woman, whom the Pharisees designated a "sinner", met Jesus at the end of her road and found forgiveness.
There are people that come to this place of worship every week that are at the end of their road.
How we worship and how we love one another will determine what these people do at the end of their road.
If our worship is genuine and dynamic then eventually they will allow Christ to enter and change their live.