Unity in the Church
Psalm 133:1-3 (NASB77) 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing– life forever.
Matthew 16:18 (NASB77) 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”
The three Gs of a Great church. I think that East Baptist is a wonderful and great church because she has a great commission, she has a great Lord, she has a great love, and She therefore has a great unity. Our church will continue to be great as long as we continue to be unified (When we are focused on the Three G’s we are united.)
The wonderful Beauty of Unity in the Church or the Body of Christ. Notice what our Word says in Psalm 133:1 (NASB77) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! What our Lord says is, get hold of or behold. Look. Observe. There is something that is beautiful that I want you to behold—something that I want you to see. Why is unity so beautiful, it is our unity in Christ that makes us stronger than we could ever be alone. Let us explore the WHY. I want to mention three reasons.
In order to get a handle on this we must look to our Lord when He walked the earth as a man just before he went back to be One with the Father. Hear his prayer for the N.T. Church: John 17:21 (NASB77) 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.
Now please understand that there is no perfect church, and people will get on your last big nerve, and even hurt your feelings, but that is part of being part of a family. Unity in Christ Jesus calls for us to look past that and keep on loving each other. (After all, our Lord looks past our faults and loves us even when we are not lovable.)
And I tell you something else that makes our unity beautiful: it’s the dread of Satan. Satan does not like for God’s people to be together in a unified front, and I’ll tell you why: because when we’re together, there is an awesome power. The unified church is a force that Satan can’t stand up to. Matthew 16:18 (NASB77) 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”
And where does that life come from? Well, we’re made partakers of the Divine Spirit. We have been born again. We are brothers and sisters. We’ve come from the same womb of grace. We have been born again.
Ok now, let’s go on, and move on a little bit deeper into the last verse, and talk not only about the beauty of unity and the basis of unity, but think with me for just a few moments about the blessing of unity. Look in verse 3: Psalm 133:3 (NASB77) 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing– life forever.
Dew comes sweetly like the unity of the church. When I think of dew, I think of how it came in my home state of Colorado, it came sweetly to sweeten the grass just like unity to the church. It comes sweetly. When you get up in the morning, and you go out early in the morning, and the dew is all over the grass, it sparkles like a million diamonds. Everything seems so soft and green— so velvety, as the dew is all over the ground. It’s fresh every morning; it’s not stale it is fresh and new. It comes sweetly.
Dew comes secretly —kind of mysteriously. Does the dew come up, or does the dew come down? Where does the dew come from? Well, it’s actually in the air, but it appears when conditions are just right, when it reaches what we call the dew point. And then, that dew just appears in all its beauty and wonder in watering the sheep. So, it is with the unity of the Body of Christ the church, it is a God thing.
Dew comes silently just like the unity of Christ in the church.. It most often doesn’t come with a bang. It doesn’t come with thunder. It doesn’t come with the flashing of the lightning like a thunderstorm. It just penetrates the air, and it’s there upon the ground. And, you know, really, unity is like that. You don’t work it up. It doesn’t come with cheerleader enthusiasm. You can’t enforce it. You can’t make it come. Haven’t you been around when God’s dew just distills around the congregation? I mean, when God’s dew just comes in a Bible Study? I mean, when, like the freshness of the morning just out of the atmosphere, when the dew point is reached, it comes so sweetly, it comes so secretly, it comes so silently.
Dew comes surely as the unity in Christ will bring the unity of the whole church. Oh, but it comes surely. When conditions are right, you can’t stop it. And, a person in the field is going to come away wet. That, my friend, is what God says unity is like. How does it come? What does it do? Did you know when this was written—and even today—much of the farming in the land of Israel is what we call dry farming—not by irrigation, but dry farming? You see, what does it do? It brings fruitfulness. Friend, I believe with all of my heart that we’re going to see souls saved and we’re going to see the church grow, when we have that fellowship, when the dew of Hermon and the dew of Zion is upon the Church.
My beloved someday the Son of God will come and take up the church and our fellowship and unity in Christ will move us into eternity. Read with me about end times as recorded in the last book of the bible:
Revelation 21:1-6 (NASB77)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them,
4 And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He •said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
6 And He said to me, ” It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
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