OceanSide church of Christ

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BUILDING UP THE LOCAL CHURCH…

Through Unity

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Every member of the church should be focus upon building up the church.

1.      We should want the church to grow.

2.      We should never be part of tearing down the precious body of Christ.

 

B.      There are many things that build up the church.

1.      Effective Leadership

2.      Sound gospel preaching

3.      A commitment to soul-winning

 

C.     In this lesson, we will examine another ingredient that will build up the church.  Very simply, we can build up the church through unity.

 

I.                   THE BIBLE EXHORTS US TO BE UNITED

 

A.    Psalm 133:1

 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

 

B.      I Corinthians 1:10

 

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same spirit.

 

C.     Ephesians 4:3

 

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

D.    Philippians 1:27b

 

…that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

 

E.      Philippians 2:2

 

Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

 

F.      John 17:20-23

 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:  that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou has sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

 

 

 

II.                HOW UNITY BUILDS THE CHURCH

 

A.    Unity has two main components:  doctrine and attitudes

1.      When there is unity, all agree on the doctrine, that is, the teaching of God’s Word.

a.      Amos 3:3

 

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

 

b.      Galatians 1:8-9

 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

 

2.      When there is unity, all manifest the proper Christian attitudes.

a.      Ephesians 4:1-3

 

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

b.      Philippians 2:2-5

 

Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

 

B.      When members are likeminded and when positive attributes are display, there is a unity that promotes peace and tranquility in the body of Christ. 

1.      People want to be part of this type of a group.

2.      NOTE:  The opposite is also true.  When people are divided over doctrine and when ungodly attitudes prevail, people are repelled and do not want to be part of such a group.

 

III.             OVERCOMING UNITY KILLERS

 

A.    The desire for power

1.      Power is defined as “control” and “authority.”

2.      Many good works have been destroyed because men fought over the positions of power.

3.      Jesus knew this could be a problem.  Thus, he exhorted His followers to desire a position of a slave instead of a position of a chief (Matt. 20:25-28).

 

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.  But is shall not be so among you:  but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give is life a ransom for many.

 

4.      A good rule of thumb:  “If you cannot submit to authority, you do not need to be in a position of authority.”

B.      The proclamation of false doctrine

1.      False doctrine and truth cannot abide together.

a.      They are like oil and water.

b.      False doctrine is “another gospel” of a different kind.  It is not a gospel of the same kind (Gal. 1:6-7)

 

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

 

2.      False doctrine divides men into groups:  those for the truth versus those for false doctrine.

3.      When false doctrines arise, the teachers of it must be rebuked and the faithful must remove themselves from the error.

a.      Romans 16:17

 

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

 

b.      II Corinthians 6:14, 17

 

And be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers…Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

 

c.       Ephesians 5:11

 

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

 

d.      Titus 2:10

 

A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject.

 

C.     A combative spirit

1.      There are some people who have developed within them a negative, combative spirit.

a.      Qualities they manifest:

1)      Fault-finding

2)      Criticism

3)      Argumentative

4)      Self-willed

5)      Unforgiving

6)      Anger

7)      Raise voice

8)      Personal attacks

b.      They try to make certain that they are in opposition to someone at all times.

c.       They will try to get others on “their team.”

2.      Their demeanor and their actions oppose the spirit of unity within the church (Col. 3:12-13).

 

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any:  even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

a.      These individuals need to put off the old men.

b.      They need to mortify their members which are upon the earth.

c.       They need to cease being conformed to the world.

 

D.    Optional matters

1.      There are optional matters that exist within the church.

a.      Times of services

b.      To have a certain program or not

c.       How missionaries are supported

d.      How benevolence work will be carried out

2.      Optional matters can divide if individuals do not keep them in the realm of being optional.

a.      Sometimes optional matters are confused with doctrinal matters.

b.      Sometimes feelings are so strong that we do not want to admit the matter is optional.

3.      The key to keeping optional matters from splitting the church involves understanding. (Ex, eating meats offered to idols in the first century church, I Cor. 8).

a.      Idols were nothing (I Cor. 8:4).

b.      Eating meat that had been offered to idols was not sinful (I Cor. 8:4-6).

c.       Not all had this knowledge (I Cor. 8:7)

d.      Knowledge can puff up (I Cor. 8:1)

e.       Whether a person ate or did not eat did not matter (I Cor. 8:8)

f.        No brother was to put a stumbling block in the way of another brother (I Cor. 8:9-12)

g.      Charity (love) is an important ingredient (I Cor. 8:1)

h.      If eating would make one’s brother offend, eating would be omitted (I Cor. 8:13).

 

E.      Culture and race

1.      There are times when groups of people elevate their culture and race over the body of Christ.   They love their race and culture so much that the church remains divided instead of being united.

2.      To heal this division, we must understand that the church is not just a “melting pot,” it is a “disappearing pot.”

a.      God is not concerned about our race and culture.

b.      God does not see our race and culture.

c.       He sees us all has His children and so should we.

3.      Galatians 3:26-29

 

For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

a.      There is neither black or white.

b.      There is neither Asian or Latino.

c.       There is neither rich or poor.

d.      There is neither educated or uneducated.

 

CONCLUSIION

 

A.    Man cannot create unity on his own.  He is proud, selfish, and loves power.

 

B.      God, however, can create unity. 

 

C.     When unity among God’s people is created, then the world sees that unity and is drawn to us. 

 

D.    In this way, the church is built up.

 

E.      May God help us to carry out the unity that is supposed to exist in the body of Christ.