24 // Unity in the Church

Church family, we are in John chapter 17 this morning, and we are starting a brand new series entitled 24.

John 17 · chapter mention

Everybody say 24, ready?

This is what we're doing.

We're looking at the last 24 hours of the life of Jesus.

Now, years ago, there was a show called 24 with Kiefer Sutherland.

Did anybody watch the show?

Okay, this is back in the 2000s.

We're talking like the good old days, right?

2000s, right?

And Kiefer Sutherland, in fact, how many of you, if you watched the show, what was what was Kiefer Sutherland's name in the show?

It was Jack Bauer.

Who said that?

Jack Bauer, yeah, you that's right.

Taylor's my guy, he knows.

It was Jack Bauer.

And let me just tell you, Jack Bauer saved the world so many times.

Like you're actually here right now because of Jack Bauer.

I just want you to know.

And then this show, it had all kinds of different twists and turns, and you didn't know what was gonna happen.

And and every show would end with this cliffhanger, and it's like, what's gonna happen next?

If you were to look at the last 24 hours of the life of Jesus, it had all kinds of twists and turns.

Jesus, he was a at a place at one point in the last 24 hours where he was had so much stress on him, he sweat drops of blood.

One of his closest friends completely betrayed him.

Another one of his friends completely denied him.

Something we often overlook, but in the last 24 hours of Jesus, he had like six different court trials he went through.

In fact, 24 hours before it, it started with the Last Supper.

And we've talked about this a few weeks ago.

This is where they celebrated the Passover meal.

Then late Thursday night, they went to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, that's where his uh apostles, that's where he prayed with Peter, James, and John.

Then late Thursday night, Friday, early Friday morning, he was denied by Peter and at the court trials, and then Friday morning, he was crucified.

And this is some of the things that happened in the last 24 hours of the life of Jesus.

Before Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, he spent some time praying, praying for you and praying for me.

And he was actually praying for one specific thing.

It's his last recorded prayer that he ever prayed for people.

And you would think, man, like, like what was he praying for?

I mean, it's probably pretty important if Jesus had one last prayer for his people.

You might think Jesus prayed that they would have right doctrine or that they might um they might help out people in need.

That's not what his prayer was.

His prayer was for unity in the church.

For unity in the church.

Can we all say that together, ready?

Unity in the church.

Because when the church is what it's supposed to be, we can make an exponential impact to the world all around us.

And we're gonna see this morning how we can be unified together because we are better than me.

And when we are unified together, we can do great things through Christ.

So let's pick it up in John chapter 17, verse number 20.

John 17 · chapter mention

If you're ready for it, would you say amen?

John 17, verse 20, it says this.

John 17:20

This is Jesus.

He says, I pray not only for these.

Jesus had just got done praying for the apostles.

He says, I'm not just praying for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word.

He's talking about us.

Those of us that are followers of Jesus, those of us that have understood that Jesus came and died on the cross for our sin.

And we've turned from our sin and we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

We are believers in Jesus.

He's talking to us.

He's praying for us.

I pray for those who believe in me.

In verse 21, he says, I pray that they may all be one.

As you, Father, are in me, and I am in you.

May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.

His prayer is that we as a church, as a family, would be like him.

So unity, actually, a unified church reflects God.

Now, in the Godhead, in the Godhead, we have one God and three distinct persons.

We have God the Father, God the Son, God the Son, who is that?

His name starts with a J.

It is Jesus.

And we have God the Holy Spirit.

Three distinct persons, but one God.

You say, Pastor Nate, that's confusing.

You're right.

It is confusing.

And I think a not a perfect analogy, but a but a decent analogy of this would be an egg.

How many of you in the room, you like eggs?

How many are how many are scrambled eggs people?

Yes, yes.

I see you, I see you.

God's people in the house, scramble eggs.

Now an egg's got three parts.

You got somebody tell me what one what's one of the parts of an egg?

Yolk, shell, and then you got the white.

Right?

So you have a you have the yolk, that's a part of the egg.

You have the shell, that's a part of the egg.

You have a the white, that's a part of an egg.

But also each one of those are an egg.

And while it's not a perfect analogy, the Godhead is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, each distinct, but also each being God.

And God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, they are a Godhead.

They are unified.

And what Jesus says, Jesus says is their relationship should be the model for unity.

He says in this verse, verse number 20, he says that they may be like us.

So you think about this.

If we're if they're the model for unity, then let's think about the Trinity.

Let's think about the Godhead.

Well, some thoughts about them.

First of all, they were all unified in purpose.

Every one of them, they had a common purpose.

What do they want to do?

They want to glorify one another ultimately so the world can be saved and healed and restored.

Also, they have complementary roles and functions.

Think about this.

The Father, God the Father, sent the Son.

That was his role.

The Son came and died on the cross for our sin.

That was his role.

That was his function.

That's what Jesus did.

And then the Holy Spirit, John 16, draws people to Jesus.

Each one has a distinct role and a distinct function.

They communicate with each other, they know one another.

They love one another.

In scripture, the Father talks to the Son.

Here in this passage, the Son talks to the Father.

In John chapter 16, we know that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us.

John 16 · chapter mention

So what we have is we have this unity amongst the Godhead, where there's a common purpose and goal, where there's complementary roles and functions, and there's good, loving, truthful communication.

This is what makes up unity because they have different parts.

Let me explain this another way.

From our sports fans in the room.

How many of you like football?

Come on, let's go, right?

So you got you got a football team.

Here's a little football trivia question.

On one side of the ball, on the offensive side of the ball, and on the defensive side of the ball, how many players does each team have out on the field?

11.

11.

So you got some different you got some different parts on on the on the offensive side of the football.

Somebody tell me, you got these different parts.

What's one of the different positions on the offensive side of the football?

Running back.

Running back.

What does the running back do?

The running back do.

What do they do?

They run.

What's another position on the field?

Center.

That's right.

Center.

What do centers do?

Center.

They they snap the ball and then they block.

You got those linemen, those are some big old boys.

300, none of your business, pounds.

Six foot five.

Them boys, them boys are beasts.

I don't want to see them in a dark alley.

You got the running back, you got the center, you got the quarterback, tight end, you got all these different roles.

But what is their goal?

Somebody tell me, what is their goal when they have the football?

They're trying to score a touchdown.

I'm glad nobody said hit a home run.

I'm really glad.

They're trying to score a touchdown.

But they all have different roles, different functions.

And they also have to have communication.

Can you imagine if the quarterback has a community with the wide receiver about the route that they're going to run?

It's going to be bad.

They're going to look like the New York Jets out there.

I'm telling you.

Sorry, I digress.

I digress.

There's got to be communication on the team.

And a unified team has all of these parts.

And a unified church has all of these parts.

So let's put it down like where we are as a family, okay?

What is our purpose and goal?

We want to help people know Jesus and make Jesus.

That's what we want to do.

So, for example, the reason why we're doing a fall festival is because we want people to know Jesus.

That is our purpose.

So what we're doing goes back to the purpose of why we exist.

The purpose of our church is not like, man, we got nothing better to do on a Sunday morning.

So let's just like hang out with each other.

No, that's not the purpose.

The purpose is Jesus.

We want people to know him and we want to make him known.

Let's think about this complimentary roles and functions.

So we have different ministries, different teams.

We also have different groups, and everybody has a role.

Everybody has a part.

That now, as our volunteer team has really grown significantly, we got a small army of people serving now.

What's happened is your role really matters.

And then within our teams and our ministries, our groups, there's good, loving communication.

This is what a unified church looks like.

And Jesus is praying that his church will be unified.

And this is so important that Paul tells us to watch out for those that cause division in the church.

Look what he says.

He says, Now I urge you.

Urge isn't something.

Or I guess it might be a good idea if you.

No, Paul says, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned.

Those next two words, what are they?

Avoid them.

Whew.

Avoid them.

Because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites.

Whoo! That's strong.

Paul says we have to watch out for those that create division in the church body.

Jesus goes on in verse number 22, and he talks more about this.

He says, I've given them the glory that you've given me, so that they may be one.

The church, believers might be one as we are one.

I'm in them, and you are in me, so that they may.

If we can get verse 23 up on the screen, so that they may be made completely one.

That the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

It says that they may be made completely one.

If they have to be made completely one, then there must be some things that can hinder them being made completely one.

We could call them enemies of church unity.

If we need to be made one, then it's possible that there are some enemies of church unity.

And you know, as I'm talking about this, I'm so thankful that in so many ways we are a unified church.

It's a blessing to be a part of the family here.

But we gotta be aware that there could be some enemies of church unity.

Here's one of the enemies of church unity: unforgiveness and bitterness.

Unforgiveness and bitterness.

In Hebrews 12, it says, pursue peace with everyone.

Everyone.

Even that person you don't like.

Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.

No, the the interesting thing about unforgiveness and bitterness is a lot of times it starts with something really, really small.

Somebody did something, and it just causes you to Pastor Nate didn't shake your hand one Sunday.

God forbid that.

Happens to me.

And in those moments, this is what we this is what we have to do.

We can choose to forgive and believe the best, andor believe the best about that person, that situation, or we can let something fester in our heart, and then before we know it, we're walking around as people that are harboring unforgiveness and bitterness.

And can I just say the easiest way to live a miserable life is just to be bitter.

And bitterness and unforgiveness is an enemy of unity.

Enemy number two, selfish ambition and envy.

James chapter three, for where there is envy and selfish ambition, there's disorder and every evil practice.

When there is this unhealthy competition of saying, I want the recognition, I want influence, I want this, I want that.

And we're finding our self-worth in a role or something else rather than who God says that we are.

Enemy number three, gossip and slander.

Gossip and slander.

It says in Proverbs 26, without wood, fire goes out.

Without a gossip, conflict dies down.

As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

In a divided church or divided group of people, this is what you're gonna have.

This person, talking about this person over here.

This person, talking about that person over here.

Can I just say?

We don't talk about people, we talk to people.

We don't talk about people, we talk to people.

That's what you do to be a united group of people.

And I want to give you a little nugget, and I want to say this right because I didn't say it right in the 845 service.

If somebody is talking bad about somebody to you, it will only be a matter of time before they talk, they're talking bad about you to somebody.

Let me say it one more time for the balcony up there, okay?

If somebody is talking bad about somebody to you, it will only be a matter of time before they're talking bad about you to somebody else.

And gossip and slander is an enemy of church unity.

Fourth enemy is pride.

Pride.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, consider others as more important than yourselves.

Pride has a letter right in the middle of it.

Can we get uh the the four of them up there?

Somebody tell me what's the letter right in the middle of pride?

Pride.

You know what pride makes it all about?

Me.

Humility makes things about you.

Pride makes things about me.

See, when I'm prideful, I can't empathize with you.

When I'm prideful, things are about me.

When I'm prideful, I can't confess my sin.

I can't reconcile, I can't repent.

Because I'm right.

But humility says, no, no, I want to listen.

I want to hear.

I want to grow.

And these are enemies of unity.

But friends, if we will follow the admonition of Jesus, there is great power in unity.

And verse 23, it says, the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

So the world will know that God the Father has sent Jesus.

How?

Because we have a great worship team.

Because our pastor, you should see him.

Because we got lights on our stage that change colors.

No.

How?

By our unity.

He's praying for unity because if we're united, the world will know that God the Father sent Jesus.

But what the enemy wants to do is he wants to kill, steal, and divide.

And if the enemy's favorite strategy uh is disunity, then unity is heaven's counterattack.

That's what God does.

God wants us to be a unified group of people down through the ages, centuries, and down through the centuries, governments and political leaders, they've tried to destroy the church.

They've outlawed the church.

They've said you can't gather as a church.

I think of right now in China, I read this past week that there were a group of people that were arrested because of their faith.

And as the centuries have progressed and governments have tried to persecute the church, what's happened in those persecuted countries is that Christianity has just spread.

And the church has just gotten stronger.

Now, from an earthly perspective, it's like that doesn't make any sense.

How's the church gotten stronger?

How has Christianity spread?

Think about this.

Under persecution, what do you do?

You cling to one another and you cling to Jesus.

You cling in unity to each other.

And Jesus says that a unified church is how the world will know that you're my followers, and a unified church is how people will know who Jesus is.

So it shouldn't surprise us when a church that is unified is making a significant difference in the world no matter what's happening in the world around them.

Churches will never be destroyed from the outside, they only are destroyed from the inside.

When the gospel is preached and the word is taught and biblical things happen, it doesn't matter the government, it doesn't matter the context, it doesn't matter the country.

God is going to work through those people.

God is going to do miracles in that place.

God is going to allow that church to make a difference in the world.

And if you believe me, would you say amen?

That's what he does.

And what we have is we have a book.

This is not an old book.

This is a timeless book.

This is a book that changes lives.

This is a book that changes trajectories of families.

This is a book that can change you from depressed and overwhelmed and filled with anxiety to somebody living with freedom and hope and power.

That is who we serve.

We serve a God that's alive that uses his word to transform our lives.

There is power in a unified church.

But for us to be unified, what has to happen is there are practices that have to be in the life of our church and in the life of individuals.

We could call them vitamins.

Growing up, my mom used to always have us take some vitamins.

Flintstones, yes.

They were kind of chalky a little bit.

You know what I'm talking about?

My mom always had us take the Flintstone vitamins.

She was like, if you eat this vitamin, you're gonna grow up and be healthy.

And you know, okay, mom, all right.

Kind of chalky, but whatever you say.

Here's our vitamins to maintain church unity.

The first two.

Really, there are two forgiveness and humility.

Forgiveness and humility.

Forgiveness only happens when I understand how much I've been forgiven by God in the gospel.

When I understand that God has forgiven me of all of my sin, that is the power that allows me to forgive others.

This is why we say here that the gospel doesn't just save us, it shapes us, strengthens us, and guides us.

So, yes, I have been forgiven of my sin and saved in the gospel, but it's also gonna guide me in this situation when this person has wronged me or this person has hurt me because I'm resting in the forgiveness I have in Christ.

So now that gives me the power to forgive other people.

Forgiven people, forgive people.

And where there's a spirit of unity in a group of people, there's always a spirit of forgiveness amongst the people.

There's forgiveness and there's humility.

Humility focuses on others over me.

It allows me to see that my preferences are not the most important thing.

It allows me to see that this is bigger than me.

And then number two here.

Our next vitamin is understanding our role in the body.

You know, all of us have a role in the body of Christ here.

Your role is different than my role.

My role is different than your role, but I really believe this.

I'm saying this as a pastor.

Your role is just as important as my role is here.

You are important to what God wants to do in this place and through the people here.

Last year we had, or last week, we had Bruce Gallagher here preaching.

And I'm super thankful for somebody that's lived life well, followed Jesus for decades, older man that has poured into me.

And he was just teaching us from the word of God.

And I was I was at Bruce's church for about a year or so before I came here to pastor.

And I think he brought it up in one of the services last week, but he's told me many times, it's really surprising to me.

But he told me how when I was at his church, I was such an encouragement at that church.

I was such an encouragement to him.

And I'm like, I didn't do anything, right?

This was my role at his church.

My role at his church was one I just wanted to grow, which that's why we should all be here, right?

To grow, to take steps of growth in our faith.

My other role was just to be an encouragement to people.

I just want to encourage people.

And then my other role, it's pretty simple.

I just wanted to be, I was an usher.

That's what I did.

Never was on a platform, not one time, never had a microphone, never let anybody, never did anything.

Even though I'd been on been to Bible college, and all that was not my role.

My role was to be an usher.

So this is what I did.

I was the best usher I could be.

I'm like, this is my role.

I smiled at people, I sat people down.

I avoided the smelly people.

No, I didn't do that.

I cleaned up the communion cups after the service.

I like straightened up the chairs.

It was just my like little role.

And honestly, I didn't think anybody noticed me.

And honestly, I was okay with it.

Because I wasn't doing it so people would notice me.

And while I was in that role, Bruce tells me that I was able to be an encouragement to people.

And of all the people, he said I was an encouragement to him, the pastor of the church.

And here's what I thought, here's what I thought, here's what I thought, here's what I thought.

Don't miss this, don't miss this, don't miss this.

Because I was in my role, I was an encouragement to other people in the church, and I didn't even realize it while I was in my role.

I don't know if you realize this or not, but you have a role here at FCC.

God has you here for something.

He has you here on purpose for a purpose.

Now, some of you might still be trying to find your role, and I know it takes time, I get that.

But when you find your role, can I just say your role matters?

You say all I do is serve in kids' ministry twice a month.

That's the next generation.

They're not the church of tomorrow, they're the church of today.

You say, I just serve in the nursery.

That is so important.

That's an incredible role.

And in a healthy, unified church, what happens is you have people that are in their roles, all these different places, and together we are better than me.

And there is power in unity, guys.

And if we will all be in our role, can I just say it's not too much longer before the building won't be able to hold everybody?

Why?

Because we're just in our role, we're just doing what God wants us to do.

And can I just say there's so much joy and beauty when we just say, God, what do you want me to do in the body?

I want to do it.

I want to do it.

And when we're in this place, when we're faithfully serving, we may not always realize the impact.

But years down the road, we'll look back and we'll see the impact that we made on this person and this person and this person.

Because eventually this person and this person, this person might come and tell you.

And say, hey, you didn't see it then, but your role made a difference in my life.

And what will happen if a church full of people say, I just want to do my role?

Well, I'll tell you what's going to happen.

There's going to be hundreds of people in our community that are coming to know Jesus, and Jesus is made known because you were a part of a unified church and you played your part.

That's how Bauer.