Unity Guarded | Eld Terence Atkinson

You're listening to a message to go from Acts Church.

We hope this message will light up your tea.

Today. We'll be doing core value number nine, number nine.

So what's that core value? Unity guarded? Yeah, you know.

Scripture says about how blessed is the church when we unified,

you know, unified in Jesus. When we read from Acts

two forty six, it says, so continuing daily with one

accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house.

They ate food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Hm. Hm.

You know that the temple is what temple was the

house of God. Where's our temple today? Our hearts, our hearts.

We are a temple of the Holy Spirit. To the

Temple of God was a place where believers met. So

today this is our temple. We are believers. We are

meeting together. We are unified in glorifying Jesus this morning. Right,

how many of you have come here to glorify anybody

but Jesus. Put up your hand, ha ha, got you.

How many of you have come here to worship anything

or know anything but Jesus. So anyway, praise the Lord,

the House of God, the House of God. You know

what the scripture says. The scripture says that the breaking

of bread, they met with one accord in the temple

and breaking off bread. What is the breaking of bread? Communion?

So what do we do when we take communion? What

do we do? Well? Scripture says about taking communion, it

is reaffirming and remembering Jesus. Every time we take communion.

What are we doing? We are reaffirming and remembering Jesus.

So now the scripture says that the church were in

one accord, and what were they doing? Always remembering, always

reaffirming Jesus through what the breaking of bread? And then

it says here breaking of bread? I see it so

continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking

of bread from house to house. I used to think

that they went from one house break bread, they go

to another house, break bread, they go to another house.

That may well be true, but actually I believe what

Scripture is saying here is that everywhere you went, if

you went from house to house, if you go to

this house or that, you will find the same thing.

That's what scripture is drawing us too. Scripture is saying

that no matter where you went, it was the same.

What was the same? Every house you went, it was

the same. This was what it was. They ate their

food whatever they had. What did they do? They were glad.

They were glad, wit and simplicity of heart. So everywhere

you went, you know what you saw. They were a

people who were satisfied. They were a people who were

not coveteous. They were a people who were glad with

whatever God gave them. They were a thankful people. So

what Scripture is saying is every house that you went to,

you see these people. They were satisfied with what God

had given them. They were blessed of the Lord. They

ate their food with simplicity. You know what it also

means They had moved away from self focus. They had

moved away from self focus to the needs of others. Wow,

how wonderful it is to be focused on the needs

of others. They simplified their desires so others could benefit. Wow,

that's quite a tough thing, you know. You simplify your

desire so you could use whatever resources you have to

bless somebody else. Did you know that? That's what descripture means.

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, breaking

of bread from house to house. They ate their food

with gladness and simplicity of heart. Now we want to

move on. In John seventeen twenty two, it says, and

the glory and the glory which you gave me, I

have given to them. Who is saying this, Jesus? So

you got to use the Jesus voice. And the glory

which you gave me, I have given them that they

may be one, just as we are one. This was

a pre that Jesus was praying to God, and he

was saying, that glory which you gave me, I have

given to them. Why who are the them? Who are

the them? We are the them? Weather them? God has

Jesus has given us the glory which God had given

to him. Nice piano playing, by the way, first time

I'm seeing you play. You must be classical trained, because

it sounds classical that they may be one just as

we are one. Now, let's study this word a little bit,

because ah, I need to understand exactly what Jesus was

talking about when he was talking about that glory which

God had given him. Is very important, you know, because

if we understand what that glory God had given Jesus,

we understand what glory Jesus has given to us. So

with this thing glory, most of us when meeting glory

is oh, celebrate the name. Oh it's like a popstar.

You go and all the girls go. Is that what

scripture is talking about. I don't think so. It is

a deeper meaning. Now, this word glory comes from the

Greek word doxa, doxa, which means honor, praise, worship, glory, glorious, approval,

majesty's brightness, honor. So basically what it is talking about,

it's referring to this particular word that is used three

times in the chapter of John seventeen. All right, in

the chapter of John seventeen. Here's this whole Scripture we're

talking about is the word doxa, which means an infinite

and intrinsic worth. It means a good opinion, something of

great worth. So Jesus was saying, that great worth which

you gave me, that great value which you put in me.

Guess what I have given to them who were the them?

We are the them. So guys, if you think that

you and I are not worth it, you have no

idea what you're talking about. Because Scripture is telling me

that the value of worth that has been given to

us is the same value that God gave to Jesus.

You do you understand what you are and who you

are in the eyes of God. When you gave your

life to Jesus, he came into your heart. And guess

what He gave them? Power to be called sons and daughters.

It wasn't just a name, you know, it was everything.

The power and value and authority behind it also is yours.

It's been a rough week, rough two weeks for me

and my family because my father is now in clang

General Hospital and he most likely will not make it.

He's been there for the last couple of weeks. Monday

will be two weeks. But I want you to know, am,

I said, I am, But I met am. I distraught.

Know why because on the Monday that he came to

hospital and I found out about it, I came. I

met him an emergency. I came by his side and

he was awake, and you know, he was happy to

see me. He recognized me because he smiled. I said, Dad,

do you know Jesus loves you? Let's pray and if

you believe these words of mine, I want you to

repeat it and receive Jesus in your heart if that

is your desire. So he said, Father, in the name

of Jesus, forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from

all the wrong that I have done. And Lord, I

want to say, I believe in Jesus. You gave him

to save me, and I received him into my heart

as personal Lord and savior. And I am free from

those things which kept me away from you. So now

I confess Jesus with my lips and confess Jesus in

my belief. And I am saved because of Jesus. And

you know what, it wasn't just me praying the prayer.

He repeated every word that I said, and he gave

his life to Jesus. And from that moment, I just

told him that you have no worries left. He's ninety four,

by the way, you have lived a long life. I

need you to know you have nothing to worry about.

I need you to know that it's going to be okay.

I need you to know Jesus loves you and is

waiting for you. So don't worry about anything. We'll take

care of mom. We'll look after her. Just be happy.

You know who you'll be seeing in heaven. You'll be

meeting Jennifer, my sister, first to go, and you'll see

Nigel there. Nigel was the second to go, my brother.

And I said, they'll be waiting to see you. It's

gonna be a joyful time. You don't have to worry.

So do you believe that? He said, yes, the same

glory that God had given to Jesus had now been

given to my father. And now you see this man.

He since that day, he came so close so many times,

and every time he came to the brink, he came back.

And when he came back, we asked him this question.

Do you know the church is praying for you? He

says yes, I'm so grateful. Wow. I mean, if I

were to tell you the medical issues is going now

at ninety four, how could he possibly survive that? It

is so his situation is he survives septic shock, which

is unheard of in a ninety four year old. But

he survived it. But he's still in a critical state.

But you want to know something. You go and you

see him. He has a smile on his face. He

has a smile on his face. Guys, I need you

to know that there's something different about knowing Jesus. It

doesn't make your wimp, It makes you strong. It makes

you ready. Why you are unified with God the Father,

and unified with Jesus and unified with the Holy Spirit

in the same way. Scripture says that when Jesus gave

that glory and when God gave that glory to Jesus,

the same word is used when Jesus gave that glory

to us. It's not a different word. For example, my

father gave me an inheritance and I gave my grass

cutter some money. You think it's the same. You think

the level is the same. So when your father gives

you an inheritance, is it the same as you're giving

some money to a grass cutter. No, but I want

you to know Scripture is talking about this word where

God had given Jesus and Jesus is given to us.

Is the same word. You know what it means. It

means bestore, bring forth. He committed to us, he delivered,

he granted to us, he ministered to us, he showed

to us, he yielded to us. Guys, when you and

I read Scripture, we have to know there's much more

to it than just some of its words in English,

because English are very limited language. I always say this

in Chinese, you say, grandfather on the mother's side is what? Ah?

Why come on father's side? Yeah? Yeah, is that right? Okay?

You see if I say it in Chinese, A yeah, yeah,

you know exactly who I'm talking about. If I say Wykong,

you know exactly what I'm talking about. If I say

in English my grandfather, you do not know what it's

on my father's side and my mother's side. You see

the difference. That's the problem in English. So sometimes when

you want to understand scripture, you must go a little

bit deeper. Anyway, we are taking this from John chapter seventeen.

The whole of John chapter seventeen is like a report

that Jesus is giving to God. It's like his report.

I've done everything. This is my report. And when it

talks about, for example seventeen glory, this word glorify, This

word glorify. This word glorify occurs in this chapter about

between five and seven times, and the basically two Greek words.

The first word means it already given, but you've got

to make it work. In other words, let's put it

this way. I let's say I've been given a policeman's badge,

all right, so I have all the power in that

policeman's badge. But if I stand on the side of

the road and don't use it, it's not manifested. Right I

go into the road, I put my hand up, people

will stop. That's the manifestation. All right now, these, of

course not great examples, but I'm trying my best, all

right now. In chapter seventeen, verse twenty two, and the

glory which you have now given me I've given to

them is a different word. This means it's already done.

Everything about it is complete. But in the first part

when it's talking, it's talking about it's there but to

be done. Okay. And I think it's very good for

us to read to know that in John chapter seventeen,

the word of definitive of that word is actually mentioned

eight times, not five or seven. Eight times. In verse

twenty two, it speaks of the definitively the glory that

Jesus Christ, of Jesus Christ and who he is worthy

in every way. In other verses it means that which

is in us, that is already as is Christ is

being manifested more and more. All right, So basically in

theology it means this the already and not yet Christian identity,

the already you inhabit, the glory of God, the not

yet it's an ongoing manifestation, and the climax it becomes

a reality. I know this is a little bit technical

I'm going, but you see, you have to understand that

in John chapter seventeen we are moving from that to us. Okay,

let's just go into John chapter seventeen a little bit.

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven

and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son,

that your son may also glorify you. This is jesus prayer,

as you have given him authority over all flesh, that

he should give eternal life to as many as you

have given him. Jesus never lost anybody whoever God gave

to him. It happened. And this is eternal life, that

they may know. You. My father knows Jesus Christ. And

what does scripture say? He has eternal life, the only

true God, and Jesus whom you have sent. So if

anyone says there are many ways to God, I'm sorry.

It's not true. There is only one way that's true, Jesus.

And this is what Jesus report is. I have glorified

you on the earth. I have finished the work which

you have given me to do. And now Father, glorify

me together with yourself with the glory which I have

with you. Before the world was Jesus left his glory

in heaven to come down and be God's sacrifice to

save us. Now he is saying, I'm going back to

that glory which I have been with you all along,

which I knew. I am going back to that glory.

I have manifested your name to the men whom you

have given me out of the world. They were yours.

You gave them to me. Now they have known that

all things which you have given me ah from you.

Do you know why the church was satisfied with whatever

they had because they believed it's what God gave them

and it was fine. So God didn't give you, Alexis

he gave you a proton saga. Be happy with it? Why?

Because God gave it to you. That's what Scripture is saying.

It's not talking about proton sagas and a lexus. Okay,

this is an example, for I have given them the

words which you have given me, and they have received

them and have known surely that I came forth from you,

and they have believed that you have sent me. Wow,

it's so important for us to believe in Jesus. If

there's anyone here that doesn't know Jesus Christ as Lord

and Savior, when an opportunity is given for you to

receive him, receive him. I pray for them this Jesus.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world,

but for those whom you have given to me, for

they are yours, and all mine are yours, and all

yours are mine. And I am glorified in them. Now

I am no longer in the world, but these are

in the world, and I come to you, Holy Father,

Keep through your name those whom you have given me,

that they may be one, as we are one. Jesus

and God are one. Scripture says that we believers must

be together as one. And I just love EX Church

because EX Church has taught me a lot about being

one with the Christian family at large. You know, EX

Church is not everything about O X Church or EX

Church or X. Do you know what we are about.

We're about helping and befriending and being a part of

the Christian community beyond the walls of ex church, helping

them together. Not having this thing. What's mine is mine

and yours is yours. No, we will share with the

church at large. Why because chripture says we are all

in this together, we are one. That's lovely. When I

was growing up as a Christian in the late seventies

and early eighties, Christian churches did not do this. They

were all about their own church, and they very rarely

worked in tandem with other churches. I praise the Lord,

and I thank God. Things have changed. I see so

much of church into church help and action, and that

is truly, truly wonderful. That is that is Jesus' prayer

coming to pass. Let's move on. While I was with

them in the world, I kept them in your name.

Those whom you gave me I have kept. And none

of them is lost except the son of addition, that

description might be fulfilled. Who is that Judas? The only

one that Jesus lost was Judas? And why was that?

Because Judas made a decision. I don't want you, Jesus,

I want the money, honey. So he got the money

and he gave up Jesus. But now I come to

you that these things I speak in the world, that

they may have my joy fulfilled in them. I have

given them your word, and the world has hated them

because they are not of the world, just as I

am not of the world. You know, have you ever

wondered about this world? It is bent on separation? Right? No, No,

this world is bent on separation. When I was growing up,

there was only gay. You're gay or you're not. Now

you've got LGBTQI plus plus plus plus. You know why

everyone is looking to separate? Why not? You're not my

race separate, You're not my caste separate. The world is

into separation, but Jesus is into bringing them together. Why

when you separate, you make them weak. When you're together,

you are strong. While I was with them in the world,

I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave

me I have kept. Has God given you to Jesus

if you aren't sure afterwards, when you're giving an opportunity,

make sure those whom you have given me I have kept.

And none of them is lost except the son of

Petition that the script you might be fulfilled. But now

I come to you and these things I speak to

in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled

in themselves. I've given them your word, and the world

has hated them because they are not of this world.

Just as I am not of the world. I do

not pray that you should take them out of the world,

but that you should keep them from the evil one.

That they are not of the world, just as I

am not of the world. Sanctify them by your what truth.

Your word is truth, So sanctify them by your word.

What makes us holy? The Bible scripture. You want to

be closer to God, get with the word. You want

to know more about God, Get with the word. It's

not Christian songs, it's not Christian music. It's the word

of God. One helps you to get to know better.

But one is the one that gets you better. As

you have sent me into the world, I have sent

them into the world. Wow, we don't sit idly. We

have a task. What is that task? Look out, search

out for those that do not Jesus, do not know Jesus,

and get them saved. Just like the first thing on

my mind when I heard my dad was in hospital

get him saved. This was the man I in my

life I received my first punch from because I said

I believe in Jesus, and I got punched in the

face for that. You must remember this with the seventies. Okay,

this is forty seven years ago. You never went against

your parents. If you did, you were dead meat. So obviously,

when I told my father I had given my life

to Jesus, it was either the Lord God him. I

chose God. I got punched in the face. But you

know what, nothing happened to me. Forty seven years later,

my father gives his life to Jesus. Was it worth it?

You better believe it. You had better believe it. It

was absolutely worth it. And for their sakes, I sanctify

myself that they may also be sanctified. Okay, we're coming

to the end of seventeen. I do not pray for

those alone, but also for those who will believe in

me through their word. You know that's good. You know why,

because Jesus is making sure that you and I can

never say, oh, that was only for those times. It's ongoing,

and it has been ongoing for the last two thousand years.

That they may all be as one. They may all

be as one as you and I, as as you,

Father are in me and I in you, that they

may also be one in us, and the world may

believe that you sent me and the glory and this

is it, and the glory and the glory that you

gave me. I have given to them, that they may

be one, just as we are one, I in them

and you in me, that they may be made perfect

in one, and that the world may know that you

have sent me and have loved me, Love them as

you have loved me. Father. I desire that they, also,

whom you gave me, may be with me where I

am in heaven, where he was going to be in

the glory of God. That's what he was saying. That

they may behold my glory which you have given me.

See me for who I am in the glory of heaven.

For you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus was saying, what I existed long before this earth.

Let them see me as I truly am, Oor Righteous Father.

The world has not known you, but I have known you,

and these have known you. That you have sent me,

And I declare to them your name and will declare

it that the love which you loved me may be

in them and I in them. Unity is powerful. You

cannot easily bring down a church or a family that

is truly one. Division is the enemy's greatest weapon against

us because he knows that a house divided cannot stand,

but a house that is united that is a friend story.

You don't have to agree with everything with one another,

but one thing you can agree. You're one. Do I

agree with my brothers, my actual brothers, not my church brothers,

not all the time. But are we unified in looking

after our parents and their salvation? Yes? We are. We

work very well together in that. Why we are unified? Guys,

The enemy will try and destroy the church through disunity.

We believe that we need to guard the unity of

the church. Why so that no weapon formed against us

will prosper Because he knows that a house divided cannot stand,

but a house that is united. That is a different story.

Are we a united house? When you find your marriage

is in trouble, ask yourself, are you unified? Or are

you pulling in different directions? You know exactly what to

work on. What does Mark three twenty five say? And

if a house is divided against itself. The house cannot stand.

The house cannot stand. You know how many of you

have done an extension to your house. Usually it's the

kitchen right the back they push out. How many have

you noticed that a crack always appears between a new

place and the old place. Why not you notice that?

You know why? Because that part wasn't in your house

the first place. It was not built in unison with

your house. But if that part was built, when the

house is built, it won't crack. There's always something that

is drawing us to keep together God, unity and unity

will guard you.

Yeah.

We live in a generation that is quick to separate,

quick to offend. Huh, I'm offended, so I don't want

to speak to you anymore. Get over it, because I'll

tell you this. Am I going to offend you. I'm

probably offending some of you today, But don't hold it

against me. Don't hold offense against anybody, because you don't

want something that is from the outside to spoil your

relationship with God. Okay, quick to offend, quick to withdraw,

quick to speak against our own goding. Unity takes real effort,

real submission. You know what is the effort separating what's

important from what's not, separating what's important from what's not,

deferring when you would rather win, protecting first before accusing,

choosing to build when everything you want to do or

everything and he wants to tear down. In other words,

scriptures say, well, you know it's not scripture, but what

this means is if you follow what scripture says in

John chapter seventeen. Working together is about understanding our purpose,

understanding what God has told us to do, and doing it.

When we give our report to God, we can be

like Jesus, I'm coming back to you. I'm coming home. Wow.

Wouldn't it be nice to say when just before I

go home to be with the Lord, I say, Lord,

I'm coming home. That you've told me to do, I've done,

I'm coming home. That would really be like wonderful, wouldn't it.

So every investment you make in protecting unity will one

day come back to protect you. It come back to

protect you. There will be a moment when you fall

and we all fall. We will fail sometimes, but what

we have sown into the community of oneness will return

to us in that hour. The same applies to marriage. God,

your marriage and your marriage will God, you, unity will

stand by you. What protects you today will protect you.

It will protect you today, it will protect you tomorrow.

I can't get over the fact that Jesus was not selfish. Well,

how wonderful is that everything God had given him you

went and gave it to us. And it's quite amazing

how many of us can be like that, Oh you've

given me something, we'll keep some for ourselves and we'll

give others, which is also okayla, you know. But the

thing is this when it comes to Jesus, Jesus does

things in absolutes. He's not afraid because when he gave

us the glory that God had given to him, what

was he saying? We're going to be one day in

heaven and these people are going to glorify you God

the same way that I glorify you. Unity guarded. It's

not a very easy thing to share, not a very

easy thing to talk about. But I want you to

know that if you've forgotten everything else about what I've

said today, remember this. Jesus wants us to be one

with each other the same way that he is one

with God the Father. And he's saying it's not impossible

to do because everything that God has given to me,

I have given to you everything. And what is the everything?

This is where we find it all. This is where

we find it all. I look around the room. There

are not many people who are on the other side

of the hill like me. Okay, some of you are

stopped going up the hill, meaning that you've got a

long life ahead of you. Study the word. It's worth it.

It's going to help you for the years and years

and years and years to come. But for me, where

I'm on the other side of the hill, it's okay

because in the years that I got left is Jesus.

It's going to be It's gonna be okay, It's going

to be okay. All things point to Him, all things

through Him, with Him in him. And that's what I

have to share with you. Today's a little bit short

to this message is shot. Can you be unified? Can

you and I think of more than just ourselves? Can

we think of the Church has been important enough to

remain unified even when the church hurts you? What the

church hurts you? Yes, the Church does hurt us from

time to time. You know when the church hurts us.

Usually the church hurts us when He tells us the

truth and we don't like to hear it right now,

how many of you relieve church because the church tells

you what you want to hear. I know many people

who leave church when the church tells them what they

don't want to hear. The truth hurts. But if you

and I are to grow, if you and I to

become strong, if you and I are to get anywhere

in life, we should build a skin thick enough to

hear the truth. And what does the scripture say? The

truth will set us free.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as church org. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you.

God bless