Unity in Christ
Pastor Tan Thai · May 1, 2024
The sermon presents the message of unity in the Church based on Christ's prayer on His final night. Jesus prayed that believers would have absolute unity as the Father and Son are one, because this would be a great challenge that would arise among the disciples and the Church.
The opening section presents the sermon's main theme: unity in Christ is essential for the existence and development of the Church. The pastor emphasizes that no family, organization, society, or nation can survive if there is constant internal war and division. Although the Church is the body of Christ, it is not an exception. Jesus on His final night prayed repeatedly for this unity, which demonstrates that He knew this would be a great and serious problem among believers.
The second section develops the theological principle of unity based on John 17:9-23, Christ's direct prayer for His disciples. The pastor explains that Jesus did not pray for believers to be freed from difficulties, given material peace, or given healing power, but rather prayed for unity like the relationship between the Father and the Son. This unity is illustrated through natural images: penguins must live together as a colony to preserve life during harsh winters, and the human body has all parts working cooperatively to maintain health.
The third section identifies that the devil uses strategies to destroy unity in the Church. The pastor presents examples from Scripture of early churches that experienced division: the Church at Corinth was divided into groups following different leaders, the Church at Philippi had rivalry, the Church at Ephesus was encouraged to maintain unity through the bond of peace, the Church at Colossae was taught to put on compassion and love as the bond of perfect unity, and the Book of James warns that envy and selfish ambition produce chaos and every evil practice.
The fourth section presents what must be done to solve problems and maintain unity. The pastor emphasizes three main principles: remember what Christ has forgiven and loved, practice humility in service without self-preference or pride, and focus on the common purpose of glorifying Christ. When disagreements occur, three steps are needed: examine oneself, go to apologize or counsel to reconcile, and forgive sincerely from the heart.
The final section concludes with Christ's promise in Matthew 18:18-20 that when two or three people agree on earth and pray, the Father in heaven will grant it, and Christ will be present among them. The pastor emphasizes that this is Christ's most specific promise to the disciples when there is unity.