Church

Being a Person of Unity in the Lord

Pastor Tan Thai · Oct 4, 2015

Matthew 25:14-30Colossians 3:12-132 Timothy 2:1-3Matthew 5:9Ephesians 4:1-3John 17:9-11John 17:20-23John 13:34-35Genesis 3:1-2Genesis 3:4-52 Peter 1:12-13Acts 6:1-41 Corinthians 1:10-12Philippians 4:1-3Ephesians 4:1-5Colossians 3:12-14James 3:14-16Philippians 2:1-51 Corinthians 8:1-3Matthew 5:23-24Matthew 18:15-17Matthew 18:21-22Matthew 18:19-20

This sermon emphasizes the importance of unity in the church, grounded in Jesus' final prayer in John 17 for His disciples. The pastor identifies division as the devil's most dangerous strategy, and unity as an essential condition for the church to grow and glorify God.

The sermon opens by tracing the origin of relational division to the devil's strategy of using the serpent to sow doubt in Eve and Adam's hearts about God's word (Genesis 3:1-5). The pastor emphasizes that sin not only caused separation between humanity and God but also broke relationships between people, and this remains the devil's most dangerous ongoing strategy to destroy the church.

The central focus of the sermon is Jesus' final prayer in John 17:9-23, repeated four times in the passage. Jesus did not pray for His disciples to avoid hardship or to have material abundance, but that they would be one as the Father and Son are one. This demonstrates that unity is not optional but an essential goal Christ set for the church, directly tied to its witness before the world: 'so that the world may know that you sent me' (John 17:23).

The pastor clearly distinguishes between unity in essentials (the Apostles' Creed, foundational doctrines of the faith) and freedom in non-essentials (worship style, organization, administration). He cites the well-known maxim 'In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity' to remind the congregation that unity does not mean agreeing on everything, but moving together toward a common purpose in the Lord.

The sermon draws on multiple examples from early churches facing division: the Corinthian church splitting into factions around leaders (1 Corinthians 1:10-12), two women in conflict at Philippi (Philippians 4:2-3), and the Jerusalem church's complaint about unequal distribution of aid (Acts 6:1-4). Each case demonstrates that problems in the church do not inevitably lead to division if addressed properly by trustworthy leaders.

The practical application section guides believers through three steps for resolving conflict: self-examination, going to apologize or to counsel (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17), and sincere forgiveness from the heart (Matthew 18:21-22). The sermon concludes with Christ's promise in Matthew 18:19-20 that when two or three agree in prayer, the Father will answer and Christ will be among them, underscoring that unity brings the special presence and blessing of God.