INTRODUCTION
The Holy Spirit is the One who unites. What’s the big deal about being united, anyway?
The Un-united state of Oregon?
When I think of uniting or being united, I think about the United States of America. Each state is unique. Oregon is not California. But they are united as one nation. There are fifty states in the United States. (Unless, of course, you count the state of ignorance and the state of confusion.) Imagine if we weren’t united. Imagine if instead of living in the state of Oregon you lived in the nation of Oregon. We would be a small, little nation. Our president would be Ted Kulongoski. We wouldn’t have much of an Olympics team. We would certainly not be considered a superpower. And we would probably be invaded by the aggressive nation to our south, the nation of California.
The point is we enjoy tremendous benefits as a nation from being united together. In the same way, there are tremendous benefits from being part of a united group of believers, the Body of Christ.
In the last days of His earthly ministry, this is the very thing Jesus prayed for:
John 17:20-21 (NKJV)
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Comparing to marriage
“…That they all may be one…” All (meaning ‘many’ or ‘more than one’) may be one. How can this be? It invokes nearly the same language as the marriage wording, “the two shall become one flesh.” But in this case it is not only two becoming one but all being made one.
Look around. How would you like to be married to all these people? Kind of scary, huh? Imagine the fights over the remote. Brutal!
Relax, we are not talking about marriage. But we are talking about many becoming one – being united. And we’re talking about a God who is able to make it happen. He wrote the book on unity. It’s called the Bible. He is three that are One. He takes two, a man and a woman, and makes them one in marriage. He makes a whole lot of different people – from different backgrounds, racial groups and ideologies – and makes them one people, one nation, one family, one body. How? By the miracle of His Holy Spirit.
So, what’s the problem? What gets in the way? When it comes to unity, there is one dirty little four-letter word that is always getting in the way:
Dirty little four-letter word: self
From this little word we get big phrases, like: selfish, self-centered and self-absorbed. And that is typically the way of things. Superman’s arch-enemy is Lex Luthor. The arch-enemy of unity is self. Wherever unity shows up, self will be there to cause trouble.
THE GIVE AND TAKE OF COMMUNITY
I think one of the greatest portions of scripture on unity is in Ephesians, chapter four. This whole chapter reinforces the importance of community and what it is supposed to look like. Let’s look at the ‘give’ and ‘take’ of community from this chapter. What is your ‘take’ on community, and what do you expect to ‘give’ to community?
1. What is your take on community?
The biblical community is commonly called ‘church’, and there are many different takes on this community. The Apostle Paul was writing to a church community in Ephesus when he wrote these words:
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NKJV)
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Notice how Paul picks up Jesus’ theme. Jesus said, “I pray that they may be one.” Paul says, “There is one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…”
Community is not an option.
According to this passage, community is not an option but part of the calling with which you were called. The word ‘calling’ here speaks of purpose. That purpose involves other people. How do I know? “Lowliness… gentleness… longsuffering… bearing with one another in love…” Those things are only possible in community.
Let me tell you a little secret: Lowliness is easy as long as no one else is around. Humbling yourself when there is no one to humble yourself to is a totally different thing than humbling yourself to the person next to you. Especially if the person next to you is someone that you are actually quite superior to. Especially if the person next to you is someone who looks different than you, acts different than you, thinks and believes different than you. All of a sudden, humility is quite humiliating.
Gentleness is the easiest thing in the world as long as there is no one nearby with whom you may be tempted to be harsh. It’s totally different in community.
Longsuffering, or patience. Many mornings I may drive to the church thinking I’m the most longsuffering man on the planet. I had a wonderful drive in and my blood pressure is good.
Those are the days when there was no one else on the road. But, when someone else, especially someone slow, has the audacity to use my road when I want to use it and drive ahead of me… well, then I see how much patience I really need.
You are called to fulfill your purpose in the context of community. It is not an option.
Community is often inconvenient.
Notice the key word in verse 3: “endeavoring.” It says, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is an endeavor, like climbing Mt. Everest. It is going to be inconvenient at times, and difficult at times. Well, then, when it is inconvenient, and doesn’t meet the needs of self, then let’s just forget about it. And many people do.
BUT, what did we just say? It’s not optional. If it were optional, I would bounce in and out according to its convenience to me. Only when I understand that it is not optional – that even when community is inconvenient it is still part of the purpose and calling that God has placed on my life – only then
Community can be messy.
Sometimes the bond of peace snaps and the result can be very messy. Did you know that sometimes people get upset at each other? Even wonderful people. I don’t want to shock you, but did you know that people sometimes misunderstand each other? Is that news to you? Did you know that sometimes people do things they shouldn’t do, say things they shouldn’t say and think things they shouldn’t think? This leads to all kinds of mess. When the mess threatens to drive you out, I refer you back to the first truth: Community is not optional, no matter how messy it gets.
So, here’s my take on community: It is inconvenient at times. It is also definitely messy, too. But it is not an option for me. It is a worthwhile endeavor, like climbing Mt. Everest.
2. What is your give to community?
Let’s read more from the fourth chapter of Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Verses 8-10 talk about Christ ascending and descending, from which I remind you that His community definitely has its up’s and down’s. Now verse eleven:
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
You have strengths to bring.
“Every part does its share.” Oh, if only that were true. If only, as intended, every part of the Body of Christ did do its share. How amazing that would be. That is Christ’s intention.
You have a part to share. You may say, “Well, I’m not sure if this is the church that I’m supposed to be in.” Get sure and get involved, or (get lost) get to where you are supposed to be. And be quick about it. Every part needs to be doing its share.
You may say, “But I’m not even a Christian yet. I’m not part of the Body of Christ.” Get to it. What are you waiting for? You have a purpose, a calling, a part to play. Surrender your life to Jesus so He can fully use you. Jesus died on a cross and shed His blood for you so that you could live with peace and with purpose.
You have messes to bring.
You’ve got issues of your own. You’re not perfect either. A Christ-Centered, Holy Spirit empowered community says, “We’ll not just take your strengths, but your weaknesses, too.” We’ll take your strength and your stress.
Ephesians 4:20-32 (NKJV)
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
From what I can tell from this passage, these people in Ephesus were: corrupt, deceitful, lustful, liars, had anger issues, were thieves and foul-talkers, dealt with bitterness, wrath, gossip and unforgiveness. That’s what I call church! But God was transforming them, in community, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Unity.
Insecurities R Us
In 1 Chronicles 19 there is a picture for us of how, often-times, relationships go awry.
A friend of King David in a neighboring kingdom, a king who had been very kind to David, died. When this neighboring king died, his son took his place as king. David wanted to show kindness and respect, so he sent a group of messengers to bring comfort to the new king.
Once David’s men arrived, some people came to the new king and said, “Do you really think that David sent these men to show comfort? No, they are spies. They are spying out the land so that David can come and overthrow it. Don’t fall for that one! He can’t do that to you! You better get him first and show him who’s boss.” So they took the messengers from David, shaved them (which was a great insult to men from Israel), cut their clothes off half-way exposing their bottoms (which would probably be a cool fashion statement now, but not then), and sent them back disgraced.
When David heard about what happened, he sent the army and captured the land.
David could have been the greatest ally to this new king, but his own suspicions made David his enemy. He thought, “I better hurt David before he hurts me.”
How many relationships go up in flames for this same reason? Either a gesture is misinterpreted and then reacted against, or fear causes a ‘pre-emptive strike?’ Admit your own insecurities. Maybe he didn’t really mean what you thought he did. Accept the insecurities of others. Maybe she was acting out of fear when she said those things.
Overcome the insecurity and vulnerability of relationships through trust in the Holy Spirit, and “…forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you…”
3. Living in true community.
Let me use these last items on our outline for a practical summary:
Is the only way to live for God.
and
Requires the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
Going deeper in the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and His purpose and calling for your life means going deeper in biblical community.
The Holy Spirit is the One who unites. What’s the big deal about being united, anyway?
The Un-united state of Oregon?
When I think of uniting or being united, I think about the United States of America. Each state is unique. Oregon is not California. But they are united as one nation. There are fifty states in the United States. (Unless, of course, you count the state of ignorance and the state of confusion.) Imagine if we weren’t united. Imagine if instead of living in the state of Oregon you lived in the nation of Oregon. We would be a small, little nation. Our president would be Ted Kulongoski. We wouldn’t have much of an Olympics team. We would certainly not be considered a superpower. And we would probably be invaded by the aggressive nation to our south, the nation of California.
The point is we enjoy tremendous benefits as a nation from being united together. In the same way, there are tremendous benefits from being part of a united group of believers, the Body of Christ.
In the last days of His earthly ministry, this is the very thing Jesus prayed for:
John 17:20-21 (NKJV)
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Comparing to marriage
“…That they all may be one…” All (meaning ‘many’ or ‘more than one’) may be one. How can this be? It invokes nearly the same language as the marriage wording, “the two shall become one flesh.” But in this case it is not only two becoming one but all being made one.
Look around. How would you like to be married to all these people? Kind of scary, huh? Imagine the fights over the remote. Brutal!
Relax, we are not talking about marriage. But we are talking about many becoming one – being united. And we’re talking about a God who is able to make it happen. He wrote the book on unity. It’s called the Bible. He is three that are One. He takes two, a man and a woman, and makes them one in marriage. He makes a whole lot of different people – from different backgrounds, racial groups and ideologies – and makes them one people, one nation, one family, one body. How? By the miracle of His Holy Spirit.
So, what’s the problem? What gets in the way? When it comes to unity, there is one dirty little four-letter word that is always getting in the way:
Dirty little four-letter word: self
From this little word we get big phrases, like: selfish, self-centered and self-absorbed. And that is typically the way of things. Superman’s arch-enemy is Lex Luthor. The arch-enemy of unity is self. Wherever unity shows up, self will be there to cause trouble.
THE GIVE AND TAKE OF COMMUNITY
I think one of the greatest portions of scripture on unity is in Ephesians, chapter four. This whole chapter reinforces the importance of community and what it is supposed to look like. Let’s look at the ‘give’ and ‘take’ of community from this chapter. What is your ‘take’ on community, and what do you expect to ‘give’ to community?
1. What is your take on community?
The biblical community is commonly called ‘church’, and there are many different takes on this community. The Apostle Paul was writing to a church community in Ephesus when he wrote these words:
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NKJV)
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Notice how Paul picks up Jesus’ theme. Jesus said, “I pray that they may be one.” Paul says, “There is one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…”
Community is not an option.
According to this passage, community is not an option but part of the calling with which you were called. The word ‘calling’ here speaks of purpose. That purpose involves other people. How do I know? “Lowliness… gentleness… longsuffering… bearing with one another in love…” Those things are only possible in community.
Let me tell you a little secret: Lowliness is easy as long as no one else is around. Humbling yourself when there is no one to humble yourself to is a totally different thing than humbling yourself to the person next to you. Especially if the person next to you is someone that you are actually quite superior to. Especially if the person next to you is someone who looks different than you, acts different than you, thinks and believes different than you. All of a sudden, humility is quite humiliating.
Gentleness is the easiest thing in the world as long as there is no one nearby with whom you may be tempted to be harsh. It’s totally different in community.
Longsuffering, or patience. Many mornings I may drive to the church thinking I’m the most longsuffering man on the planet. I had a wonderful drive in and my blood pressure is good.
Those are the days when there was no one else on the road. But, when someone else, especially someone slow, has the audacity to use my road when I want to use it and drive ahead of me… well, then I see how much patience I really need.
You are called to fulfill your purpose in the context of community. It is not an option.
Community is often inconvenient.
Notice the key word in verse 3: “endeavoring.” It says, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is an endeavor, like climbing Mt. Everest. It is going to be inconvenient at times, and difficult at times. Well, then, when it is inconvenient, and doesn’t meet the needs of self, then let’s just forget about it. And many people do.
BUT, what did we just say? It’s not optional. If it were optional, I would bounce in and out according to its convenience to me. Only when I understand that it is not optional – that even when community is inconvenient it is still part of the purpose and calling that God has placed on my life – only then
Community can be messy.
Sometimes the bond of peace snaps and the result can be very messy. Did you know that sometimes people get upset at each other? Even wonderful people. I don’t want to shock you, but did you know that people sometimes misunderstand each other? Is that news to you? Did you know that sometimes people do things they shouldn’t do, say things they shouldn’t say and think things they shouldn’t think? This leads to all kinds of mess. When the mess threatens to drive you out, I refer you back to the first truth: Community is not optional, no matter how messy it gets.
So, here’s my take on community: It is inconvenient at times. It is also definitely messy, too. But it is not an option for me. It is a worthwhile endeavor, like climbing Mt. Everest.
2. What is your give to community?
Let’s read more from the fourth chapter of Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Verses 8-10 talk about Christ ascending and descending, from which I remind you that His community definitely has its up’s and down’s. Now verse eleven:
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
You have strengths to bring.
“Every part does its share.” Oh, if only that were true. If only, as intended, every part of the Body of Christ did do its share. How amazing that would be. That is Christ’s intention.
You have a part to share. You may say, “Well, I’m not sure if this is the church that I’m supposed to be in.” Get sure and get involved, or (get lost) get to where you are supposed to be. And be quick about it. Every part needs to be doing its share.
You may say, “But I’m not even a Christian yet. I’m not part of the Body of Christ.” Get to it. What are you waiting for? You have a purpose, a calling, a part to play. Surrender your life to Jesus so He can fully use you. Jesus died on a cross and shed His blood for you so that you could live with peace and with purpose.
You have messes to bring.
You’ve got issues of your own. You’re not perfect either. A Christ-Centered, Holy Spirit empowered community says, “We’ll not just take your strengths, but your weaknesses, too.” We’ll take your strength and your stress.
Ephesians 4:20-32 (NKJV)
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
From what I can tell from this passage, these people in Ephesus were: corrupt, deceitful, lustful, liars, had anger issues, were thieves and foul-talkers, dealt with bitterness, wrath, gossip and unforgiveness. That’s what I call church! But God was transforming them, in community, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Unity.
Insecurities R Us
In 1 Chronicles 19 there is a picture for us of how, often-times, relationships go awry.
A friend of King David in a neighboring kingdom, a king who had been very kind to David, died. When this neighboring king died, his son took his place as king. David wanted to show kindness and respect, so he sent a group of messengers to bring comfort to the new king.
Once David’s men arrived, some people came to the new king and said, “Do you really think that David sent these men to show comfort? No, they are spies. They are spying out the land so that David can come and overthrow it. Don’t fall for that one! He can’t do that to you! You better get him first and show him who’s boss.” So they took the messengers from David, shaved them (which was a great insult to men from Israel), cut their clothes off half-way exposing their bottoms (which would probably be a cool fashion statement now, but not then), and sent them back disgraced.
When David heard about what happened, he sent the army and captured the land.
David could have been the greatest ally to this new king, but his own suspicions made David his enemy. He thought, “I better hurt David before he hurts me.”
How many relationships go up in flames for this same reason? Either a gesture is misinterpreted and then reacted against, or fear causes a ‘pre-emptive strike?’ Admit your own insecurities. Maybe he didn’t really mean what you thought he did. Accept the insecurities of others. Maybe she was acting out of fear when she said those things.
Overcome the insecurity and vulnerability of relationships through trust in the Holy Spirit, and “…forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you…”
3. Living in true community.
Let me use these last items on our outline for a practical summary:
Is the only way to live for God.
and
Requires the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
Going deeper in the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and His purpose and calling for your life means going deeper in biblical community.
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