Pandemic Unity?

I felt compelled to preach on this today for a number of reasons, not the least of which were a number of conversations I've had with different pastors, and I thought we need to talk about this. So before we look into the Word of God this morning, let's pray and ask God to minister His Word to us. Father, once more we come to you and ask that you would minister your word by your spirit to us.

Help us, we pray, so that your name will be honored and glorified in us as we leave here determined to obey. Father, you've put us in this world to be a distinctive people. The gospel has come not just to pave the way to heaven, but the gospel came to accomplish something the law could not do. Nothing else could do. And that was to produce a people who are distinct among the peoples of this world.

A people whose allegiance is, first of all, to the kingdom of Christ and to live distinctive lives as a result of their loyalty to their king. And so I pray that you would help us today to listen for the purpose of being distinctive in a world gone mad. God, help us, we pray. Make this something that will lodge in our hearts and move us by your grace to obedience.

And we'll thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. some years ago I was asked to be part of a peacemaking team a peacemaking effort at a sister church I was part of a team that included three other pastors and I can remember the discouragement and the disappointment as I observed heated discussions and accusations that fouled the atmosphere or as people just were bringing them against one another.

I've been puzzled sometimes. Well, not so much puzzled, but I've been amazed and wondering how churches get to the point of factionalism and disunity. I've been afraid. I been afraid asking myself if the Rue Baptist Church was capable of devouring itself and the answer I know is yes Yes a couple of years ago as part of another peacemaking team in another church That was a church of about 7 people That's about the relative size of the congregation.

In that church, a woman was part of a counseling ministry, and she'd grown embittered against the pastor. She was a leader in women's ministries. And for some decisions he had made, some things that were done, she had become embittered against the pastor. And after a few months, that rather large counseling staff experienced not a little disruption, and the effects of it all rippled through that congregation, all because of one woman becoming embittered against the pastor.

It occurs to me that we are not immune to this sort of devastation either. Churches all across the country are now coming apart at the seams. I know that because over the last several weeks, I've had conversations with a number of different pastors in different parts of the country, different church leaders. And the issue is, I'm looking at it right now, masks, masks.

Members of congregations have turned against one another over whether or not they should wear masks. even church leadership. I know of one church where the leadership is split. And they're duking it out about this whole issue. Now some of you are saying, Aha! This is what that sermon is about. And I'm here to tell you it's not.

I don't know of one person in this congregation who's fussing at us because of masks. It's not happening. But I do know this. It can happen. It can happen. You know, some of us are already saying we're reaching the breaking point, right?

Yeah, I wish I could tell whether you were smiling or not. But it's not the big things. It's not the big things that produce disunity and split churches wide open. It's not the big things. It's two pastors on a staff. who don't get along. It somebody getting mad at somebody else and letting the sun go down without doing anything about it and the devil gets a foothold It about things like masks It about things like it about things like should we lock the doors or not during a worship service?

It's little things that get us split apart. You see, it's not the big stuff. It's the little stuff that grows and grows and grows until suddenly there's an explosion. Well, I know that God has revealed in His Word the importance of unity and what it takes to pursue it. And so I'd ask you to turn to Ephesians 4 this morning. Again, there is nothing...

I'm honest with you now. There's nothing that I see going on right now that I'm trying to go after. What I am saying to you is that as I hear and listen to what's happening all around the country, I am aware that we are not immune, and it's better to be prepared than to repair. All right? and so i'm trying to head this off at the pass okay i'm trying thinking a little bit about let's be prepared i'd much rather be prepared than be involved in repairing when it comes and i want you to pay careful attention um honestly i am i am flabbergasted at times as i talk to these different guys um the one pastor in in connecticut that i know and i talk to every week um their leadership is torn apart about this it's hard it's hard um and so we need to be prepared and we can be prepared as we understand what god has revealed about unity and how to produce it we can have hope because god tells us how the church can pursue a unity that lasts.

Ephesians chapter 4 verses 1 through 3. I therefore, prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Here is what God tells us will produce unity Here's the first. Here's the first idea.

Get the right view of who you are. If there's going to be unity, you've got to get the right view of who you are. You are a people with a calling. You're people with a calling. All right. I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

That is to say, God has called you. God has chosen you. You have been chosen by God. If we go back and look at chapter one, what do we find? You've been chosen by God to be holy and blameless in his sight. You're holy and blameless in his sight now because of Christ. you've been chosen by God for redemption you've been purchased by Christ you've been forgiven through Christ you have adoption through Christ and all of this for the praise of his glory that's chapter one right all those things are true forgiveness adoption redemption all of those things are true holiness and blameless because of Christ those are what you have God has called you to that.

And then as you go to chapter 2, he says you've been called to life. You've been raised from the dead. Chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. You were dead in your trespasses and sins. You're captive to Satan, the prince of the power of the air. You are one who is a slave to your own desires.

All these things, like all men, you were once objects of wrath, but God did what? He raised you with Christ. He gave you life so that you could believe it's by grace you've been saved, he says, which is to say God had to take the initiative. God brought you to life. And because of that, you believed and you are his. That is what you as happened to you.

And he's done that so that we would do good things. Continue through chapter two. You've been called into one body and made into one great temple. He says that you are the new humanity. The division between Jews and Gentiles has been destroyed and now he's put you together. Not only do you make a new humanity, humanity within humanity, but you've been made the temple of God.

Not you individually in that text, but you corporately. The church is the temple where God's spirit lives. This is what you are. By the way, in the reading before Confession of Sin from 1 Corinthians 3, where it says, you are the temple of God, and whoever destroys the temple, God will destroy him. The temple there, the you, is you plural, not you singular.

Not you, you singular are the temple of God, but you. He's saying you, Corinthians, the local church, you are the temple of God. And if you destroy the temple by reaping or by sowing the seeds of disunity in the church, God will take care of you. You see? See, we are the temple. This body, this body of believers is the temple of God.

And then in chapter 3 of Ephesians, he says, you've been called this way to be the display case of God's wisdom to the angels. our flock has read through Ephesians the last two weeks a lot of times we just read through a book of the Bible I suggest you do that by the way it's fun just sit down and read through a whole book it's amazing how when you don't atomize it like I'm doing this morning when you don't atomize it how you see the whole picture but anyway in chapter 3 verses 7-11 we looked at that a couple weeks ago in flock is the fact that what God's doing in the church is on display to all the angels. They're looking at us and they're saying, wow, look at the wisdom of God and what He has done. These are the things.

This is who you are. This is what is going on. Right? You've been called. You've been raised. You're the temple.

You're the new humanity. You're the display case of God's wisdom. This is your calling. That is what God has called you to. And so He says, now live in a manner worthy of that calling. If that is who you are, than live like it.

Become what you are. Now, what does he mean when he says, live a life worthy of your calling? He's not saying live a life worthy and earn God's favor. That's not what he's saying. The word means, the word worthy means to have a worth equal to one's position. What do we mean when we say he is a worthy opponent?

What do we mean by that? We mean that he's a worthy opponent that wow he really earned a lot of points to be somebody No When we say that we say he is an opponent whose gifts and abilities are equal to yours He is a worthy opponent to you which means you pretty good He got gifts and abilities that are equal to yours He'll be a worthy opponent. Or when we say a workman is worthy of his hire, we mean he is a worker whose service deserves this.

And so what he is saying here is this is your exalted position. Now live equal to that. Live like you believe that. Live like that's what you are. When a policeman puts on a uniform, right? Do you think his attitude changes at all?

Yeah, it does. Because he's wearing a uniform, he has to act a particular way. He cannot act in the way that he would want to in many situations. He has to act in a way that's worthy of the uniform or act in a way that reflects what that uniform is. And that's the same with us. with the magnificent things that God has done in us and for us and through us, we now have to live like we believe that's what we are.

Do you believe that you're a son or a daughter of God? If you do, live like a son of God. Live like a daughter of God. That's what he's saying here. Because of that wonderful calling, live like it. So God urges upon you a life that in some ways equal to the calling you have received. in essence it must reflect in action and attitude the position you occupy in 1865 the 13th amendment was passed which which now ended slavery in all of the states so then all of the slaves anywhere in the country were now free they were now free so that was their position you're free Now you have a choice at that point.

Are you going to live like you believe it? Are you going to live in accord with the principle of freedom? Slaves could now be free. They didn't have to serve that master. They could choose to stay there, by the way. But now because of their position, they didn't have to do that.

Live, then, so in essence you reflect in action and attitude the position that you occupy. You're a child of God. You've been raised to life. You've been seated with Christ in the heavenlies All those things are true of you Now live in a way that reflects that You see Now do you notice what he doing He not saying live that way or God will get you It not what he saying is it He saying this is what you are Now live in that way So what will reflect our calling as redeemed, forgiven people who have been constituted as a new humanity and the dwelling place of God and the display case of wisdom for supernatural powers?

Well, that brings us to verse 2. The tools that build unity in the church. We will use these kinds of tools because using them is living in a way that reflects your calling. If you are the children of God, if these things are really true, if you're the display case of God's wisdom to supernatural beings, then this is what you do. if we want to build a unified congregation then this is what we must do use the right tools verse 2 use the right tools you're going to live a life worthy of the calling to which you've been received with all you to which you've been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace you will be completely humble all right what does it mean to live in a way worthy of the calling you've received it means to live in humility it means to be a humble person humility is submissive it puts the interest of others above your own interests and not pursuing your agenda at the expense of anyone else that's what we heard as Levi read Philippians 2 1 through 11 that's how Jesus lived he put our interests above his own.

He came and lived a humble life. He's the epitome of humility, and that's how we ought to live. Pride always disrupts unity. Pride will always disrupt unity. Proverbs 13.10, wonderful Proverbs, says pride only breeds quarrels, right? Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Isn't that interesting? Who's the wise one? The one who takes advice. A proud person always, pride will always produce a conflict. A proud person seeks his own honor. A proud person will seek his own honor.

A proud person considers himself extremely wise right He assumes that in any conflict the fault lies primarily with the other person not with him That a proud person He believes that in any discussion, his position is the correct one. He couldn't possibly be wrong. Alright? I remember one time, it was a Sunday dinner and Pam Thomas was sitting with us And she said, it was so funny today when you said, I'm turned to Psalm 64 when you meant Isaiah 64.

And I said, I didn't say Psalm 64. I said Isaiah 64. She said, no, you didn't. She said, you said Psalm 64. You did not say Isaiah 64. I said, Pam, you're wrong.

I said Isaiah. She said, well, let's go listen to the tape. And I said, I don't care what the tape says. I know what I said. Right? A proud person is always going to insist that he's right.

He's never wrong. Humility always makes for unity. Humility will always make for unity. A humble person fully acknowledges his own plank, that in comparison, his sin is a plank compared to the speck in your eye. When I compare us, man, I got a plank in my eye. You only have a speck.

This person puts others' interests above his own. He's always ready to help or to serve. Even when a humble person gets into a discussion with someone about an important congregational matter, he will say to himself, now, I may not be completely right in my view. I need to listen carefully because I might learn something. Have you ever thought that when you're in the middle of a really intense discussion?

Do you ever think, I might be able to learn something from that person? You ought to. you know someone once said to me you can even learn from your enemies they can see some things that you don't isaiah 57 verse 15 says this for this is what the high and lofty one says he who lives forever whose name is holy i live in a high and holy place but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit. There's unity because God's presence is especially manifested to the humble.

Now this is a supernatural humility that's grace empowered. That is to say, I'm going to act this way, not because it's the best way of getting what I want to get done. It's grace empowered. It says, I'm going to act this way because that's the way a child of God, who's the display case of wisdom to the supernatural beings, is going to act. Why should you be completely humble?

Because you have a high calling and you need to live in a way that reflects that. He says, he goes on, you're going to be gentle in all that you do. Gentleness is not blunt. It's not abrupt. But it seeks to come alongside with sensitivity and respect and consideration. It's not so strongly opinionated and dogmatic that others are either afraid to express their opinions or, on the other hand, draws people into a fight.

It will seek to change a wrong opinion or attitude by persuasion and kindness, not by domination and intimidation. A person who's gentle is respectful and cooperative. All right? And think about that. Let's say you're rightfully angry about something. You still need to be gentle.

You don't go in swinging. All right? You're going to be respectful, even with someone that you disagree with. You know, as we go through these things, I want you to think about this in terms of where we are as well as a country. Now, I don't think unbelievers are capable of doing this. But we have on display before us the reason why we are so polarized as a country.

You know why? Because there aren't humble people. And they are not talking to one another with gentleness, that is, with respect and consideration. We don't see that. What should characterize our relationships? We ought to be people who do not fight and wrangle over rights.

Who are not harsh abrupt rude and dogmatic so much so that kindness gets lost And who are cooperative and respectful people who put others at ease in their presence I remember a meeting in which a man just tore into others about their wrongdoings. And you know what? Everything he said was true. Everything he said was true. He listed the facts of the situation and they were completely accurate.

But he was not gentle with that truth, and he destroyed any hope of unity that night. It wasn't going to happen now, even though everything he said was right. Why in the world should you be gentle? Because of the high position of your calling. Man, you have a high position. as as he says in ephesians chapter one you're seated in the heavenlies with christ so be gentle be gentle goes on he says you're going to be patient the word patience means long suffering i don't normally use greek but you'll recognize this i think a little bit it's called macro thumia now thumia means suffering, but you know what macro means, right?

It means big. It means large. We talk about macroeconomics, which means we're talking about the economics of the nation and the globe as opposed to microeconomics, the economics of my household. Macro, dumia, long-suffering. It means you have a long fuse as opposed to being short-tempered. It means you endure wrongs and you You put up with the exasperating conduct of others rather than flying into a rage or desiring vengeance.

You will suffer long. Patience exercises self-restraint when others are not operating as they should. It exercises self-restraint when others are not operating like you know they should. Now, don't mistake patience for weakness. Don't mistake patience for weakness. If I'm patient, they'll think I'm weak.

No, no. It is the way God himself acts in relationship to you. Would you consider God weak I guess not You know God could just I mean if God could he a spirit he doesn have eyelashes God could just blink and the universe would cease to exist. He's pretty powerful, wouldn't you agree? But he restrains that. He restrains his wrath.

He's patient. Listen, Romans chapter 2, verse 4. Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you towards repentance? God's patient. In that context, he says, man, judgment is coming. But right now, God's patient.

He's given you a chance. Right? 2 Peter 3, verse 9. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises. Some understand slowness. He is patient with you. not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance he's holding back he's suffering long second peter 3 verse 15 bear in mind that our lord's patience means salvation so patience is not weakness it's self-restraint god has the power to wipe out everyone who dishonors him but his long suffering restrains his wrath.

He is patient. A patient person does not overreact in disagreements. He will be composed under pressure. He will not display his irritation when attacked. And a patient person will not seek instant agreement with his ideas. you know what it is to be with someone who browbeats you until you just right he wants you to agree now he's going to come after you and keep after you until you agree until you see his point patience is a key ingredient to unity one writer says patience makes us willing to do the hard sometimes unpleasant work of discussing and praying about conflicting perspectives until we're able to reach agreement.

Why should you be patient? Because of the high calling of God in your life as part of the new humanity. Listen, do you think patience would be noticeable in our culture today Do you think that would be noticeable I think so That would make us distinctive if we patient people He goes on and says you going to be forbearing forbearing in love Now that's a forgotten virtue today in our polarized culture.

You must believe just like me or you are my enemy. that is the atmosphere that we're swimming in now and sadly too many Christians have imbibed it unless you agree with me you are my enemy some have the idea that if I don't point out sin then I've compromised holiness so we have to eradicate every sin whenever we see it to forbear means to endure the wrong to suffer the slight without saying anything, to not point out every sin I become aware of in you. It's interesting how forbearing we are with ourselves, isn't it? But not with other people.

What does a forbearing person look like? He allows other people to make mistakes or be different without putting them down. he's not going to point out every blunder a person makes this person is going to make distinctions between major and minor issues I love what Wayne Mack says people who do not practice forbearance feel that not making another person immediately aware of his blunders would be an abdication of responsibility right? or Or, as one member of my family once stated it, I feel like you'll be cheated if I don't give you my opinion. Right?

Unless I tell you, I'm cheating you unless I tell you exactly where you're going wrong. Forbearance puts up with a lot. Now God forbears with you, does he not? although God never listen God never condones sin but he doesn't constantly bring up every single sin that you commit if God would by his spirit bring up every single sin you committed I would guess that by the end of one day you would be Suicidal.

But God's forbearing. He forbears. He doesn't condone your sin. But He does not bring up every single sin. You know what He does? He'll point out those things where you need to grow.

And He'll work on you there. Then He'll bring up some more. And you can work on that. But He doesn't bring it all up at one time. Why should you do the hard work of forbearing with others? Because you want to live a life worthy of the calling you've received.

So, if you want to build a unified congregation, if we want to build a congregation that's unified, then we have to use the right tools. We have to work with humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance. well the last thing he says is make the greatest effort verse three make the greatest effort he says that eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace you need to be diligent in pursuing or keeping this unity in other words these things humility gentleness patience and forbearance. You have to go after that.

You have to work hard at that. It doesn't just happen. Unity is not just going to happen. We have to be eager for that. We have to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Beck and I have told young couples that come to us for premarital counseling We do it together It a more honest way of approaching it because we don point out each other weaknesses to the couple but we're honest about what our life was like.

And what we tell them often, somewhere along the line in there, is we'd been married nine years before I learned what the purpose of marriage was. Nine years. And then I learned that the purpose of marriage was companionship. That we're companions. That when Genesis 2.24 says you'll become one flesh, it's not just talking about sexual relations there. It's talking about how you become like one person.

And the marriage bond is supposed to produce two lives becoming one. Two distinct lives becoming one. In other words, the bottom line in marriage is companionship. kids are going to be gone. And then what? You've got to be companions. And so because of that, so what we learned, that doesn't just happen when the pastor pronounces you man and wife.

And Becca and I were not becoming like one person right after the pastor pronounced that over us. But when we learned that truth, nine years into marriage, mind you, when we learned that, we said we have to make some changes. We have to make some changes. We had to start changing what we did in order for us to really become companions. We had to have time alone.

And so we started working on getting the kids to bed at a certain time every night so we would have at least two hours. Two hours alone. That wasn't always successful, you know. It was interrupted a number of times by going upstairs and rebuking the children for jumping from bed to bed or swinging from the lamp whatever But we had to spend time together We had to spend time together We had to choose what kind of activities we were going to get involved in or what kind of activities our kids were going to be involved in because we did not want to be torn apart.

We had to make plans. I had to begin to analyze ministries and say, I'm going to have to say no because if I do that, that's less time at home, and we have to be companions. What I'm trying to tell you is that unity requires work. It doesn't just happen. And so when you think about this congregation and you think about the people that are irritating you, I know that doesn't happen in this congregation, but let's just say there are some people here that irritate you.

Are you going to be forbearing with them? and I don't mean I'll put up with them by avoiding them altogether. That doesn't produce unity. But you're forbearing. And someone does sin. Are you going to be patient? Are you going to bring that up in a gentle way?

We've got to work at it. Unity requires work. And note as well, verse 3, that unity is the unity of the Spirit. This is a unity given us by the Spirit. It is given to all those who are in Christ. That is to say this.

If we are this way, unity will happen. In position, we're one. We're one in Christ. We're already unified in position. How does it show up in practice? By doing this.

And if you do this, we will have unity. Why? Because the Spirit going to produce in us on the practical level what Christ has given us on the positional level We are one Now we have to act like it and it will happen if we are this way The point is simply this. All those who belong to Jesus belong to one another. we already possess a unity in Christ but we can lose that unity we can end up in factions devouring one another destroying the reputation of Jesus in our community how do we prevent that from happening or how do we produce a deep unity that won't be destroyed we need to get the right view of who we are we need to use the right tools and we need to work diligently.

May we be one as we cry out to God for his grace to be this way. We need to ask God that by his grace these would be true of us. Father, thank you for your word. Would you help us now to be this way, to be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, working hard at it by the power of the spirit so that we live in accordance with our calling. Father, I thank you for a congregation that is unified, but Lord, I pray that we would always be on the alert for the one who sows disunity is always looking for an opportunity.

And so I pray that you would help us, help us to do this, help us to practice this by your spirit so that the unity of this body would be evident to all. Grant that we pray for your glory in Jesus' name. Amen.