Unity
- Details
- Sunday Morning Service
- Jason Mitchell
- Copalis Community Church
- 23 November 2025
Number one is going to be the blessing that comes from unity. Number two, reasons why we need to stay in unity. Number three, the dangers of division both inside and outside the church. Four, a closer look at our enemies. And then we will close with the edification.
So let's go ahead and pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we just thank you Lord, for this body specifically here today. We thank you that you are that we are your children, Lord, called into your family. Father, we just pray, Lord God, for discernment. We pray that you would teach us to value the things that you value and that you would give us understanding to understand your scriptures.
And we ask this in the mighty name of your Son Jesus. Amen. Okay, so I'm going to start with Psalms 133. We're going to talk about number one, the blessing, how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion, for there the Lord bestows his blessings, even life forevermore. Some of you may be trying to turn in your Bibles. I'm going to be in a lot of scriptures today concerning unity, so don't feel like you have to try to follow with the short amount of time. I'm just going to go through these. So it is both good and pleasant.
When a church lives its life together in a unified manner, it is like the anointed blessing of God in so much abundance that it covers us with God's blessing from the top of our head to to the bottom of our feet.
It is here in unified fellowship that God has commanded the very blessing of eternal life. In other words, when we live in a unified manner, we experienced a taste of the world to come where we will live eternally in perfect unity. Number two reasons why we need to stay Stay in unity. We've already seen in Psalms 133 that we experience goodness and joy when we dwell together in unity. We experience the blessing of God's very life.
But consider these passages as well. Second Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 11. Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. When we pursue unity, the God of love and peace dwells within us and affects each other. Romans, chapter 15, 5, 6.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we live in unity with each other, we glorify God together.
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 16. From him, meaning Christ, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. When we are unified, we will be effective, be built up and experience the love of Christ.
John, chapter 17, verse 20. 21 words from our King and High Commander. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one Father. Just as you are in me and I in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
When we are unified, the world will see Christ in us. It would be wise to remember that Scripture calls the Church to be unified as a picture of God's unity. Consider Paul's reasoning in First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 12, where he says, just as a body, though one has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. In other words, our unity is a picture of who Christ is. As we are unified, we show the world the unity of Christ.
Paul's reasoning is the same when he encourages the Church in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. So why does Paul use this reasoning?
It's quite simple.
Because there is one God and Father of all. We are one because God is one. When the body of believers in Christ come together, we are incarnating visibly the invisible reality of our union with Christ. This is the core purpose of why the Church exists. The Church is the visible picture of God's glory on earth.
If we are not living in unity with each other, we are not creating a faithful picture of who God is.
That brings us to number three dangers of division inside and outside of the Church. Consider this passage from First Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 10 to 13, where Paul goes on to address the problem of camps forming in the Church. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household, had informed, informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this one of you says, I follow Paul.
Another, I follow Apollos. Another, I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Let's break this down in sections. Section one is the problem. Okay, what's the problem? The church was divided by people identifying with specific leaders, mirroring the competitive culture of Corinth. Some were saying, I follow Apollos.
And still others, I follow Cephas. We see here in section two, Paul pleading for unity. Paul asked them to agree with one another in what they say and that there be no divisions among them, but that they be perfectly united in mind and thought. And then Paul points to the ultimate authority. He challenges the divisiveness by asking rhetorical questions that points to Christ's singular authority.
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? And then finally, we come to the solution. Paul emphasizes that the only true Christian identity comes from being united in Christ, not in different leaders of the Church.
Paul is clear. When the church is divided, it is a clear sign that we are both 1 not following Christ faithfully and 2 presenting a false picture of Christ to the world. As we have seen, division can come from within the body, but it also can come from outside sources as well. We read countless times of false prophets, wolves and divisive people who come into the church and cause havoc. Scripture gives us an example of what they may look and act like.
Jude, chapter one, verse 16 to 19. These people are grumblers and fault finders. They follow their own evil desires. They boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
They said to you in the last times, there would be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. They are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. Scripture calls us to watch out for these things. Romans 16, verse 17, 18. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause division and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.
Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.
So as we grow together as a church and become more aware of what to watch for, how should we respond if such divisive things were to come into the assembly?
Consider Paul's exhortation to Titus in Titus, chapter 3, verse 10:11. Reading from the amplified version after a first and second warning, reject a divisive person who promotes heresy and causes dissension. Ban them from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with them. Well aware that such a person is twisted and is sinning, they are convicted and self condemned and are gratified by causing confusion among believers. It is a good thing for the church to be aware of the dangers that we face from in and outside, how to recognize them, and how to deal with them in a biblical manner.
So I want to take us now to one of the most important things that we need to understand as Christians and in church, and that is a closer look at our enemies. We born again believers must be aware that as we pursue unity, there will be many things that will labor against that pursuit. We have enemies that are fighting against us always. I'd like to take this time now to focus on two of the worst enemies that we face.
Satan, who is also called the accuser of the brethren. He sows discord and does all that he can to make sure that the churches divide. Because every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. So when we see seeds of division starting to appear, we need to see this as a spiritual warfare issue, as it is written in Ephesians 6:12, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Considering that we need to be sober minded and alert, ready to see the ways in which he may seek to destroy the unity we are called to experience and to display.
Here's a couple of Satan's tactics here. First, Satan uses distraction. He distracts us with the busyness of life so that we miss opportunities to love and support the body. Second, he uses deception. Satan will lie to us, planting evil thoughts in our heads about others, about the church, and even God.
Third, he uses derision. Satan will condemn us, reminding of us, reminding us of our sin and making us discouraged so that we don't serve others and get involved in the life of the church finally uses division. Satan will tempt us to idolize our own preferences, styles of worship, models of ministry, ways to evangelize. How often do we take communion? It is crazy how small things like carpet colors have divided churches.
These things, they kill churches and they bring shame on the name of Christ.
That brings us to enemy number two, the flesh, the sinful human nature that opposes God. Brothers and sisters, make no mistake, this is our greatest enemy. Unlike Satan, who comes and goes like we see with our Lord in Luke, chapter 4, verse 13. The flesh dwells within us all the time, warring against our new nature in Christ. It never leaves and will not be destroyed completely until our time of death.
But we are called to actively put it to death daily and make no provision for it. We are also given a promise in Galatians, chapter 5, verse 16. I say, then walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. To better understand the flesh, we should compare it to a rotting body. Comparing the old sinful nature to a rotting body is a metaphor for its deadness, its corruption, and the deceitful influence, passions and desires that remains.
While the old self is considered crucified with Christ, the flesh is like a corpse that is still there with ingrained sinful habits that must be actively put to death through self control and reliance on God's strength. The comparison highlights that while the source of sin is dead, its lingering effects require ongoing spiritual discipline. As we battle the flesh, we should be aware of the greatest weapon that it uses.
A weapon is a fence. It uses a fence to foster division and sin, as taking offense can lead to other sinful behaviors like pride, judgment and hatred. It thrives on the prideful reaction to being wrong, leading people to blame others and feel shame rather than to forgive or see their own faults. Ultimately, offense creates a barrier between a person and God. It is a source and driver of sinful and harmful emotional expressions and actions as opposed to being a vessel for holy emotions.
I've always liked this picture that's painted in Proverbs 18, verse 19. A brother offended is harder to be one than a strong city, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. This proverb illustrates how offense works by comparing an offended person to a fortress that is exceedingly difficult to breach. While arguments become like heavy bars on the castle gates, the offense creates a defensive wall around the heart, making the person unyielding and hard hearted, while the resulting arguments acts as bars that lock the relationship shut, preventing reconciliation, ultimately causing disunity. This should urge us to be on guard.
We the Church, the assembly of born again believers in Christ Jesus, are called to possess and display biblical unity. And not only that, but God also wants us to strive for for it. If we are going to be a faithful display of God's glory in the world, we need to pursue unity. There is great joy available for us in unity and great dangers in the lack of it. May we humbly, prayerfully and resiliently fight for unity together so that we can display to the world a true picture of the spiritual unity that we already have secured for us for the glory of Christ alone.
And finally, that brings us to edification. So here are some things that we can practice as we build up the body 1. Pray for unity. Pray specifically for a heart of unity and self forgetfulness, acknowledging God's own unifying work through Christ. Number two Focus on common ground.
Concentrate on shared beliefs like one Lord, one Body and one baptism, rather than differences in personality, background or preference. Number three Embrace diversity. Recognize that God created differences to be valued, not divisive. Unity is not uniformity, which means sameness or a lack of variation. No, unity is about loving each other despite differences.
Four. Practice humility and grace. Be quick to offer grace to others and recognize that a humble, gentleman, patient spirit is essential for building up God's kingdom.
When we look at the church in America today, do we see this biblical unity that God calls us to pursue? Well, despite our human eyes, we need to look with our spiritual eyes to see that the church desperately needs this unity. I hope that this message has encouraged you as much as it encouraged me. I stand here humble as your brother in Christ, and I confess that I do not display this type of unity as much as I want to. But as I become more aware of this, my desire for unity gets stronger and my prayer is that yours will too.
I'll leave you with this quote. It's from Thomas Watson. Peacefulness among Christians is a powerful magnet to attract the world to Christ. It is not only gifts, miracles and preaching that persuade men to embrace the truth of the gospel, but also peace and unity among those who profess the gospel.
Thank you church. Tammy, would you close us in prayer.