Unity In the Church by Brother Duke Hansen

         This morning we will be reading from a couple of different places. Our first scripture reading will be from the book of John chapter 17. Our 2nd scripture reading will be in the book of 1 Peter chapter 5. We will start to read from verse 21 of John chapter 17. 

        21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

        22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

        23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

        24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

        25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

        26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

        Now, in reading the scripture on a first read or two, this scripture can come across as very complicated to those of who like the English language. If you read through this with whatever ideology you are thinking with, you can interpret it, along with select parts of the three other gospels to support and reinforce your ideology. Just because you find some personal truth doesn't necessarily make it the truth.

        In verse 21, Jesus is talking about his disciples with the phrase, "That they all may be one". Jesus is referring to separate dimensions when he uses words like "You" and "They". There was a clear understanding with Christians in the past which knew Jesus was Lord. Currently, there are denominations and faiths which have various versions of the truth of God and his name.

        The message today is about unity. All that Jesus had, which was brought from heaven, he was giving to his church is in verse 23. "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." perfect doesn't mean not making mistakes in scripture. Scripture calls you to be perfected. The work of perfection is continual progress. 

        The phrase, "They all may be," "shall be", are phrases Jesus spoke about his disciples. The glory of Jesus which was bestowed on this earth and the glory of God in heaven are two separate things. Jesus revealed his name while on earth. Up until his time here, the Jews did not know the name of God. They had various names for him. God wants unity in his church. This has not changed today, despite the fact that his church has splintered into dozens of denominations today.

        The glory of Jesus was his resurrection and walking the earth for 40 days afterwards. If you have a rebellious spirit, if you are controlled by everything affecting you, this message is going to be hard for you to sit and meditate upon. There are two things God promised you in this world and your assignment is to look and search for it in the scriptures this week. Suffering is what unifies the church still today. Go to the book of 1 Peter chapter 5. We will begin reading with verse 1.

        The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

        The elders Peter writes about all had a thing in common. They had suffered different things in their walk, whether through other men, themselves, or the world in general. Guidance and direction are two tools God has given his people to fall upon. The question is if you use them.

        2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

        3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

        4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

        In verse 3, Peter says it isn't up to you and I to be the gatekeepers of God's heritage. In verse 4, he is referring to salvation and the chief shepherd is Jesus returning. 

        5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed in humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

        Verse 5 is a bitter truth for our flesh to swallow. "Submit yourselves unto the elder". "Subject one to another". None of us are not subject to ridicule or being called to the carpet. If there are two things promised to us from God while we are alive, why are we so angry and discontent against him? Real and true wisdom doesn't come from sitting on a pedestal above others and speaking smart things, but its on you face on the ground. Clothe yourself in humility. The evidence of pride is a stench to God's nostrils.

        If you are stuck in your walk, reflect upon where the source of your problem is this morning. Is it your flesh? Is it God? Or is it devil? In Romans 12:1, Paul writes that we should be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God. It is the most reasonable service to him. We should be mindful of this daily.

        6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

        7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.

        Don't ever find yourself in a place where you think God doesn't care for you. God cares for you! Understand God allowed the system we all live in today. In order to live in this system, you and I need to know what to allow and disallow. In order to be effective and correct with that, we need more knowledge. There are some things you don't need to perfect in your life.

        8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.

        If you spend all your time fighting with the truth in the word of God and with God's people, the devil will have no problem with you. You are easy pickings to him.

        9 Whom resist stedfast in faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

        You have to use your faith to resist the devil. You cannot merely say "no more". Your stand should be rooted in scripture. God is good with you walking life with a why. He wants you to apply faith in him to the why. You have brethren in the world. Those who left the church, lost in the world and fighting the devil.

        10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

        All believers will be suffering for a while. We are unified to be sacrificed and to the glory of God which is his resurrection. Mistakes will be made in your walk. Those mistakes that you learn from will lead you closer to perfection. Look for common ground with other people and not for things to argue or disagree with others. It's hard to save people who can't save themselves.

        We need to stay unified in our struggle, in our pursuit of God and the deepening of our faith. If you aren't in that pursuit, it's safe to say that you don't care for it.

        "Settle you" there at the end of verse 10. This is a very difficult spot to attain in your walk despite all the work and prayer. When you are not only calm on the outside but also on the inside. God has a plan for you wherever you are at in your walk today. When you are steadfast in the faith, your perfection will grow.