A Unified Church

Sermon OverviewScripture Reference: Ephesians 4A biblically unified church is a wonderful thing. Because this unity comes from the Spirit, we do not produce it; we merely preserve it.Ephesians 4 tells us that we, as Christians, are to be, “...endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3).We preserve this sacred unity by recognizing three important concepts from this passage.First, we must see that the ground of our unity is doctrinal and spiritual.Unity does not mean unison or uniformity. It means we are in agreement on the basic truths of Scripture.Ephesians 4:4-6 tells us the seven pillars of truth that hold us up and hold us together.1. One Body: the Church, which began in the New Testament and has been kept alive and active to this day.2. One Spirit: the Holy Spirit, the substance of our life, secret of our strength, and source of our unity.3. One Hope: the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.4. One Lord: Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, always.5. One Faith: God’s revealed Word, which we are to earnestly contend for.6. One Baptism: baptized by the Holy Spirit at salvation and brought into the body of Christ.7. One God: The Father, who is above all, through all, and in all.Once we are unified as a church, then we can see the glory of our diversity.Adrian Rogers says, “Sameness is not unity; unity comes from diversity.” God gives us different spiritual gifts that are meant to unite us, not to divide us; they are not toys, they are tools. Though we are unified in our doctrine, our spiritual gifts do not have to march in lock step.Finally, we recognize that the goal of our unity is maturity.-We are meant to mature in stature, in how we look more and more like Jesus every day.-We are to mature in stability, not being swayed by false teachings.-We are to mature in speech, speaking truth in love without stutter, stammer, or apology.And we mature in service toward one another, edifying the body as we grow, ourselves.Unity, diversity, and maturity—all three are necessary for peace among the brethren. We learn how to get along despite our differences when we work together in harmony.Apply it to your lifeAre you a part of a unified church? Do you serve the body with your spiritual gifts?