In the parable she entitles, A Brawling Bride, Karen Mains paints a vivid scene, describing a suspenseful moment in a wedding ceremony. Here’s the picture. Down front stands the groom in a spotless tuxedo-handsome, smiling, full of anticipation, shoes shined, every hair in place, anxiously awaiting the presence of his bride. All attendants are in place, looking joyful and attractive. The magical moment finally arrives as the pipe organ reaches full crescendo and the stately wedding march begins. Everyone rises and looks toward the door for their first glimpse of the bride but as they do there is a horrified gasp. The entire wedding party is shocked. The groom stares in embarrassed disbelief. For you see-instead of a lovely woman dressed in elegant white, smiling behind a lace veil, the bride is LIMPING down the aisle. Her dress is SOILED and TORN. Her leg seems TWISTED. Ugly CUTS and BRUISES cover her bare arms. Her nose is BLEEDING, one eye is PURPLE and SWOLLEN, and her hair is DISHEVELED. The author asks, “Does not this handsome Groom deserve BETTER than this?” And then she gives us the clincher as she says: “Alas, His bride, THE CHURCH has been fighting again”
Well this is an accurate illustration of far too many congregations. In fact, the prevalence of dissension like this in the church led one unknown believer to say, “To live above with those we love, oh how that will be glory. To live below with those we know…now that’s another story.”
1. We need one focus...Christ.
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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.
Well this is an accurate illustration of far too many congregations. In fact, the prevalence of dissension like this in the church led one unknown believer to say, “To live above with those we love, oh how that will be glory. To live below with those we know…now that’s another story.”
SOME POWERFUL VERSES ON UNITY
John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
1 John 4:20 - If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen
1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 John 4:7-10 - Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Romans 12:10 - [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 John 3:18 - My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Luke 6:31 - And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
1 John 4:11 - Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 3:17 - But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Romans 13:8 - Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
SOME POWERFUL QUOTES ON UNITY IN THE CHURCH
"To a true child of God, the invisible bond that unites all believers to Christ is far more tender, and lasting, and precious; and, as we come to recognize and realize that we are all dwelling in one sphere of life in Him, we learn to look on every believer as our brother, in a sense that is infinitely higher than all human relationships. This is the one and only way to bring disciples permanently together. All other plans for promoting the unity of the Church have failed."
- A.T. Pierson
"The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified... ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The Christian life is an unending festival. And the festival we keep, now that our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us, is a joyful celebration of his sacrifice, together with a spiritual feasting upon it."
- John Stott
"Where two or three are met together, the prayer of one strikes fire from the soul of another; and the latter in his turn leads the way to nobler heights of devotion. And lo! As their joy increases, there is One in their midst whom they all recognize and cling to. He was there before, but it is only when their hearts begin to burn that they recognize Him; and in a true sense they may be said to bring Him there."
- James Stalker
SOME POWERFUL VERSES ON UNITY
John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 John 4:7-10 - Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Romans 12:10 - [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 John 3:18 - My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Luke 6:31 - And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
1 John 4:11 - Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 3:17 - But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Romans 13:8 - Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
SOME POWERFUL QUOTES ON UNITY IN THE CHURCH
"To a true child of God, the invisible bond that unites all believers to Christ is far more tender, and lasting, and precious; and, as we come to recognize and realize that we are all dwelling in one sphere of life in Him, we learn to look on every believer as our brother, in a sense that is infinitely higher than all human relationships. This is the one and only way to bring disciples permanently together. All other plans for promoting the unity of the Church have failed."
- A.T. Pierson
"The Christian community is a community of the cross, for it has been brought into being by the cross, and the focus of its worship is the Lamb once slain, now glorified... ceaselessly offering to God through Christ the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving. The Christian life is an unending festival. And the festival we keep, now that our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us, is a joyful celebration of his sacrifice, together with a spiritual feasting upon it."
- John Stott
"Where two or three are met together, the prayer of one strikes fire from the soul of another; and the latter in his turn leads the way to nobler heights of devotion. And lo! As their joy increases, there is One in their midst whom they all recognize and cling to. He was there before, but it is only when their hearts begin to burn that they recognize Him; and in a true sense they may be said to bring Him there."
- James Stalker
SOME PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING TO FOSTER UNITY
1. We need one focus...Christ.
Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are 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.
when we are focused on Him we are not focusing on the irritations with other people.
2. We need to walk in two areas...In purity "walk worthy" (v.1) and In love "In love" (v.2)
when we are walking worth we are less likely to be at odds with others and less likely to be offensive ourselves. When we walk in love we are more likely to treat others like we would like to be treated, that would heal a lot of relationships.
3. We need four attitudes. Lowliness: the having a humble opinion of one’s self
a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness. Meekness:gentleness, mildness, Longsuffering: patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance. Forbearing: to sustain, to bear, to endure, to put up with one another.
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