A Unified Life - SERMON NOTES

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study. To listen to the sermon, click the link above.

Intro: (1) examples of unity, disunity (2) four aspects of Christian unity

A Historical Unity (20)
(1) unity between present-day believers and past believers (cf. 10:16) (2) survival
of Christianity → persecution, institutionalization, separation via tradition, reformation, scholarly suspicion, fundamentalism vs. liberalism (3) key → staying to true to “word” of the apostles (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-5, Eph. 4:4-6) (4) practices that unite us historical/global Christianity → gathering, scripture, singing, communion/baptism, meals, missions (5) Christianity is historical, not made up fairy tales

A tangible unity (21-23): 
(1) unity means to end → don’t stop at “worshipers in community” (2) basis of unity → Trinity (3) experience of unity → one another’s (4) goal of unity → evangelism (cf. John 13:34, app to missions) (5) roadblocks → holding onto offense, gossip/slander, complaining, non-submission to elders, not giving financially, not serving (cf. covenant) (6) best reflection of Christ is treating each other how he treats us (cf. Philip. 2:3-5) (7) app to other congregations (8) philosophy of church (cf. bakery)

A continuing unity (25-26): 
(1) emphasis on continuing to love his followers and to make the Father known to them (2) one key to continuing unity is remembering our new identities in Christ (cf. 15:1-5) (3) key aspects of new identity → not under power of sin, belong to a father with brothers and sisters, increasing love for God and others (4) threats → impatience, familiarity breeding contempt, not feeling like much is happening, thinking you don’t need others (5) broken instrument symphony

An eternal unity (24): 
(1) Jesus now points to the future and the perfect unity that will exist in eternity with him (cf. Rev. 7:9-10) (2) “with me” → what makes heaven heaven is the presence of Jesus (3) eternity with God = perfect bodies in a perfect creation with perfect relationship with God and others (4) no more earthly divisions (cf. rich/poor, republican/democrat, etc.) (5) heaven pictured as home (cf.tv shows, Tada story) (6) church intended to be “taste of heaven” (cf. Carter/Wredburg quote)

Conclusion: covenant prayer