Preacher: Josh White
I we have been talking about the work of the Holy Spirit in everyone’s life and three weeks ago we really started and we talked about God’s greatest desire for us as His children in fact we could even say it’s God’s will for our life first and foremost that this be true so he has all the answer this is God’s will for a life that we will be holy and it says why God desires us to be holy he wants us to be holy because he is holy That’s why God desires for us to be holy and as we keep starting we realize that there is another great desire of God for us as individuals but also as a family and that is for us to be united because God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are united so God’s desire for us is to be like him holy and then also united and that is one of the reasons why God gave us the Holy Spirit I want you to turn over your Bibles to John Chapter seventeen.
And we read about this in John Chapter seventeen and this is known as the high priest of the prayer of Christ this is right before he was crucified. And we have this recorded prayer of Jesus talking to the father.
And then here we get this insight of what God’s great desire is for us this is children John Chapter seventeen beginning in verse twenty.
And up to this point John or Jesus had been praying for his disciples for the twelve or for the love at that point the twelve that we’re going to go out and share or share Christ with the world and here in John seventeen beginning in verse twenty Jesus continues and he says I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in Me through their word so that it includes us that they may all be one just as you Father are in me and I and you that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me the glory that you have given me I. I have given to them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and you and me that they may become perfectly one soul that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you loved me and so this is the plan of God They each of us will be one with him and that’s talking about our identity in Christ that we will accept God’s mission for us that the world will know and factor does what it says in verse twenty five it says I look at verse twenty five again I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know and sold the work of the Holy Spirit is to come into us as believers unite us together so that our identity is in God so that we are united with each other but then also our unity shares that message of salvation with the world around us I want you to turn over to Philip in this chapter to well more interview for today and to take this idea of God giving us the Holy Spirit so that we will be united and there’s a passage in Philippians Chapter two we’re going to use sort of as our text for this morning so Philippians chapter two and will begin in verse one.
And just just before read this all say this you know read this passage of Philippians and in this passage Paul sort of gives us these these practical commands which really helps us to understand what the Holy Spirit will be doing in our lives and what it looks like when the Holy Spirit is unifying us so let’s read this book in Chapter Two beginning of verse one.
He says So if there is any encouragement in Christ. Any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord in of One Mind you nothing from selfish ambition or can see. But in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others have this mine among yourselves which is Yours in Christ Jesus if you look at him you notice what he says in verse one he says that if you have any participation in the spirit some of you might be using another translation your translation might say something like If you have any fellowship with the Holy Spirit in other words Paul a saying If you have any kind of cooperation with the Holy Spirit then this is what that should look like and the word for participation or fellowship whatever translation you’re using it’s the Greek word koinonia you maybe have heard this before it’s a very powerful word and let me read for you a great definition that I found from a commentary kind of really nails down this idea of what it means to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit or participation so here is a definition so this is referring to having a common interest and a mutual and active participation in the things of God in which the believer and the Holy Spirit are joint participants. So it says if you have any participation in the Holy Spirit it means the things that the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish in your life and the life of others we need to partner with that and so if we’re partnering with the Holy Spirit this is what it looks like you know so far we’ve we’ve talked about a few different things we’ve got talked a couple weeks ago about how the Holy Spirit was given to us a ministry of the Holy Spirit is just sanctify us to make us whole set apart because God is holy and last week we talked about how the Holy Spirit leads us leads us into opportunity leads us into truth that’s what the Holy Spirit does but today we’re going to look at how the Holy Spirit also unifies believers together for a very specific purpose and God wants us to be unified and so to do that he’s given us the Holy Spirit so what we’re going to do this morning is we’re going to look at this passage here and flip institue. And see the things that sort of they manifest themselves when we see this work of the Holy Spirit taking place and so I’m going to give you three things if you look at this passage there’s more than just three things we’re going to look at three things this morning that we will experience in the work of the Holy Spirit is present in our lives and unifying us and the first thing that we will experience is number one we will experience having the same mind. If the Holy Spirit is unifying us together we will have the same mind to look at verse two.
This phrase is at the very beginning of verse two so Philippians two two says complete my joy by being of the same mind. And so Paul sorts off by saying unity begins in happens when we are of the same mind some you might have another translation might say have the same pattern of thinking and so you just take a second and kind of stand back and you think wait a second what exactly is the Bible telling us to do it says that we’re supposed to have the same thoughts the same pattern of thought the same mind. Do you know how many opinions there are in the world is that even possible it is Paul suggesting that believers for them to be united have to hold to the same political party are we all supposed to be Republicans or Democrats or are we all supposed to hold to the same parenting philosophies if this is you know what exactly is Paul talking about well I think it’s clear what he’s talking about is this to be of the same mind it means that our thoughts all of our sots need to be influenced and guided by the one singular truth that there is in the world and that is the Word of God and so of God’s people stray from the Bible as their source of truth. Unity is impossible in sort of the way that we can have the same mind is for all of us to align our thoughts with the one timeless eternal truth. I came across this a while ago and I think this is an excellent way for us to kind of understand how this this unity takes place this is written by toes or in his book The Pursuit of God and he writes about unity and how what this looks like any writes Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other they are of one accord by being in tune not to each other but to another standard in which each one must individually bow so one hundred worshippers like us today meeting together each one looking to Christ our own heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become unity conscience and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. So that’s how we are of one mind it’s not like we’re supposed to look around and find the most opinionated person or the most smart or influential person and say well if they are thinking this then we all need to agree to think the things that that person is thinking the way we become united is we’ll let the Word of God become our one source of truth that is when we will have the same pattern of thinking natural will be of the same mindset I want you to stay here in Philippians will come back here but turn over your bible just a couple pages to efficiency. Go back to your Bible to just a few pages to fusions chapter four.
So more talking about having the same truth and having the same mind you know what are the things that we’re supposed to agree on and think about here’s one of the passages where Paul tells us there are seven ones of the faith these are these are individual truth is that we cannot diverge on we have to accept them for what they are fusions for one talking about unity when we have these Paul says I therefore a prisoner for the Lord infusions for one urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the call. To which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love and here he says in verse three eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Well how do we do that this is the same mind that we’re going to have verse for there is one body one Spirit just as you were called to the one the hope now belongs to your call one Lord one face one baptism and one God and Father of all who is overall and through all and in all.
Now this passage here and there’s obviously a lot there but I’ll wrap up this portion of this point by saying this what people believe is extremely important and if there is not some singular truth some undeniable singular truth out there that all of us can balance to wards and say this is what we agree with there’s no way that we could ever have unity with each other and so the real the unity of the Holy Spirit what he’s doing in all of our lives is getting us to understand and guiding us to the truth the one truth of God’s Word and the main truth obviously that we need to start with and stand upon is who Jesus Christ is there is no one that we can go through to get to the Father only through Jesus Christ the Son of God His death and resurrection that is the one truth that we begin our unity and stand our unity of unity upon so that is how God works within us with the Holy Spirit to bring us to a same mind or the same on the truth that we hold onto when next we also see the unifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we see among ourselves point to the same identity that we have the same identity in our devotee is this we are loyal followers of Jesus Christ and we are equal members of the one body of Christ and as the one body of Christ all of us are equal as role players one body many parts whatever. Chapter two verse two of Philippians.
Verse two again I am reading from the E.S.P. if for those of you are not aware that verse two says complete my joy by being of the same mind. Having the same law of and here’s the phrase for this point being in full accord and of one mind you know this this word here is very interesting and in the yes to be it’s translated being in a full accord this is the only place in the entire Bible that this word is used it’s almost like Paul made up a word it’s a compound word and the Greek word is called Some So and it’s two words which basically are combining the word with and soul with each other and so basically a literal translation would be sold with.
We are sold with each other or we are joined with in soul and again this is the only place that this ever appears and I think would be what Paul is trying to do is taking the basic unit of a human being our soul and we’re being joined with other people that creates the one body of Christ and that is the one identity that we have and so when we combine this one this of soul with other passages of Scripture I believe this is cheating us that the Holy Spirit unites us in our function as role players within the Body of Christ that is our one identity the We Are The One Body of Christ and everyone within the Body of Christ has a role to play and it doesn’t matter how old you are or how smart you are or how tall or short you are doesn’t matter any of those things God has placed within you is called you to be his own you are now identified with him and he’s given you a role to play and I want you to turn over to First Corinthians Chapter twelve this is by far as I think the best passage in all of Scripture that kind of describes the body the body of Christ and how it functions and. Now it’s the Holy Spirit that unites us together so that we’re functioning together as one body.
First Corinthians Chapter twelve.
So as we read this what I want you to do is realize especially for those of you who are used as you say this is my home church we are sold with each other as O.-U. L. sold with each other like this passage says First Corinthians Chapter twelve beginning in verse four. Says now there are varieties of gifts but the same spirit and there are varieties of service but the same Lord. And there are varieties of activities but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good and so this teaches us that God has placed the Holy Spirit in each and every one of us and there is a manifestation of power and gifting and it’s given for what purpose for the common good for our one identity as a body now skip down to verse twenty one.
Now this is where Paul kind of get some kind of gets funny trying to describe this in a way that we can understand using the image or the analogy of a body verse twenty one it says the I cannot say the hand I have no need of you nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you on the contrary the parts of the Biden seem to be weaker are indispensable. And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor and are unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty which are more presentable parts do not require but God is so composed the body giving greater honor to the part that lacked it that there may be no division in the body but that the members may have the same care for one another if one member suffers all suffer together if one member is honored all rejoice together now you are the Body of Christ and individually members of it so if we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit what Paul is teaching us here the Holy Spirit will get us to be your. Neither with each other in our one identity and we will all understand our role and use our roles in conjunction with each other you know it’s interesting as I was kind of preparing for this talking about unity. If you have an enemy you want to find out what their endgame is so that you can attack them right. What God wants from us is to be united and so Satan will work desperately to try to get us to be divided and so it’s interesting how it says verse twenty five so that there may be no division in the body the members be given the same care to one another so that’s what God wants us to do so we stay united all of us use our one gift and we have to understand our gifts are different you know you think about a war to be like if everybody thought that they had the same gift you know today we did Teacher Appreciation Day and you notice that not everybody stood up and then that’s good because not everyone has the gift of teaching but all of us have some gift and we should all use them because we’re one body using our parts equally I came across this example of what it looks like if everyone thinks that they have the exact same job and they don’t realize that you need to work as a team so I’ll go ahead I’ll share this with you I in fact I think I’d use this before at some point it’s a great illustration it goes like this this I guess it would it would highlight what it looks like in a body of believers or don’t recognize there are different gifts to be used in Coronation with each other to highlight its annual picnic one year a company rented two racing shells and challenge their rival company to a boat race and the rival company except it on the day of the picnic everyone entered into the spirit of the event women wore colorful summer dresses and big floppy hats so obviously this wasn’t any time soon this was a while ago and then more straw skimmers and white pants bands played in banners waved and finally the race began to the consternation of the host company the rival team immediately moved to the front and never looked back it won by eleven links and the management of the host company was so embarrassed. By it showing it promptly appointed a committee to place responsibility for the failure and make recommendations to improve the host team’s chances in a rematch the following year the committee appointed several task forces to study various aspects of the race and they met for three months and issued a preliminary report an essence the report said that the rival crew had been unfair basically they cheated they had eight people rowing and one coxswain steering and shouting out the beach reporter said we had one person rowing and eight coxswains.
The chairman of the Board thank the committee and Senator Wade to study the matter further and make a recommendation for the rematch and four months later they committee came back with a recommendation our guy needs to grow faster.
You know where when we allow the Holy Spirit to unify us we realize that we are working side by side with each other and it is so neat to see a group of people who are sold out to their one identity and they say we’re sold with each other our identity is Jesus Christ and so I will do whatever role God has given me because I know that I’m helping the greater good the body to succeed and so I ask you your this question What what is your role how is God equipped you as members of the Body of Christ to serve Him in your unique way how how have you been sold with everyone else that you belong with well finally as the Holy Spirit unifies us together we will see that it will also manifest itself when we have the same purpose the same purpose to look at verse two again we’re going to read all verse to.
Complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love being in full accord and of one mind now if you read this especially in the S.V. I didn’t check any of the translations but it sounds like this is just a repetition of the. First phrase the phrase at the beginning of verse two both use the mind as an example but there’s a very subtle difference in what we’re seeing here the first expression here in verse two of unity is how the US have the same pattern of thinking or the same mindset in other words that we are all in tune with the one truth the last phrase has the idea of us thinking one thing or you and I are being focused on our one purpose and for the purpose of what is what is the purpose for members of today as the Body of Christ speaking of purpose and knowing what our purposes let me just going to ask questions What is the purpose of Taco Bell.
To make good next Mexican food right whatever it is it’s kind of Mexican food or what is the purpose of the Arizona Diamondbacks to win games right hopefully to win the World Series and you actually know what they’re doing pretty good this year what’s the purpose of the Arizona Cardinals. To win games to make it to Super Bowl and for those of you saw the preseason game yesterday I mean there are awfully there are not the two thousand and sixteen cardinals that I’m digressing anyway. What is the purpose of the local church what is the one main purpose of the local church if you ask everyone in any church you might get some varying answers and the all might be kind of close to what they’re supposed to be well our mission as a local church is been given to us by God let’s look at what it is second Corinthians Chapter five.
Second Christians chapter five beginning in verse sixteen.
There is a mission statement given to us by God for the local church we find it right here in second Corinthians Chapter five.
And the Holy Spirit is the one that unifies us so that we are focused on this one purpose and we don’t get sidetracked second Corinthians five beginning in verse sixteen it says. From now on Therefore we regard no one according to the flesh even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh we are garden’s us no longer Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the old is passed away behold the new is come all this is from God and here it is who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself not counting the trespasses against them and then trusting to us the message of reconciliation therefore we are ambassadors for Christ God making his appeal through us we implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God and so God uses the church the local church and the body of Christ to get this message of his grace out to the world so that they might receive the forgiveness of sins and experience reconciliation with God That is our purpose that’s every local church is purpose and the Holy Spirit is the one that unifies us so that we understand that’s right this is why we exist now there are many other benefits to existing as a church Hopefully you have formed friendships and you have fellowship with other people and all these different things but we first and foremost exists because this truth needs to get out to the world in the Holy Spirit empowers us so that were united in our one purpose I have another great story I came across a great example of people working together united in a very singular purpose and that was to save lives I mean literally just for you this is how the the birth of the idea to ride sled race up in Alaska to be sorted every year Alaska a one thousand mile dog sled race I run for prize money in prestigious commemorates an original race to run there was run to save lives back in January of one nine hundred twenty six six year old Richard Stanley showed sim. Jims of the theories signaling the possibility of an outbreak in the small town of Nome when the boy passed away a day later Dr Curtis Welch began immunizing children adults with an experimental but effective anti defeat syrup but it wasn’t long before Dr Welch a supply ran out and the nearest serum was a nina Alaska a thousand miles of frozen wilderness away and they zing Lee a group of trappers and prospectors volunteered to cover the distance with their dog teams operating in a release from trading post a trapping station and beyond one sled started out from Nome while the other carrying the serum started from needed on oblivious to frostbite fatigue and exhaustion the Teamsters mushed it relentlessly until after one hundred forty four hours in minus fifty degree wins the serum was delivered to Nome and as a result only one other life was lost to the potential of the Demick their sacrifice had given an entire town the gift of life and what a great example of people having one purpose and just giving themselves wholeheartedly to that and it’s so exciting when you come across any group of people in their one purpose is very clear. Our purpose just like that purpose up in Alaska our purpose our one purpose is to get the serum out to get the message of salvation to the world that’s what they need to be saved and that’s what we need to love the Holy Spirit unify us in and that’s that one purpose you know I am thinking of our church in this this time in our churches existence we have a very unique opportunity you know and if you were to go two months in back in the past back in July or June and someone were to say hey you guys are going to be construed considering buying into church property I would say you’re crazy really are we really going to doing that but here we are and the one thing that I’m excited about regarding this possibility and this this. This doesn’t matter what happens whether we’re here or there but this gives us a reason to stop and just ask ourselves this question why do we as Grace Bible Church exists. What are we doing here what is our one purpose and so no matter what happens or whatever church building we’re going to be in for one year from now I hope this gives us an opportunity to experience the unifying were the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit reminds us that we have one truth and that one truth should affect the way that we all think we think the same because there is one truth in that we have one identity we are the Body of Christ each of us playing our role and we have one purpose one purpose and that is to share the message of salvation with the world around us and that’s why we need the Holy Spirit because if we didn’t have the Holy Spirit we couldn’t do this on our own what I want to do this morning is I want us to remember. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives because it’s only possible because of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and so I want us to remember what unites us all together and that is the death and resurrection of our Savior but ask the board members if they can come join me up here.
So that they can help pass out the bread in the juice.
And as we are about to take partake of communion.
If you’re here today and you’re not a member of this church that’s fine if you’re a member of the Body of Christ together united will be sharing in this celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ so I invite you to to participate in this with me but if you have never place your faith in Jesus Christ and you don’t know what’s going on just feel free to just pass the bread in the juice on by as it goes down the aisle or right now will pass out the bread and what I want you to do is just think for a moment before before we all part. Make of this together think about how the bread represents the body of Jesus. And Jesus did this and he said by my will as you are you. By my dad. You can be forever united with me we are one with Christ because the Holy Spirit has united us with the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and so as the brightest pass just spend some time thanking thinking of this true.
The scriptures Paul is remembering that night and he recalls these words for us he says privacy from the Lord but I also deliver to you the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said This is my body which is for you Jew this remembrance of what for you today. We thank you for this incredible sacrifice. That you made so that we could be one.
And we realized that because of Christ’s death his willing death and sacrifice. When you view us you don’t see it you see the blood of our Savior after Ever hear of us. Unites us with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we also know in your word Lord says that the Holy Spirit baptize us into the death of Jesus mean we are forever identified with that so thank you so much for the unifying work of the Holy Spirit and the death of Jesus Christ which gives us the forgiveness of person reprieves right.
Now as we pass the juice which represents the blood of Christ in it we find our one common purpose we’re not only identified with the death of Jesus we’re also identified with the resurrection of Jesus. That is the message of hope and the message that we are supposed to share what the world so spend time thanking God that we have been joined with him in this purpose of sharing God’s grace with the world around us.
Scripture says in the same way also he took the cup after supper saying This cup is the new covenant in my blood do this is awesome as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you read this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord’s death I tell you.
What a wonderful hope. We know you sacrificed your son his death on the cross gives us the forgiveness of sins.
But he is coming again you are sending your side our Lord and Savior and he’s coming again and in this we are united in our purpose and our identity and our thanking So Father My prayer is for us as a church and as individuals that we yield to the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we might be one just as you and the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one and help us to always be united in our purpose of getting the message of reconciliation out to the world we make that our prayer this morning thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in our life Lord I just pray that you continue to teach us as we study on his ministry our life through praising Christ and. Now May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ God the Father in spirit be with you all.