The By-Products of Unity

Unity is so important, especially in church. If our house ever gets divided against itself it cannot stand.

Text: Philippians 1:27

27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

a.   Real unity is not something that you wish for. It isn't even something that you pray for. Praying for unity is just you saying that you don't have it.

             i.    It's one thing to acknowledge that you don't have it, it's another thing to understand how real unity is attained.

b.   Unity is not something that you just talk about. As I said, it is a by-product.

c.   Unity is an off-spring of something that takes place that we bring into the church house. Disunity is also an off-spring, of people that are not really being filled with the spirit of God, but coming into the church house carnally, and dressing it up as though they are spiritual.

1.   Unity can only be achieved through the Holy spirit.

a.   You cannot have carnality and unity together. You also cannot have carnality and spirituality. You are either carnal or spiritual, but not both.

b.   We cannot profess ourselves to be spiritual, and then allow ourselves to talk carnally.

c.   When you get around people that cannot control their lips, their problem is a lot deeper than what is coming out of their mouths, it is a problem with the heart.

d.   We have to get to a place in our lives, where we have to make up our minds. Am I gonna follow Christ, or am I gonna follow the flesh? Am I gonna be spiritual, or carnal?

e.   You get around somebody that don't challenge you to be better, that's not your friend.

             i.        If they sit around and listen to you talk about somebody, if they don't encourage you not to do that, they are not your friend. You got to understand who your real friends are. Your real friends won't stand and watch you be carnal, and not say anything to challenge you!

f.    The Bible says, "Rebuke a wise man and he will grow in knowledge, but a fool will despise wisdom and instruction."

             i.        In church you got to make up your mind whether you are gonna be foolish or wise. 

g.   Philippians 2:1

1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2  Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

             i.        Understand, first of all, that he said we have to be LIKEminded. That is being unified, that's having one goal, that's going in one direction. We can't be likeminded if everybody's not walking with God as they should.

            ii.        I realize that we're in a war. The thing that God is fighting you the most, is your will, not your knowledge. The big gulf, is between inspiration, and being able to take what God gives you and put it into practice.

h.   I understand that I am dealing with people that haven't decided

2.   One of the By-Products of unity is having the same love, having love without partiality.

a.   When you become partial in your love it is not really love.

             i.        Having cliques in church is not real love, because when you start getting cliquish in church, that means that you have decided the church should be closed down.

b.   There are some things around here that have to change, and real fast.

c.   We can't take disunity out of here, and go out there, and expect God to bless it. We can't take carnality out of here and start witnessing to the lost with carnality.

             i.        This is not spiritual, it is devilish, and evil.

d.   People that form cliques are people that are trying to heap disciples unto themselves.

             i.        Then when they get offended, they start pulling the people that they linked up with out of church with them.

            ii.        And what ends up happening, they end up calling the people they linked up with, and telling them more than they ever told me.

3.   Another by-product is being of one accord. Isn't that what church building is all about?

a.   The people that you have the biggest problems with are often the people that you need the most.

             i.        The people that you keep separating yourself from, that you keep allowing the devil to put nasty and evil things in your mind about - but you can't get around them, because you always thinking about something negative.

b.   The Lord is saying, GET IT TOGETHER!

c.   Fight division with every tooth and nail that you have in your body, as long as God gives you a heartbeat!

d.   God didn't give us a vision for division, He gave us a vision of multiplication and addition.

e.   I am here today to give the devil notice that he isn't welcome around here, and his spirit isn't welcome around here. Anybody that he is using, or that is allowing him to use them, isn't welcome around here.

f.    When you got people walking around church that feel like they don't belong, that feel like they don't fit in, there is a problem. When we got a church, you should feel like you belong.

g.   Acts 2:42-44

42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43  And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

             i.        How many things? ALL THINGS COMMON!!!

h.   You say, preacher, how did this happen? How did this group of people that came from all different backgrounds, all different lifestyles, come together and have all things common?

             i.    Because in Acts 1:8, Jesus told them to tarry until the Holy Spirit came.

            ii.    It was important for them to wait for the Holy spirit's power, before they began the work of God.

i.     Before the disciples ever uttered the word about what was going on, they had to first wait for the fullness of the Spirit, because it was gonna take the fullness of the Spirit for them to work together in spite of the things they disagreed on.

j.    That's what's great about this church. We don’t' all speak the same way, don't all agree on the same things, but we all want to serve the same God. We all have the same spirit.

k.   Cursed is the church that have leaders that are not walking in the spirit, IN and OUT of church.

             i.    Especially out of church, because you spend more time at home than at church. If you aren't walking in the spirit at home, you aren't walking in the Spirit at church.

l.     We cannot build a church on a bunch of people that's not walking with God!

m. Sometimes we have to consider our own self, before we start looking at somebody else.

n.   Don't ever do God's work in the flesh, you're gonna destroy it, you will do more harm than good.

o.   Learn to turn the TV off sometime. Learn to get off of Facebook sometimes!

             i.    The Bible is a real Facebook, because this book right here is the one that reads your face.

4.   We will esteem others better than ourselves.

a.   As you begin to mature, then you begin to understand the importance of walking with God, and being filled with His spirit. You will be one of the ones trying to bring people together, not trying to keep people separated.

b.   We need some people that are trying to keep people together, not people who are trying to separate everybody.

c.   You never know how an encouraging word can help someone, instead of you looking down on them.

d.   Sometimes people have to learn how to say, "Broither, it is going to be okay. Because our God is still on the throne, our God loves you, you are His child, He is your Father.

e.   As long as He's on the throne, He is going to see you through anything that comes across your path.

f.    That encouraging word to somebody, that is what we need!

g.   Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

             i.        No BOASTING! No SUPERSTARS!

            ii.        Why is it we can't find no Christians that have lowliness of mind?

          iii.        Esteeming others better than themselves - this means lifting others up before being expected to be lifted up.

h.   Somehow people think that they aren't worth anything. We have to make people think that they are worth something. You ARE worth something.

i.     You are worth so much to Jesus, He would have came and gave His life for you, if you were the only person who ever lived.

j.    To Jesus, you are worth something. Jesus esteemed others better than Himself. He said I didn't come to be ministered to, I came to give a ransom for many. That's why I came. I'm not here for you to give me accolades. God called us here to uild a ministry, but not just a ministry, to build a people.

k.   We need a church where people will accept you where you are, and challenge you to be better than you are, a place where people will look at you in spoite of your faults.

l.     We need a place where people can come in and talka bout what they struggle with, and we will not look DOWN on them and judge them.

m. We can't encourage people to come as you are and then turn around and talk about them the next moment. If we can't love one another, how in the world are we gonna love people out there.

n.   The bible says that it's the uncomely parts of our body that we bestow the most honor upon.

             i.        The same way in church, the people we say, why are they here, those are the ones we should honor the most.

o.   Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

             i.        God meets your need so you can meet the needs of others. That's what it's all about.

p.   In the Christian life, maturity is all about giving, not just your money either, but also compassion, love, appreciation.

q.   Acts 2:44-45

44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

             i.        The disciples sold all of their goods, and gave the money whereever there was a need.

            ii.        People will say the economy is bad. The economy amongst the people of God should never be bad.

r.    Sometimes it's about your mindset. When your mindset is all about money, monet will take wings and fly away, because money is not a good master.

             i.    When the Lord is not your master, you will always be the most miserable.

5.   Selflessness is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit. A person that will not die to self will never walk in vision.

a.   As soon as you are challenged to get out your comfort zone, then you will quit. Soon as God requires you to sacrifice you will walk away.

b.   Jesus gave His life and challenged us to give up ours too. Not just give up smoking, not just drinking, but to give up our lives.

6.  We must have the mind of Christ.

a.   The key verse in Philippians 2 is 8 - And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

             i.        Are you obedient unto death? If God challenges you to do something, and you think that the thing that He is challenging you to do will kill you, will you still do it anyway?

            ii.        Think about it. Has God challenged you to do something that, in your mind, you feel will kill you?

b.   I remember some of the challenges some of you have been through.

             i.        Somewhere down the line, you have allowed the enemy to come in, and for him to deceive you into thinking that it was okay for you to continue what you're doing, even though it is wrong.

c.   God never challenges you to do something, that He doesn't first give you the ability to accomplish.

             i.        If He challenges you to do something, He has already given you the means to get it done. So it's never a question of the Lord wanting you to do it. He gives you the power to accept, but you accept the excuses over the power of God.

d.   Isn't it time for you, Christians, to stop making excuses and start accepting the challenges of God?

e.   Philippians 3:12

12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

             i.        He said this one thing he do but he's mentions 2 things.

f.    If your eyes are constantly on the storm, you will neglect God. To forget the things that are behind, there is only one way, you must press towards the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Pastor illustrates this at 44:10 in the YouTube video)

g.   Our problem is we focus more on the devil than on the storms, then we can't give God praise, because we've allowed the storms to make us stop trusting in Him.

h.   There is nothing that comes against you that God cannot bring you out of.

Stop giving the enemy the victory, he don't deserve it. We have the victory through Christ. The Bible says that he hath given us the victory.