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"How to Protect Your Church" |
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It is your job to protect the unity of your church.
Unity in the church is so important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to either heaven or hell!
God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other.
Unity is the soul of fellowship.
Destroy unity and you rip the heart out of Christ’s Body.
Unity is the essence, the core, of how God intends for us to experience life together in His church.
The Trinity is our supreme model for unity.
Just like every parent, our heavenly Father, enjoys watching His children get along with each other!
Shortly before His death, Jesus prayed passionately for our unity.
Just think, it was our unity that was utmost on His mind as He prepared for an agonizing death upon the cross.
If you are a part of God’s family, it is your responsibility to protect the unity where you fellowship.
| The Bible says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 |
How?
1. Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.
| “Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of one another’s character.” Romans 14:19 (Ph.) |
2. Be realistic in you expectations.
| “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NLT) |
3. Choose to encourage rather than criticize.
| “Why, then, criticize your bother’s actions, why try to make him look small? We shall all be judged one day, not by each other’s standards or even our own, but by the standard of Christ.” Romans 14:10 (Ph.) |
4. Refuse to listen to gossip.
| “A gossip reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler.” Proverbs 20:19 (NRSV) |
| “Fire goes our for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops.” Proverbs 26:20 (LB) |
5. Practice God’s method for conflict resolution.
| “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him- work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church.” Matthew 18:15-17a (Msg.) |
6. Support your pastor and leaders.
| “Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?” Hebrews 13:17 (Msg.) |
| “Honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!” Hebrews 13:17 (NIV) |
I challenge you today to accept your responsibility to protect and promote the unity of Community of Grace
Put your full effort into it, God will be pleased with you!
Sometimes you will have to do what’s best for the Body, not yourself, showing preference to others.
That is one reason God puts us in a church family- to learn unselfishness.
In community we learn to say “we” instead of “I”, and “our” instead of “mine”
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God says, “Don’t think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.” I Corinthians 10:24 (NLT) |
At Community and in community we do as Christ Jesus has and does for each of us!
God blesses churches that are unified.