On Day 1 we talked about the definition of Follow and read several scriptures where Jesus said “Follow Me”.
On Day 2 we talked about imitating Jesus by doing the Will of the Father. I want to stress again that doing life is not about us but rather it is all about Jesus. We must be willing.
On Day 3 we talked about two other ways to imitate Jesus. The first was imitating Jesus by being a giver. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved us that He gave. God is a giver and He is looking for people to be givers. We should be known as givers. Secondly we imitate Jesus by being obedient. Obedience is not always easy as it wars with our flesh. We seen in the scriptures that obeying God’s commandments shows our love for Him and we are blessed if we hear the Word of God and obey it.
Today we are going to talk about another way to imitate Jesus by walking in unity. This past weekend my husband and I attended a worship conference. And let me tell you it was so very good. The presence of God in the place was filled to overflowing! During the conference, I attended a class taught by Pastor Bob Collins of the World Outreach Worship Center about unity. He did a fantastic job teaching this class.
He entitled the class: Unity – The Power of Being One
Psalm 133:1How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! NIV
John 17:21-23 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Here it is in the Message:
John 17:20-23 20-23I'm praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they'll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them In the same way you've loved me.
Below is what Pastor Collins shared with us in class:
“In John 17 the unity that Jesus prayed for us. The Son of God expected, desired, wanted the Body of Christ, His Body, to display before the world such a measure of this that it would change their lives and very motives for existence.
Just like us, Jesus had bad days. There were days when people took up stones to throw at him (John 8:58-59; John 10:31) and they wanted to throw Jesus off a hill (Luke 4:28-30). But Jesus endured all of this and survived the physical abuse, the emotional abuse and the spiritual battle that He was exposed to. He endured because:
- He was in unity with the Father
- He was in unity with the Spirit
- He was in unity with Himself.
Jesus was completely secure in knowing who He was, where He came from, what His calling was, what His goal was, and that He was one with the Father. It was unity which allowed Him to operate in an environment that was contrary and in opposition to His nature. It was unity which created an atmosphere for things to happen that were miraculous. If we are to walk the way He walked, talk the way He talked, and survive the way He survived, we must also be in unity.”
Pastor Collins shared many, many more scriptures on unity. He shared the importance of a transformed church is to have everyone in unity.
Throughout the rest of the conference, we heard a lot about unity. My ears perked up because Lysa TerKeurst said that when God is speaking, we will hear it confirmed in other resources. This weekend, the word “unity” was spoken over and over by different speakers.
I thought about my church and the importance for people to work in unity; the importance to lay aside gossip and division and other nonsense and focus on unity. God is speaking to the Body of Christ and He is saying to us that having unity is crucial to seeing miracles happen, lives to be changed, and much more.
Let’s all strive to imitate Jesus by working in unity at our churches, our homes, our jobs, our families.
Let’s pray. Father, we thank You for Your Word to us about unity and the example we see in Jesus as He was in unity with You, the Spirit and Himself. We see in scriptures what He was able to do because of that unity. Help us, Father, especially in these last days, to strive to work in unity in every area. Help us to lay aside gossip, division and other nonsense that is not pleasing to You and take hold of unity. We long to see You work through us to touch the world around us. We thank You Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Blessings,
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