WEBVTT 00:00:00.321 --> 00:00:01.947 Let's begin our worship with a word of prayer. 00:00:01.947 --> 00:00:07.953 God, thank you for today, and thank you so much for this day that we've chosen to recognize mothers. 00:00:07.953 --> 00:00:13.292 Thank you for all the mothers in our lives and thank you for your son and what he did for us. 00:00:13.292 --> 00:00:21.082 And Holy Spirit, we just invite you in this place to cover us and encourage us and help us be a light in this dark world, and it's in your son's name we pray. 00:00:21.082 --> 00:00:21.824 Amen. 00:00:21.824 --> 00:00:26.472 God is an awesome God. 00:00:26.591 --> 00:00:33.121 He reigns from heaven above with wisdom power and love. 00:00:33.603 --> 00:00:46.656 Our God is an awesome God, Our God is an awesome God he reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. 00:00:47.923 --> 00:00:50.131 Our God is an awesome God. 00:00:50.131 --> 00:00:53.289 Our God is an awesome God. 00:00:53.289 --> 00:01:00.213 He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. 00:01:00.213 --> 00:01:04.191 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:04.191 --> 00:01:06.349 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:06.349 --> 00:01:07.435 Our God is awesome. 00:01:07.435 --> 00:01:14.319 He reigns from heaven with power and wisdom. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:18.070 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:18.070 --> 00:01:21.259 Our God is awesome. 00:01:21.259 --> 00:01:28.754 He reigns from heaven with power and wisdom. 00:01:28.754 --> 00:01:32.269 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:32.269 --> 00:01:35.930 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:35.930 --> 00:01:42.114 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:42.114 --> 00:01:50.683 Our God is an awesome God. 00:01:50.683 --> 00:01:56.715 He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. 00:01:56.715 --> 00:02:00.090 Our God is an awesome God. 00:02:00.700 --> 00:02:04.233 Our God is an awesome God. 00:02:04.233 --> 00:02:11.674 He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love. 00:02:11.674 --> 00:02:15.009 Our God is an awesome God. 00:02:15.009 --> 00:02:19.050 Our God is an awesome God. 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:30.013 Our God is an awesome God. 00:02:30.332 --> 00:02:31.995 Amen, and he is awesome Amen. 00:02:31.995 --> 00:02:32.276 Amen. 00:02:36.103 --> 00:02:38.411 We are a moment. 00:02:38.411 --> 00:02:41.169 You are forever. 00:02:41.169 --> 00:02:47.188 Lord of the ages, god before time. 00:02:47.188 --> 00:02:50.247 We are a vapor. 00:02:50.247 --> 00:03:00.734 You are eternal Love, everlasting, reigning on high. 00:03:01.843 --> 00:03:12.992 Holy, holy Lord, god Almighty Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. 00:03:12.992 --> 00:03:29.000 Highest praises, honor and glory Be unto your name. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:34.813 Be unto your name. 00:03:34.813 --> 00:03:36.859 We are the broken. 00:03:36.859 --> 00:03:43.409 You are the healer, jesus, redeemer, mighty to save. 00:03:43.409 --> 00:03:57.432 You are the love song We'll sing forever, bowing before you, blessing your name. 00:03:57.432 --> 00:04:09.913 Holy, holy Lord, god almighty Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. 00:04:09.913 --> 00:04:22.435 Highest praises, honor and glory be unto your name. 00:04:22.435 --> 00:04:28.312 Be unto your name. 00:04:28.312 --> 00:04:32.434 Holy, holy Lord. 00:04:32.434 --> 00:04:40.774 God Almighty Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. 00:04:40.774 --> 00:04:52.935 Highest praise, honor and glory be unto your name. 00:04:52.935 --> 00:04:59.692 Be unto your name. 00:04:59.692 --> 00:05:04.045 Be unto your name. 00:05:04.045 --> 00:05:04.446 Amen. 00:05:14.262 --> 00:05:34.434 Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 00:05:34.434 --> 00:05:55.889 Be praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honor and power and strength Be to our God forever and ever. 00:05:55.889 --> 00:06:03.255 Be to our God forever and ever. 00:06:03.255 --> 00:06:10.329 Be to our God Forever and ever. 00:06:10.329 --> 00:06:11.572 Amen. 00:06:11.572 --> 00:06:49.704 And we, the redeemed, shall be strong in purpose and in unity, declaring aloud Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honor and power and strength. 00:06:49.704 --> 00:06:56.689 Be to our God forever and ever. 00:06:56.689 --> 00:07:11.170 Be to our God Forever and ever. 00:07:11.170 --> 00:07:12.091 Amen. 00:07:12.091 --> 00:07:21.452 Be to our God forever and ever. 00:07:21.452 --> 00:07:26.745 Be to our God, forever and ever. 00:07:26.745 --> 00:07:29.187 Be to our God, forever and ever. 00:07:29.187 --> 00:07:36.694 Be to our God, forever and ever Amen. 00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:44.103 And we say amen, Please be seated. 00:07:45.004 --> 00:07:58.033 I don't know, have you ever been walking, usually in a hot summer day, and somebody sneaks up behind you and puts an ice cube down your shirt? 00:07:58.033 --> 00:08:04.728 Oh, okay, well, but anyway. 00:08:04.728 --> 00:08:08.339 And so you put that ice cube down your shirt. 00:08:08.339 --> 00:08:23.694 That's usually the reaction you get, right, especially when it goes down into your pants. 00:08:23.694 --> 00:08:35.158 I mean, I've broken out some of the best moves I've ever broke out in my life when somebody stuck ice down my shirt and you're woo-hoo. 00:08:35.158 --> 00:08:38.384 I mean I'm woo-hoo, it was really good. 00:08:38.384 --> 00:08:47.940 And the reason why it's such a shock to the system is you weren't expecting it, right? 00:08:47.940 --> 00:08:56.687 I mean, jeff wasn't expecting it and you just when you don't know if I was coming towards him with the ice and he saw what I was going to do, he could at least prepare. 00:08:56.687 --> 00:09:07.163 But when something happens and you're not prepared for it or you don't know what's going to happen, it can get really interesting, as you just saw. 00:09:07.163 --> 00:09:13.881 I'm just glad he waited to go to the bathroom to take his shirt off and didn't decide to do it right here. 00:09:14.783 --> 00:09:21.249 Well, the Apostle Paul in Acts 20 is meeting with the elders at Ephesus. 00:09:21.249 --> 00:09:24.371 He started that congregation in Ephesus. 00:09:24.371 --> 00:09:28.155 He planted that church. 00:09:28.155 --> 00:09:39.647 His heart was with the church at Ephesus and he meets with the elders for the last time as far as we know, and he warns the elders about a sneak attack. 00:09:39.647 --> 00:09:42.113 He says this he says be careful. 00:09:42.113 --> 00:09:46.960 Sorry, brother, be careful for yourselves and for all the people. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:53.523 I'm really not sorry, but anyway be careful for yourselves and for all the people the Holy Spirit has given you to oversee. 00:09:53.523 --> 00:09:57.292 You must be like shepherds to the church of God. 00:09:57.292 --> 00:10:01.265 He tells the elders there, which he bought with the death of his own son. 00:10:01.265 --> 00:10:17.586 I know that after I leave, some people will come like wild wolves and try to destroy the flock, but also some from within your own group will rise up and twist the truth and will lead away followers after them. 00:10:17.586 --> 00:10:19.109 So be careful. 00:10:19.109 --> 00:10:22.121 Paul is warning them and he says here's what's going to happen. 00:10:22.121 --> 00:10:27.657 He says after I leave, there's going to be people that's going to try to destroy the unity of that church. 00:10:27.657 --> 00:10:35.664 There's going to be people from the outside, but you need to be careful about the sneak attack, just like pouring the ice down the back of someone's shirt when you're not expecting it. 00:10:35.664 --> 00:10:45.471 He said there'll be some people from the inside that if you're not careful they're going to try to destroy the church, the attack from within. 00:10:45.471 --> 00:10:49.355 They're going to try to disrupt that community. 00:10:49.355 --> 00:10:52.710 Later, paul wrote a letter to that same church. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.946 We call it the book of Ephesians, and in the book of Ephesians he writes them. 00:10:56.946 --> 00:11:01.869 And the theme of that book is be careful, there's someone going to try to destroy you. 00:11:01.869 --> 00:11:05.410 The theme of that book was unity, to be one in Christ. 00:11:05.410 --> 00:11:07.302 The church in Ephesus. 00:11:07.302 --> 00:11:24.029 You had Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians who had nothing to do with each other in everyday life, but all of a sudden, now they're worshiping together and Paul says you need to be careful, you need to understand that you're all one in Christ. 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:29.279 And so we want to talk at that today about called to a community of unity. 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:35.648 We're in the middle of a series, talking about how we are called to be a part of a community, that the church is called to be part of a community. 00:11:35.648 --> 00:11:42.523 We've talked about being a loving community and a sharing community and a disciple-making community, and today we want to talk about how we can be a united community. 00:11:42.523 --> 00:11:57.024 And today we want to talk about how we can be a united community, how we can not be the one that Satan uses to disrupt the unity that we have, that we need to be careful about that, and so the first thing we need to do is this To build that community of unity. 00:11:57.024 --> 00:12:01.433 We need to recognize the power of unity. 00:12:01.433 --> 00:12:04.769 We've got to understand that unity is a powerful thing. 00:12:04.769 --> 00:12:26.595 In a world where people see nothing but division, in the world where we experience political division and financial division and recreational division and all types of division in the world, in a world where social media causes division, we are called to be a group of people that are united, and we'll talk about what we're going to be united by in just a minute. 00:12:28.446 --> 00:12:41.985 I live in my car Now, not literally, I mean, I don't sleep there, unless Amy gets mad at me, but I spend a lot of time in my car and thus spending a lot of time in my car. 00:12:41.985 --> 00:12:54.381 I eat in my car, I work in my car, I drive around in my car, you know, I get coffee to drink in my car, and over time, my car becomes a mess and I become nose blind. 00:12:54.381 --> 00:12:56.645 You know what nose blind is? 00:12:56.645 --> 00:13:12.350 That means where you don't smell it, but everybody else does, and I mean my car can get messy, and one day Amy got in that car and she started sniffing and she said whose dead body do you have put back in the back of the car? 00:13:12.350 --> 00:13:13.741 I said what are you talking about? 00:13:13.741 --> 00:13:15.225 She says it stinks in here. 00:13:15.225 --> 00:13:17.692 And then my car is fine. 00:13:17.692 --> 00:13:19.841 God love her. 00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:29.100 When we got home, she decided to clean out my car and she started pulling out French fries that had turned green. 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:32.606 She's pulled out, used Kleenex. 00:13:32.606 --> 00:13:43.022 She started cleaning little bits of things I should have used Kleenex for and didn't, but just wiped under the bottom of the seat like you've never done that before. 00:13:43.022 --> 00:13:47.804 I guarantee you I'd go out there and look under your car seat right now and there'd be a booger hanging there. 00:13:47.804 --> 00:13:57.169 But anyway, she pulled out old hamburgers, she pulled out Jimmy Hoffa, I mean, she pulled out all types of things out of that car. 00:13:57.169 --> 00:14:05.692 And then she cleaned it and Febrezed it and I got in that car and it just smelled just wonderful. 00:14:05.692 --> 00:14:12.481 It was like, ah, wow, this is great. 00:14:12.481 --> 00:14:18.225 Huh, for a week it didn't even last a week. 00:14:18.225 --> 00:14:24.533 Well, and it was great because it just, man, it was clean. 00:14:25.380 --> 00:14:27.869 Well, the psalmist talks about unity this way. 00:14:27.869 --> 00:14:32.692 He says how good and pleasant is it when God's people live together in unity. 00:14:32.692 --> 00:14:41.471 It's like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe. 00:14:41.471 --> 00:14:45.229 And the psalmist says unity is a pleasant thing. 00:14:45.229 --> 00:14:53.525 It's like that when you pour oil on the high priest that you're anointing and the fragrance of that oil just permeates the whole community. 00:14:53.525 --> 00:14:57.740 It's a beautiful thing, just like that clean car was a beautiful thing. 00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:59.924 He says unity. 00:14:59.924 --> 00:15:16.375 It just sends a fragrance out that will change a community and we, as Christians, are called to model unity to a world that is divided and fussing and fighting all the time. 00:15:16.980 --> 00:15:20.211 Now, to do that, we need to understand what unity is not. 00:15:20.211 --> 00:15:23.429 There's a lot of misconceptions about unity. 00:15:23.429 --> 00:15:24.934 Unity is not agreement. 00:15:24.934 --> 00:15:25.499 We can agree on a lot of misconceptions about unity. 00:15:25.499 --> 00:15:25.596 Unity is not agreement. 00:15:25.596 --> 00:15:30.032 We can agree on a lot of things and not have unity. 00:15:30.032 --> 00:15:32.013 We can believe the same thing. 00:15:32.013 --> 00:15:34.368 We can believe the same thing about Jesus. 00:15:34.368 --> 00:15:40.610 We can believe the same doctrine and not have unity. 00:15:40.610 --> 00:15:44.291 I know churches that believe the same thing but they still fuss and fight all the time. 00:15:44.291 --> 00:15:46.125 Unity is not togetherness. 00:15:46.125 --> 00:15:50.376 You can be together and still not have unity. 00:15:50.376 --> 00:15:51.981 I know people who are together all the time. 00:15:51.981 --> 00:15:56.442 I know couples that have been married for 50 years and together and they fuss and fight all the time. 00:15:56.442 --> 00:16:00.851 And unity is not sameness, not doing the same thing. 00:16:00.851 --> 00:16:03.750 The same way we get together every Sunday, we can do the same thing, the same way we can commune. 00:16:03.750 --> 00:16:06.221 The same way we get together every Sunday, we can do the same thing, the same way we can commune. 00:16:06.221 --> 00:16:10.168 The same way we can pray, the same way we can sing and not have unity. 00:16:10.168 --> 00:16:18.453 Sometimes we think unity means we all just have to agree, and for us to have unity we got to all agree on everything. 00:16:18.453 --> 00:16:20.282 And that's not unity. 00:16:20.282 --> 00:16:29.605 Unity comes when we develop the spirit of unity, and Paul talks about that, how we are to develop that spirit of unity. 00:16:29.605 --> 00:16:33.716 He shows us how to learn to build a community of unity. 00:16:34.077 --> 00:16:47.827 Paul spends the first three chapters of the book of Ephesus saying this I don't care if you're a Jew or Gentile, I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, I don't care if you're rich or poor, I don't care where you live, I don't care where you come from, I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, I don't care if you're rich or poor, I don't care where you live, I don't care where you come from, I don't care. 00:16:47.827 --> 00:16:50.489 You are all saved by grace. 00:16:50.489 --> 00:16:51.643 Every stinking. 00:16:51.643 --> 00:16:53.489 One of you is saved by grace. 00:16:53.489 --> 00:16:58.629 We're all one because we're all saved by grace. 00:16:58.629 --> 00:17:05.380 So he spends three chapters talking about that and then, in chapter 4, he says as a prisoner for the Lord. 00:17:05.380 --> 00:17:20.602 Then, or maybe your version says therefore, since you've been saved by grace as a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live the life you were called to live and to walk, worthy of the calling you received. 00:17:20.602 --> 00:17:22.105 Well, what's the calling? 00:17:22.105 --> 00:17:23.828 You want me to walk, paul? 00:17:23.828 --> 00:17:25.952 What have I been called to do? 00:17:27.941 --> 00:17:36.795 Be completely humble, be gentle, be patient, bear with one another in love. 00:17:36.795 --> 00:17:43.228 Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit, bond of peace. 00:17:43.228 --> 00:17:49.765 Make unity your priority, not getting your own way, not winning your argument, not proving your point. 00:17:49.765 --> 00:17:55.865 Make unity your priority Because you have been saved to be gentle and humble and to be like Christ. 00:17:55.865 --> 00:18:12.361 Unity comes not by trying to get everybody together all the time and agreeing on everything, but by having a Christ-like spirit. 00:18:12.361 --> 00:18:22.622 Now we won't have time to look at it today, but if you read the seven ones after this, there are seven things we need to unite around and we'll talk about that a little bit, but not a lot. 00:18:22.622 --> 00:18:26.417 But here's how we build a community of unity. 00:18:26.417 --> 00:18:29.233 We've talked about how to build different communities. 00:18:29.233 --> 00:18:30.096 Here's how. 00:18:30.538 --> 00:18:31.760 Number one practice humility. 00:18:31.760 --> 00:18:33.817 Practice humility simply means this you know what. 00:18:33.817 --> 00:18:37.896 I may be wrong I don't have all the answers. 00:18:37.896 --> 00:18:44.855 I'm going to understand that, that I may be wrong. 00:18:44.855 --> 00:18:52.393 Humility is recognizing my strengths and weaknesses realistically. 00:18:52.393 --> 00:18:54.836 Humility doesn't mean you deny your strengths. 00:18:54.836 --> 00:18:56.480 That leads to false pride. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:59.704 Yeah, I can't do anything good, I'm just a terrible person. 00:18:59.704 --> 00:19:03.096 That leads to false pride. 00:19:03.096 --> 00:19:04.440 And you don't deny your weaknesses. 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:08.395 Oh, I've got it all together and you don't. 00:19:08.395 --> 00:19:10.180 Humility is just being realistic about. 00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:10.701 You know what? 00:19:10.701 --> 00:19:21.349 I really struggle with some things and God has gifted me to do some things. 00:19:21.349 --> 00:19:25.747 It's seeing those things correctly. 00:19:25.747 --> 00:19:32.441 And the way to stay humble is to stop comparing myself to you and comparing myself to Jesus, my King. 00:19:32.441 --> 00:19:45.082 Because when I start comparing myself to other people, one of two things happen I either get very prideful well, at least I'm not as dumb as they are or I get very discouraged. 00:19:45.082 --> 00:19:47.497 Man, I can't do what he can do. 00:19:47.497 --> 00:19:55.959 But when I make Jesus my model and my goal is to be like him, it keeps me humble in a healthy way. 00:19:55.959 --> 00:20:00.957 The way to have unity is to rise. 00:20:00.957 --> 00:20:01.479 You know what? 00:20:01.479 --> 00:20:03.656 I don't have it all together. 00:20:03.656 --> 00:20:11.019 I may be wrong, and so I'm going to humble myself and understand that, that I don't have all the answers. 00:20:11.869 --> 00:20:12.952 Practice gentleness. 00:20:12.952 --> 00:20:15.520 Gentleness just means you know what, I'm willing to listen. 00:20:15.520 --> 00:20:20.632 I'm not going to come in there and just tell you the way it ought to be. 00:20:20.632 --> 00:20:25.114 I'm going to be gentle and be willing to listen. 00:20:25.114 --> 00:20:32.371 When people think of gentleness, they usually think of weakness, that if you're gentle you're weak, and that's not true at all. 00:20:32.371 --> 00:20:39.952 In fact, the word the Greek word for gentle is a word used to talk about taming a wild animal, breaking a horse. 00:20:39.952 --> 00:20:42.939 I don't know if you've ever broke a horse. 00:20:42.939 --> 00:20:47.570 I have broke a horse More times. 00:20:47.570 --> 00:20:49.153 The horses broke me. 00:20:49.153 --> 00:20:49.653 You know what? 00:20:49.653 --> 00:20:54.862 When I break that horse, that horse could throw me off and kick me all the way to China if it wanted to. 00:20:54.862 --> 00:21:03.135 It's not weak, it's just strength under control. 00:21:03.135 --> 00:21:05.839 And that's what being gentle is. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:09.904 It's not misusing my strength, it's using my strength correctly. 00:21:09.904 --> 00:21:16.375 It's doing what's best for the other people. 00:21:16.434 --> 00:21:21.023 A person who's gentle is angry at the right time and never at the wrong time. 00:21:21.023 --> 00:21:29.214 And when they are angry, they deal with it correctly. 00:21:29.214 --> 00:21:33.801 And he says you want to have a community of unity, just be gentle with each other. 00:21:33.801 --> 00:21:36.125 Be willing to listen before you pass judgment. 00:21:36.125 --> 00:21:41.888 Be willing to listen before you decide. 00:21:41.888 --> 00:21:47.420 Be gentle, practice patience, he says. 00:21:47.420 --> 00:21:52.876 Be patient with one another, and patience just means I'll give you time to work through it. 00:21:53.357 --> 00:21:54.500 I'm going to be tolerant of you. 00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:57.496 I'm going to be tolerant of those who are immature. 00:21:57.496 --> 00:21:59.833 I'm going to be tolerant of those who are struggling with sin. 00:21:59.833 --> 00:22:01.377 I'm going to be tolerant of those that are weak. 00:22:01.377 --> 00:22:02.240 Now listen. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.656 That doesn't mean I don't try to correct them. 00:22:03.656 --> 00:22:05.148 That doesn't mean I don't try to correct them. 00:22:05.148 --> 00:22:07.298 That doesn't mean I don't try to teach them. 00:22:07.298 --> 00:22:12.762 It doesn't mean that I don't go and talk to them. 00:22:12.762 --> 00:22:16.560 But I'm going to be as patient with them as God is with me. 00:22:16.560 --> 00:22:22.402 I'm going to be as patient as that person's struggle as God is with my struggle with self-righteousness. 00:22:22.402 --> 00:22:26.477 I'm going to learn to be patient. 00:22:26.477 --> 00:22:33.840 That's when unity is built, when we patient with each other and understand that we all struggle. 00:22:33.840 --> 00:22:37.520 It's when we respond to insult graciously. 00:22:37.520 --> 00:22:42.198 It means I don't try to avenge my wrongs. 00:22:42.198 --> 00:22:46.801 It means I'm going to be patient and act loving towards those that are unloving. 00:22:48.151 --> 00:22:57.920 I've learned late in my ministry that people that aren't very nice there's usually a reason why they're not very nice. 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:06.118 And behind every bad attitude and behind every sinful lifestyle is a lie that a person believes. 00:23:06.118 --> 00:23:08.435 That's why we're told to speak the truth in love. 00:23:08.435 --> 00:23:18.497 Instead of trying to change behavior, we need to change people's beliefs, because people that live a lifestyle of sin believe lies about God and Jesus and what brings them happiness. 00:23:18.497 --> 00:23:20.443 And so we respond with truth. 00:23:20.443 --> 00:23:26.420 And I remember growing up with a lady at our little church that maybe one of the meanest ladies I've ever met in my life. 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:28.815 She was meaner than a snake. 00:23:28.815 --> 00:23:41.053 Now she sat right there, right in front of Cliff every Sunday, right there, third pew back, and she would sing at the top of her lungs what a friend we have in Jesus. 00:23:41.273 --> 00:23:44.531 I mean she would sing, that she would never mess a service. 00:23:44.531 --> 00:23:49.594 But she was the meanest woman I ever met in my life. 00:23:49.594 --> 00:23:55.519 I don't know if I ever heard her say a nice thing about anybody or a nice thing to me. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:08.137 No, she's not sitting there, jeff, karen's nice, but anyway, get the ice, more ice, please. 00:24:08.137 --> 00:24:18.920 And then I found out later, after she died, she'd lost two husbands. 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:23.280 She'd never met her dad and was raised in poverty by a single mom. 00:24:23.280 --> 00:24:29.817 She'd been abused and it dawned on me after I was older. 00:24:29.817 --> 00:24:38.042 You know what Her meanness was really a defense mechanism to keep her from being hurt again. 00:24:38.042 --> 00:24:45.369 It's really what that arrogant, self-righteous person it's really wise, that arrogant, self-righteous person. 00:24:45.369 --> 00:24:53.636 It's really a defense mechanism to help them deal with some insecurities and doubts they have about themselves. 00:24:53.636 --> 00:25:05.094 And when I understand that behind every bad behavior is a lie that someone believes, it has helped me. 00:25:05.193 --> 00:25:08.762 Try to be patient with people as they work through it. 00:25:08.762 --> 00:25:12.480 We need to be patient because we're all different, right, we're all different. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:14.876 What's your favorite pizza topping? 00:25:14.876 --> 00:25:18.715 We got a pineapple. 00:25:18.715 --> 00:25:19.973 How many else says pineapple? 00:25:19.973 --> 00:25:23.376 Two or three Pineapple and pizzas of the devil? 00:25:23.376 --> 00:25:29.702 All right, but anyway, what about pepperoni Cheese Sausage? 00:25:29.702 --> 00:25:31.976 I don't like pizza. 00:25:31.976 --> 00:25:40.278 Oh, we got one over there that don't like pizza, un-american, no, un-italian, un-italian, un-italian. 00:25:40.278 --> 00:25:42.415 But see, we're all different. 00:25:42.415 --> 00:25:44.395 We've talked about this before. 00:25:44.395 --> 00:25:51.344 How many of you are Bengal fans, browns fans I'm sorry Steeler fans? 00:25:51.344 --> 00:26:03.681 See, we're all different and because we're all different, we need to be patient with each other, because those differences create misunderstanding. 00:26:06.913 --> 00:26:08.137 Men and women are different. 00:26:08.137 --> 00:26:15.801 I mean, and my wife she has, and I love her and I know why she does this. 00:26:15.801 --> 00:26:18.436 I go in to take a shower. 00:26:18.436 --> 00:26:20.935 She has got a library shelf. 00:26:20.935 --> 00:26:24.813 There's shampoo, there's cream rinse. 00:26:24.813 --> 00:26:26.541 There's shampoo, there's cream rinse. 00:26:26.541 --> 00:26:33.990 There's conditioner, there's leave-in-your-hair conditioner, you know. 00:26:33.990 --> 00:26:36.290 So you condition, wash it out, then put more in. 00:26:36.290 --> 00:26:45.214 You know, you got this body wash, hand wash, fingernail wash, and then you get to my shelf like most guys. 00:26:45.214 --> 00:26:46.349 We have a six in one. 00:26:46.349 --> 00:27:05.443 Six in one body wash, hair wash, mouthwash, rusty bolt remover, and I use it for everything bolt remover, yeah, you know, like, know, like WD-40. 00:27:05.443 --> 00:27:10.099 Okay, give me the ice, but anyway, we're different. 00:27:10.099 --> 00:27:11.654 Now I understand. 00:27:11.654 --> 00:27:12.858 Amy does that for me. 00:27:15.710 --> 00:27:21.459 See, we're all different and because we're all different, we have to be patient with each other. 00:27:21.459 --> 00:27:24.595 Patient people give each other the benefit of the doubt. 00:27:24.595 --> 00:27:28.102 We need to be patient with each other because God is patient with each other. 00:27:28.102 --> 00:27:29.724 Patient people give each other the benefit of the doubt. 00:27:29.724 --> 00:27:31.407 We need to be patient with each other because God is patient with us. 00:27:31.407 --> 00:27:32.170 He puts up with a lot for me. 00:27:33.310 --> 00:27:35.153 I can be pretty selfish at times. 00:27:35.153 --> 00:27:38.800 I can get pretty angry at times In a wrong way. 00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:40.163 Sometimes it's good to be angry. 00:27:40.163 --> 00:27:47.923 You do it correctly, and so unity is built in a community that practice patience with each other. 00:27:47.923 --> 00:27:53.797 And then we practice by bearing with one another in love, which means this, paul. 00:27:53.797 --> 00:27:56.719 It means you know I'm going to love you even if I disagree with you. 00:27:56.719 --> 00:28:04.057 I'm still going to act loving towards you Even though I don't disagree. 00:28:04.057 --> 00:28:07.576 I mean, can I be honest with you? 00:28:08.951 --> 00:28:15.355 Sometimes the elders here drive me nuts, but you know what? 00:28:15.355 --> 00:28:17.634 I know I drive them nuts. 00:28:17.634 --> 00:28:26.117 Sometimes our staff drives me crazy, but I know I drive them crazy. 00:28:26.117 --> 00:28:33.019 People at Walmart drive me nuts. 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:37.776 Number one it drives me nuts that they don't have anything open. 00:28:37.776 --> 00:28:48.373 They got 42 checkout lanes and two of them are open and if I decide to use one of them as not self-checkout, I always get behind. 00:28:48.373 --> 00:28:55.075 The little old lady that has to dig out the correct change, and it's 97 cents Drives me nuts. 00:28:56.650 --> 00:29:04.422 The other day I was at the hospital and went with Tommy down to eat and the guy in front of us took 15 minutes to decide what to eat. 00:29:04.422 --> 00:29:07.057 In line, we're behind him. 00:29:07.057 --> 00:29:15.522 You had two choices cheeseburger, chicken strips, you know, and I'm sitting there. 00:29:15.522 --> 00:29:23.678 I about said I'll buy them both for you and you can just eat whichever one you like. 00:29:23.678 --> 00:29:31.855 But I couldn't say that because there was an elder standing beside me and it's Tommy. 00:29:31.855 --> 00:29:33.655 He's just oh, ain't life good? 00:29:33.655 --> 00:29:39.133 Woo-hoo, I couldn't get mad. 00:29:39.133 --> 00:29:46.104 But you know what. 00:29:46.104 --> 00:29:56.269 God puts those people in my life so I can learn to love. 00:29:56.710 --> 00:29:58.512 And unity is built when we love each other. 00:29:58.512 --> 00:30:04.023 It comes from lovingly putting up with each other, with all of our idiosyncrasies and differences. 00:30:04.023 --> 00:30:14.961 Paul says you need to make unity a priority, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. 00:30:14.961 --> 00:30:21.279 That's how you have a united community, when you have a church where everybody is focused on. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.298 We've got to let the world see our unity. 00:30:23.298 --> 00:30:29.602 We've got to let them see our love for Christ instead of us fighting over which songbook to use or whether to even use them. 00:30:29.602 --> 00:30:34.938 When it's a priority, that means I say you know what. 00:30:34.938 --> 00:30:36.382 I really want this to work out. 00:30:36.382 --> 00:30:39.589 I really want this to be an example to the church. 00:30:39.990 --> 00:30:45.222 We come from different backgrounds with different experiences, but we are a community. 00:30:45.222 --> 00:30:47.037 We've talked about this before. 00:30:47.037 --> 00:30:51.674 Here's what makes a community a community A shared story. 00:30:51.674 --> 00:30:54.457 Everybody in this room has a shared story. 00:30:54.457 --> 00:30:56.134 If you're a Christian, you've been saved by grace. 00:30:58.332 --> 00:31:03.743 I went to yesterday's coach pitch game in the rain. 00:31:03.743 --> 00:31:16.478 You know, and you've got all these kids out there in the rain digging in the dirt and picking dandelions in the outfield and doing everything they do and there's a community there. 00:31:16.478 --> 00:31:20.201 Now, I didn't know half of those people, but we were a community. 00:31:20.201 --> 00:31:23.196 You know why we were a community. 00:31:23.196 --> 00:31:31.340 You know why we had all these people grandparents standing out in the rain watching a stinking coach pitch game? 00:31:31.340 --> 00:31:34.455 Because we had a shared story. 00:31:34.455 --> 00:31:35.997 We all had somebody there we loved. 00:31:35.997 --> 00:31:37.796 We all had a shared identity. 00:31:37.796 --> 00:31:42.492 We were all fans of whatever that team is and the church. 00:31:42.873 --> 00:31:44.056 What makes community is. 00:31:44.056 --> 00:31:45.278 We have a shared identity. 00:31:45.278 --> 00:31:47.432 We are citizens of the kingdom of God. 00:31:47.432 --> 00:31:52.083 We are all here to serve King Jesus and that's what we have a shared goal. 00:31:52.083 --> 00:31:54.461 We had a shared goal yesterday standing in the rain. 00:31:54.461 --> 00:32:00.746 That was a community of people that I had things in common with and we were united, our community. 00:32:00.746 --> 00:32:05.038 We were cheering against the team, for our team to beat another team. 00:32:05.038 --> 00:32:06.942 That was our goal. 00:32:06.942 --> 00:32:22.414 Well, as a church, we have a shared goal, and when I understand that we're all saved by grace, we all are part of the kingdom of God and we all are to glorify God and make disciples, then unity becomes a priority. 00:32:22.414 --> 00:32:25.803 And we want to become a community of unity. 00:32:25.803 --> 00:32:27.075 We want to do that. 00:32:27.075 --> 00:32:31.413 Don't be the guy that disrupts the unity. 00:32:31.413 --> 00:32:43.244 Don't be the one who destroys the unity of God's community by being prideful and demanding and impatient. 00:32:43.244 --> 00:32:46.444 Don't be the guy that makes getting your own way the priority. 00:32:46.444 --> 00:32:50.244 Make unity in the church your priority. 00:32:51.115 --> 00:33:01.421 When I was growing up and playing with all the kids in our neighborhood, the four most dangerous words we always said was this let's build a ramp. 00:33:01.421 --> 00:33:33.544 That was the most dangerous words we ever said, because we all had our bicycles with the banana seat on it and the wheelie bar and we always clicked a baseball card with a safety pin I'm sure I did a Mickey Mantle rookie card that way and then we would drag out a rotten piece of plywood, stack it up on bricks and we would start seeing how we could ramp it off. 00:33:33.544 --> 00:33:37.226 And you knew as soon as you heard the four words let's build a ramp. 00:33:37.226 --> 00:33:40.684 Somebody was going to end up in an emergency room before the day was over. 00:33:40.684 --> 00:33:44.944 And then we decided we wanted to be superheroes. 00:33:44.944 --> 00:34:06.882 And so everybody would go home and my friends would show up with a big beach towel, cape and a cool clothespin, and my mom would give me a dish towel with a duck on it and a safety pin. 00:34:06.882 --> 00:34:09.384 What superhero wears a safety pin? 00:34:09.384 --> 00:34:12.043 And it's usually the safety pin with the pink head. 00:34:12.043 --> 00:34:14.561 How embarrassing. 00:34:14.561 --> 00:34:16.940 And they'd say Woody, who are you? 00:34:16.940 --> 00:34:17.938 I'm duck boy. 00:34:17.938 --> 00:34:25.835 And here comes my brother, home sweet home man, because he had the little home sweet home one you know. 00:34:25.835 --> 00:34:32.898 And then we would go around and you know, and then everybody else would have the big nice beach towels and we were going around like that. 00:34:35.222 --> 00:34:41.371 Fortunately that, fortunately, we don't have to be superheroes to protect the unity of the church. 00:34:41.371 --> 00:35:03.565 We can protect the church from spiritual attacks from within by focusing on being a community of unity, by asking God to help us be gentle and humble and patient with each other, even when we disagree, and then, as the Holy Spirit works in our lives to make us more like Jesus and develop that fruit of the Spirit in our lives as we submit to him. 00:35:03.565 --> 00:35:15.724 All of a sudden, to this world that is so sick of division, they're going to look and see a group of people that love each other in spite of their differences and they're going to say you know, I want to be a part of a group like that. 00:35:15.724 --> 00:35:23.500 That's what we're called to be, so here's your homework. 00:35:24.315 --> 00:35:27.085 Monday ask God to make you humble. 00:35:27.085 --> 00:35:30.041 Now, be ready, he's going to trip you up. 00:35:30.041 --> 00:35:34.166 Tuesday, before you start the day, ask God to make you gentle. 00:35:34.166 --> 00:35:40.434 Before you start today, ask God to make you gentle. 00:35:40.434 --> 00:35:44.498 God, help me deal with that guy at McDonald's that gets my order wrong a little more gently. 00:35:44.498 --> 00:35:48.186 Wednesday pray for patience. 00:35:48.186 --> 00:35:57.438 Now, when you ask God to give you patience, he's going to give you problems, because the only way you can learn patience is to be put in a situation that drives you nuts. 00:35:57.438 --> 00:36:01.784 Thursday ask God to help you be more loving. 00:36:01.784 --> 00:36:05.429 Lord, help me be loving like Jesus. 00:36:06.409 --> 00:36:14.835 Now, for you to learn to love like Jesus, you've got to have a Judas in your life. 00:36:14.835 --> 00:36:16.257 You're going to have to learn to wash. 00:36:16.257 --> 00:36:17.679 You may have to wash Judas's feet. 00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:19.786 For you to learn to love like Jesus, you're going to need a Peter. 00:36:19.786 --> 00:36:23.494 For you to learn to love like Jesus, somebody may need to nail you to a cross. 00:36:23.494 --> 00:36:26.177 So be careful for what you ask for. 00:36:26.177 --> 00:36:30.461 And then, friday, do something to build unity in this church. 00:36:30.461 --> 00:36:36.405 Call somebody, send them a text, say, hey, I'm just praying for you today. 00:36:36.405 --> 00:36:43.521 Let somebody know, hey, I appreciate what you're doing, I'm thankful you're part of our church family. 00:36:43.521 --> 00:36:45.983 Do something to build unity in this church. 00:36:46.414 --> 00:36:52.681 Jesus Christ died on the cross, not only to save us from our sins, but to build a community of unity. 00:36:53.784 --> 00:36:54.445 Let's pray together. 00:36:54.445 --> 00:36:59.764 Father, we thank you so much for your church. 00:36:59.764 --> 00:37:19.634 Help us to understand that your son tells us that the whole world will know that we are his disciples by the way we love each other, not by anything else, not by the sign on our building, but by the way we love each other on our building, but by the way we love each other. 00:37:19.634 --> 00:37:25.202 Help us to understand that unity comes from being patient and loving and gentle and humble with each other. 00:37:25.202 --> 00:37:33.788 We speak the truth in love, but we also understand that we all need your grace. 00:37:33.788 --> 00:37:41.063 I thank you for the unity this church has and has had from the many years you've blessed me here. 00:37:41.063 --> 00:37:44.181 Help us to continue to grow in that unity. 00:37:44.181 --> 00:37:45.826 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:37:45.826 --> 00:37:55.340 If you'd like to be baptized into Christ, we can do that and you will be added to a church that's not perfect, but a church that is united. 00:37:55.340 --> 00:38:00.728 Or if you need the prayers of the church family in any way, we urge you to come and together we stand and sing. 00:38:06.684 --> 00:38:18.568 Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. 00:38:18.568 --> 00:38:34.766 The fellowship of kindred mind Is light to that. 00:38:34.766 --> 00:39:13.871 Above that above we share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear. 00:39:16.896 --> 00:39:17.217 Amen. 00:39:17.217 --> 00:39:18.523 Let's say a word of prayer. 00:39:18.523 --> 00:39:27.594 Father, thank you for this morning, thank you for everybody that came here this morning and just bless those that heard this message this morning about unity. 00:39:27.594 --> 00:39:34.978 And, father, just give us opportunities to be unified, give us opportunities to be patient and loving and gentle. 00:39:34.978 --> 00:39:44.639 Thank you for your son and that ultimate example that he gave us of unity and love, and thank you for what he did for us, and it's in your son's name we pray. 00:39:45.362 --> 00:39:53.985