Unity: ways to preserve it
Dr. Roy M. Gray taught us at Miracle Valley Bible College in Arizona that unity cannot be created; only preserved. In other words unity has to be established at the core and then circle out to extend the boundary. Once the core unit is in unity others can be added into that unity.
The first church in the book of Acts demonstrates this mystery regarding unity in a practical way. They had all things in common. No one called anything his own. They broke bread from house to house and they continued in public meetings in the apostolic doctrine that they were taught.
Dr. Gray taught us at MVBC that unity comes through the teaching of the Word of God. That is how we come into the unity of faith. The role of the five-fold ministry is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, to edify or build the saints up on their most holy faith and to establish unity of faith so that people will no longer be thrown to and fro by all the winds of doctrine. Maturity comes as a result of unity of faith and the full measure of the stature of Christ is seen where there is unity. The power and blessing of God is also released where there is unity among believers. (Ps 133:1)
God commands His blessing where brothers dwell together in unity. If we all hear and learn the same Word it creates unity at the core of the assembly and then people can be added to come into that unity. (Ephesians 6:10-16) The frequency of the teaching determines the unity among believers. The first church in the book of Acts understood this vital principle and practiced it.
Dr. Gray taught us that a church is a band of God inwardly transformed by the Word of God. The focus is always Christ within the hope of glory. Preaching the Word brings unity that ushers in the power of God after salvation and baptisms and infilling of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues God begins to work on that old man, the selfish nature that is sinful. Our hearts and minds have to change to affect our wills in order to get in line with the Word of God.
Churches rely on church growth methods, growth and business scheme and secular programs to make churches grow. But God chose preaching the Word, the whole truth of the Word, to preserve unity and build unity.
II Corinthians 3:3-9
Ways to preserve unity
1. Avoid criticism – the strong in faith should help the weak in faith
2. Love is not easily offended (I Cor 13: 3-9)
3. Overcome hurts and disappointments
4. Envy, jealousy and contentions should be eradicated (James 3:14)
5. Confusion, bitterness must be dealt with
6. Let there be no division or schisms in the body of Christ (Luk 11:7 – A house divided)
Unity in a body of believers is a key to supernatural power in that body. Where two or three walk in agreement there Christ is in their midst. Unity is the key to Satan’s ultimate defeat. Unity is the key to supernatural provision in a body of Christ.
Amos 3:2 – How can two walk together unless they agree as one?
Examples of unity given in the first church in the book of Acts: they met in one place, they had one mind and followed the apostolic doctrine (one faith) and great power was amongst them! (Acts 5:12) When it is time to minister to people in a meeting we should all be in one mind. It is not the time to walk around and to chat: we focus on what God wants to do for people. Unity is a key to growth in numbers as well. They increased in numbers because the Lord added those who were saved to the church.
We need to get rid of our own ideas and of the ideas of the world that crept into the church by continually renewing our mind with the Word of God. We need to know the mind of Christ.
Hebrew for unity is ‘yachad’ and it means ‘a unit’ or ‘a commando’.
Greek for unity is ‘ homothumadon’ – ‘one mouthed’ speaking the same thing.
One purpose: to spread the word of reform to the whole world in our life time! God works with us to confirm the Word with signs and wonders following. When dissension arose among the Greek women in the first church the apostles told them to choose 7 deacons to serve the tables because they gave themselves continually to spreading the Word of God and to prayer. They stuck to their purpose.
People sold land and houses and brought the proceeds and laid it at the feet of apostles who distributed as they saw fit. A lady laid her deed of sale of a piece of land at our feet in Pretoria and with the sale of that land we paid for the balance owing on the Shoshanguve Tent campaign and came to plant the work in Cape Town! Barnabas sold land and gave it to the apostles to use. His name means ‘encourager’!