Sermon: Unity in the Church by Balo Elizondo

Balo Elizondo. 3-3-18 (Special thanks to Rachelle Alexander for taking notes on these sermons)

Unity in the church. Do we have to agree on everything all the time. Is there one true church

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:1-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/eph.4.1-6.nkjv

We have all received gifts. We did not make them they were given to us

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:7-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/eph.4.7-16.nkjv

This is not the hierarch but gifts from God. We need to all come to God in unity. We still have a long way to go to get to the unity of faith.

Passover will be here soon. We are examining ourselves but we should also do it as a congregation

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭13:5-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/2co.13.5-10.nkjv

“till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:13-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/eph.4.13-16.nkjv

Each part of the body of Christ is supposed to do something and each is different.

“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/eph.4.17.nkjv

This is the world we live in. Full of vanity and ones self.

“having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/eph.4.18.nkjv

This shows that God is not calling everyone.

We should not harden our heart. What does that mean? It is a blindness of the heart.

A man who has a blind heart sees no beauty in truth or sensible appeals. People are to blame for the blindness of their understanding. If it was just mere inferiority of the intellect that would be different.

The whole thing requires is to have a better heart. The heart needs to be purified. Let the heart be pure and the understanding is clear.

What was Christ thinking before he was crucified.

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.””
‭‭John‬ ‭17:1-26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/jhn.17.1-26.nkjv

Loving the truth of God and acting on it. That is what defines us.

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/rev.12.9.nkjv

He is still deceiving us.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/rev.12.10-11.nkjv

Through the blood of the lamb. We have to keep questioning ourselves. What things are we still holding on to that we can’t give up.

“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:12-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/rev.12.12-17.nkjv

Keep the commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. We need this in the end times. Some of his people will be protected and some won’t.

Some organizations claim to be the one and only church, not allowing them to get in touch with others. That won’t work in the end, at the place of safety.

The church is made up of those who have accepted Christ and been baptized by immersion.

The church is scatter through out the earth.

God is going to work with who he wants to work with. We don’t even know how many there are.

Christ speaks a lot about his joy being fulfilled.

The spiritually relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ is the corn stone of our beliefs.

““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/jhn.15.1-5.nkjv

We have to remain being attached to the vine. We have to make the decision to allow God to work through us.

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:6-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/jhn.15.6-11.nkjv

Are we full of joy? This is what he wants.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/jhn.15.12-14.nkjv

There is a condition to bring a friend of Jesus.

It is one spiritually body. Not one organization. God is not limited by man He can work with whomever he wants. All those in Christ will be keeping his commandments.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/1jn.1.1-3.nkjv

How is our relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. This is the question for before Passover.

“And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1:4-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/1jn.1.4-10.nkjv

What happens is we are walking in the light is We can see what needs to change. If we are in darkness or in blindness we can’t see.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭2:1-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/1jn.2.1-11.nkjv

We are to hate the sin not the sinner. We should not have hatred in our hearts toward any person. We can’t have bitterness in us. How do we handle those who have hatred to us? Pray for those who despise and hatefully use us. We have to forgive them with our whole heart.

Sometimes people don’t even know they have done something hateful to us!

“Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:8-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/1co.13.8-13.nkjv

Think about how much more knowledge we have now compared to the 1st century church. Everything we want to know about the Bible, we have. We are very blessed to have the whole Bible. We can still see through the glass darkly but we are blessed with more. We seem to argue most about prophecy.

Does unity mean we will agree on everything? No. The greatest thing we need to have is love.

“He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/1jn.2.10-11.nkjv

Blinded because of the hardness of the heart.

How is our unity as brethren? Something to ask before Passover.

“Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭13:7-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/2co.13.7-10.nkjv

This should be the true goal of a minister, your perfection.

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭13:11-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/2co.13.11-14.nkjv

Peace is the bond with brethren.

So may God give us wisdom, love and passion. So we can grow in Christ but reconcile with others. May he help us shine our light to help us and others see the way.