Topic: Unity

In John 16 we find the prayer of Jesus before He is arrested and put on a cross. What we pray about tells us what's important to us. What do you find yourself praying about? What did Jesus pray about in his John 16 prayer? Find out what's important to Jesus in this sermon by examining what Jesus prayed about.  

Be all things to all people... What did Paul mean when he said those words? People feel the need to be "right". What if being right is not the end goal? What if we were willingly laid down our rights for the sake of the Gospel? What may be ok in one setting may not be wise in another. Knowing WHEN and WHERE to do and say certain things may just be the difference between being an effective Kingdom Builder and not.   To the Christian, Gospel should matter more than any personal preferences or doctrinal nuances. Whatever it takes to share the Gospel and unite Christians in the name of Christ!

Getting along. Yikes, it's not always easy! This sermon from 1 Corinthians 6:1-12 reminds us on how we are supposed to get along. But the topic is difficult and nuanced. Is Paul saying we are NEVER supposed to sue another Christian? Is he saying we are supposed to HIDE our sins from the world? And what does he mean when he says we are going to judge angels? When we understand the purpose behind this passage, we can begin to see another beautiful reason behind why God gave us the Church, and how we are to be patently different from the world.

Branding. It's everywhere we look. What do people THINK when they see you? What do they FEEL when they think about you? Nonbelievers will think of us as FOOLS. But that is NOT how we are to respond to the world. The church in Corinth was concerned about who they followed, and what that said about them. Unfortunately, their brand of Christianity was less about Christ and more about the Rabbi that taught them about Jesus. Pursuing a brand of Christianity, instead of Christ, can be dangerous. Paul likens that kind of wisdom to being the same as that of the world. This sermon is for anyone who believes their BRAND of Christianity is better than others. Be careful.

Unity.  It's one of the most important things Christians need to understand and live. The church in Corinth was warned against divisions.  Divisions in the church can be caused for many reasons.  This sermon brings out the truth behind how to build each other up, instead of tear each other down. It teaches us our actions reveal whether or not we have a unifying spirit in God's Kingdom or a dividing spirit.   We should seek unity, for the sake of the world.  

In this sermon from Acts 20, Mike Maglish shares what the early church did to observe communion.  It was a very important part of the early church. It was a corporate act.  We still observe communion to this day. Jesus told us to break bread together. So we do. Paul explained to the church in Corinth how to take communion and how not to take communion and why.  We will examine what biblical communion is, and how we should observe it today.  The bottom line? The broken body and shed blood of Jesus should be taken in a worthy manner. 

God's call for the church to be unified is not unique! It's all through Scripture! It's been like that from the beginning. We see it modeled in the early church but it's still like that today. Church, for a time such as this we need to be unified! We need it now more than ever on what really is foundational and important. On the core of the message and the purpose of what it means to be a Christian. Church we have a mission! Whatever the church looks like today... we are still called to have the same heart as the church in the book of Acts!