"That They All May Be One"
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Introduction:
What is the church?
What exactly is the NT church? What should it be according to the Scriptures? What should it look like? How should it function? What are its goals and what is its purpose? Specifically, how should each one of us, as members of this church, function? What are the roles and responsibilities of every member of a church? Why even join a church membership in the first place?
A wise pastor friend of mine challenged me the other day, he asked me the question - “How are you going to keep your church focused on ministry during the building project?” In other words how are we going to make sure that the new building does not become the ministry, or the function, or the purpose of our church. Biblical, it is not the goal or function or purpose of the church to build buildings. So, how are we going to keep our focus, keep our function, keep our mind on ministry, and at the same time build a building?
First we need to understand what a biblical NT church is. And we need to measure ourselves by Scripture to see if we meet God’s standards.
How are we going to do that? First we are going to begin to answer the question, “What is the church?” by looking at many different images or pictures of the NT church that we find in Scripture.
One Flock with One Shepherd- subjective unity, a common following of the shepherd
One New Humanity- objective unity, we all have a common ancestry (Jesus Christ), we all have a transcendent ethnicity / race (Christian)
One Body
Building that grows into a holy temple
A dwelling place for God
What is the next image or picture that Scripture presents to us, that better enables us to think about the church biblically? In John 17 Jesus compares the unity of the church to the kind of unity enjoyed by God Himself in the trinity.
Jesus’ teaching in John 17 lays out several truths that must shape our thinking concerning our local church. These are vital truths given to us by Jesus’ high priestly prayer concerning the unity of the church.
What are these truths?
I. The unity of the church is an organic living unity
I. The unity of the church is an organic living unity
The night before the crucifixion, Jesus spent an extended period of time teaching His disciples. Apparently, Jesus began this instruction while they were in the upper room during the last supper, then he continued to teach as they left the room and walked toward Gethsemane.
Part of that teaching centered on an illustration of the vine and the branches. We covered that already in a previous sermon. Now, we are later on in Jesus’ instruction as He approaches Gethsemane.
Part of Jesus’ high priestly prayer.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
How do we know know that the unity we enjoy in the church is organic or living?
A. The unity of the church is analogous to the unity of the trinity (vv. 11, 21-22)
A. The unity of the church is analogous to the unity of the trinity (vv. 11, 21-22)
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
So Jesus compares, He makes an analogy of the unity of the church to the unity that is enjoyed within the trinity. Jesus considers the unity within the church to be similar to the unity in the trinity.
That means right from the beginning this unity is difficult to understand. Because the trinity itself is difficult to understand. How can three be one and one be three at the same time? And the answer to that question is that we just cannot understand it. Yet the Scripture tells us that God is three Persons, and yet that the three are one, one eternal substance, three Persons and yet not three Gods but one God. There is only one true and living God, but that one eternal God exists as three separate and distinct Persons, and yet there is this perfect, marvellous, wonderful, mystical unity. That is the kind of unity that Jesus is speaking about here.
B. The unity of the church is analogous to the unity of Christ and the believer (vv. 21, 23)
B. The unity of the church is analogous to the unity of Christ and the believer (vv. 21, 23)
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
“That they all may be one” Goal / Purpose
“That they also may be one in us” Oneness/Unity is connected to the believer’s unity in Christ!
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
v. 22- That they may be ONE! Goal/Purpose
v. 23- “I in them” Our unity to each other, is like the unity that we all have in Christ.
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is the mystical union of all believers since the time of Pentecost until the time of the rapture that are added by the Spirit into one body of which Christ is the head. It is a living organic unity that exists between Christ and the church. And it is this kind of unity that is compared to the unity that as believers we share with each other.
C. Church unity is NOT external, mechanical, or organisational
C. Church unity is NOT external, mechanical, or organisational
The unity of Christian people among themselves is NOT external, mechanical, or organisational. It cannot be, because the unity we enjoy is like the unity that the Father and the Son and the Spirit enjoy. It is like the unity that believers enjoy IN CHRIST!
Remember this is part of Jesus’ high priestly prayer. So it is the Father’s decision to answer His prayer. If the Father answers the Son’s prayer then it is the Father that will provide unity. Jesus is praying not just for his disciples, but for all believers in the church, past, present, and future. Jesus prays for them all to be one.
This is NOT organizational unity. This is no external or mechanical. This has to refer to invisible, organic, living unity. It is the unity of the Flock, not the Fold, and it is defined by faith.
Why does this even matter?
RCC- interpret this kind of unity that Jesus wants for His church as an external visible unity. They come to the conclusion that there is only one church and that Jesus wants his church to be one and that the external visible RCC church is that ONE church. But, you get into some dangerous conclusions if you misunderstand the unity that Jesus prays for here. For instance, RCC theology teaches that if you are not part of the one true church, then you are not saved. If you are not part of the ONE FLOCK then you are not one of Jesus’ sheep. The only people who can be saved are the one’s who are part of the external, mechanical, organization church. But, clearly, that is not the kind of unity that Jesus is praying for here! Rather the unity that the church enjoys is living, it is invisible, it is living, it is spiritual.
Some have taken Jesus’ teaching on John 17 and have understood the unity that Jesus prays for as external, mechanical or organizational. And they have come to the conclusion that the greatest hindrance to the oneness of the church is all the different denominations. If we could just get rid of all the denominations and have one unified church. One world church, of which every believer everywhere is a part. They would argue something like this, “The greatest scandal in the world is a disunited church, and this scandal must be removed; it must also be removed because it is the greatest hindrance to evangelism. It is the multiplicity of denominations that constitutes one of the greatest hindrances to men and women who are outside the church believing the gospel. If we could only get rid of these denominations and have one great world, or ‘super’ church, then people would be ready to listen to the gospel and probably to accept it.” This is called ecumenism. And some people will turn to John 17 to promote this kind of a movement. And they misunderstand the unity that Jesus is praying for. It is not external, mechanical, or organizational. It is living, organic, spiritual.
What is the danger in an ecumenical movement? What is the danger in trying to create a world or super church?
Well, external unity becomes the only goal. In other words, it doesn’t matter what people believe, as long as they are sincere we should accept them into the church in order to be one. So what one believes about being a Christian doesn’t matter. If someone believes that they need to add a works based system of righteousness to their salvation in order to be saved, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if someone denies the deity of Christ, or justification by faith alone, that doesn’t matter- what really matters is that we all be ONE. But it is an external, mechanical, organization unity that they argue for, and Jesus is not praying for anything like this.
The unity of the church is living it is organic it is spiritual. It is like the unity of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. It is like the unity of the believer and Christ. We are a flock not a fold, we are part of new humanity/race/family. And this is very important!
II. Genuine church unity is found in our common belief of the Word
II. Genuine church unity is found in our common belief of the Word
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
What are the conditions for this unity we enjoy as a church?
What is it that makes and produces it?
What is it that is going to preserve this unity?
A. It is our common belief in the Word that makes the greatest unity (v. 20)
A. It is our common belief in the Word that makes the greatest unity (v. 20)
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
We can go back and trace the importance of the Word to the idea of unity in the church. Beginning in v. 3:
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Our common believe in the name of the Father is what makes us one. What makes us really the people of God is that through the word we have understood the meaning of the name of the Lord.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
What then is going to preserve our unity as a church? Well, Jesus says, it is through the word. The Word which, these followers of mine (disciples) are going to preach after I am gone, and as a result of their preaching the Word people will be converted and added to the church. Jesus’ prayer is for all those which shall believe on Him through the Word, and their belief in the Word is tied to the idea of them all being ONE in v. 21. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
So, what is it that adds people to the church? It is their belief in the Word. And what is it that makes the greatest unity of these people? It is the Word, the message of God which has been given to us, first by the Lord Himself, then by his apostles, then by his disciples- it is the Word of God that is the basis for our unity! Do you see that?
We can put it more plainly like this: What makes the greatest unity is the common faith, what we believer, what we have received together, and what nobody else has received. That is the unity that Jesus is concerned about. Out unity is entirely dependent upon the Word of God! And it is only as men and women agree about this word and accept it and depend on it, and submit to it- to the same faith and to the same common salvation, that there can be any conceivable unity among them. Any other kind of unity is of no value whatsoever!!
Unity based on denomination, if it is not rooted in the Word, has no value. If we unify around the idea that we are a “Fundamental Independent Baptist Church, bless God!” and that is all that unifies us, simply a label- that is of no value.
If we did away with all denominations and had one world super church, but we had no unity in the Word, we had no common faith, no submission to the truth- that unity would be of no value whatsoever. Jesus is not concerned with external mechanical organization unity- Jesus is concerned with the unity that comes from our common faith in the Word!
B. The Word creates unity because it brings us into a relationship with the Lord (v. 22)
B. The Word creates unity because it brings us into a relationship with the Lord (v. 22)
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Here Jesus states that He has given to us glory, it is the same glory that the Father gave to the Son. And the reason Jesus gave us this glory is so that we may all be one, even as the Father and the Son are one.
Question: What then is this glory that Jesus has given to us?
It is not the eternal glory that Jesus, the second person of the trinity enjoys. This glory was rightfully His, because of His person, since eternity past. Nor is this glory something that could be give to you and to I.
So what is this glory?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones
“I suggest to you that there is only one adequate answer to that question, and that is this special relationship to God which becomes ours through the work of the operation of the Holy Spirit. While our Lord was here in this world and when he has taken upon himself human nature, when he had decided to live life in this world as a man and in the likeness of sinful flesh, the Father gave him this glory, this union with himself, this intimate relationship, this knowledge of the Father and be always receiving grace and glory from him. Ant that is what, he here tells us, he has also given to his followers.”
So the glory is the glory of have a personal relationship with God. How do we receive this glory? By believing on the Word. By putting our faith in Scripture, in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, by repenting and changing our minds from living for ourselves to following after Jesus. And when we put our faith in Jesus’ blood for the forgiveness of our sins, we are justified, redeemed, reconciled, and so much more. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we can come into the very presence of the Father, and boldly draw near unto Him for grace and help in time of need- this is the glory that Jesus has given to us- it is a relationship with God. And in this relationship we are made one with each other.
And all of this is impossible apart from the Word. It is the Word that teaches this, it is the Word that mediates this to us, so that all who really are to receive this, receive it through and by means of the Word, and that is the union and the unity that Jesus is concerned with!
Our unity comes from our relationship with Christ which comes from our belief about the Word! It is our common belief in the Word that really matters.
So when someone comes to you and says we need to have unity, that all that is important is an external mechanical organizational unity, when someone says to you, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you call yourself a Christian,” or, “You can interpret Scripture your way, and I can interpret Scripture my way, and we can both be right and we can come together and have unity,” my reply ought to be, “No way, that is impossible!”
It means that if I am going to be part of a church and have unity, if I am going to be one with another person, in the same way that the Father and the Son are ONE, then I must ask that person some questions.
What is your view of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Is He just a man? There are many people who call themselves Christian, but who think about Jesus as just a good man. I cannot have fellowship, in a church with that person! Why? Because it is our common faith in the Word that is fundamental to our living organic spiritual unity.
The very foundation and basis of my faith, and my whole position and standing, is centered in Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God.
What is your view of Jesus’ work?
What is your view of his death on the cross? Is it the basis for our substituionary atonement? Or is it just a tragedy? Is it the Son of God dying because that is the only way whereby my sins may be forgiven, and therefore the essential preliminary to my becoming a child of God, and a partaker of the divine nature? Is His death on the cross sufficient, or do you need to add anything else to your salvation?
If these truths are essential, and they are, and this person says they are not, how can it be possible for there to be any unity between us? And the same is true with all of the other essential doctrines of the Christian faith.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
This is the unity that Jesus prayed for, this is the unity that is living and organic, that is tied to our relationship with God, this is the unity that is analogous to the unity of the trinity.
And this unity is only found in our common belief of the Word!
III. It is possible to hinder or break genuine church unity
III. It is possible to hinder or break genuine church unity
If our unity is based on our common belief in the Word, what are some things break or hinder the unity, the oneness that Jesus prayed for us to have as a church?
A. Deviation from any part of the Word of God
A. Deviation from any part of the Word of God
This is a failure to all follow together after our ONE SHEPHERD. We believe
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The moment you leave out certain parts of Scripture, or you willfully deviate from the truth of Scripture it immediately breaks unity.
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
v. 20- those who believe in Me through the Word
v. 21- that they may all be one (by means of the Word)
v. 22- The glory which you have given me I have give to them (the Word produces a relationship)
v. 23- These verse tie together- unity is to bring us all to perfection (completion, maturity). This is again tied to unity which is tied to the Word. And when we deviate from the Word we destroy that unity and we make completion/maturity impossible.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
So the one that says, I can approach the Father, I can come boldly into His presence, without the blood of Christ, or as long as I add something to the blood of Christ. Right away that has destroyed unity. Especially unity within the body of the church.
So too the one who claims that Jesus’ blood has given them liberty to live just like the world, to live after the lusts of their flesh- to follow after sensuality, or greed, or power, etc.. Those who give in to anger, or pride, who deviate from the Word in a willful manner damage or destroy unity.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
You can all probably think of church splits that happened because people deviated from the Word- they were not lowly in their thinking, they did not operate with meekness, they did not have a longsuffering attitude with each other, they were no willing to put up with each other in love, they did not endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace- and unity / oneness was destroyed.
How important is it Faith Baptist Church, if we want to preserve the unity of our church, to:
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
B. Adding to the Word of God
B. Adding to the Word of God
That is demanding things that are not demanded in the word.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
RCC- there are some things that we can agree, but then they add in so many other traditions- they say I must believe certain things about the Virgin Mary, that deny the faith! This breaks unity.
Sometimes we have elevated personal standards to the level of the Word, and we have demanded that other people adhere to these standards (What version of the Bible we carry, what kind of clothes we wear, the way we part our hair, etc). Adding to the Word can damage or destroy unity.
We must be so certain, that what binds us together is actually found in the Word. The glue that unites us, the covenant that actually makes us a church is an agreement to hold to certain truths about God’s Word. And we must be passionate about those truths. But we must also be certain that they come from God’s word. We must be willing to labour in the Word and in our understanding of doctrine. For it is our common conviction about the Word that matters. When we are all convinced that what we believe actually comes from the authority of God’s word and we are passionate about following that authority together, that is what preserves unity!
C. Exalting certain doctrines to first place which should be second or third place
C. Exalting certain doctrines to first place which should be second or third place
We can break unity when we take a doctrine of Scripture that is uncertain in its application- and elevating your interpretation to the position of dogma.
There are certain doctrines of the faith that are fundamental to the faith- the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, the inspiration of Scripture, etc. that are clear and dogmatic. These deserve to be first place in our hearts when it comes to defending the faith. Then there are other doctrines on which there has never been unity in the Christian church, and we will have to wait until glory for the Lord to sort us all out.
Dichotomist vs. Trichotomist
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones:
“If I am not certain, I am prepared to be charitable; I stand for certainties, not for things that are doubtful or uncertain. ‘In things essential, unity; in things doubtful, liberty; in all things, charity.’”
D. Seeking unity from another source
D. Seeking unity from another source
If we try to preserve the unity in our church by an means other than the Word we will eventually end up with broken fellowship.
The church were its people are unified around the pastor of the church- as soon as the pastor leaves the church falls apart.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Conclusion:
The unity of the church is an organic living unity
Genuine church unity is found in our common belief of the Word
It is possible to hinder or break genuine church unity
What God wants is for his church to be one. That does not mean he wants one big church. That is not the kind of unity he is looking for. What we need is not a big church, but a pure church, a holy church, a Christian church- a church that is untied in the Word and in doctrine. It is not an external, mechanical, organizational unity. It is not a unity that is based merely in social gatherings or popular culture. It is a spiritual unity, a unity dependent on faith, a unity based in our daily sanctification as we encourage one another to follow the Word. It is a unity where a group of people are so passionate about following the Word of God that they covenant together to stir each other up to love and good works as they regularly assemble together. It is a unity that is displayed corporately as members of a church; that we may be one, as God and Christ are one, in that spiritual, glorious, perfect unity.