MAINTAIN THE UNITY OF THE BODY MAY 16, 2010

PREACHER: REV. SETH KISSI

TEXT- ACTS 16: 16- 34, REV 22:12-17, JOHN 17: 20-26
The theme for the sermon is “Maintain the Unity of the Body.” The gospel according to John is one in which Jesus is concerned about the unity, love and peace of those who follow him. The unity we are talking about is at three levels.
1. The unity is supposed to be like the one that exists between the Father and the Son. “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us”...Jn 17:21. This unity is mystical – unity in which we live in the Father and the Son in the same way Jesus lives in God and God in Jesus. That is how Jesus would want believers to understand their relationship with God and with one another.
2. On the basis of this mystical union, the believers are to be one; for indeed they are. But to make this real was the prayer of Jesus: “That they may be one just as we are also one” (Jn 17:22). Jesus once again expects the oneness of the believers to be the same kind of oneness that exists between the Father and Himself. The divine oneness then is the standard of the oneness of the believers.
3. “ That the love you have for me may be in them and I myself may be in them” (Jn. 17:26). The love for one another is the logical sequence to the mystical union and the oneness that proceeds from it. Given the kind of union and oneness mentioned, the believers have no option but to love one another. But this too is not any ordinary kind of love but the very love of God, the kind that the Father has for the Son. This love is unconditional, forgiving and never giving up. Jesus’ prayer made it clear that without this love the mission God wants to accomplish with us on earth would come to naught. It all depends on this extra ordinary love that we should have for one another.

In the book of Acts Paul and Silas cast a demon out of a lady and were arrested. They spent 3 nights in a cell singing and praising God. On the third day a powerful earthquake struck leading to the opening of the cell gates. What followed resulted in the conversion of the guard. The guard then took Paul and Silas, washed their wounds, sent them home and gave them food. The usual relationship of unfriendliness and suspicion that exists between prisoners and guards turned into a friendly and hospitable one. This appears to have given fulfillment to the prayer of Jesus that all who come to believe in him through the witness of the immediate followers should also become one.

The unity of the believers lies in their sharing in one life and purpose in mission. It is the same God who inspires the same life and mission in them. This emphasizes the absolute necessity for the believer to live in God. In the reading from Revelation, we hear of some characteristics of life that is opposed to the life inspired by God. Those who share in this ungodly life are described as dogs, practitioners of magic, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters and those who love and practice all manner of falsehood. But there is a triple invitation to the water of life, the life of God. All those whose lives have disqualified them from the city of God should come to the river of life and have their stained garments washed and their thirst quenched. As you listen to/read this, take a look at yourself and at your heart. Is your garment stained with anything that you need to wash in this water of life? The list in the text from Revelation is not exhaustive; you can all to it. Whatever has stained your garment can be washed so you can have access to the City of God and to the life He gives.
If we are to maintain the unity of the Body of Christ which is the Church, then we need to understand who we are and how we stand in relation to one another in the context of this mystical union with God and one another. A prayerful consideration of the prayer Jesus prayed for us is therefore important. We must do this in order to live in the love Jesus assigns to us, a love that proceeds from our union. This love should make us understand one another, bear with one another and forgive one another. This love will not make us say things that will destroy one another. This love will not make it difficult for us to work together in spite of our differences, or meet one another with genuine smiles. If the love we need to have for one another is the very love of God, then our prayer should be, that we respond to our brothers and sisters who hate us or offend us with love because that brother/sister is connected to us in such a way that we cannot split.

We are one because we all share in the same union with God, the oneness that is of God and the love that is of God. We are one because the same God lives in us and inspires the same kind of life and mission in us.