God wants us to be Unified... What will it take for us to give God what He wants?
1. Presence - we need presence of God in our lives - The Holy Spirit
2. That we each NEED each other in unity
3. It will require Effort - Unity just doesn't happen.
NOW - The nuts and bolts of unity
4. Humble in Spirit - 1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Humility is the Key to Unity
Humility is paramount to being a Jesus Follower
5. Forgiveness - Colossians 3:13-14 - bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Forgiveness is the self-denial of a justifiable right.
6. Acceptance - Romans 12:3, 16 -For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
7. Trust - 1 Corinthians 13:7 - Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Lack of suspicion
8. Contentment - Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. James 3:16 - For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Lack of ambition
9. Self-lessness - Philippians 2:3-4 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
10. Grace of Space - Romans 14:1, 12 - As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Give space for them to work it out
Give space for growth
Give space for God
