Message Title: Together We Stand, Divided We Fall
Theme Statement:
Unity strengthens, division destroys. God's plan for victory is always tied to people walking together in love, obedience, and purpose.
I. Introduction
Jesus Himself emphasized unity: The Four Oxen and the Lion – Aesop’s Fable (Short Version)
Once upon a time, four oxen lived together in a field. They were close companions, always grazing together and keeping watch for danger. A lion lurking nearby wanted to eat them, but every time he tried to approach, the oxen would stand back-to-back, forming a circle. Their horns faced outward, and the lion could never get close.
So the lion waited. Eventually, the oxen began to quarrel and went their separate ways, each grazing in a different corner of the field. Now that they were alone and divided, the lion attacked — and one by one, he devoured them.
“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” — Mark 3:25 (NIV)
Illustration: The Bundle of Sticks
A father gave his sons a bundle of sticks and told them to break it. They couldn’t. Then he told them to break the sticks one by one — and they easily did.
Moral: Unity brings strength. Separation brings weakness.
II. Biblical Examples of Unity & Division
A. Unity that Brought Victory:
1. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
Even though their purpose was wrong, their unity was powerful:
“The people are one… now nothing will be withheld from them which they imagine to do.” (v.6)
2. Joshua and the Israelites (Joshua 6)
3. The Early Church (Acts 2:1, 42-47)
“When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” (v.1)
B. Division that Led to Defeat:
1. Israel in the Wilderness (Numbers 14)
2. Kingdom Split Under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12)
III. Real-World Examples
A. The 300 Spartans (Battle of Thermopylae)
B. Civil Rights Movement (1960s)
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Dr. King
C. Family Illustration
IV. Why Unity Matters
