2023 Lenten Season Week Three: Our House Rules by Deacon Phil Stevenson

                                                                       Our House Rules

 

Matthew 12: 25 (NIV) Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

 

Good leads the way…no that extra o in good is not a typo—rather the slogan of United Airlines. A company geared toward uniting people. Well, church it’s adequate to say, the only way we blood-bought believers can be united is if God leads the way.

 Ask yourself, what is unity? Go ahead I’ll wait as you think (cue the Jeopardy music). But all joking aside, teamwork, togetherness, and uniformity are words that probably entered your mind. No doubt we have sat in (or conducted) seminars discussing this very topic. And as followers of Christ, we should have deduced, that without obeying God’s sovereign guidance, we cannot build nor maintain true (biblical) unity.

 Like sanctification, unity amongst believers is an ongoing process. Each day we have a known enemy trying to disrupt and impeded our unified front. Satan despises believers dwelling together in unity. And he delights in sowing chaos and confusion within the household of faith. Hence, to be more than conquerors when facing this consistent threat, we must prioritize.

 Daily meetings with God the Father should rank high on our to-do list. (Mark 1:35 and Matthew 6:33). Christ knew that through regular gatherings with the Father and keeping His Kingdom priorities first, His movements would be Spirit Led. In addition, similar to an athlete there’s no way to be a key component of the team if you don’t speak with the coach. Too often there are talented Christians on the bench in terms of spiritual impact because they neglect alone time with the Trinity. The one-on-one time where we are quick to hear God’s truth, slow to speak our opinions, and slow to anger when we don’t agree with the Kingdom’s direction.

 Another aspect that is crucial to unity is focusing on the common goal. Our goal as believers is the Great Commission. And within this goal of spreading the good news of Jesus’ ability to save all, God wants us to remain unique. As Pastor Lula Baker has stated, He has blessed us with distinctive talents to deliver the same message, just with different methods. Therefore, we need not all be the same, just committed to the same objective.

 Be aware, however, it will not always be a pleasurable experience. Our enemy is determined to have us bicker over our differences, instead of embracing and using our various backgrounds and experiences to our advantage. Hence, communication and sacrifice are needed. Our speech towards each other (and non-believers) needs to be seasoned with grace. Meaning, we must fill ourselves with the Spirit, sacrificing time, talents, and treasure, so that when it’s time to communicate, the will of the Father, the work of Jesus, and the witness of the Holy Ghost will flow through our words.

 We all belong to various teams. Some willingly and others via bloodlines. Yet, for any team to flourish, trust and comradery are prerequisites. As children of God, we rally around the cross, serving a risen Savior that never disappoints. Due to His matchless power, we can do all things, from praying for one another to going the extra mile and meeting a need (James 5:16). The Trinity desires for us to dwell together in unity, thus making it a top priority for every branch of Zion.