Pursuing Unity
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Kreps:
Hey everyone and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. Mark, I know we've talked about this numerous times on the podcast, the topic of unity in the church, but I would suggest we simply can't speak more of unity than is needed because there is such a great need in our day of division and disagreement for unity in the church. So, you've got some thoughts for us about that, don't you?
Mark Prater:
I do. As I told you, Ben, before we started recording, I almost didn't bring this topic up for this particular podcast because we've talked about it before and Jeff preached so well on the topic of unity from Philippians 1 just a few weeks ago in our live stream. But it's been something that I've been carrying on my heart for a couple of days. I just couldn't let it go. So, I hope it's a spirit led conversation and podcast that you and I are about to have.
And, by the way, let me just say this. If you've listened to Jeff's message on unity from Philippians 1, listen to it again. And as a pastoral team, consider talking about that sermon, in particular, and how to apply it in your church. It was simply an outstanding message. So, my thoughts I'm about to share are drafting behind Jeff and what he preached so well out of Philippians 1. Just a couple of thoughts. The first one is we've got to think about unity primarily vertically first. I think we're prone to think about unity horizontally, our unity together as brothers and sisters in Christ, in the church. And that's a good thing. But that good thing is the product of something else. And that is the fact that we have been reconciled to God through the work of Christ. That's what it says in Ephesians 2:13-14. Let me just read those verses. “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ for he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh, the dividing wall of hostility.” And that dividing wall of hostility isn't first and foremost the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, as verse 15 says, by abolishing the law of the commandments. It really is the mosaic law that was the dividing wall between all sinners, Jew and Gentile and a Holy God. And through the shed blood of Christ on the cross that dividing wall is broken down and we are reconciled to God through faith in Christ by grace alone. And so, we've got to remember that.
We've got to think about unity first and foremost vertically, and what Christ has done on the cross. And just the encouragement to all of our pastors continue to preach Christ and him crucified. And then for all of us to live in the shadow of the cross, or under the cross, whatever language you want to use. That was one of Jeff's application points near the end of his message. He said, “How do you pursue unity, make Christ all Supreme in your preaching and pastoring?” So, I'm kind of really echoing what he said and just an encouragement to our guys. Every time you preach Christ and him crucified, you are strengthening the unity of the church. Whether you see that result immediately or not, you are strengthening the church. So, think about unity vertically first as my sort of my first thought.
Benjamin Kreps:
Wonderful. And reminding us that a church is not the place where we just get together because we have similar interests. The unity of the church is the expression of our union with Christ and one another in him. What other thoughts do you have about this topic?
Mark Prater:
Well, the second one is actually what you're just talking about. The church is Christ's bride. I've been reading through Ephesians devotionally and using Peter T. O’Brian's commentary, which I mentioned last podcast and I want to mention again, and the ecclesiology aspect of Ephesians is just really affecting my heart. I'm just falling more in love with the church again as I read through Ephesians.
But it's clear that we know from Ephesians 3:10 that the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the powers, it says, and authorities through the church. And then we get to Ephesians 4, one of the classic texts on unity, where Paul urges us to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And that happens in the context of the local church. Because he goes on to say, there is one body and one spirit, and you were called to one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one, faith, one baptism, one God, the Father of all. So, he's speaking about the unity that we have in the local church.
But Peter T. O’Brian, he just draws that out even more. And listen to what he says, “His [meaning God's universal rule] is being exercised to fulfill his ultimate purpose of unifying, all things in Christ. [That's his ultimate purpose.] The unity of the church is the means by which the manifold wisdom of God is being displayed to the universe. The church is the eschatological outpost. The pilot project of God's purposes and his people are the expression of this unity that displays to the universe, his final goal which is to unify all things in Christ. It points to Christ.”
And man, when you, when you read something like that, it takes the church and it makes you realize this cosmic role we have and why pursuing unity and working hard at unity is so important. So just the exhortation to our guys to continue to love your church, continue to preach Christ and him crucified and participate as an eschatological outpost in what God is doing today.
Benjamin Kreps:
Love that we can locate ourselves in the cosmic purposes of God and our unity as a church. That's very stirring. So, thank you, Mark, for encouraging us. And thank you everyone for watching. We'll see you here soon. Bye for now.