Sunday
Morning Bible Study
May 16, 2004
Getting Along
Unity is like learning to play on a team together.
Illustration
Cooperation
At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, “Do
you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?” The little boy nodded in
the affirmative. “Do you understand that what matters is whether we win
together as a team?” The little boy nodded yes. “So,” the coach continued,
“When a strike is called, or you’re out at first, you don’t argue or curse or
attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?” Again the little boy nodded.
“Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your father.”
The Bible says a lot about getting along with each other, the subject of
unity.
Psalm 133
:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity!
Spurgeon wrote about the word “behold”, “(Unity) is a wonder seldom
seen, therefore behold it!”
good – towb – good,
pleasant, agreeable
pleasant – na‘iym –
pleasant, delightful; singing, sweetly sounding, musical
Lesson
Essential ingredients to Unity
Illustration
Two confirmed bachelors sat talking, their conversation drifted from
politics to cooking. “I got a cookbook once,” said one, “but I could never do
anything with it.” “Too much fancy work in it, eh?” asked the other. “You said
it. Every one of the recipes began the same way - ‘Take a clean dish’”.
When it comes to getting along with each other, there are some essential
ingredients required, sort of like a recipe.
If you’re having trouble getting along with another person, perhaps this
could become sort of a checklist for you.
(1 Cor 3:1-4 KJV) And I,
brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ. {2} I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for
hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. {3} For ye
are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? {4} For while one saith, I am of
Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
1. Unity requires maturity.
Disunity is carnal and immature. It’s also a bit crazy:
Illustration
A man was visiting an insane asylum one day, and he
noticed that all the insane people were on the field outside, but there was
only one guard. He asked the guard, “Aren’t you afraid?” The guard said, “Absolutely
not.” He said, “Don’t you believe that since you are the only one here, these
people could over-run you and break out of the asylum?” He said, “That’s
impossible.” The man asked, “Why is that impossible?” The guard replied, “Because
lunatics don’t unite.”
-- Tony Evans
(1 Cor 12:12-18
KJV) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. {13}
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit.
2. Unity requires Jesus
It’s our common connection to Jesus that ought to be the
basis for our unity.
When I’m with other believers, I need to understand that
we all belong to Jesus. Like it or not, we’re all going to spend eternity
together.
{14} For the body is not one member, but many. {15} If the foot
shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not
of the body? {16} And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not
of the body; is it therefore not of the body? {17} If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
{18} But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath
pleased him.
3. Unity requires we accept our differences
Even if we’re different from each other, we’re still all
part of one body, one group, the church.
Sometimes divisions come because we think that everyone
should be like us. Or perhaps we feel
like we don’t belong because we’re not like the rest of the group.
(Eph 4:1-6 KJV) I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, {2} With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; {3} Endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; {5} One Lord, one
faith, one baptism, {6} One God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all.
4. Unity requires humility
I think that one of the greatest hindrances to getting
along with each other is pride.
Jesus caught His disciples arguing with each other one day
(Mark 9:33-37 KJV) And he came to Capernaum: and being in
the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the
way? {34} But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among
themselves, who should be the greatest. {35} And he sat down, and called the
twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be
last of all, and servant of all. {36} And he took a child, and set him in the
midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, {37}
Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and
whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
It requires humility to be last, to be a servant, to stop
and take time for children.
5. Unity requires patience (vs. 2)
The word “longsuffering” speaks about having patience with
difficult people, putting up with them.
6. Unity requires love (vs. 2)
God’s “agape”
love – unconditional. Making a choice to
value another person.
7. Unity requires effort (“endeavoring”, vs. 3)
(Rom 12:18 NASB)
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
You may not be able to actually have peace with all men,
but you need to be sure to do your part.
:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the
beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
precious – towb – good,
pleasant, agreeable. This is the same
word translated in verse 1 as “good”.
ointment – shemen – fat,
oil; olive oil
Throughout the Bible, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
David knew of this connection between the anointing oil and the Holy
Spirit. When David was a young boy, the prophet Samuel showed up at his
family’s house. Samuel said he was looking for the next king of Israel.
(1 Sam 16:11-13 KJV) And
Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth
yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto
Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. {12}
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful
countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for
this is he. {13} Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the
midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
When Samuel poured the oil over David, God’s Spirit was
poured over him as well.
The picture that David is painting in the Psalm is the anointing of the
priests with the holy anointing oil.
The priests, along with everything in the Tabernacle and the Temple,
were to be anointed with oil.
The “anointing oil” was olive oil with a special mixture spices, forming a
type of perfume.
This was all to be a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit, represented
with this special oil. When it comes to
God’s work, being useful to God, everything must have a touch of the Holy
Spirit.
Lesson
The power of the Holy Spirit is
related to unity
Look at two events in history and see if you can see the things they have
in common:
The birth of the Temple:
(2 Chr
5:13-14 KJV) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as
one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when
they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of
music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for
ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
{14} So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud:
for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
The birth of the Church:
(Acts
2:1-4 KJV) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place. {2} And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. {3}
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them. {4} And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In both instances there was a sense of unity among the people. In the Temple
the “trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound …” In the church,
the people were “all with one accord in one place”.
In both instances God responded to the people by pouring out His Spirit.
If you want to see the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, you ought to
examine your life in this area of unity.
We are not always going to get along with other people. I’m not saying that
we have to get along with everybody no matter what the cost.
Illustration
Like the fellow who’s just reached his 150th
birthday and was giving a press conference to the assembled media. “Excuse me,
sir,” on of the reporters said, “but how did you come to live to 150? “It’s
actually quite simple,” the old feller replied. “I just never argue.” “That’s
impossible,” the reporter responded. “There must be something else, like diet,
or meditation, or something. Just not arguing won’t keep you alive for 150
years!” The old fellow stared hard at the reporter for several seconds. “Hmmm,”
he finally shrugged, “maybe you’re right.”
But if you are always finding yourself at the center of
disagreements, perhaps you need to look at this.
If you find that there are never any churches that are good enough for you,
the problem probably isn’t with the other churches. The problem is probably
with you.
There is a type of Christian I call “heresy hunters”. You
name a church and they’ll tell you what is wrong with it. And you will usually
find that if these people get close enough to you, they will also tell you what
is wrong with you while they’re at it.
Though we certainly need to be aware and clear on what is
truly heresy, it’s interesting to note that our word “heresy” comes from the
Greek word that is often translated “divisions”, not the idea of doctrinal
differences but the idea of not getting along.
It is one of the “works of the flesh” in Gal. 5:20, translated
“factions” (NASB) or as the NLT puts it, “the feeling that everyone is wrong
except those in your own little group”.
Side note: Unity is compared with the anointing oil,
which was itself a fragrant perfume.
When someone walks into a room who is wearing perfume, after a while
everyone in the room is aware of the presence of the person. The perfume
permeates the room.
When we are learning to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, there
will be a sweet fragrance about our lives.
When we don’t get along with each other and there are unresolved problems –
it creates a “stink”. The other day I
got up in the morning and went out to get the morning paper and I could tell
you that a skunk had passed by our house.
The odor was obvious.
When we learn to love each other and experience unity – people will sense
it.
Jesus said,
(John 13:35 KJV) By this shall all men know that ye
are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
:3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the
dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:
for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Hermon – Chermown – “a
sanctuary”; a high mountain (over 9,000 feet above sea level) on the
northeastern border of Israel
and Lebanon and
overlooking the border city of Dan.
Mount Hermon is a very wet place with lots of dew.
and as the dew – this
phrase is not in the Hebrew.
Zion – Tsiyown – “parched place”; the mountain in
the south on which Jerusalem sits,
about 2700 feet above sea level. Zion
is a very dry place. It doesn’t get a lot of “dew”.
I think it’s important to realize that these are two distinct mountains from
two distinct mountain ranges, and yet unified by both being in Israel.
David is talking about the “dew” somehow migrating from Hermon to Zion,
perhaps like a traveling weather front.
Lesson
Watering parched places
This is what unity is all about, seeing the need, the thirst, in those
around you.
They may be quite obnoxious, but I’m finding that the more obnoxious a
person is, most likely the greater their spiritual thirst.
You have what they need – the dew of heaven
That’s where the blessings are – helping others
(Phil 2:1-11 KJV) If
there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, {2} Fulfil ye my joy, that
ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. {3}
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves. {4} Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others.
Unity requires caring for others: Think more of others than yourself. (vs.
4)
Illustration
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5,
Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their
mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He
would say ‘Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.’ Kevin turned to
his younger brother and said, “Okay, Ryan, you be Jesus!”
One of the big reasons we don’t get along with people is
because we’re too focused on our own needs and why our needs aren’t being
met. God’s idea of unity comes when we
learn to think more about others and their needs than our own needs.
{5} Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6}
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7}
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
{9} Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name: {10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father.
Unity requires you to follow Jesus’ example – Empty yourself of reputation;
be a servant; humble yourself; think of others even to death (vs. 5-8)
Jesus thought of us and died for us.