2015.8.30 礼拝

2015.8.30 礼拝

John 17:20-26 “Know the Will of God Part 3”

① Getting to know what God desires of us
What God desires of us is “unity”. This is the same as parents wishing their children to get along well.

② Start “unity” at home and at church
“Unity” is a command to apply in daily life rather than a vague notion. And the first place to practice this is at home and at church.

It would be practically impossible to see Christian “unity” in a worldwide scale or even within Tokyo alone. Jesus said, “love your neighbors”, that is, people psychologically and physically close. Being brothers and sisters who have received the Lord’s command, it is God’s desire for us to “love one another”.

③ Know that the bond of unity is the love of Christ
“Unity” is that those who believe in Christ should promise to keep the command of Christ to “love one another”.

Anything other than this is not primary, including unity in pastor’s command, church tradition, books on Christianity, construction of a church building, which are all planned by man. This is the same as a family unified by love of each other while husband, wife and children, each have different own strength, ability, role and position.

Paul repeatedly talks about unity in his letters, which seems to imply occurrence of unity problems within the churches.

We should be reminded that the promise to love one another with unity in Christ and to practice this promise, has always been challenge in order to build a healthy church even from the beginning.