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Unity and Godly Diversity in One Body
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark SchindlerBrethren, we have the unparalleled opportunity to learn and live the very mind of God, apart from this evil world, in service to the body of Christ, using the diversity of God-blended gifts. There is a diversity that produces unity, but only through the diversity of God-given gifts, to serve a body in unity under the tender care of a ministry set apart to help the wheat grow straight and tall according to truth. Our High Priest Jesus Christ is consecrated, setting apart His whole Body in unified service to Him and one another for the glory of His Father. We must be one unified body set apart from this world and all that is moving it towards the disastrous time precipitating Jesus Christ's return. We cannot get involved in its politics or thinking, because it will take us off track just as surely as those tares planted within God's field cause division. The very love of God describes the body that is correctly using God's gifts according to the Word of God, to serve the body and produce the love of God within all. This is the real diversity that produces unity in one body that will fight the good fight together in love under the revealed Word of God. It takes diligent sacrifice, especially to keep ourselves turned away from this miserable world. The only thing we can do is stand apart from this world, using our diverse gifts God has given to serve the body in love of God, love for the brethren, and, in the end, love for all those who are now struggling in darkness. We must realize this is the only way, understanding thoroughly that a house, a church, a body divided against itself cannot stand. God's church will always stand, and we must ensure we are standing within it in unity, apart from a vicious, fighting mad world. The Feast of Tabernacles is the type of our holy separation in truth, apart from the world where we no longer have roots, and we must maintain that consecrated separation in unity and godly diversity for the sacrificial service to the body of Christ.
What Does 'Discerning the Lord's Body' Mean? (Part One)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeIn Paul's instructions to the Corinthian church, he emphasizes the profound unity that comes from partaking in the Passover symbols. When we individually partake of the cup of blessing and the bread, we become one with Jesus Christ. Moreover, since the whole church partakes of these symbols, everyone who does so also becomes one with Him. Because of this, the Lord's body is a collective noun, composed of those whom the Father called and are now in fellowship with Christ through symbolically sharing in His blood and His body. The overall principle is that we become spiritually unified with whatever we partake of, highlighting the importance of approaching this observance with the proper reverence and unity.
Unity and Division: The Blessing and the Curse (Part One)
'Ready Answer' by Charles WhitakerUnity is fundamental to the peace that Christ has bequeathed us, a peace that God facilitates by calling us into one body. As written to the Colossian church, let Christ's peace control you, for God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. This tight coupling of Christ's gift of peace with unity reflects the many believers forming one body, as Christ anticipated in His prayer. Using the analogy of a body, this unity supports a foundation of various unique elements essential to God's truth, implying a lack of friction or competition among the parts that make up the whole. This unity also underpins the peace Christ established between different groups, demonstrating its vital role in the collective harmony of believers. Furthermore, the fact of our unity serves as a powerful argument against practices that divide, reinforcing the importance of maintaining oneness among God's people.
Was Jesus Christ's Body Broken? (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeChrist's body was not broken, and the bread of Passover, broken so it can be shared, is a symbol of being joined to His sinless life rather than death.
God's Perseverance With His Saints (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe unity Jesus appeals for with His disciples is not organizational unity, but unity within the divine nature, exampled in the unity between He and the Father.
Psalm 133
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughTrue unity comes from God via His Holy Spirit and requires humbly submitting to God's terms rather than our own agendas.
Unity
Sermon by James BeaubelleThe virtue of love is the overarching framework for unity, demanding rigorous control over the tongue, understanding its capacity to destroy.
Unifying Behaviors
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughEvery righteous, selfless act of outgoing concern we perform promotes unity within the church, drawing brethren closer together, suggesting a spiritual law.
Psalm 133 (1998)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughUnity comes only through the initiation of God. If we would follow the suggestions in Romans 12, we could do our part in promoting unity in God's church.
The Mystery of the Church
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod desires to know whether the spiritual remnants will choose His teaching or assimilating into the world, biting and devouring one another.
Unity
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughEach member of Christ's body must choose to function in the role God has ordained to produce unity, emulating Christ in striving to please the Father
Is There a True Church?
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughGod's true church cannot be found without revelation nor can one join the organization; God calls and places each member in its appropriate place in the Body.
Is There a True Church?
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughMany 'church of God' organizations claim to be part of—or even the only—church of God. The Bible reveals specific characteristics of God's church.
Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe group that one fellowships with is less important than the understanding that there is one true church, bound by a spiritual, not a physical unity.
The Purpose of the Church
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe function of the church is like a teacher's college, preparing the firstfruits and providing them with the needed education and character development.
Titus (Part Four): Traits of a Healthy Church
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughTitus 2 gives specific instructions to senior members of the congregation, followed by instructions to the youth, explaining their responsibilities.
Government (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe authority in the ministry is a 'staff position,' given by God, as a gift for equipping the saints for service and for edifying the body of Christ.