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Jesus prays for us believers to be in unity
20 "I’m not praying only for them. I’m also praying for those who will believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are. 23 I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.
John 17
In this prayer that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane the entire theme is for us believers to remain in unity. It is the single most important issue on his mind before being arrested and going to the cross.
Jesus' request for unity in the Body is something that we have the ability to help facilitate. We go “boldly to the throne room” with our own petitions in full expectation that he will answer our requests, and yet we do nothing to promote his prayer.
This is a serious double standard, for us to expect an answer to our prayers, while refusing to even try to answer our Lord's supplication.
Our being united is so important because it is a witness to the world.
34 I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.35 By this it will be clear to all men that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.
John 13
Many souls will be in hell that would have otherwise entered the kingdom of heaven because of our divisions. We have thrown away a divine witness that Jesus promised, that not only united us as a body, but also united us with him and the Father.
Paul, himself, implores the early believers to keep from tearing apart the body.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ." Can Christ be divided into pieces? 1 Cor. 1:10-13 (NLT)
His incredulous statement “Can Christ be divided into pieces?” has been true for many hundreds of years. The prolific Church of power that Paul knew has been replaced with a powerless eunuch.
What would Paul say if he were to come back to face the denominational leaders?
More importantly, what would Jesus say of the blatant disregard that we have taken to his prayer? It asked so little of us and promised oneness with himself and the Father if we followed it.
I guarantee, that whatever Jesus would say would be rejected by those that have taken us in this divisive direction and those that perpetuate it. The religious leaders of Jesus day were also divisive and there were many sects of the Jewish religion. They rejected the words of Jesus because their hearts were not right. Jesus calls them "sons of the Devil" because they were doing Satan's work. Who else fights so hard to split believers into separate camps and rob them of their true power?
Those who cause divisions are either knowingly or unknowingly being used to promote this assault on the Body of Christ.
We can do nothing if we do not love one another.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches: he who is in me at all times as I am in him, gives much fruit, because without me you are able to do nothing...
10 If you keep my laws, you will be ever in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s laws, and am ever in his love...
12 This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you...
John 15
Jesus says we should be giving much fruit. The picture here is a grapevine that overflows with clusters of grapes. We see the example of the early Church "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Some churches won't see a single person added in a years time. The power of the Church has been robbed because we are not operating in the law that Jesus gave us. We are operating in our own power and will continue to do so until we follow this one simple law we have been given.
Consider 1 Cor 12:28
And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
It talks of apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, gifts of healing, helpers, administrators, gift of tongues. How many of these are missing in the church of today?
The following verse describes the power of just one of these ministries that we currently lack.
But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 1 Cor 14:24,25
These are the very things that would be a witness to the world and these are the very things lacking from our present day church. I remind you of the words of Jesus, “So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me” . It is no coincidence that we are lacking in these gifts in our mainstream denominations.
Who are these that would fracture the body of Christ?
And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.
I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;
Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men?
For when one says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos; are you not talking like natural men?
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them.
I Cor. 1:1-5
These men espouse to be leaders, heading denominations and yet they are still infants in Christ, drinking milk without any deep understanding of the Word. Teaching man's doctrine while ignoring the most important of Christ's teachings.
There was 1 Church in Jerusalem, 1 Church in Thyatira, Sardis, Ephesus, etc...
We see no evidence of the body of believers splitting into factions where they would be more "comfortable" fellowshipping with those who agreed with them more. In fact we see people fellowshipping that had extreme differences of opinions, some even bordered on denying the basic tenets of faith.
The Church was defined by geographic distance, not pet theological differences. There is still only 1 Church in each town, but, man has splintered it and placed it into different buildings with different labels. Some even have animosity towards one another and yet claim to be serving the same Christ.
Each claims to have the more complete truth and yet all lack the complete power.
The signs and wonders that Jesus promised were to accompany us as we proclaim the Gospel are rare to nonexistent.
Did Jesus promise change? Did his power disappear? No, we have not followed his command and have lost out on his power.
When we return to following his commands then we will see the return of his power.
Modern Day Example
I have had the opportunity to see this first hand on the dusty border towns of Mexico.
I went to visit a missionary friend of mine in Roma, Texas and we went to a prayer meeting in a town on the Mexican side where pastors from different denominations were meeting every Saturday praying for the town. I didn't speak Spanish at that time, but, I could feel the power of God so strongly as they prayed. They laid hands on one another and prayed for the anointing on each other.
I mentioned to John feeling the power of God even though I didn't understand anything they were saying. He told me that it had not always been that way, at one time these pastors had been adversaries. They had been in competition with each other, vying for the few churchgoers in town.
Periodically, they would have a meeting of the pastors where they would primarily boast about their churches attendance and accomplishments. Meanwhile, John's church had begun an early morning prayer meeting where they had been praying for unity because John had seen what was going on in these churches and especially at these pastor fellowships.
One of these meetings was scheduled at a public place with a lot of people in attendance, including the mayor and many of the town leaders. In front of them all, one of the pastors got up and began to confess to one of the other pastors how he had said things about him and had slandered him and his church to further his own ministry. After he asked for forgiveness, the other pastors began to confess similar deeds and true unity came about that day. The prayer group began and the power of God fell on all of the churches. People were saved and the churches swelled in attendance as revival came about in this town that had only felt cold religion in the past.
Unity allows for power that pierces the darkest places
One of those saved was a man that had been an accountant with the drug cartel. He had laundered money for them in various enterprises and had become very wealthy. When he became saved he had no choice but to stop his former lifestyle, for which he expected to be killed by the cartel. Miraculously his life was spared and he committed to full time children's ministry and evangelism, selling the possessions that he had, land, buildings, large equipment, etc.. to minister to those in need. When we were there he had used all of his money and had sold the majority of his possessions and was living purely on faith.
We had bought a huge amount of snacks from Sam's for the trip down there that we had not even opened and were wondering what had possessed us to fill the entire back of the car with all of this stuff. When I asked John if there was anyone to give them to he immediately called this man. His wife answered the phone and told John that they had been praying for snacks because the next day he was to feed the children in the town he was ministering to and he had no money and no way to get any.
The next day we headed to meet him and drop off the treats, during which he invited us to go to the children's meeting with him. We agreed and headed out with him to the town where the children were. I was imagining we were going to a service like most I had seen in the US and Costa Rica where entertainment met the gospel message in a nice clean little setting, the reality was nothing like that.
My first clue should have been when the children's pastor turned around in his seat and began to warn me that this was an evil town where the #1 source of income was a bridge on the U.S.-Mexico border where people would take their own children halfway across at night to meet pedophiles from the U.S. and sell them for sex. The #2 source of income was the same children having to swim across the Rio Grande (something treacherous even for grown men) with drugs, because, if the children were caught the U.S. law enforcement wouldn't do anything to them, unlike the adults, who would go to prison.
There was nothing that could be done to help these kids because the police in the town were fully aware of the situation and profited from it also.
That was shocking and sad, but, what he told me next was that I would feel the oppression as we neared the town. My reaction was to nod and act like I was believing every word. Inside my head I was thinking this to be extreme drama and possible delusion. Lucky for me he did warn me, for as we neared the town and a cold sense of evil came over me, I looked up to see the city sign and 2 men standing by it. They stared straight at us with black eyes of hatred that would make anyone feel unwelcome, even if you didn't know what was going on here.
We got to the building, a small rusty old building with a tin roof, no decorations or normal fanfare that would draw children in, not even air conditioning. It was 104 degrees that day and the building was much hotter, I guessed it to be 115 to 120 and packed with kids. We walked by the food being prepared, and was told this is the best meal these kids will get all week. Walking further inside the pastor begins the service. There are no clowns, cartoons or prizes like their US counterparts would have, just preaching of the gospel with the raw power of God like I have never felt before or since.
"Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" Never have I seen or experienced this more than in this place.
John called me up to help and as he prayed for these children the Spirit came on them. I could feel the power build as he layed hands on each one and they would fall, as God obviously was doing a work in these children that were in this terrible situation we were powerless to do anything about. I could feel the grief of God so strong that I believe if I had begun weeping, like my heart felt compelled, I would have wept for hours.
It was getting dark and we had to leave, this was not a town gringos should be in, much less at night. I left changed in a deep way from the most intense ministry I had experienced. Where light pierced terrible darkness that had been allowed to exist because of the dead religion of the neighboring towns.
The power the unity had spawned allowed the gospel to touch this town in a way that the old dead religion could not even have begun to.
I am sure the early Church experienced similar situations as the light of the Gospel was brought into previously untouched areas. Their unity and power allowed Christianity to spread like wildfire for over 300 years.
I wonder what would happen to our communities and to our missions if we dropped the fighting amongst ourselves and answered Jesus' call to be in unity?
I believe we would see a revival in our churches like this generation has never seen before, much like those before who have obeyed his call.
20 "I’m not praying only for them. I’m also praying for those who will believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are. 23 I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.
John 17
In this prayer that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane the entire theme is for us believers to remain in unity. It is the single most important issue on his mind before being arrested and going to the cross.
Jesus' request for unity in the Body is something that we have the ability to help facilitate. We go “boldly to the throne room” with our own petitions in full expectation that he will answer our requests, and yet we do nothing to promote his prayer.
This is a serious double standard, for us to expect an answer to our prayers, while refusing to even try to answer our Lord's supplication.
Our being united is so important because it is a witness to the world.
34 I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.35 By this it will be clear to all men that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.
John 13
Many souls will be in hell that would have otherwise entered the kingdom of heaven because of our divisions. We have thrown away a divine witness that Jesus promised, that not only united us as a body, but also united us with him and the Father.
Paul, himself, implores the early believers to keep from tearing apart the body.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments, dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ." Can Christ be divided into pieces? 1 Cor. 1:10-13 (NLT)
His incredulous statement “Can Christ be divided into pieces?” has been true for many hundreds of years. The prolific Church of power that Paul knew has been replaced with a powerless eunuch.
What would Paul say if he were to come back to face the denominational leaders?
More importantly, what would Jesus say of the blatant disregard that we have taken to his prayer? It asked so little of us and promised oneness with himself and the Father if we followed it.
I guarantee, that whatever Jesus would say would be rejected by those that have taken us in this divisive direction and those that perpetuate it. The religious leaders of Jesus day were also divisive and there were many sects of the Jewish religion. They rejected the words of Jesus because their hearts were not right. Jesus calls them "sons of the Devil" because they were doing Satan's work. Who else fights so hard to split believers into separate camps and rob them of their true power?
Those who cause divisions are either knowingly or unknowingly being used to promote this assault on the Body of Christ.
We can do nothing if we do not love one another.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches: he who is in me at all times as I am in him, gives much fruit, because without me you are able to do nothing...
10 If you keep my laws, you will be ever in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s laws, and am ever in his love...
12 This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you...
John 15
Jesus says we should be giving much fruit. The picture here is a grapevine that overflows with clusters of grapes. We see the example of the early Church "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Some churches won't see a single person added in a years time. The power of the Church has been robbed because we are not operating in the law that Jesus gave us. We are operating in our own power and will continue to do so until we follow this one simple law we have been given.
Consider 1 Cor 12:28
And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
It talks of apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, gifts of healing, helpers, administrators, gift of tongues. How many of these are missing in the church of today?
The following verse describes the power of just one of these ministries that we currently lack.
But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 1 Cor 14:24,25
These are the very things that would be a witness to the world and these are the very things lacking from our present day church. I remind you of the words of Jesus, “So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me” . It is no coincidence that we are lacking in these gifts in our mainstream denominations.
Who are these that would fracture the body of Christ?
And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.
I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;
Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men?
For when one says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos; are you not talking like natural men?
What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them.
I Cor. 1:1-5
These men espouse to be leaders, heading denominations and yet they are still infants in Christ, drinking milk without any deep understanding of the Word. Teaching man's doctrine while ignoring the most important of Christ's teachings.
There was 1 Church in Jerusalem, 1 Church in Thyatira, Sardis, Ephesus, etc...
We see no evidence of the body of believers splitting into factions where they would be more "comfortable" fellowshipping with those who agreed with them more. In fact we see people fellowshipping that had extreme differences of opinions, some even bordered on denying the basic tenets of faith.
The Church was defined by geographic distance, not pet theological differences. There is still only 1 Church in each town, but, man has splintered it and placed it into different buildings with different labels. Some even have animosity towards one another and yet claim to be serving the same Christ.
Each claims to have the more complete truth and yet all lack the complete power.
The signs and wonders that Jesus promised were to accompany us as we proclaim the Gospel are rare to nonexistent.
Did Jesus promise change? Did his power disappear? No, we have not followed his command and have lost out on his power.
When we return to following his commands then we will see the return of his power.
Modern Day Example
I have had the opportunity to see this first hand on the dusty border towns of Mexico.
I went to visit a missionary friend of mine in Roma, Texas and we went to a prayer meeting in a town on the Mexican side where pastors from different denominations were meeting every Saturday praying for the town. I didn't speak Spanish at that time, but, I could feel the power of God so strongly as they prayed. They laid hands on one another and prayed for the anointing on each other.
I mentioned to John feeling the power of God even though I didn't understand anything they were saying. He told me that it had not always been that way, at one time these pastors had been adversaries. They had been in competition with each other, vying for the few churchgoers in town.
Periodically, they would have a meeting of the pastors where they would primarily boast about their churches attendance and accomplishments. Meanwhile, John's church had begun an early morning prayer meeting where they had been praying for unity because John had seen what was going on in these churches and especially at these pastor fellowships.
One of these meetings was scheduled at a public place with a lot of people in attendance, including the mayor and many of the town leaders. In front of them all, one of the pastors got up and began to confess to one of the other pastors how he had said things about him and had slandered him and his church to further his own ministry. After he asked for forgiveness, the other pastors began to confess similar deeds and true unity came about that day. The prayer group began and the power of God fell on all of the churches. People were saved and the churches swelled in attendance as revival came about in this town that had only felt cold religion in the past.
Unity allows for power that pierces the darkest places
One of those saved was a man that had been an accountant with the drug cartel. He had laundered money for them in various enterprises and had become very wealthy. When he became saved he had no choice but to stop his former lifestyle, for which he expected to be killed by the cartel. Miraculously his life was spared and he committed to full time children's ministry and evangelism, selling the possessions that he had, land, buildings, large equipment, etc.. to minister to those in need. When we were there he had used all of his money and had sold the majority of his possessions and was living purely on faith.
We had bought a huge amount of snacks from Sam's for the trip down there that we had not even opened and were wondering what had possessed us to fill the entire back of the car with all of this stuff. When I asked John if there was anyone to give them to he immediately called this man. His wife answered the phone and told John that they had been praying for snacks because the next day he was to feed the children in the town he was ministering to and he had no money and no way to get any.
The next day we headed to meet him and drop off the treats, during which he invited us to go to the children's meeting with him. We agreed and headed out with him to the town where the children were. I was imagining we were going to a service like most I had seen in the US and Costa Rica where entertainment met the gospel message in a nice clean little setting, the reality was nothing like that.
My first clue should have been when the children's pastor turned around in his seat and began to warn me that this was an evil town where the #1 source of income was a bridge on the U.S.-Mexico border where people would take their own children halfway across at night to meet pedophiles from the U.S. and sell them for sex. The #2 source of income was the same children having to swim across the Rio Grande (something treacherous even for grown men) with drugs, because, if the children were caught the U.S. law enforcement wouldn't do anything to them, unlike the adults, who would go to prison.
There was nothing that could be done to help these kids because the police in the town were fully aware of the situation and profited from it also.
That was shocking and sad, but, what he told me next was that I would feel the oppression as we neared the town. My reaction was to nod and act like I was believing every word. Inside my head I was thinking this to be extreme drama and possible delusion. Lucky for me he did warn me, for as we neared the town and a cold sense of evil came over me, I looked up to see the city sign and 2 men standing by it. They stared straight at us with black eyes of hatred that would make anyone feel unwelcome, even if you didn't know what was going on here.
We got to the building, a small rusty old building with a tin roof, no decorations or normal fanfare that would draw children in, not even air conditioning. It was 104 degrees that day and the building was much hotter, I guessed it to be 115 to 120 and packed with kids. We walked by the food being prepared, and was told this is the best meal these kids will get all week. Walking further inside the pastor begins the service. There are no clowns, cartoons or prizes like their US counterparts would have, just preaching of the gospel with the raw power of God like I have never felt before or since.
"Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" Never have I seen or experienced this more than in this place.
John called me up to help and as he prayed for these children the Spirit came on them. I could feel the power build as he layed hands on each one and they would fall, as God obviously was doing a work in these children that were in this terrible situation we were powerless to do anything about. I could feel the grief of God so strong that I believe if I had begun weeping, like my heart felt compelled, I would have wept for hours.
It was getting dark and we had to leave, this was not a town gringos should be in, much less at night. I left changed in a deep way from the most intense ministry I had experienced. Where light pierced terrible darkness that had been allowed to exist because of the dead religion of the neighboring towns.
The power the unity had spawned allowed the gospel to touch this town in a way that the old dead religion could not even have begun to.
I am sure the early Church experienced similar situations as the light of the Gospel was brought into previously untouched areas. Their unity and power allowed Christianity to spread like wildfire for over 300 years.
I wonder what would happen to our communities and to our missions if we dropped the fighting amongst ourselves and answered Jesus' call to be in unity?
I believe we would see a revival in our churches like this generation has never seen before, much like those before who have obeyed his call.
Denominationalism