One: A Right Kind of Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3, John 17:20-23)

I have a confession to make. I love Jesus’ church, call it what you will, New Hope, Inspire, Calvery Chapel, Hope Chapel, and many others. Jesus has one bride and she is beautiful. We have different styles of worship, teaching etc, all by God’s design. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers but in the same gospel of Matthew, he speaks of being a sword that divides even close family members. How does Jesus reconcile this? For one, unity for unity sake does not work. we can unify in anger or wrong and destructive belief systems or we can unify in truth and love. When the church understands what unity is and what it is not we can draw together under a banner of love which is Jesus plan to reach the world with the gospel without sacrificing truth.