WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:08.560 This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, the Bible teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Warren. 2 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:13.759 Today we continue in a series called the Awesome Power of Vision. In 3 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:19.480 these lessons, Pastor Rick shows us how to pursue God's amazing vision for each 4 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:24.519 of our lives so that we can see our future with faith and not fear. 5 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:29.600 But first, do you ever feel like you've lost your spark your joy? 6 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.320 In just a few moments, We're going to tell you about an exciting 7 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:39.240 new resource that will deepen your relationship with God and restore your joy. You 8 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.560 can take a sneak peek right now by going to Pastororick dot com while you 9 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:47.240 listen, and if you want, you can just text the word Daily to 10 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:53.159 eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four to find out more. Right now, 11 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:58.200 here's Pastor Rick Warren with part one of a message called Christ's Vision a 12 00:00:58.359 --> 00:01:02.280 Unified Family. You know, the night before Jesus died on the Cross, 13 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:07.079 he took the twelve men that he'd been training for his entire ministry to a 14 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.840 place where they could share the Passover meal together. Now, that place was 15 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.159 called the Upper Room because it was on the second floor of a building, 16 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.480 so it was an upper room. These twelve men had been with Jesus for 17 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.000 three and a half years as they trained to be the leaders of the church. 18 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:26.120 Now, during the Passover meal, Jesus redefined the passover with new meaning 19 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:32.120 to become the Lord's Supper. During the Lord's Supper, Judas left the room 20 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:36.799 to betray Jesus and to have him arrested. So Jesus knows that he's going 21 00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:40.159 to be dead and buried within twenty four hours. So he knows that whatever 22 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:45.239 he's going to say now would be his last words before death. Now you 23 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:49.159 know that the last words of dying people are always extremely important, and Jesus 24 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:56.239 shared his most intimate thoughts in this passage. What Jesus said in his last 25 00:01:56.280 --> 00:02:00.920 words before the cross are found in the Book of John Versus Our chapter thirteen 26 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:05.519 to chapter seventeen. Now, those five chapters in John are called the Upper 27 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:08.840 Room Discourse, And this week I want to urge you to spend the week 28 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:15.080 reading and rereading John chapter thirteen through seventeen, because it's packed with powerful spiritual 29 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:22.120 truth that we desperately need, particularly in these days. Now, in those 30 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:25.360 five chapters, the two themes that Jesus spoke the most about were a number 31 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:30.719 one how much he loves us, and number two how much we must love 32 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:35.080 each other. In the church, in fact, love is mentioned twenty one 33 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:38.360 times. Let me just show you a couple of examples. John fifteen, 34 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:42.599 verse nine. Just as the Father has loved me, so as I have 35 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:47.039 loved you. Now you must live in my love. John fifteen twelve and 36 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:53.560 thirteen. I am commanding you to love each other with the same love, 37 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:57.039 the same kind of love that I've loved you. And here's how to measure 38 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:00.120 that kind of love. He says. The greatest love you could show is 39 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:05.919 when you lay down your life for friends. And that's exactly what Jesus was 40 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:09.080 going to be doing in the next few hours. John fifteen seventeen. Again, 41 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:14.240 this is what I'm commanding you to do. You must love each other. 42 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:16.080 You get the point here, He keeps coming back to the same theme. 43 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.319 I love you. You got to love each other now. After Jesus 44 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:25.879 shared his final words, he prayed his final public prayer before going to the 45 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:30.680 cross, and that prayer is recorded in John chapter seventeen. And I want 46 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:37.000 to start today with it because it shows us. Christ lays out his vision 47 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:42.879 for us, his family, the church, and Jesus prays for us in 48 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.759 John seventeen. John seventeen, verses one and two New International, Jesus looked 49 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:52.919 up to heaven and said, Father, the time has come. In other 50 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:54.560 words, it's time for me to go to the cross. It's time for 51 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:59.719 me to die for the sins of mankind. Glorify your son, so that 52 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:05.280 You're son may glorify you. And in the first eight verses of jesus prayer 53 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:11.080 in John seventeen, he gives a ministry report to the Father of all that 54 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.840 he's done with his disciples in the last three and a half years. Then 55 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:18.720 in verse nine he prays for them, and then he prays for all of 56 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:25.399 us who have come to faith in Jesus because of them. Did you know 57 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:29.399 that Jesus prayed for you right before he was arrested and sent to the cross 58 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:32.920 to die for you. John seventeen nine to eleven says this, I'm not 59 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:38.399 praying for the world, but for those you've given me because they belong to 60 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:41.959 you. And now I'm departing the world that I'm leaving them behind. Father, 61 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:46.199 So protect them by the power of your name, so that so that 62 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:51.959 listen, they may be united as one, just as we are one. 63 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:58.759 And let me point out that this is the first mention of unity among Christians 64 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.399 in jesus prayer, but it's going to be the primary theme of the whole 65 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:05.399 prayer. And what was on Jesus's mind the most as he got ready to 66 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:11.680 go the cross was his own family, the church, and that we would 67 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:15.680 be united in love after he died and rose again. He mentions it several 68 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:20.839 times in this prayer. In John seventeen, verses twenty twenty one, Jesus 69 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:25.319 prays for you. He says this, I'm praying not only for these disciples, 70 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.519 but all for all who will believe in me because of their testimony. 71 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.319 That's you, and my prayers for all of them. That day two, 72 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:41.600 that's us will be one, unified with each other. Christians approve that we're 73 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:46.319 who we are by being one with each other. Jesus said, just as 74 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.199 I am as in you and you are in and just as you are in 75 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:53.199 me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and 76 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:59.240 the world will believe that you sent me. Now again, just as Jesus 77 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:01.800 is getting ready to die, he's most concerned about what his followers in the 78 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:05.759 church are going to be unified in love. It's uppermost in his mind. 79 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:10.240 This is the primary vision he has for us. It's what he prayed, 80 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:14.639 That's what he wanted. If something else had been more important than Jesus, 81 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.480 believe me, he would have mentioned it in this prayer. So what I 82 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:23.160 want to do in our time together today is look a little bit closer at 83 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:28.439 Christ's vision for us, a vision of unity, because it's obviously important to 84 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.720 him. Now. I don't have time to show you all the verses that 85 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:34.959 talk about unity in the scripture, but I will tell you this that in 86 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:43.319 the New Testament, it has more to say about protecting unity among Christians than 87 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:50.319 it has to say about either heaven or Hell. Did you know that you're 88 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:55.600 listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope Rip will be back in just a moment with 89 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:59.879 the rest of today's lesson. You can sign up for Pastor Rick's free email 90 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:05.040 emotional at pastorick dot com. That's pastorick dot com. How do you feel 91 00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:11.319 spiritually right now? Maybe you feel spiritually dry, like you're in a desert, 92 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:15.399 or like you're just going through the motions. Maybe you've lost your spark 93 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:20.720 your joy. God knows how you feel right now. You are not alone. 94 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:27.680 He knows even David and the Bible felt like that and Jeremiah twenty nine 95 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:31.639 thirteen. God says you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me 96 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:36.319 with all your heart. When you seek God intentionally, it leads to a 97 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:42.839 renewal of your relationship with Him. That's why Pastor Rick created a very special, 98 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:47.399 brand new resource called Going Deeper with God, a personal renewal Retreat, 99 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:54.160 and it He'll personally leave you on a spiritual journey to help you seek God. 100 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:58.639 Together, you and Pastor Rick will go through a series of audio lessons 101 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:03.439 and after each set ession, you'll take a little time to complete exercises in 102 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.040 the Companion workbook. You can do this at home in short sessions, or 103 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:11.000 you can get away for a day and do it in one sitting. Through 104 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:16.439 this retreat, you'll experience a renewal of life within you. God will restore 105 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:22.439 your joy. As he renews, refreshes, invigorates, and revives your spiritual 106 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:28.600 life. You'll never be the same again. Will send you Going Deeper with 107 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.200 God, a personal renewal retreat, as our way of saying thanks. When 108 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:37.840 you give a gift today to help daily Hope share the hope of Jesus with 109 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.600 a hurting world. Just call eight hundred and six hundred at five zero zero 110 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:46.360 four or go to Pastorick dot com to get your copy of this great resource. 111 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:56.720 That's eight hundred at six hundred five zero zero four or Pastorick dot com. 112 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:01.399 Once again, here's Rick. Now, I don't have time to show 113 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.159 you all the verses that talk about unity in the Scripture, but I will 114 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:09.039 tell you this that in the New Testament, it has more to say about 115 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:16.399 protecting unity among Christians than it has to say about either Heaven or Hell. 116 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:20.600 Did you know that the Bible in the New Testament has more to say about 117 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:26.639 Christians loving each other than it says about Heaven or Hell. In fact, 118 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:31.559 God says so much about this concept that I'm going to have to split this 119 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:35.559 message in half and teach it in two parts. So today what I'm going 120 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.559 to do is give you a quick survey of what the Bible says about the 121 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:45.960 importance of unity in the Church and why it matters so much. We're going 122 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:50.720 to look at what Jesus said, what Paul said, and what the First 123 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:54.000 Church did, and then in part two. We'll look at the specifics of 124 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:58.639 how we are to fulfill Christ's vision for us in the second part. So 125 00:09:58.679 --> 00:10:03.639 today I want to summarize what God says about the importance of unity among believers 126 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.320 in about a dozen statements. And because of that, I'm going to go 127 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:11.159 pretty fast, and I'm going to cover so many verses that I'm going to 128 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:16.440 limit my commentary on many of them. We're going to just let God's word 129 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:20.639 speak to our hearts. All right, you're ready. Here twelve statements that 130 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:28.759 summarize all that the New Testament says about unity. Number one, my unity 131 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:35.519 with other believers is the proof that I'm saved. My unity with other believers 132 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:39.440 is the proof that I'm saved. John thirteen, thirty four and thirty five 133 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:43.320 says this, Jesus is talking. I'm giving you a new commandment. You 134 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:48.240 must love each other. You must love each other in the same way that 135 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:54.000 I have loved you. Your love for one another will be the proof to 136 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:58.360 the world that you really are my disciples. You prove that you're a Christian, 137 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.879 not with a bump sticker on your car, and not by any other 138 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:05.360 action. The Bible says, the proof that you really are a Christian is 139 00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:11.000 that you love other Christians in the church. Family, all right. Number 140 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:16.440 two, write this down. The Trinity is our model for unity. The 141 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:22.120 Trinity is our model for unity. Jesus explains this in verse eleven of John 142 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:28.759 seventeen. He says this in his prayer, Holy Father, protect them by 143 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:33.519 the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that listen, 144 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:39.519 so that they may be one with each other, just as we are 145 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.960 one. I love God's word translation. It says it like this, so 146 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:48.840 that their unity may be just like ours. The Trinity is the model. 147 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.960 The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in harmony and unity with each 148 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.919 other. The three are one, and the Bible says that's the way we're 149 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:01.240 to be in the Church. We're to be unified as one. Number three. 150 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:07.399 Jesus' last prayer, very last prayer before he goes the cross, was 151 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:11.279 that we'd live in unity. John seventeen twenty one. My prayer for all 152 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:16.480 of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are 153 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:20.639 one. Father, that just as you are in me and I am in 154 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:24.639 you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe the 155 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:31.519 world will believe that you sent me. Did you notice that Jesus ties other 156 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:35.399 people coming to Christ with our unity. He says, other people will believe 157 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:39.600 when they see Christians loving each other in unity. I love it. In 158 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:46.000 the Message paraphrase translation, it says this verse twenty one. My goal for 159 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:52.679 all of them is to become one heart and mind, just as you Father 160 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:54.759 in me and I in you. They may they be one heart and mind 161 00:12:54.799 --> 00:13:03.240 along with us. Then the world may believe that you sent me. This 162 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.519 is Jesus' vision, and this is Jesus' goal for you and for me, 163 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:13.039 for anybody who claims to the name of Christ. Now, in the next 164 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.320 verse of jesus prayer, we learn the fourth principle, and it's this, 165 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:24.240 God gives us his glory so that we'll be unified. God gives us his 166 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:28.879 glory so that we, as Christians will be unified. John seventeen twenty two. 167 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:35.000 He says, I've given them talking to Christians, the glory you gave 168 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.320 me, so that here's the so that it's a Henna clause in Greek, 169 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:43.399 so that they may be one just as we are one. Now listen what 170 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:48.720 this means. Is this the purpose of God's presence in your life? The 171 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:56.480 purpose of God's power in our lives is to make us more loving, not 172 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:01.639 more harsh, not more opinionated, not more stubborn, but more loving. 173 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.279 He says, I gave them your glory so that we may be one and 174 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:11.720 they may be one, just as we are. Do you want God's glory 175 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:16.480 in your life? Do you want God's power in your life? Do you 176 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:20.159 want to feel God's presence in your life? Jesus says, he gives his 177 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:26.279 glory, that's his power to those who lay aside secondary differences with other Christians, 178 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:30.960 the secondary differences, the things that don't really matter, and live in 179 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:35.120 unity with other believers. Now, the next verse gives us the fifth truth 180 00:14:35.159 --> 00:14:43.000 about unity. Our unity, God says, is our greatest witness to unbelievers. 181 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:46.679 Our unity is our greatest witness to unbelievers. That's verse twenty three. 182 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:52.240 Jesus prayed, this, may they be brought into complete unity, so that 183 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:58.039 there's another, so that so that the world knows that you sent me and 184 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.240 that you have loved them even as you have loved me. Now, did 185 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:07.399 you notice this is the second time that Jesus connects the unity of Christians to 186 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:13.799 winning the world to Christ. He's saying that the world will not be one 187 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:22.440 w n to Christ until Christians are one in e in unity. We will 188 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.759 win the world when we're one in Christ. Another way of saying it is 189 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:31.360 this, if unbelievers like what they see, they will listen to what we 190 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.320 say. But if they don't like what they see, they don't see us 191 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.840 loving each other, they're not going to listen to what we say. Again, 192 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:41.840 I like the message translation of this verse John seventeen twenty three. It 193 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:50.399 says this, then they'll be mature in their oneness, giving the godless world 194 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:56.320 the evidence that you've sent me and that you've loved them in the same way 195 00:15:56.360 --> 00:16:00.240 you've loved me. The evidence for atheists, the evidence for agnostics, the 196 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:06.960 evidence for other faiths is to be the love Christians have for each other. 197 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:11.399 Now, okay, there is just some of what Jesus says about the importance 198 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.360 of unity. But now I want us to look at how the first Church 199 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:19.399 in Jerusalem, in other words, the first Christians implemented and practiced and applied 200 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:22.919 all the verses. We just looked at what Jesus said about unity, and 201 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.840 to go to that, see that, we've got to go to the Book 202 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:32.519 of Acts, where we learn two more important truths about the power of unity 203 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:36.360 in a church family. Write this down. Here's the sixth truth we learn 204 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:47.279 from scripture. Unity removes fear and creates boldness. Unity removes fear and creates 205 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:52.759 boldness. What am I saying that a unified church gives everybody more power and 206 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:57.600 more courage than a divided church. Where do we find this? In Acts 207 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:03.480 Chapter four twenty four and thirty one, the apostles or the disciples, Peter 208 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:07.759 and John had actually been put in prison. They had done a miracle, 209 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:11.039 and they were preaching in the name of Jesus, and then they couldn't hold 210 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:15.440 them, so they let them out. And when they came back to the 211 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.000 church, it says in verse twenty four, then all the believers united together 212 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:25.079 in prayer. That brings unity. When we pray together, it unifies us. 213 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:30.519 And it says, after this prayer, this unified prayer of all the 214 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:33.720 people in the church, it says, after the prayer, the building where 215 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.920 they were meeting shook. That's power. That must have been a pretty powerful 216 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:41.559 prayer. The building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled 217 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:48.400 with God's Holy Spirit, and they began to speak God's message with boldness. 218 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:55.039 Would you like to be more fearless? Does fear plague you? Insecurity? 219 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:57.359 Plague you? Anxiety plague you? Would you like to be more fearless? 220 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:00.720 Would you like to be more bold? Do you wish you were more confident 221 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:06.480 in sharing your faith? Let me give you a little secret. Focus on 222 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:11.759 your unity with other Christians. The Bible says when they were unified, they 223 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:15.359 became bold in speaking the word of God. I want you to write this 224 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:23.000 down. Division creates fear. Unity removes fear. Division creates fear. Wherever 225 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.839 you find a vision in a church, it's going to create fear in that 226 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:36.440 church. But unity removes fear. Division destroys vision. But there's another thing 227 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:38.839 that we learned from the first Christians in the Book of Acts, and it's 228 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:45.200 this, write this down. When a church is unified, everybody's needs are 229 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:52.960 met. When a church is truly unified, truly unified the way Christ wants 230 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:56.920 us to be, everybody's needs, all the members' needs are met. And 231 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:02.039 we find an example of this in Acts, chapter four, verse thirty two. 232 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:07.519 It says, there the entire group of believers that's the church, we're 233 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:14.599 completely united in their hearts and in their Spirit, and everybody shared their possessions 234 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:18.279 with each other. In fact, they shared everything they had, so nobody 235 00:19:18.359 --> 00:19:22.960 had any need. The Bible tells us in Acts two that this was impressive 236 00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:27.599 to the Christian to the non Christians in Jerusalem, that they had the favor 237 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:32.240 of people because they said, see how they love one another. Okay, 238 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:36.680 now we've looked at what Jesus said, and we looked at what the New 239 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:41.279 Testament Christians did in Jerusalem. Now let's look at what Paul has to say 240 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:45.319 about Christ's vision for unity in the church. It's Paul spends a lot of 241 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.839 time talking about the importance of unity in both his letters to the Corinthian Church 242 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:55.119 in corinth Home in Greece City and Greece, and to the Church at Ephesus. 243 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:56.839 He says, it's a big deal. Write this down number eight. 244 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:03.039 Here's the eighth. In the summarizing all the Bible says about unity, Baptism 245 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:11.640 and communion are the visible signs of unity. Baptism and communion are the visible 246 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:15.359 signs of unity. Both of them are symbols of our incorporation into the body 247 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:22.559 of Christ. Both of them visualize that we now don't just belong to Christ 248 00:20:22.680 --> 00:20:26.640 we belong to each other. If you've been baptized, if you've taken communion, 249 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:33.279 you don't just belong to Jesus. You belong to others, everybody else 250 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:36.960 in the family of God, everybody else in your church family. Now, 251 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:41.960 first, baptism is a sign that I intend to protect the unity of the 252 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:45.160 church family, that I belong to. You say, where's that one? 253 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:51.039 Corinthians twelve, twelve and thirteen says this, For just as your body is 254 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:56.000 a unity, even though it has many different parts, it is with Christ's 255 00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:02.200 body the same, he says the church. This is Pastor Rick's daily hope. 256 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:06.079 We're so happy that you've chosen to study along with us today. If 257 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:11.039 you'd like to receive ris free daily devotional, go to Pastorick dot com and 258 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:14.799 sign up right now. Rick will be right back to close out our time 259 00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:18.279 today. But first, how do you feel spiritually right now? Maybe you 260 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:22.599 feel spiritually dry, like you're in a desert, or like you're just going 261 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:27.359 through the motions. Maybe you've lost your spark, your joy. God knows 262 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:32.839 how you feel right now, and you're not alone. He knows. Even 263 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:37.240 David and the Bible felt like that, and Jeremiah twenty nine thirteen. God 264 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:41.559 says, you will seek me and find me when you seek Me with all 265 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.200 your heart. When you seek God intentionally, it leads to a renewal of 266 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:51.279 your relationship with him. That's why Pastor Rick created a very special, brand 267 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:56.920 new resource called Going Deeper with God, a personal renewal retreat. Right now, 268 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.039 here's Pastor Rick to tell you more. Let me ask you a very 269 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:08.640 personal and serious question. Would you truly like to have a deeper relationship with 270 00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:14.599 God? Not a superficial one, a deep one Jeremiah twenty nine thirteen. 271 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.799 God says this, you will seek me and find me when you seek for 272 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:23.240 Me with all your heart. When you seek God intentionally, it leads to 273 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:27.279 a renewal of your relationship with him. You're as close to God as you 274 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:30.079 want to be, and if you want to be closer, it's up to 275 00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:37.279 you. That's why I created a Going Deeper with God Personal Renewal Retreat. 276 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:42.920 Yeah, Going Deeper with God Personal Renewal Retreat. It's retreat just meant for 277 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:47.519 you where you can get alone with God and you can connect with Him in 278 00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:53.400 an intimate way that's going to refresh and renew and revitalize your relationship with God. 279 00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:56.720 It's going to give you a deeper understanding of His love, and it 280 00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:00.480 will also prepare you to be used by God God in the days ahead. 281 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:06.160 Now, as I lead you through this Going Deeper with God Retreat, my 282 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:12.079 hope is that God will use it to completely revitalize and re energize your spiritual 283 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:18.200 life. Together, we'll go through a series of audio lessons and after each 284 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:22.000 session you'll just take a little bit of time to complete the exercises in the 285 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:26.519 companion workbook that I've prepared for you. And you can do this. You 286 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:29.440 can do it at home, you can do it at school. You can 287 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:33.240 do it in short sessions, or you can get away for a whole day 288 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:38.200 and do it all in one setting. My goal is to strengthen your relationship 289 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:45.240 with God, deepen your commitment, and surrendered Him in affirm your commitment to 290 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:49.240 live for His glory. You know, maybe you've never thought about this, 291 00:23:49.319 --> 00:23:52.000 but God, You're ready to go deeper with you. He's just waiting on 292 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:56.680 you. Now. I want to help you get started by sending you a 293 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:00.839 copy of Going Deeper with God today, and when you partner daily, hope 294 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:04.319 to take the word of God. These positive messages to people all around the 295 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:11.079 world. My team is going to send you this very special spiritual growth tool 296 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:15.000 just to say thanks. I hope you'll take advantage of this. Today we'll 297 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:21.039 send you Going Deeper with God, a personal renewal retreat, as our way 298 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:25.400 of saying thanks when you give a gift today to help Daily Hope share the 299 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:30.000 hope of Jesus with a hurting world. Just call eight hundred six hundred five 300 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:34.680 thousand and four or go to Pastororrick dot com to get your copy of this 301 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:41.119 great resource. That's eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four or Pastorick dot 302 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:45.640 com. Be sure to join us next time as we look into God's word 303 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:52.079 for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and 304 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:53.880 your generous financial support.