Jeff Reynolds One desire: Unity is ours to Keep not to Make. Jesus is our Unity

Unity is ours to Keep. Not to Make.

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Eph 4:3

Unity is a foundation of the Kingdom of God and the core reality of the Trinity. It is not unusual or special. It is the bedrock of Heaven, all her creatures and the Kingdom family on earth.

Unity in the world is unusual, special and extremely powerful. It is hard to come by. When it is in motion amazing things come from it.

The tower of Babel showed us that unified humanity can accomplish incredible things.
Modern accomplishments when people combine in co-laboring unity and strategy???
Going from horses as the mode of travel to landing on the moon in 100 years. Yea, that was some kind of amazing products from unified humanity.

Years ago I noticed a subtle difference regarding unity.

It is ours to keep as an assignment from heaven. Not ours to make as a human effort from the earth. Unity is the foundation of the work of Jesus. One LORD. One Faith. ONE God and Father in and through all.

This is very important. Carrying the weight or cause for unity does not mean we strap on the weapons of the world and coerce people into action.

Taking that route is a terribly burdening pathway. Carrying this burden was not meant for us.   Jesus carried it and perfected it in his perfect worship as he walked in the Father's will.

In ultimate reality and the Kingdom of God, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of everything. He is in all things and through all things and all things exist for him and through him. A very powerful thought if you let it sink in.

Jesus is the Voice of God at this time. (Heb 1:1-3) There is no other voice. Jesus is the Trinity God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the unity that will ultimately reconcile all things to himself (Ephesians 1:9-10).

That is why the author of Ephesians can cry out,

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.… (Eph 4:4-6)

Churches, believers, schools, movements do not generate the unity of the Kingdom. Jesus does.

Unity already exists as the base reality in heaven and in the perfect work of Christ. When the redemptive power of the blood of Christ combines with the healing power of the cross of Jesus, the true unity of the Kingdom is poured out in abundance. There is no unity without the healing and humility of a servant of Jesus. The heart of love and the revelation of the Lord's perfect work in the cross empowers our energies for receiving and welcoming the unity carried in the Kingdom of God.

Unity reflects healing and righteousness in real relationships.
Unity is established in love, surrender and following Christ as the first love. Any real unity in the Kingdom will reflect the Kingdom and righteousness first. It will be childlike and like Jesus. Laying down its life for its friends is the kind of unity Jesus builds (I John 3:16).

Jesus identified this unity as "one as we are one".
The Father and the Lord Jesus perfectly unified, moving together, honoring one another, pouring out love and reaching out to each other, they co-labor in perfect unity. When this revelation of the Father gets displayed on the earth the key apologetic cries out, "Jesus has come to save". Our unity is central to the world believing that he was sent from the Father. Wow.

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:21f

The apostolic heart of the Lord Jesus calls for unity around the presence as a

primary mission.

praying together as churches and fellowships (maybe once a year - it's a start)
worshiping together in the presence - unity experienced
uniting in city-wide prayer and cooperating together around impacting ministry and mission.

These are good expressions of the unity Jesus won for us. There is so much more!

Shaking things with unity power and a singular focus on Jesus.

24/1's Twenty Four Hours of non-stop worship and prayer - Nearly every January for the past 5 years our fellowship has hosted 10-25 churches and ministries to bring in the New Year with worship and prayer for 24 straight hours.
It is awesome.
To dwell together in Jesus, celebrating all the expressions of his love offered by so many and to have the privileged of being in his presence for a long time....nothing can beat it.

It speaks loudly to the world about one thing. Jesus. Nothing else happens but prayer and worship unto the Lord Jesus. It bears witness to a tangible expression of love and serving the Lord together.   That is all the gathering is about. Being in his presence unified, activated in love and prayer.

In 2014 we had ministries from all five of our surrounding cities.   The earth seemed to shake with unity power.

Are any other forms of unity, ones without Jesus as the center and originator, of any value to the Kingdom of God? Jesus was clear, "you can do nothing without me" (John 15:5).

We are well versed in cultural paradigms that promote brand unity and identity unity around a cause or program. As organizations with a ministry focus, there is great emphasis placed on this type of action. We get so intentional with our local fellowships we fall into a hole of every focus on what is for our fellowship or ministry. This kind of intentionality is outside of the heartbeat of the ministry and wider love Jesus has for all the Saints. Why are we so weak on the most powerful expression of the work of Jesus? Unity. Why is love for one another not considered on a church to church level?

Here are some questions to ask about the unity we are experiencing or lacking:

1) Is it dependent on Jesus to exist? Is he the glue, the reason it is held together? If not how can it bring eternal praise to him or grow the Kingdom?

2) Is it focused on love and service to the Body of Christ and the world? (I John 3:16)

3) Does it produce Kingdom fruit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness....? (I Corinthians 14:1)

4) Can it succeed without God? Does it need God to sustain it and be present to give it life? (John 15:5)

The Body of Christ may not have a proper taste for unity. A unity that is rooted and established in Jesus versus the common cultural understanding of running projects in our day.

It is hard to know what is missing if something has never been tasted.

It is hard to endure in hope when you've tasted the power of unity in the Love of Jesus and the freedom of the Kingdom of God when it is struggling to find a footing.

I understand the pathway to unity to be:

Jesus originates it, died for it, culminates it and is first as the focus of it.
Jesus sustains and brings the healing that advances unity.
Jesus fulfills the call to unity by his relationship with all of us- as diverse as we are - he is as in love with our cantankerous brothers and sisters as he is with us! He does not respect persons.