Tonight’s sermon continued the series ‘The A-Z of Christian Faith’, looking at the vital importance of unity in our Christian walk. John 17:20-23 looks at Jesus’s prayer for all believers and we see from this several crucial points about unity:

1. Unity comes through union with God. Jesus prayed for His disciples to be one as He is one with the Father. The union in the Godhead is the basis for all Christian unity. The church is not just a club for like-minded people; it is the body of Christ, and unity is derived from our abiding in Christ (see Jn 15:1-5, 1 Cor 12:12-27).
2. Unity is not the same as uniformity. We don’t all have to look the same or dress the same or even agree about everything in order to be united! Rom 12:4-5 makes it clear that there can be unity in diversity. The disciples were all vastly different people (in terms of temperament and professions, politics and philosophies) and far from dividing us, our differences can make a positive declaration that our unity of purpose stems from God alone. It’s not necessarily easy to be united (Paul urges us to ‘make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’, Eph 4:2), but it is possible as we remain in Christ.
3. Unity is essential in our witness to the world. Jesus prays for us to be brought to complete unity because ‘then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’ (Jn 17:23) Unity is a powerful sign to the world that God is at work. When we are united in Christ, the world will believe that God sent Jesus (Jn 17:21). This is because we will have the same heart and mind that God has and therefore we will reflect His character, His aims and His purposes. Christian unity is one of the most powerful witnesses we can ever have, for when we are united in love, other people will see God in us and through us; it’s a vital part of evangelism and a powerful testimony to the world of God’s love and power which can overcome differences and unite people in Him.
4. Unity is the pathway to blessing. Ps 133:3 talks of God commanding or bestowing His blessing on those who are united. As we love, forgive, care for and build up others, we reflect God’s nature and make room for His blessings!

Christian unity is not simply wishful thinking; it is possible because we have become people who share in God’s divine nature (2 Pet 1:4, Jn 1:12-13) and therefore have access to something of His glory (Jn 17:22). As we dwell in Christ, nothing can divide us (see Col 3:11, Eph 2:14-22) and our unity can be a powerful witness to a world struggling with division, distress and broken relationships.

Garry talked this morning at Cherry Tree Court about the pace at which people walk. Often, if walking with other people, we have to modify our pace to suit other people, either walking faster than usual or slowing our pace down to accommodate them. As we get older, we may walk more slowly than we used to; the very young among us, who are learning to walk, are also usually slow and faltering in their walk.

Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to walk alongside us – and the amazing truth is He walks at our pace. He doesn’t drag us along, hurrying us up, nor does He walk ahead of us, expecting us to scurry after Him. He is with us forever, staying with us, working with us as we are, a constant companion and friend, better than even the most effective ‘personal trainer.’ John 14:26 reminds us that He is our teacher, enabling us to do more than we could possibly achieve on our own. We may all have different ‘starting points’ in life, but the Holy Spirit works with us to be more than we could ever be in our own strength.

God has also given helpers in the church in the form of ministry gifts (Eph 4:11-13) to build us up to maturity and to bless others. We can be grateful for all the help God gives us and can be secure in the fact that the Holy Spirit walks alongside us, leading us into the good works God has prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10)

There was lots to see and do at the Winter Wonderland event in Thurnscoe Flower Park this afternoon, including ice-skating, funfair rides, craft and food stalls and Thurnscoe Harmonic Male Voice Choir!

200 goody bags were given out to different families and a variety of craft activities were either done or taken home by families. It was good to see members from different churches helping out with this. Thanks to all who helped – we look forward to a great event next Friday at the Goldthorpe Christmas Market!

It’s very easy for younger generations to view Remembrance Sunday as a historical exercise only. Their only experience of war may have come from history lessons, TV or films; it’s perhaps surprising for us to realise that even the Falklands’ War (1982) comes into the history syllabus nowadays! For many, however, the horrors of war are all too real and it is good to take the time to remember this and help those affected. In many countries, war is a present-day reality and not simply a historical interest.

‘Taking part’ in Remembrance Day may take different forms: attending a memorial service, wearing a poppy, observing a minute’s silence, for example, but it may feel like an ‘academic’ exericse or something only associated with history. We can even have the same attitude to our Christian faith: attending services, taking part in activities, but not really understanding how something which happened so long ago – the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ – can have relevance to our daily lives now.

Jesus told us to remember His sacrifice (Matt 26:26-29) and in the days preceding His crucifixion we read of His anointing at Bethany (Matt 26:6-13). The woman who poured out the alabaster jar of perfume was extravagant in demonstrating her love for Jesus; we are told that the oil cost a year’s wages (Mk 14:5). She gave significantly, not just pulling the stopper off the jar and dabbing perfume on Jesus, but lavishly anointing His whole body with it. She understood somehow that this person had such enormous significance in her life that He was worth everything she had.

God longs for us to pour out our whole lives before Him and to serve Him with everything we have. He longs for the historical significance of His sacrifice to permeate the everyday offerings of our daily living so that all we have is touched by His fragrance and poured out in service to a world that is dying to hear of His love.

On Remembrance Sunday, Mark spoke about some of the things we need to remember, looking at three Scriptures in particular:

1. Psalm 137:1-4. This psalm was written during the Babylonian exile, when God’s people were far from their homeland and were lost and grieving. They felt abandoned, too sad to praise God and as if they had nothing to look forward to. They remembered the ‘good times’ back in Zion and were heartbroken, but we also need to remember that life is full of highs and lows and God has plans for us which we cannot always see. He has a plan for our liberation and restoration which may be hidden from view in our current situation but which will be fulfilled in His timing.
2. Isaiah 43:18-19. Here, Isaiah reminds us that there are times when we need to forget the former things and look ahead to the new things God is doing. We can’t change the past and sometimes spend too long looking back. God wants to do vibrant, new things in our lives and in our churches and we need to be ready to move forward into the rivers of blessing He has for us. Instead of believing our lives have no future, we need to be confident in the future God has for us.
3. Jeremiah 31:33-34. Here, we can be grateful for what God chooses not to remember. Although He cannot forget anything, God says ‘I will remember their sins no more.’ Our sins have been erased by God, and though the devil has a habit of dragging up past sins, a sin repented of and forgiven by God has been eradicated (blotted out) from history by God, who chooses to wipe the slate clean for us.

If we find ourselves in a praiseless existence, God can bring us into a place of liberation and joy. If we tend to look back instead of forward, He can bring us into new experiences and revelations of Himself. We have to forgive ourselves and refuse to be distracted from the blessed future God has for us, confident in the fresh start God gives each one of us.

Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve believed a lie about God. The devil came to them in the Garden of Eden and questioned them about the commandments God had given to them, subtly insinuating half-truths that painted God in a restrictive, selfish light. He flatly contradicted what God had told them would be the consequences of disobedience, and as a result of his sly ‘You will not surely die’, they gave in to temptation and ate from the forbidden fruit. (Gen 3:1-7)

Many of our problems come when we continue to believe lies about God instead of allowing the Bible to guide us into all truth. Whether we realise it or not, when we believe those lies – that God is narrow, restrictive, out to get us, a killjoy, only interested in making our lives a misery or that He is indifferent, complacent about sin, too kind to ever chastise us – we become slaves to sin (see Rom 6:11-18). Those beliefs become a prison from which we need to be liberated (see Ps 142:7).

The only antidote to lies is truth. In Ps 142:5, the psalmist says, “I cry to you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” It is vitally important that we learn to speak the truth about God, declaring aloud what God says is true about Himself. I love Matt Redman’s song ‘We Shall Not Be Shaken’, with its uncompromising emphasis that ‘our God, You are all that You say You are; You never change, You never fail, You never fade.’ It is not enough for us to know truths about God; we have to confess these with our mouths and declare to all who God is. When we do this, confident that God hears our cries (Ps 142:1-2,6), we will find our fears, anxieties, troubles and trials taking on their proper perspective. God is in control and has not abdicated His throne. We need to focus on who God is and allow this vision to shape how we live.

Matt Redman says of God, ‘When we really grasp the heights of who He is, and the depths of His heart for us, and the strength of His power in us, we can live a whole different kind of life. The way we view God will radically affect how our lives operate.’ I believe this to be true, and we start this process by confessing the truth of who God says He is. Find a truth about God and speak it out today. Your life will not be the same.