1 Living in Harmony with One Another John 17:20-26, 1 Peter 3:8-9, 3 John 1-11 Did you hear about the small town where several churches got together to put on an autumn choral concert? On the evening of the performance, as the combined choir processed, the high heel of one of the altos stuck in the metal grating of the heating vent on the sanctuary floor. This fast-thinking Methodist woman didn t miss a step. She just slipped her foot out of the shoe and walked on, trying not to hobble, and hoping that no one would notice her stocking clad foot under her long choir robe. The tenor who followed her was a Presbyterian. Without missing a stride, he bent over and picked up the shoe, intending to quietly hand it to her in the choir loft. Unfortunately, what he ended up with was not only the shoe, but also the grating in which it was tightly wedged, leaving a large hole in the floor. Sad to say, it was the poor Baptist baritone who got the worst end of the deal. Deeply engrossed in studying his music and failing to notice what had happened, he stepped right into the hole. What was most remarkable was that he sang a soprano solo all the way down to the basement through a large and long heating vent! Perhaps that baritone-turned-soprano will appreciate today s one another Scripture passage. Let s read together: Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8). This morning we re continuing our autumn worship series, You and Your Forever Family. How can we strengthen our worship, fellowship and service? How can we better witness to our community and glorify God? How can we demonstrate our love for Jesus, our love one another and our care for those who have yet to receive Christ? Our Scripture in John 17 reveals Jesus concern for harmony and unity among his disciples. Here we find the real Lord s Prayer. It s the prayer Jesus offers for his church throughout the ages. It s a prayer for our spiritual harmony and unity. Follow along on your back-page bulletin outline. Here s a first truth to note: As Christians, we are a diverse people, with a common faith in Christ, belonging to each other. 1. Christians are diverse, with a common faith in Christ, belonging to each other Let s remember the context of our first text in John 17. It s the night before the Crucifixion. The Twelve are gathered in an upper room in a house in Jerusalem, and Jesus is breaking bread and drinking the cup with them. In chapters 13 through 17, John s Gospel offers the most extensive account of Jesus upper room discourse. Already Jesus has told the disciples that one of their number would betray him, and he s told his closest friend that he will deny him three times before daybreak. Jesus has told them of his impending suffering and death, his being raised to life and then his departure. He s told them about a new counselor and comforter the Holy Spirit whom the Father and he will send. He s talked about spiritual fruit, his Father being the gardener, he being the true grapevine, and the disciples the fruit-bearing branches. He s told them to love another by receiving his love and power. He s warned them about the world s sin and hatred for him and the disciples. Once again he foretells his suffering and their sorrow, but tells how the Father will transform the evil deeds of a few into eternal good benefitting all humankind. He tells how their sorrow will turn into joy. At this point Jesus declares, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome
the world (John 16:33, NLT). Jesus concludes his upper room teaching by offering his prayer in John 17. First, he begins by telling his Father that he s finished the work entrusted to him, and that he looks forward to returning to the Father and to the glory they shared together. Second, he prays for the Father s care and keeping of his disciples. Though the world hates them because of their allegiance to him, he prays for their protection from the evil one and their witness for the Gospel. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth (John 17:17-19, NLT). Finally, Jesus prays for harmony and spiritual unity among his disciples past, present and future. Like the oneness that is evident between the God the Father and God the Son, Jesus prays that we be not of the world, but in the world, of one mind and one purpose, sharing and serving God. Christians today are members of many different churches, but we belong to the Lord, and also to each other as sisters and brothers. Jesus makes this point in his prayer let s read together: I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:21). Jesus is praying for God-honoring spiritual harmony and unity, not just ecclesiastical mergers as unity. Bible commentator Dr. Warren Weirsbe writes, The lost world cannot see God, but they can see Christians, and what they see in us is what they will believe about God. If they see love and unity, they will believe that God is love. If they see hatred and division, they will reject the message of the gospel. The basis for our unity and harmony, of course, is our common faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Recall what Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3. We must be born again. Nicodemus had all kinds of religious knowledge but he didn t know the Savior. He didn t have the assurance of his salvation. Today there are likely many people like Nicodemus who consider themselves good, religious folk, but they remain resistant to the Savior. There may even be some persons who are long-time church members who have yet to yield their heart and life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. A recent reading in Our Daily Bread tells the story of Les Richards, a friendly, cleanliving churchgoer. Les was in his seventies, retired and widowed. Then he met a woman named June. June s husband had died and they struck up a friendship. One day June said to Les, I know where I m going to spend eternity. How about you? Although Les had attended church for 70 years, he replied, I m not sure. He had always hoped that God would accept him because he did more good deeds than bad, but he knew he couldn t count on that. When June told Les, You d better become sure, Les agreed. June s pastor shared some Bible verses with Les, including this one: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Les was surprised to know that he could be assured of his salvation. He prayed and asked Jesus Christ to forgive him of his sin and to be his Savior. Now Les and June celebrate the joy of knowing Jesus having both received Jesus gift of salvation. 70 years of good works and church attendance could not get Les into heaven. Only by but trusting in Christ alone could Les or any of us have the assurance of our salvation. It s not what we achieve, but what we receive, by grace through faith in Christ alone. This is what it means to begin the Christian life. And this is also the foundation for 2
3 Christian unity and harmony that as Christians, of whatever our church background, we share a common faith and trust in Christ alone as personal Savior and Lord. When we truly know and love Christ, for who he is and what he s done, we ll especially appreciate how he draws us together with fellow believers within his body, the church. Decades after that night in the upper room, Peter reaffirmed the desire of the Risen Lord Jesus for harmony and unity in his church. Let s read what Peter writes, Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8). The word translated harmony relates to being of one mind. Being united, being together, and being of one accord. Peter is saying that when we belong to Christ as Lord and leader of our lives, when we are really in tune with him, we ll be in harmony with our sisters and brothers in the Lord. But when we fail to follow Christ and the truth of his Word, we ll fall into sin, and there will be disharmony and disunity in the church. The solution is repentance. We must turn from our sin and selfishness, turning once again in renewed faith and obedience to Christ. Only then can Christ-centered harmony return. Though we are a diverse people, as Christians we share a common faith in Christ, belonging to him and to one another. This leads us to a second and final truth to note: As Christians we are unifiers who seek unity, not dividers who demand uniformity. 2. Christians are unifiers who seek unity, not dividers who demand uniformity Have you ever sensed that you ve met a brother or sister in Christ before either of you have said a word? Have you ever said, or had someone say to you, You re a Christian, aren t you? I could just tell. If this has ever happened to you, it s because we share the same Spirit of God with all who know, love and live for Jesus. What typifies this unity? When God s Spirit is actively ministering in a Christian s life what fruit might we see? Let s consider our Scripture text in 3rd John. This letter gives us a case study on living in harmony with one another. Here we find one Christ-centered man who worked for spiritual unity and one self-centered man who worked against it. The first man, the one who lived-out Christ-centered unity, was Gaius. To him John writes, Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth (3 John 5-8). What is John saying? John is affirming his friend Gaius because he sought spiritual harmony and unity among fellow believers. What does Gaius do? He seeks the truth. He is hospitable. And he is generous. In verse 3 John commends Gaius for his faithfulness to biblical truth. In verse 5 John points out how Gaius willingly shares his home and resources with those who are fellow workers for Christ. Gaius supports and helps traveling Bible teachers, evangelists, missionaries and other visiting workers. Then in verse 6 we read about Gaius love. He simply can t do enough for the Lord. He can t give enough to the Lord s work. Why? Because Jesus had transformed his life, gave him a new life in Christ, and Gaius found joy in sharing Jesus love. Notice how this kind of Christ-centered, unity-seeking ministry breaks down barriers. It overcomes obstacles. It builds the church. It develops and deepens discipleship. It expands and enlarges mission outreach. In fact, each of us become a little more like Gaius when we pray and give in support of global missions.
4 In recent weeks we ve been receiving our annual World Mission Offering. We are seeking to reach our challenge goal of $6000 by next Sunday, October 25. Some may wonder, Do my prayers and gifts really matter? They do--especially when it comes to sharing a Christcentered witness in our sin-broken, hurting, needy world. Our mission prayers and gifts make a world of difference in places like formerly Communist Hungary. As we ve been learning in Sunday morning mission moments in recent weeks, God is doing a great work through missionaries Carrie and Kurt Smalley, Carmella Jones, Becky Stanton and others. Hungarian churches now have an open door to teach the Bible in many local schools and nurture young students in their faith. It s this kind of mission and ministry commitment which the Apostle John affirmed in the life of Gaius. It s this kind of faithfulness to God s Word with a focus on loving our neighbor that s at the heart of the spiritual unity and harmony that Jesus desires. Dr. Chuck Swindoll puts it in perspective when he writes, If we could see as our Heavenly Father sees, I m convinced we would be amazed at the size of God s family. If we could see the magnitude of the Church he is building, it would literally take our breath away. Paul writes, The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). We are one body with many members. We are one body with different parts. Thank the Lord for these differences! Thank the Lord that each of us are unique. God wouldn t have it any other way! Even in the Trinity there exists harmony and unity amid diversity. There are three distinct Persons, each with distinct roles in the work of creation, redemption and sanctification. And yet, our God is one. In John 17 Jesus prayed, May they be one as we are one. Jesus prayed for unity, not uniformity. Diversity, not divisiveness. It is one thing to stand firm on major issues set forth in Scripture. But it s another for Christians to squabble over small things. What kind of witness is that? We ll do well to remember this wise teaching from the Reformers: In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. The mind grows by taking in truth, but the heart grows by giving out love. When we fall into a negative or narrow mindset, we ll do well to remember Jesus teaching in Mark s Gospel. On one occasion the disciples came to him this this report: Teacher, said John, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do not stop him, Jesus said. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us (Mark 9:38-40). Jesus wanted his disciples to get rid of any idea that they had a monopoly on miracles. He wouldn t tolerate prejudice or pride. He prayed for their spiritual unity. But Jesus never sought any kind of stifling uniformity. Perhaps you have heard the little verse that goes, Believe as I believe. No more, no less. Know that I am right. And no one else confess. Feel as I feel. Think only as I think. Eat what I eat. Drink what I drink. Look as I look. Do always as I do. And then, maybe then, I will fellowship with you. This is the kind of uniformity that Jesus couldn t and wouldn t tolerate. And neither should we! Interestingly it was just this controlling kind of uniformity that the Apostle John referred to in his third letter. After affirming Gaius for his caring hospitality and his generous support of missionaries, John confronted the negative and divisive efforts of Diotrephes. The apostle notes, I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied
5 with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. Do you know any negative, condemning, controlling persons like Diotrephes? Sadly, there are still a few like him around. How do you respond to such a person? You pray. You love the person, but you do not condone his practice. And, if necessary, you follow biblical guidelines for discipline in Matthew 18. In concluding his comments about Diotrephes, John writes, Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God (3 John 11). Let s be honest. In the early church, as today, Christians had disagreements. We know that Peter and Paul didn t always agree, but they recognized each other as brothers in Christ. They supported one another. In the same way, believers like Gaius emphasize the things Christians agree on. People like Diotrephes emphasize areas of disagreement. Believers like Gaius recognize and work with fellow Christians. People like Diotrephes refuse to work with anyone who doesn t agree with their views. Jesus intends that we work together by obeying his Great Commandment and by accomplishing his Great Commission! And the Lord knows that we can do this only as we grow in spiritual unity and live in harmony with one another. Perhaps that is why Jesus prayed, May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23b) This is the Lord s Prayer for us. With God s help, let us live it every day! Living in Harmony with One Another John 17:20-26, 1 Peter 3:8-9, 3 John 1-11 1. Christians are diverse, with a common faith in Christ, belonging to each other I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33, NLT). Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth (John 17:17-19, NLT). I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:21, NLT). Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8). 2. Christians are unifiers who seek unity, not dividers who demand uniformity Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth (3 John 5-8). The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). Teacher, said John, we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do not stop him, Jesus said. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us (Mark 9:38-40). I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church (3 John 9-10).