Sermons on Unity (Page 2)
A Crash Course in Unity in Christ
The “mystery” of God’s work in Christ (3:6) is that Jews and Gentiles both partake together of God’s grace and are built into “one new humanity” (2:15) through the reconciling work of Jesus at the Cross. Hostility is replaced by peace, as God builds this community of Jew and Gentile into a new “dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (2:22). Ephesians 2:11-22 SERMON OUTLINE Everyone wants to belong. What happened? (vss. 11-12) Humanity’s Attempted Solution God’s Solution (vss.…
A Multi-Ethnic, Kingdom-Oriented Community
The church as a multi-ethnic, Kingdom-oriented community is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of divisive thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love? Key Passages: Ephesians 2:11-22; Revelation 7:9-10; Philippians 1:27, 3:20; Jeremiah 29:4-7 SERMON OUTLINE “In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith… There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor…
An Intergenerational Family
The church is an intergenerational family, where we are all equally children of God by simple faith, yet also embracing the entire church, young and old, as having a place of belonging and value. What does it mean to move beyond the frameworks of generational thinking, and rather to call us into a deeper grasp of Jesus’ prayer for unity and call to love? SERMON OUTLINE “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be…
A Wake-Up Call to Live the Dream
The main message from Bishop Walter Harvey of Parklawn Assembly of God from the “Wake Up Call to Live the Dream” event hosted by the Milwaukee Declaration at Eastbrook Church on Monday, January 15, 2018.do you think this phrase is here and what does it mean?
Unity
Unity is good and pleasant and can only come from God. Psalm 133 is an exploration of why unity within the community is essential to the journey of faith. This unity described in Psalm 133 descends from God to us. Unity is not something that can be manufactured, rather it is God’s gift to His community. Let’s do it well! SERMON OUTLINE Pleasure of Unity (vs 1) Unity is not just good, but also is pleasant Pleasure of unity counters…
Faith and Grace
A sermon from Senior Pastor Matt Erickson as a part of Eastbrook Church’s commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a weekend focused on two major Reformation themes: “Faith and Grace.” This message includes historical background and context of the Reformation, an exploration of three Scripture passages central to Reformation thinking on faith and grace (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:21-24; and Ephesians 2:8-10), and two cautions of the Reformation: division and hero worship. SERMON OUTLINE “For in the gospel…
Unity Worth Fighting For
Unity doesn’t just “happen.” The church is made up of sinful people; people who will (at times) step on each other’s toes, offend each other, and hurt each other. Jesus was clear about what we are to do in those situations. Not only is there a personal responsibility to resolving conflict but a community responsibility to resolve our conflict. How can we be one as a church if we know there are two “brothers” (or sisters) in this body that…
Prayer as the Pathway to Unity
In John 17:20-26, Jesus prayed for the unity of the church and if Jesus prayed for it, then we know that prayer is essential to unity. How does prayer serve as this focus? What do we do practically to weave prayer into the work of seeking unity and togetherness? Sermon Outline “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I…
Jumping the Broom
Jumping the Broom is a wedding custom among African American couples. Those who seek to reach across race and cultural lines could learn much from the institution of marriage. Both efforts often fail because of a seed of selfishness. This message from Mark 10:2-9 uses marriage to unveil ways that Christians can live out the reconciliation Christ has given to His church. Sermon Outline I. What women know about men II. What men understand about women III. Marriage compared to…
Maintaining the Unity of the Spirit
If we are to have true church unity then we must understand our calling and live it out. Unfortunately, most churches have forgotten their calling. That is what the apostle reminds us of in Ephesians 4:1-6. The Lord has determined its purpose is reflecting Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Paul puts it this way, live worthy of the calling we have received from Godhead, means, in a very essential way with humility, patience and love preserve the unity of…
Glorify
John’s account (John 17:1-26) of Jesus’ final hours is crowned with prayer. The prayer is perhaps one of the most beautiful views into Jesus’ interior life with the Father and is even more powerful in light of the pending suffering to come. Jesus asks His Father that glory would stream from His suffering path to the Cross, through His disciples, and through His future followers in ages to come. SERMON OUTLINE After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and…
Connecting Together
Exploring what it means to be together as a community, as seen in the book of acts. (Acts 2:42-47) Sermon Outline “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20) Four Core Truths about the Church The Church is Formed by Jesus (Matthew 18:20) The Church is Birthed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) The Church is Sustained by God’s Truth (Acts 2:42) The Church is Moving Toward Eternal Community (Revelation 7:9-10) Five…