Unity

by Joyce Sykes
Published July 22, 2006

“I think we need pews.”

“Pews, absolutely not! We want to be a modern up-to-date church. We don’t want any of the old traditional ways.”

“How can you say that? We need to be a church that will act and think like a real church.”

“God wants to do something new here.”

This is a small sample of what happens in so many churches today. There are arguments of seating, carpet, building programs, or whether to use brick or siding. All the arguments and disagreements are in the name of our Lord. However, if we are honest, He is displeased with the bickering. We must look like a bunch of preschoolers fighting over the same toy or chair.

Churches and fellow Christians are hurt or destroyed all in the name of “God wants it this way!” or “It was good enough for my grandfather, so its good enough for us.” We too often lose sight of the importance of unity, for the sake of doing things our way.

I love to study Acts and see the reality of what a New Testament church is suppose to look like. We can see healings; souls set free, fellowship and sound teaching all part of the system, as well as persecution, and ridicule by unbelievers.

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)

How did they achieve these critical goals? In all honesty, the answer to this question is not found in this short passage. We can see the result of something that has taken place earlier.

“And they” is the very beginning of this passage. I was taught early in my Christian walk, that terms “and they, and then, and therefore” were indications that the student needed to back up and search for an earlier event that led to the use of these words.

I feel the answer is in Acts 1 in two different verses. In verse 4, Jesus instructed His followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit. These 120 souls complied with His exact instructions. They could not have imagine what this meant, or how the Holy Spirit would affect their life.

Therefore, for ten days, they waited in obedience. Verse 14 reveals the remaining factor, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…” In the Strong’;s Concordance, two words in the short passage have the exact same meaning – one and accord both mean “unanimously, of one mind”.

Each one of these individuals laid their own desires and concerns aside and united for prayer and supplication as they waited for the promise of the Father. This is a lesson that today’s saints must learn if we are to see a major impact on the church. It’s not in our building programs. Nor is it in programs or activities designed to increase attendance in our churches.

According to Acts 2:47, it was the Lord who increased their number daily. I am not bashing ‘bring a friend Sunday,’ hanging tracts on doorknobs, or other methods many churches use today. But, in all honesty if it is not God-breathed and is simply man-designed, there will be no lasting effect on our churches or the lives we come into contact with.

Christians world-wide must lay aside our differences and set their mind to one thing; to seek the Lord and be obedient to what He is telling us to do. He is more than able to reach out and reveal His path for each one individually and as His body as a whole.

May each of us seek His face and His ways today both individually and corporately. Together, united in one accord we can make a difference in the world.

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