This study was taught at our Sunday evening service by Sim Forder, one of our pastors, on the 19th July 2020. You can listen to the audio on this web page or save it for later listening.

Unity is so very important to the church, and the Bible is clear on both the need and the benefits of it. Psalm 133 says:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

During this study, we considered answers to 3 questions; what is unity?, why is it important?, and how do we pursue it? You can find summary notes below, but more detail is found in the audio recording linked above.

What is unity?

Unity is recognising we are each different but are part of the same body – necessary for each other and the whole. Not for our individual purposes, but for God’s purpose. 

Why is unity important?

• Purpose – only a body that is not fighting against itself can function well. And likewise, only a church that is functioning well, and not fighting against itself, can be effective in growing itself in both depth and breadth. That is, growing spiritually and preaching the gospel.
• Perception – when we fight as Christians, especially in the church, it is a bad witness.
• Priority – when we focus on divisions and who has wronged us in word or action, we have lost sight of the main thing. We have let our present circumstances become more important than what Christ has already done. 

How do we pursue unity?

• Base everything on the Bible – that is the one foundation we have. If you are basing your thoughts, opinions and decisions on anything else – you are not going to be united with God’s church.
• Support your leaders, and pray for them (see Hebrews 13:17) – this is exceptionally important right now with many decisions to be made in the coming months regarding the reopening of the church building following the Coronavirus lockdown. The priority of our church leadership is that you are nourished with God’s word, that you follow Him, and that we each love one another.
• Eliminate gossip (see Proverbs 6:16-19 – cut gossip out. It’s as simple an instruction as that.
• Deal Biblically with concerns, issues, and disputes – The Bible is clear on how you should deal with such things – and it’s not through gossip! Read what Jesus said in Matthew 18:15-17
• Choose forgiveness, not grudges (see Ephesians 4:30-32) – there should be no bitterness in the church. But rather, kindness and forgiveness. Be tenderhearted to one another. Perhaps before every comment, ask yourself – “how can I do this in a tenderhearted way?”
• We should have actions not factions – . How do we avoid it? One important way is by serving one another in love. We should all know our part in the body, and we should all function well. Ask yourself, what do you do to serve the body?
• Put others first – see Philippians 2:1-4 and Philippians 2:12-16

In the end, church should be everyone arriving with one piece of the jigsaw. And with an attitude that honours God. And the best way to do that is to imitate Christ (see Ephesians 5:1-2).