Opening: (Psalm 133:1; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Colossians 3:4) – “The Power of One” sounds like a great motivational slogan, right? People desire to be “the one” and feel important. But the Biblical definition –Jesus’ definition – of “the power of one” is a bit harder to live out. It’s the idea of unity – unity among those who trust and follow God – and Jesus talked about it a LOT. Because, as it turns out, it’s a really Good Idea…

1.  The Power of One (John 13:34-35; John 17:22-23)

·        In Jesus’ “graduation speech” to his disciples on the night before he was crucified, he kept coming back to one (good) idea: their love for each other and their unity with one another would prove to the world that their message was true – that Jesus was who he said he was.

·        Our unity as Jesus’ disciples today is the proof about him that people are looking for in a lost and broken world –and it’s so powerful because it’s so rare and so hard to fake. There’s something about people who are unified with each other in spite of their differences that catches outsiders’ attention. As followers of Jesus, our unity is our greatest apologetic – our proof of who we believe Jesus is.

·        Conversely, when outsiders look at followers of Jesus and at his Church and see disagreement, conflict and disunity it may be all they need to confirm for themselves that the church’s message about Jesus is bogus, and that we don’t really believe what we say we believe.

·        The best sign of unity is the “Yield” sign, because yielding – submitting to one another for the good of all – is the foundation of unity. It also says something important about who’s “behind the wheel” – i.e., who’s actually in control of our lives. Yielding, for many of us, is unnatural – but it’s powerful!

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2.  What “One”Looks Like:

·        As he often does, the Apostle Paul takes Jesus’ teachings about unity and fleshes them out into practical terms for us. He writes that there are two kinds of unity we’re called to as Jesus’ followers:

a. One People (Ephesians 4:1-6; Galatians 3:28) – Our unity as believers should come from a sense of humility, patience, forgiveness and love that Jesus has demonstrated for us and given to us as “one body.” That unity – powered by “the fruit of the Spirit” in each of us – should overcome any divisions the world might try to impose upon us (“Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female”).

b. One Church (Philippians 1:15-18) – Sadly, Christian churches are known for division and competition with each other – clearly forgetting Jesus’ words about the importance of unity not just among individual believers about also among churches within his Church. If the message of Jesus and his Resurrection is being preached, then that should be celebrated, encouraged and supported by all churches and all believers, regardless of which local gathering they belong to.

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ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Acts 4:32-33; Romans 12:3-5; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:1-2; 1 Peter 3:8-9

Video of the Week: Ephesians by the Bible Project

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. In your experience, why do you think that “unity” is such a hard and unnatural concept for people to live out – not only in the church, but everywhere?
2. On the night before he was crucified, Jesus could have prayed for anything, but he chose to focus his last “priestly prayer” on asking God for unity among his disciples after he left them. Why do you think God’s intervention (grace) is required in order to produce unity among Jesus’ followers?   
3. Read John13:34-35 and John 17:22-23 again.  In John 13 Jesus commands his followers to love one another, and then in John 17 he prays that God will grant them unity. What, in your view, is the relationship between love and unity?  Can there be unity among those who don’t love each other?  Explain your answer. 
4. How does the idea of “yielding” (i.e., submitting) to each other promote unity within the Church? What does yielding to one another look like from a practical perspective?
5. Read Galatians 3:28 again. Paul points out three big cultural divisions that the early church was called to overcome in seeking unity (Jew/Gentile, slave/free, male/female).  What are the most prominent cultural divisions that threaten unity among followers of Jesus today? Why are they so divisive?
6. What are some practical things that you, as an individual follower of Jesus, can do (or not do) to promote unity within your local church as well as unity among gospel-centered churches on Cape Cod?