April 21, 2020 | Prayer Guides by Various Authors
Unity Within The Church
DAY 21 – Love is not Selfish
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” - I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love does not seek its own.
We do not love only to receive gain. Love isn’t selfish. It gives not to receive, but for the act of giving itself. We are not taught to love others only when we can receive love back, but we are to love others even when we know they can give nothing back. We are to love our enemies even when they only wish to repay us with harm. How much more are we to love our brothers and sisters in Christ selflessly?
“But God demonstrate His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
God does not love us because we can do something for Him, He just loves us.
“Love does not insist on its own way…” I Corinthians 13:5b (ESV)
“Here is one of the most striking reminders of what love looks like in true religion. Why is that? Being selfish strikes at the very heart of every single one of us. “Insist” here means a continuous strong desire that demands “its own way.” Conversely that means being inconsiderate of the good or happiness of others. The Corinthians were abusing their Christian liberty. Paul told them on the one hand, God gives us all things to enjoy. But on the other hand, he said let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Even when it comes to things that we have a right to enjoy, our freedom must always have a careful consideration for others. My happiness never trumps the life of my brother or sister in Christ.” - The Gospel Coalition
Question to Consider:
- Who am I loving just for something in return?
Prayer Prompt:
- God, expose any selfishness in my relationships.
DAY 22 – Love is not easily Angered
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” -I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is not provoked.
To be provoked is to be aroused to anger. That I would allow the actions of a brother or sister in Christ to cause me to be angry with them is unloving. Love drives us to try to find answers to problems, to reach out and ask questions, to see how we can help.
Our first response to a perceived attack should be love, not anger, not irritation toward another, not being “upset.” We should seek reconciliation, not retaliation, in every relationship in Christ; we must respond to an attack with peace, that we may walk together in our transformation into the image of Christ.
“Anger itself is not sinful but can quickly lead to sinful expressions. For this reason, Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). There are times when we become angry, yet we are called to express our anger in non-sinful, constructive ways. Love will guide us in the proper handling of anger.
Being hot tempered usually involves making snap judgments, seeking instant vindication, and refusing to grant second chances. However, true love refuses to jump to conclusions, take revenge, or hastily judge anyone.”- GotQuestions.org
As we will see in the next few days, love does not excuse sin, but it doesn’t repay sin with sin.
Questions to consider:
- When do I get angry? Who do I get angry with?
Prayer Prompt:
- Father, show me how to replace anger with love.
- God, is there anyone who has provoked me to anger that I need to make reconciliation with?
DAY 23 – Love keeps no Record of Wrongs
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” -I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
“Take into account” is a bookkeeping term. It is a writing down of wrongs done to me so that I will remember to keep that person accountable for them. Love doesn’t keep an account of wrongs in order to punish others for our pain. Love forgives.
Nevertheless, we must remember that forgiveness is not forgetting. There is no way we can forget the harm others have done to us in this life. We cannot expect others to forget how we have hurt them. Forgiveness is not trust. Just because I have forgiven someone, I do not automatically have to trust them - that is not the point of forgiveness. Forgiveness is to leave all judgment and punishment to the only one who judges and punishes justly. Only God can justly and completely punish sin.
When my brother or sister in Christ sins against me, I cannot forget it. I may not be able to trust them right then, but I can immediately forgive them. I must not attempt to punish them myself, but leave that punishment up to the Lord.
There is a difference between what is legal and what is personal. I must legally report crimes. Having someone arrested for a crime is not punishment, but many times could be the road to help and healing. If I lend my tools to someone and they sell them for drug money, I should call the police; it may be the best thing for that person. I won’t forget what they did, and I won’t trust them with my new tools. However, my goal is not to hurt them for my pain, but instead help them.
Love keeps no account of wrongs suffered, but instead strives to show forgiveness.
Question to Consider:
- What wrongs have I suffered that I have not forgiven?
Prayer Prompt:
- Father, teach me to forgive others as you have forgiven me.
DAY 24 – Love rejoices in what is right and good
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
Love cannot excuse evil. Using love to excuse unbiblical behavior is sinful and hurtful to others. It is a false love. Excusing sinful behavior is not love at all, but instead it is hate. Sin leads to destruction and death, so we should never excuse sinful behavior, especially in someone we claim to love.
Then when lust has conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death. James 1:15
To celebrate sin in the name of tolerance or by trying to be kind by using language like “I don’t want to push them away” is all sinful and hateful. It means you would rather watch them suffer in their sin than to see then walk in righteousness. To rejoice in unrighteousness is to justify sin and love cannot do that. True love will not do that. Instead, love rejoices in Truth. God’s Word is Truth.
Sanctify them in truth thy Word is truth. John 14:15
Love celebrates obedience to God’s Word. It is in obedience to the Word that people will find peace, joy and hope.
“True love rejoices in what is right and good. Anything that covers up sin or seeks to justify wrongdoing is the polar opposite of godly love. Love does not sweep sin under the rug. Love does not try to find ways to get away with bad behavior, and it does not put up with injustice. Instead, it treasures truth, celebrates good behavior, and promotes virtue. True love has nothing to hide.” - GotQuestions.org
Questions to Consider:
- Is there any unrighteousness in your life that you tolerate?
- Are you rejoicing in the sin of others?
Prayer Prompt:
- Father, give me the courage to point out sin so that I may demonstrate love.
DAY 25 – Love Bears, Believes, Hopes and Endures
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” -I Corinthians 13:4-7
Love bears all things. This is a helping word. A word that helps carry burdens. We love on another as we help carry each other’s trials and tribulations. When we forgive and show patience and kindness and walk through this life together. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”Romans 12:15
Love believes all things. Love acts as if someone is innocent until proven guilty. The first thought of love is “I must be mistaken.” When I think my wife has said something hurtful to me, I must first assume it’s not. She loves Jesus and she loves me, so whatever was said wasn’t in malice. Love always gives the benefit of the doubt. Job’s friends immediately believed all of Job’s problems were a result of his sin, not giving him the benefit of the doubt, and not showing the love that Job needed from them. (Job 21:27)
Love hopes all things. Even when wronged by someone, love hopes for that person’s restoration. Love prays for our enemies and hopes for them to find salvation in Jesus Christ. Love drives us to hope not despair – for God’s work in someone’s life.
Love endures all things. To endure is to hold fast. It is a military term to stand fast, don’t move, endure everything, to keep your ground. Love endures hardship, strife, arguments, trials and tribulations. Love doesn’t leave, love doesn’t abandon. I remember when someone my wife and I cared about deeply was walking in disobedience to the Word of God. She left the church in an unbiblical relationship. We couldn’t call an evil thing good. In love, we pointed out sin and would not participate in any unrighteous behavior. But we always left the phone on, always answered those calls. Always speaking truth, love, hope, peace in Christ. Then as the Lord moved in her heart, she came home in repentance. Love endures.
Questions to Consider:
- Who needs help bearing something today? Who has lost hope? Who do you need to reach out to today and endure with them?
Prayer Prompts:
- Take time to praise the Lord for His perfect love.
- Thank God for demonstrating His love towards us in His Son Jesus.
DAY 26 – Unity Defined
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” -Ephesians 4:1-6
One definition of the word unity is “singleness or constancy of purpose or action.” In our culture there are many ways this can be achieved. One is through performance, or simply doing your job or part while being uninvolved in the bigger picture. Another is through incentive, where the promise of reward or fear of punishment are used to gain the desired results. Yet another is compliance, when the agreement is forced, manipulated, or threatened and dissent is disregarded. If you’ve experienced any of these you can attest that these are not truly unifying at all. They are merely ways to get something done.
Now, let’s look at these same three things in view of the above passage from Ephesians. First, our performance is not what is important. Our focus is always on the bigger picture of God’s mission and what Jesus has already done. Second, while God does promise rewards for His glory, our works are the outpouring of His grace toward us and not a result of anything we accomplish. Third, God does not force or manipulate compliance to His Word or His mission. We have free will, and each of us is of equal importance to Him. While not forced to do so, we can agree on His Word as the only source of truth in our lives.
Unity in the context of the church is about oneness: one God with one message. It means oneness of mind, heart, and accord. It’s an overarching agreement on the biggest things that join us together, allowing us to focus far less on littler things that may divide us. It’s being on the same track, in the same train cars, going in the same direction. Simply put, biblical unity is indispensable as we follow God and His mission for our church. Read Ephesians 4:13.
Questions to Consider:
- What is my role in the body of Christ? How can I use my spiritual gifts to serve others? How can I help promote and maintain unity within our church?
Prayer Prompts:
- That I understand that unity within the body of Christ is all about glorifying God and not about getting what I want.
- That I will develop a plan to walk in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Pray for unity among our church leaders as they serve and lead.
DAY 27 – Unity through Mission
“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 2:46-47
The concept of “one accord” is frequently present in the Book of Acts as the early church began. This is the idea of all being on the same mission, or moving in the same direction. It is very much the train track analogy we have become so familiar with through Dr. Ewart’s sermons. It was vital to the growth of the early church, and is just as vital to Richland Creek today.
Notice how God blesses the unity through mission displayed by the people in verse 47. God added to the church. The Holy Spirit worked to bring about three thousand to salvation (Acts 12:41), and many more after that. Sure, they had just heard Peter give a powerful speech, but this wasn’t Peter’s doing. The people were focused on God’s mission, unified in mind, heart, and purpose.
We must strive for that same kind of unity today. As we continue to live through this season of uncertainty we must be of one accord, focusing on God and His mission. For not too far down the line we will be past Coronavirus, church transition, and even the pastor search process, looking forward in unity to a bright future.
Questions to consider:
- Am I a part of God’s mission?
- Are there things that I am allowing to hold me back from true unity?
- How can I promote and maintain unity in this time of transition?
Prayer Prompts:
- That I identify as a follower of God and His mission for our church.
- That I understand that unity through mission is vital for our church.
- That I will develop a plan to promote and maintain unity in this time of transition and beyond.
- Pray for the pastor search team, the process, and the man God will call to humbly serve as lead pastor.
- Read Acts 4:24.
DAY 28 – Unity through Diversity
“But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?” -1 Corinthians 12:18-19
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Paul uses the extended metaphor of how our physical bodies function to illustrate how the body of Christ is to function. Our bodies have great diversity and complexity. Many of our body parts are among the most incredibly and specifically designed things in all of creation. Think of our brains, eyes, and fingers just to name a few. Now think about how effective any of these, or any other body parts, would be on their own.
The brain is essential, yet would cease to function without the heart, lungs, and spine. The eyes are amazingly designed, but would do nothing without the optic nerve or the skull. Our fingers are extremely useful, but would be useless without hands, arms, or muscles. To put it another way, the whole is so much greater than the sum of the parts.
In a similar fashion, unity within the church body comes through great diversity. Each of us filling the same role in the church would be like having our entire bodies made up of eyeballs. Every one of us has a function within the body, and all parts are required for optimum effectiveness. With all parts focused on the mission of God, our diversity brings tremendous unity to glorify Him.
Questions to consider:
- What is my role in the body of Christ?
- How can I use my spiritual gifts to serve others?
- How can I help promote and maintain unity within our church?
Prayer Prompts:
- That I identify as part of the body of Christ.
- That I understand that God has “set” me here with a role He wants me to fill.
- That I will develop a plan to promote and maintain unity through diversity within our church body.
- Read 1 Corinthians 12:20.
DAY 29 – Unity through Service
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” -Romans 12:1
In Romans 12:1, Paul encourages believers to be “a living sacrifice” as our “reasonable service.” Reasonable implies something expected, or the natural outcome of a cause. In this case, that cause is faith in Jesus. We are to lay aside our own will and sacrificially follow Him. A significant part of our sacrifice involves our service to others.
This passage goes on to direct us to use our spiritual giftedness for the benefit of others. The areas of giftedness, along with the things we have learned to be good at, are varied. There’s teaching, giving, exhortation, leadership, hospitality, and more. While each of these differs in function and application, the mission remains the same: to glorify God through service to others.
So, what does this look like in your life at Richland Creek? Let’s join together in prayer and examine our hearts, laying aside our desires and seeking what God desires for us. You have an essential role to play in God’s work here, serving Him by serving others. Please contact one of our Pastors today to help find out how you can reasonably serve others as we follow God’s mission.
Questions to Consider:
- How am I spiritually gifted?
- How am I a “living sacrifice” for God? How can I serve others?
Prayer Prompts:
- That I identify as a servant of God, willing to serve others.
- That I understand that God has gifted me to serve Him and others for His glory.
- That I will develop a plan to serve regularly and sacrificially.
- Read Romans 12:6.
DAY 30 – Unity through Humility
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:1-4
There’s an old song that goes “It’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” However, the only one that was “perfect in every way” did, in fact, humble Himself to the point of death on the cross. Now, if there ever was anyone who had cause to be an elitist it was Jesus. He was and is one of a kind. He was and is greater than everyone else all the time, every time. And yet He was humble. He gathered with sinners and tax collectors, submitted to human law, and even wept when His friend died. So how can any Christian justify acting as an elitist, whether about their faith or any other part of their life?
The answer is that they cannot. No high-minded rhetoric can match a humble prayer. No amount of theology or education can match a transformed mind. No amount of life experience can match faith in the sinless life and sacrificial death of Christ. When we are truly humbled before Christ we are able to esteem others above ourselves, as He did for us. Jesus gave us the pattern to follow.
The above passage from Philippians mentions love, comfort, mercy, and joy. These come from being like-minded, thinking and acting for the same mission. There is great strength in this kind of humility, submitting our own wills to God’s greater purposes. Trusting in God gives us that unified mind and accord. Putting others first gives Him glory through our humility.
Questions to Consider:
- Am I humble before God? How can I esteem others greater than myself? How can I promote and maintain unity through humility?
Prayer Prompts:
- That I identify as a humble follower of God, submitting to His mission.
- That I understand that unity through humility is vital for our church.
- That I will develop a plan to humbly put the needs of others before my own.
- I will pray for our church leadership team to operate with humility in all things.
- Read Philippians 2:8.
