Psalm 133:1
This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.
We live in a polarized world. UofL fans, go Cards. They cheer against UK. UK fans, go Cats, are very happy when UofL loses. Some Trump supporters believe he is the greatest president ever in the United States' history. Others cannot stand him.
Families are divided over politics. I even read recently that some families are not even gathering for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because of those divisions. More seriously, we have had wars throughout our history. Even right now, there's war going on in Ukraine and other parts of the world. Personally, we experience division, conflicts, right, in our relationships, sometimes in our marriage, sometimes relationships with siblings or friends.
So the questions that come to our minds are, how do we avoid those strong disagreements and divisions? How do we build unity in our relationships? That's what our text tonight talks about. So, if you have your Bibles, you can turn to Psalm 133. If you're using one of those Red Peel Bibles, you can find that on page 519.
And you can also follow along as I read from your bulletin. So, Psalm 133, verse 1. It says this, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. The main idea of this text is very straightforward, right?
This text is very simple. easy for us to understand, and it is this. Biblical unity is a sweet blessing, so guard this unity. Biblical unity is a sweet blessing from God, so guard this unity. We'll meditate in this text and this theme in three points. What unity is not, what biblical unity is, and ways to cultivate unity.
What unity is not, what biblical unity is, and ways to cultivate unity. So point number one, why unity is not. Before we dive into the text and see the beauty and importance and sweetness of unity, we need to briefly talk about what it is not. So first, unity is not an end in itself. The implication here is that we don't pursue unity at all costs.
For instance, the Bible upholds the concepts of justice and truth as well, alongside unity. In fact, Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Galatians 6, 7 states, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap. So we don't pursue unity at the expense of truth and justice.
So unity is not an end in itself. Second, unity is not uniformity. Unity does not erase differences, right? You guys remember the Garden of Eden? Even before Adam and Eve sinned, God made them with complementary roles, but different roles. They were male and female. There were differences, diversity in creation as well.
Sun, moon, land, sea, and so on, day, night. And it seems that some differences, I believe, if we continue reading the Scriptures throughout the New Testament, that in God's kingdom, in the heavens and the new earth, even in Revelation, as Ryan read a few moments ago, in the new heavens and the new earth, we will experience also differences. Listen to what John said in Revelation as God revealed to him truths, wonders, and marvelous truths.
Revelation 7 says, After this I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Did you get it? A great multitude from every nation, tribes and peoples and languages.
So if biblical unity does not take away completely differences, what is biblical unity? That's point number two. Let's look at our text again in Psalm 133. Our text does not define unity. It assumes it and it highlights its value and importance. King David, who wrote this psalm, was very aware of divisions. Once God chose him to be the next king, Saul saw him as a threat and literally hunted to kill him.
He fought several wars, and he experienced conflict and division within his own family. So in light of all of this, he's saying, look, behold, pay attention. Unity is valuable, sweet, pleasant, good, precious. It is important, it is a blessing when brothers dwell in unity. In light of the whole scriptures, and especially from the book of Ephesians, as we saw this morning, we see that biblical unity is not something that we can achieve with our own power, with our own effort, by ourselves.
It ultimately is a work of God in making us a new creation and a new humanity in Christ and by the Spirit. As we heard from the sermon this morning from Ephesians 2, for He, Christ, Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility. So, brothers and sisters, biblical unity is a state of harmony brought by God as He reconciles us to Himself and to others by the work of the gospel.
Now, friends, if you're visiting with us tonight, welcome. We're glad that you're here. I hope that you see the text tonight as an invitation for you to consider your division, your separation from God. If you don't believe in God and that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, He became man and died for sinners like you, your sins have separated you from God.
But you can experience the sweetness, the blessing, the goodness of unity with Him and other brothers and sisters in Christ by confessing your sins to God and asking Him to save you. Friend, do that tonight. Or talk with a member of this church about your desire to repent of your sins and to trust in God.
Our members will be glad to talk with you about this. So if it is a blessing, it is good, pleasant, sweet for brothers and sisters to experience unity with others, how do we cultivate this? How do we guard this? That's point number three, ways to cultivate unity. Number one, pray for those that you are more prone to have disagreement with or those who you already have and are experiencing a conflict with.
So pray for those that you are more prone to have disagreement with or those who you already have a conflict with. The person that you may have a disagreement may not be open to talk or resolve the conflict with you. But you can still pray for them. You can ask the Lord to bring peace and biblical resolution to the situation. You know, a lot of times, through prayer, God changes us.
He changes our hearts, our perspectives, our thoughts. R.C. Spro, he wrote this, prayer does change things, all kinds of things. But the most important thing it changes is us. As we engage in this communion with God more deeply and come to know the one with whom we're speaking more intimately, that growing knowledge of God reveals to us all the more brilliantly who we are and our need to change in conformity to Him.
Prayer changes us profoundly. Number two, show kindness and ask God to give you grace to encourage and forgive others. Now, this is an area that I believe most of us, including myself, need to grow. This is hard. This is not easy. And if you talk with Christina or my girls, they will tell you that this is an area that I fail often.
I tend to be a perfectionist, and many times I see the glass half empty instead of half full. So if you're like me, here are some verses that you can meditate, pray, ask God to change you, to make you more like Christ, verses that you can memorize. Titus 3, 1 and 2, remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Colossians 3, 12 and 13, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Colossians 4, 6, let your speech always be gracious. seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Ephesians 4, 29-32 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.
You know, our psalm here, 133, ends with this. It, referring to the unity, is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. This verse points forward. It points forward to the day, brothers and sisters, when we will experience perfect unity without even the presence.
of sin. You know, one of the hymns that we sing here and that I love and that I think captures what this text is teaching us today, the church is one foundation. It says this, the church is one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord. She is his new creation by water and the word. From heaven he came and sought her, but to be his holy bride.
With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. Elect from every nation, yet one or all the earth, her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth. One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses with every grace endued. Mid toil and tribulation and torment of her war, she waits the consummation of peace forevermore till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blessed and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest yet she on earth hath union with God the three in one and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is one O happy ones and holy, Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, O high, may dwell with thee.
Let's pray. Father, we confess. We confess to you that our hearts many times hold to grudges. Our hearts many times, instead of pursuing unity, we try to elevate ourselves over other people.
Instead of showing kindness and love. We struggle with anger. We struggle to forgive others. Oh, Father, help us to remember how much you have loved us and have forgiven us in Christ. And through that, change us, make us more like Christ, and help us to glorify you and to pursue biblical unity for your glory.
We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.