Definition, Description, Importance

In this part of the sermon: The sermon opens by reading Psalm 133, which celebrates church unity, and introduces the conference theme. The speaker clarifies that the focus will be on unity within specific…

The unity of brethren is compared to the precious anointing oil on Aaron's head, flowing down his beard and garments, symbolizing the pervasive and sacred blessing of unity.

The following address was delivered at the 1990 New England Baptist Family Conference. Now may I urge you to follow in your own Bibles as I read the psalm which celebrates the subject that has been assigned to me for this conference, the subject of church unity, and perhaps already your mind has begun to turn to the psalm which I have in mind, the 133rd Psalm. Psalm 133. This is in that section of the Psalter that we are told by those who delve into such things of antiquity that the people of God would sing as they made their way up to Jerusalem to the feasts appointed of God, and one of the t...

0:03 - 1:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon opens by reading Psalm 133, which celebrates church unity, and introduces the conference theme. The speaker clarifies that the focus will be on unity within specific…

Unity is likened to the dew of Hermon, which brings life and refreshment to the mountains, symbolizing the life-giving and refreshing nature of unity.

like the dew of Hermon that comes down, upon the mountains of God. For there the Lord commandeth the blessing, even life forevermore. As I've already indicated, and as most of you know, in preparation for coming to the conference, as you consulted the conference brochure, the subject that I will be addressing in these four evening sessions is the very vast and vital subject of church unity. Now, the words church unity no doubt bring many things to different minds.

1:30 - 2:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explicitly defines what he will and will not address under 'church unity,' focusing solely on the unity of individual local congregations. He justifies this limitation by…

The World Council of Churches is given as an example of 'church union,' which Martin explicitly distinguishes from true 'church unity' and rejects due to its agenda.

Negatively, in preaching on the subject of church unity, I will not be addressing the subject of church union. Church union, or the coming together of visible organizations into one larger visible organization of denominations and church groups, is what is generally, is what is generally meant by church union. For example, the great goal of such groups as the World Council of Churches is to see a vast union of denominations. And of course, if our minds are at all aware of what such organizations really stand for and what their real agenda is, and if we are sensitive to biblical norms, we will ...

2:38 - 3:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Church unity is that state in which a particular local congregation, by the effectual operation, of the redemptive grace of God, has attained and maintains as its prevailing climate a fundamental oneness and harmony of u…

Martin contrasts the unity found in secular groups through 'common grace' with true church unity, which is attained only through 'redemptive grace' and a common Savior, Spirit, and motives rooted in Christ's cross.

In other words, church unity, according to the Scriptures, is only attained and maintained where there are the powerful operations of those distinctive privileges of the sons and daughters of the living God. In God's common grace, there are many groups around the world committed to many endeavors and causes that enjoy a great deal of unity and oneness. But that unity and oneness is not the result of having a common Savior, being indwelt and filled by a common Holy Spirit, being motivated by common motives that all have their roots in the cross of Jesus Christ, but it is God's common grace, tha...

11:31 - 12:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: True church unity is attained and maintained only by redemptive grace, only by Christ, only by the Spirit, only by the motives of a regenerate heart, only by the dynamics of grace.

Ecclesiastical bodies with unity tied to an idolatrous attachment to a cause, leader, or selfish end are presented as a negative example, contrasting with true church unity rooted in redemptive grace.

ecclesiastical bodies that have a great deal of unity, but their unity is all tied up in an idolatrous attachment to a cause or an idolatrous attachment to a leader or an idolatrous attachment to some selfish end which that particular group shares in common. But unlike every other kind of unity found in any other sphere, there is no unity in any other sphere found in any other sphere found in any other sphere True church unity is attained and maintained only by redemptive grace, only by Christ, only by the Spirit, only by the motives of a regenerate heart, only by the dynamics of grace. But th...

12:58 - 14:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This came to pass because great grace was upon them. It was under the dynamics of grace that they attained and maintained such a unity.

The unity of the Jerusalem church in sharing possessions is compared to the natural cooperation of the right and left hands of one body, illustrating a deep, organic oneness where 'mine' becomes 'ours'.

And there was such a thing. Such a sense of oneness. That just as my right hand does not get angry with my left in saying, what are you doing with my handkerchief? Or my left get angry with my right.

29:16 - 29:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This came to pass because great grace was upon them. It was under the dynamics of grace that they attained and maintained such a unity.

The temporary fracturing of unity in the Jerusalem church due to Hellenistic widows feeling neglected is recounted, demonstrating the realism of the Bible and how unity can be challenged but also restored through God's guidance.

That that unity got fractured for a brief period of time. The widows got fussing at one another. They thought there was some racial prejudice. The Grecian, the Hellenistic widows were convinced that there was preferential treatment to the pure Hebrew widows.

30:46 - 31:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: My brothers and sisters, if that unity is not attainable, why did Paul bother to embarrass these two women?

Paul's public naming of Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2 is used to illustrate his conviction that church unity is attainable even in specific relational friction, and that maintaining unity is more important than avoiding embarrassment.

without any knowledge, without any sense of expectancy that I'm going to have a resurrected body here. But this is not put in the category of eschatological hope, hope that awaits the end. He says, right here and now, as really as I am imprisoned at Rome, as really as there's a chain that binds me to the Roman officer, I want to hear that you are of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord. And so convinced was he of its attainability, and I never saw it in this light till my preparation, he has forever put a red cheek on the face of two women, Iodia and Syntyche. I mean, what'...

40:06 - 40:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third line of evidence is Paul's directives to the Corinthian church, which was utterly lacking unity. Martin notes that Paul addresses disunity first among a 'shopping list'…

Paul's description of an unbeliever entering the Corinthian church and thinking it's a 'local loony bin' due to chaotic charismatic gifts illustrates the extreme disunity and disorder present there.

Paul says an unbeliever comes into your midst, he'd think he'd walked into the local loony bin. One guy's over here speaking in his native language, someone else over here in his, someone else saying, Thus saith the Lord, giving a word of prophecy. He said an outsider comes in, he'll think you're all mad. He's walked into the local loony bin.

44:47 - 45:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third line of evidence is Paul's directives to the Corinthian church, which was utterly lacking unity. Martin notes that Paul addresses disunity first among a 'shopping list'…

The issue of eating meat offered to idols at Corinth is used as an example of how some believers abused their liberty, causing disunity and stumbling weaker brothers, which Paul had to address.

An idol? An idol's nothing. So I can go down and get a local hunk of meat, sit at a bargain table outside the heathen temple. Oh yes, it was offered to one of the gods, but so what?

45:15 - 45:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: At the top of all of his concerns, a shopping list of pastoral, practical concerns, he addresses first of all the issue of their disunity.

The Corinthian church's boasting about tolerating a man living in shameful immorality is used as an example of their deep spiritual problems, including a distorted understanding of 'unconditional love' that undermined church purity and unity.

He said, Such immorality is not even named among the Gentiles. This was the first church that bought the idea of unconditional love. They were bragging. They were bragging that they could tolerate this character.

46:00 - 46:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Four prominent biblical reasons underscore the importance of church unity: its central place in Christ's concern (John 17, 13, Matthew 18), its repeated emphasis in apostolic…

The 'newness' of Christ's commandment to love one another is contrasted with the old commandment from Sinai, emphasizing that it now glows with the glory of Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the open tomb, highlighting the redemptive context of Christian love.

It's not the essence of the command, it's the framework of it. It is now given the command to love one another in the context of an accomplished redemption in Jesus Christ. The command glows with all the glory of Gethsemane, of Golgotha, and of the open tomb. That's what makes it new.

52:53 - 53:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God so delights in a real concrete expression of unity among His real, imperfectly sanctified people that He commands His blessing where He sees that unity as the prevailing climate of His people.

Pentecost is presented as a glorious fulfillment of Psalm 133, where the Holy Spirit was poured out upon a people who were 'all in one place' and 'of one accord,' demonstrating God's blessing on unity.

For the Holy Spirit emphasizes this. They were all in one place. They were of one accord. And suddenly there came from heaven one place, one accord.

58:38 - 58:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What greater curse can God give to a disunited people than to withhold the mighty operations of God the Holy Ghost?

A church without the mighty operations of the Holy Ghost due to disunity is described as 'lifeless worshipers singing lifeless songs, praying lifeless prayers, listening to lifeless preaching,' emphasizing the spiritual death that results from grieving the Spirit.

It is a group of lifeless worshipers singing lifeless songs, praying lifeless prayers, listening to lifeless preaching. It is death! To me there is nothing more miserable this side of what hell must be like than attempting distinctive new covenant activities without the present powerful aid of the Holy Ghost, whether individually or corporately. What greater curse can God give to a disunited people than to withhold the mighty operations of God the Holy Ghost?

60:25 - 61:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What greater curse can God give to a disunited people than to withhold the mighty operations of God the Holy Ghost?

The world's observation of a unified community of diverse people (race, class, temperament) is used to illustrate how church unity validates Christ's claims, as the world wonders what 'glue' holds such disparate people together.

They don't have the glue that holds people together. And the Lord Jesus says, when there is a community of different race and ethnic, racial and ethnic backgrounds from all of the various forms of human society, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, free, all dwelling together in real church communion with the kind of unity I described, oneness and harmony, of judgment, of affection, of will, of endeavor and activity, the world stands back and says, what is it that holds those people together? They ought to be at one another's side. They ought to be at one another...

62:29 - 63:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What greater curse can God give to a disunited people than to withhold the mighty operations of God the Holy Ghost?

The concept that 'the ground is level in Eden' (common stock in Adam) and 'the ground is level at Golgotha' (common heritage in Christ) is used to explain why there is no room for pride or one-upmanship among believers, fostering unity.

The ground is level in Eden. And I share a common heritage in Jesus Christ who died to save lost, hell-deserving sinners. The ground is level at Golgotha. And when men have been leveled in Eden and Golgotha, there's no room for one-upmanship.

63:38 - 63:58 Read in full sermon