Unity in the Church: And the Boundaries of Unity

You can tell when you walk into a church, and spend any amount of time there, whether that church is united or not. What is Christian unity? We know it when we see it. We can feel it.

You can feel the peace around the table. You can sense the peace and unity in the service, the bible studies, the business meetings, and so on.

There is general unity. The believers there love Jesus, they are humble, and they enjoy the peace of unity. They don’t allow their egos to break it.

Similarly, we can tell very quickly when there is disharmony, disunity. You can sense the hostility. You can sense the annoyances and anger. You can see the pride and ego in the eyes of the people there who want their way. There is faction, rebelliousness, and it’s toxic.

For Christians to be united in any way is a testimony to the world that Jesus is real. I recall being in Escanaba, and there was a unity of 14 churches that had all agreed to join forces to create a rotating homeless shelter. And I always remembered that, being at the meeting of those church leaders, and seeing their unity, to work together to help the homeless was a powerful witness of Christian unity.

Yet at the same time, there is also a boundary to unity. We as Christians cannot be united with false teachings, sometimes the suggestion of unity is used as a guise to implement false teachings.

A church may split, if half the church says we are going to go against what the Bible says. We are going to throw out God’s design for marriage, and change it. Well, in that case, the true church should split off from those false teachers, because we cannot have fellowship with darkness. We cannot have fellowship with lies. That is the line.

But Jesus longs for the fellowship, the unity of true believers. He prays for it famously in John 17.

John 17:1-5 says, “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

We have a perfect example from Jesus about what it means to walk in unity. On Earth, Jesus sought to do the perfect will of God the Father.

He was always focused on one thing: What is my Father’s will?

God gave Jesus work to do, and Jesus did that work successfully, joyously, and even when it was very hard and painful.

If our eyes are focused on God our Father in heaven, humbly seeking to do His will, we will walk in unity.

If we are self focused, and prideful, and rebellious, we will cause disunity among the believers.

So much of this, when we talk about unity, is going to be internal.

Next Jesus says, verses 6-8, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”

Jesus reveals the Father to us. Who is God? Jesus reveals the Father to us perfectly.

In unity we find our example in Jesus himself. How can I be a person of unity, a Christian of unity? By being an accurate example of Jesus to the world.

Jesus in His prayer here is talking about the disciples in a particular way, he says they obeyed the Father’s word.

It says they “accepted His word.”

They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

That is something I honestly believe about Jesus, that the Father really did send Jesus. I really believe that every word of the Bible is true. I accept His word as it is written.

Do you accept the word of God as written?

A hallmark of a person of unity is that they honestly accept God’s words as written.

But be on guard friends. It is very easy, so very easy to begin to twist God’s word to suit our desires.

We start to soften certain aspects. We start to ignore certain bible verses that make us uncomfortable. This is becoming increasingly common in modern Christianity. You see once prominent denominations that were so firmly embedded in truth, now going off into error. They change the word of God to suit their desires. The United Methodist church split. Even organizations like Cru and intervarsity are beginning to stray on certain key issues of our day.

The Salvation Army itself, is wrestling with these issues.

The hallmark of a man or woman of unity is that they first of all humbly seek to do God’s will, but second, they are a man or woman completely dedicated to the revealed word of God.

And I mean even up against your own theology that you hold right now. I think about the theology that I held ten years ago, and wow, what garbage it was. More and more I’ve allowed the word of God to disrupt my theological understanding. So many things I heard from so many bible teachers I later realized just weren’t true.

Know the word. Know it intimately and deeply. And then you’ll be able to discern.

Now watch out at the same time. You’re being told how important unity is. Suppose suddenly many leaders and pastors and groups start proclaiming that that its ok to have multiple wives. Or groups and leaders start saying, actually stealing is ok, or God’s grace means you can live in sin. Or we can redefine marriage. Or we should stop believing in miracles.

And then when you say, "Wait a minute that’s not what the Bible says" they say well you’re causing disunity by arguing with us about this.

That is false. Don’t ever fall for that trap. So many times false teachers bring in destructive heresies and false teachings, and then when Christians speak up against them they say, “Why are you causing disunity in the body?”

It reminds me of when King Ahab in the Old Testament saw the prophet Elijah he said to him, “When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” -1 Kings 18:17

King Ahab is the one troubling Israel by leading the nation into idol worship. But he accuses Elijah of being the one causing trouble.

Biblical unity does not mean unity with unbiblical garbage and false theology. Christians must stand up boldly against false teachers and false teachings. Always remember that.

Next it says, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” -John 17:9-12

We find in God protection, a power that surrounds us as Christians, that knits us together, and keeps us functioning as one.

Jesus held his disciples together in His power. Now the Holy Spirit holds us together as believers. God’s power keeps us united.

You may ask why then do church splits happen? You hear about it, I recall when I was in the upper peninsula, a very prominent church had split, the pastor had been removed, and he took with him half the congregation, and they started meeting at a local hotel conference area. Why does it happen?

I’ve seen it happen with The Salvation Army. The current corps officer leaves and the church vanishes once they leave, and it’s very sad.

Why would these things happen if God’s power holds us together? Because there are three factors at play in all things, God’s power is one. Second is free will, that is, human decision. Third, we'll talk about in a moment. 

I am nestled safely in the power of God holding us together, but with my own foolishness could I get all out of whack and cause massive problems? I certainly could.

It happened several years ago here, and several people left the church over a change in leadership. I've made dumb decisions as a leader that caused problems in the church as well. 

Friends, back when I was a young Christian I caused problems with the pastor because I was young, and energetic, and opinionated, and I put stuff on social media I should’ve never posted and it caused problems. Thankfully I’ve repented of that bad behavior.

That’s why its so important to know God’s word, go back to point two, we’ve got to build this understanding of unity one upon the other.

The scriptures show us a series of barriers to unity which come from 
Galatians 5:19-21 ESV, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

The scriptures warn about dissensions, intentionally acting in a dissenting way against a faithful leader. 

The scripture warns against factions, and I’ve seen factions form in churches, this group against that group.

The scripture warns against backbiting, slandering others behind their back. Yet how often do we do that?

The scripture warns about selfish ambition, when instead of doing things for God’s glory, we do things for promotion and to show off ourselves.

The scripture warns about strife. Strife is the idea of showing that you’re better than someone else, arguing to show yourself as the correct one constantly.

The scripture warns about divisions. Being divided, intentionally splitting, and splitting off, and dividing up, and it's ugly. 

Sometimes to consider unity, we must look at what disunity looks like. I think we’ve all seen churches that are united, and it’s a glorious thing.

“How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalms 133:1.

And we’ve also seen churches that are divided, and it’s unbearably uncomfortable and miserable to behold.

So we see God's power, and human free will at work. What about the third factor? The third factor is Satan/demonic influence. 

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” -John 17:13-19

Jesus prays and ask God the Father to protect his disciples from the evil one.

The evil one seeks to sow disunity among the body of Christ. We’ve seen it so many times throughout history, denominations splitting, churches splitting, believers divided, friends divided, and it’s ugly.

We have to remember that it’s not just ourselves that we’re fighting against when it comes to unity, we also have an enemy seeking to sow disunity.

If the enemy can get you upset about something, some decision that was made, some issue or controversy, whatever it might be, he can drive you out. I remember there was gentleman who attended the church, and he felt that I looked at him in a way that indicated that I didn’t like him, so he had left the church.

Don’t let the enemy peel you off from the body of believers. The enemy wants to target you, make you feel different, get you to run away from the safety of the flock, get mad about something, and then he’s got you where he wants you, disconnected from the body of believers, alone, isolated, and then he moves in with the lies and false thoughts, and pretty soon, he takes you out, sin takes over, and it’s a shipwrecked believer.

Next, it says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” -John 17:20-23

Next point, Jesus has given us the glory he received from the Father. We are now shining people, noble people, different people, set apart people, unique people. We must walk in that uniqueness and know that we are different.

You wear each day the rob of righteousness of Jesus Christ, His perfect righteousness, was His gift to you. And in exchange He took your filthy garments of sin and deleted them on the cross.

How then could you walk in the sins of disunity? We cannot. We must not. We are different people now.

Last scripture portion, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” –John 17:24-26

Jesus promises to continue to live within us, reveal the Father to us, and to make sure that the love the Father has for Jesus, will continue to go from the Father, to Jesus, to us.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

When we are united, knit together, connected, and of one accord, of one mind, then we will manifest true, deep, real love, and that will prove to the world that we are Christians. And that love will win many over to become Christians.

Now you may be thinking to yourself well, that will just naturally happen in a church. I think that’s somewhat true. I think it’s also not quite right. We need to be intentional about loving each other. We need to be intentional about helping each other. We need to be intentional about praying for each other.

How often do you connect with another church member during the week? When did you last pray for a brother or sister? When did you help a church member with a project or a need during the week? Well the church will handle that. You are the church! Others aren’t going to do it for you. You need to make it happen.

Last point today, I want to direct you to the beginning of the message. Unity among Christians is beautiful. But there is a limit to unity. It’s this: There can be no unity with falsehood.

The book of Jude talks about this. This has been attempted in the church from time to time. We attempt to be so unifying that we try to include false teachings. We try to include other religions, other philosophies, and then the people behind this celebrate how unifying they are being. But it’s a false unity. If you believe in Jesus and I believe in atheism, we can tolerate each other, befriend each other, but there can be no Christian unity there. One of the major flaws of American society is we’ve tried to include so much, be such a big umbrella of ideologies and philosophies that we’ve destroyed our social cohesion. Some ideas and philosophies are good, some ideas and philosophies are not good. But we're so desperate to be inclusive, and show our virtue, that we bring in bad ideas, and they harm our society. Similarly, in the church, if we bring in bad ideas, bad theology, false teachers, wrong teachings, under the flag of being inclusive and open, it will harm the body. 

False teachers often come in with ideas that contradict the Bible, contradict our faith, and when we challenge them and say, no, that’s not what the Bible says, we’re accused of causing disunity. But we should stand up against false teachings, not unite with them. 

Avoid the seduction of trying to show how open and inclusive you are. It's a tempting desire, it feels very virtuous. Conversely it feels a bit ugly to tell someone, that idea is not who we are, that concept is wrong. But it's necessary. Our society has struggled with this basic principle, and it's led us to ruin. We can't let it lead the church to ruin as well. 

The basic principle is this: Humble unity in love at all costs among Christians, dogged protection of the truth from evil ideologies and false teachings at all costs.

Review Main Points:
1. Unity is humbly walking in the Father’s will

2. Unity is being completely committed to God’s word

3. God’s Power keeps us united

4. The Enemy seeks to destroy unity

5. In Christ’s Glory we are shining people, noble people, set apart people (able to be united)

6. God’s love is made manifest in unity

7. Unity’s limit is there can be no unity with falsehood

What is the greatest single event of history?

What is the greatest single event of history? Could it perhaps be the renaissance, when so many beautiful inventions and works of art were created? Was it the inventions of the 20th century that made life so much easier? Or perhaps medical advances, or scientific discoveries?

To me, all these events pale in comparison to one event that happened, two thousand years ago on a hill called Calvary, where a man named Jesus was nailed to a cross, who hung and slowly died, was buried, and left in a tomb for three days. And then on the 3rd day the impossible happened. And far from being an isolated miraculous event, it’s implications would be the seeds that would take root and transform the entire world.

We’re considering the scriptures today, 1st Corinthians 15, if you want to open in your Bibles there. It says in 1st Corinthians 15:3-4 that Christ had to die, be buried for 3 days, and that Jesus had to rise from the dead. This brings several questions to mind.

1. Why did Jesus have to die? 

2. Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? 

3. If Jesus really rose from the dead, how should we live? Three questions, and we’ll consider the answers to each of them. The entire Christian worldview, as an expression of ultimate reality, rests on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The entire Christian faith worldwide is based around faith in Jesus as God come to Earth to save us, and Easter is about his resurrection.

First question: Why did Jesus have to die? Jesus was born into the world, but Jesus existed from the very first few verses of the Bible, where God said to himself, “Let us make humanity in our own image” (Genesis 1:26). Jesus was part of that creative process, in what we call the “God-head” or the trinity, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But the Son being the very image of God, was born, of the virgin Mary, into the world in a human body. He lived a life in which he became a representative for humanity, under the laws of God, living them perfectly, completely free from sin.

I think 2nd Corinthians 5:21 sums up very well what Christ did for us, it says: “For our sake he(God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” So not only did Jesus live a perfect life, no easy task, but He also went to the cross for each of us, becoming our sin. Why? Because Jesus decided he would step in personally, to delete our sins. Jesus died on the cross in our place, taking the punishment we justly deserved, and took it upon himself.

It’s as if we stood in a court room, and the judge was reading off a list of the crimes: all my sins, the drugs I’d taken, the pains I’d cause my parents, things I’d done to friends, people I had the chance to help and didn’t help, and I know as the judge reads the charges, that I’m guilty, and I deserve to be punished. And as the gavel is pounded, and the guards come to take me away, all hope is lost. Then Jesus walks into the court room, and up to the judge and says, “This man, Justin, is mine, and because I love him so much, the crimes you’ve just read off, instead of Justin being punished, punish me instead and set him free.” And the judge agrees, and I’m set free. And the guards take Jesus instead. That is the answer to the first question, why Jesus had to die. Because I owed a debt I couldn’t pay.

Secondly, why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? If Jesus had stayed dead, we could all write him off. Well, he was just a good moral teacher, and the world did what the world does to good people. He was a good guy, but he wasn’t really God. And we can all go on with our lives and forget about Christ. But here’s the thing: Jesus did the impossible. Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Now, it’s natural to doubt something like the resurrection. Maybe we think it sounds more like science fiction than fact? But the greatest miracle God ever performed was not the resurrection of Jesus. The greatest miracle God ever performed was creating the universe, the galaxies, and this Earth. God’s greatest miracle was creating plants, animals, and humans. If you struggle to believe in miracles, let me remind you: You’re in one right now. Each of us are miracles. A single cell in your body is more complex than New York city, according to biologists.

Jesus is alive in heaven right now. If he were physically standing here, you would see the holes in his hands and feet where the nails pierced him. Jesus is alive. That’s why we celebrate Easter, resurrection Sunday. Because He’s saved us from judgment, condemnation, and from outer darkness, from hell.

Jesus resurrected to show his disciples and the world that He was and is truly God. Yet Jesus also resurrected to communicate something to each of us: Since God raised Jesus from the dead, He can and will raise us from the dead after we die.

The greatest problem of humanity is death itself. Everyone dies. And from the earliest times of humanity, we’ve wondered, can man live forever? Where is the fountain of youth? Jesus is the fountain of youth. Jesus has authority over death. And if we’ll believe in Him, and turn from sin and follow Him with our whole heart and life, we will live forever.

1st Corinthians 15:2 says “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”

I find it very interesting that Paul specifically encourages us to continue in the faith. It’s not enough to believe once and then drift away. We must continuously hold to the word of life, week by week, and year by year. That’s why we attend church weekly, and Bible study, and pray and read the scriptures daily. We must cling to the word of life and persevere in it. It’s not one and done.

Now I think it’s important to mention that there is a lot of skepticism and doubt thrown at the Bible today. People say it’s just a book of myths, it’s not real, it didn’t really happen. That’s also what I used to think, until I really researched the Bible and its historical and archaeological verifications. And I realized the Bible is the most amazing, and well accredited book in human history. I think Charles Colson summed it up well when he said: “The Bible- banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it is more powerful than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless killers into gentle saints.” The Bible has been attacked by every generation, I think for this reason: It calls us out about who we really are. And that makes a lot of people angry. But let me assure you: You can trust every word in the Bible is the accurate word of God.

Verses 3 through 7 of 1st Corinthians 15 outline the truth of the gospel, that Jesus lived, died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead. This first letter to the Corinthians was written around AD 55, by the apostle Paul to a church in ancient Rome, in the city of Corinth. And Paul specifically tells them that Jesus appeared after his death to over five hundred people, most of whom were still alive when he wrote this letter. So Paul is telling the people in Corinth: Listen, I’m telling you the truth, Jesus rose from the dead. And if you don’t believe me, ask any of these five hundred people who saw him after his death. That’s powerful evidence.

After appearing to his closest disciples, and then to 500 witnesses, Jesus appeared to Thomas. Thomas didn’t believe that Jesus was alive. He said, “I will not believe unless I put my fingers in his wounds. So Jesus one day walked in the door, and walked right up to Thomas and said, “Put your fingers in my hands and in my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:24-29). And some of us here may still be doubting, and Jesus says to us today: Here I am. Stop doubting and believe.” Because it’s true.

Jesus is risen from the dead. Because he’s here right now. He’s present with us. The evidence is all around us. He’s changed billions of lives. But he’s also changed my life, personally. I was near death, in the emergency room, now I’m healthy, full of life, because Jesus lives. I said yes. Will you say yes? We celebrate his resurrection every Easter. He lives today.

Last question: How should we then live? This is a big question.

I think we can break it down into four areas. Jesus calls us to a radical new lifestyle. And Jesus expects a lot from us.

Firstly, Jesus expects us to turn in repentance from all the past sins we’ve struggled with. We must repent, and believe in Christ (Mark 1:13) To repent means to turn away from evil, and to do good.

Secondly, He calls us to truly love others. Not just say we love them, or feel love toward them, but to love in action, through service. When we each die, we’ll go before Christ and he’ll want to know if we loved people. If we didn’t love, but were cold and sterile, we will have no place in his kingdom. Love, it’s so simple, yet so profound. He calls us to actions done in love.

Thirdly, Jesus tells us we must forgive all those who have harmed us.

Now, It’s easy to say “I forgive everybody.” But what about the people who have recently hurt us? Yes, God calls you to forgive them too. Even the people who have hurt you very, very deeply. Even people who have done unspeakable evil to us. If you have unforgiveness in your heart, anger, resentment toward others, please leave it behind today. Forgive them, because Christ has forgiven you. We’ll have no inheritance with Christ, if we hang on to unforgiveness.

To sum up, to live as Christ tells us to live, we must: 1. Turn away from all sin, and fight off all active sin in our lives.

2. Love those around us with true love in action

3. Forgive completely those who have done terrible wrongs to us.

Fourthly and finally, we must truly devote our lives to God.

Heaven is real, and hell is real. Our God is a God of love, but also a God of justice. So believe in the risen Jesus, and live a radically different life in response to that. Trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and live out the true Christian life through turning from sin, loving people, forgiving people, and being devoted to Christ.

Finding Rest in the Presence of God

Does God seem far away? Many feel God is far off. They wonder… Can you really experience God? Can you really sense God’s presence? Can you really know God deeply? The answer to those 3 questions is yes.

We can experience God’s presence outside of us, and within us. God isn’t far off. He’s so close we can hardly imagine it.

To know Jesus Christ, to have received Jesus as savior, we now have peace with God. And we begin a journey through this life and toward heaven. As we live day by day we engage in deep relationship with God our Father.

We pray to God. We talk to God. We experience God’s presence. We enjoy fellowship with God.

We’ve learned to increasingly look to the Spirit, and not our own soul, to be led by God.

Now I want to take us to a moment in the journey of Israel through the wilderness. Moses was leading them through the wilderness toward the promised land. God had given them His law, the ten commandments, but the Israelites had made a golden calf and worshiped the false idol, and so God punished them for their sin.

But even after this grievous event, there is hope for Israel. I think we understand that grief of sin! We’ve all been in that place where we realize, oh no, I just sinned against God. I did something very bad. And we feel convicted by the Spirit within us.

So we come to God, and confess our sins, we express sorrow, and we repent, we commit in Christ to not commit that sin again. We make a plan to stay free.

Similarly, Moses is trying to make things right for Israel. So Moses is in this terrible situation, having seen the people betray God and worship an idol. So he goes to meet with God about the situation.

And it says this, "Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” -Exodus 33:7-11

Moses would constantly go to God, and meet with God. All the people would watch him as he went, and they would worship God while Moses met with the Lord. Isn’t that amazing?

God would then speak with Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Moses was a friend of God! But notice Joshua, Joshua did not leave the tent. Joshua just stayed in the tent, he wanted to be with God all the time. Can we learn to be like Joshua who sought God's presence continuously? 

For Moses and Israel, God was with them in the tent of meeting. But for us as new testament Christians we have the Lord God Almighty living within us. We have the Holy Spirit inside of us. We have become ourselves, body, soul, and spirit, the temple of God (1st Cor 6:19-20).

So, to meet with God, we simply must turn within to His presence within us, and meet with God there.

Jeanne Guyon in her book has constantly referred to the concept of turning our attention to the presence of God within us. We meet with God who is with us. We have had experiences of an outward presence of God. But what about the inward presence of God?

He is so close to us. He is closer than we could imagine.

Point number one, God desires to meet with us, and the cloud of his presence surely descends from outside us, but more so, from within us. God desires to meet with us as a friend, and speak to us.

Your part in that is to turn to Him. Constantly. Jeanne Guyon makes it clear that we should continuously turn to Him. Brother Lawrence taught something similar in his famous book "Practicing the Presence of God."

From time to time we get distracted, and we lose our sense of God’s presence. So we learn to turn again to that presence and focus in on God.

As we do that more and more, we find what David wrote about the Lord, from Psalm 16:8, “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

King David had learned to always have an eye on the Lord, all the time. That's wisdom! 

Next, Madam Guyon writes… “To form the act of turning within, that is the goal! When this act has been formed in you, it will express itself as a continual abiding in your spirit and a continuous exchange of love between you and the Lord. Once this goal is attained, there is no longer any need to seek after it by outward acts. You may forget the outward act of trying to love the Lord and to be loved by Him. Instead, just continue on as you are. You should simply remain near to God by this continuous inner abiding.” -Jeanne Guyon, p. 110

Point number two, the goal in turning inward toward God is that we would learn to do it over and over and over again until it’s constant.

That happens slowly for some Christians over years of practice to continuously focus on God, as it says in Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus…” we learn to turn our eyes to Jesus over and over again, but the goal is, that we would find a “constant state” where we are continuously abiding in the presence of God. Other Christians may find that place much sooner, by God's grace.

Moses has gone to meet with God about the present situation. And here is their conversation in Exodus 33:12-14, "Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

God says to Moses, I’m going with you. My Presence. The joy of my presence.

It reminds me of Psalm 16:11 David says about God, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” -Psalm 16:11

Point three, to walk with God, we walk in God’s presence, and we find a pathway, and we find joy in life.

But it doesn’t stop there., God also says, “I will give you rest.” Complete rest. Real rest. Wonderful rest.

It’s been an ordeal for Moses. It’s going to be tough going forward. But God says I will give you rest from all your pains and struggles.

We turn inward toward God within us, toward the Spirit, and focus our attention, focus our eyes on Jesus within, we find rest. Our soul calms down, we focus on the Spirit, and we find rest in God.

Point 4, God gives us rest. Is this rest idle? No it is not. It’s not sleeping rest, or taking a nap rest. It’s active rest.

God keeps drawing Moses toward himself. There is a magnetic pull for Moses toward God. It’s the same with us, with God’s Spirit inside of us, we are constantly pulled toward God more and more as we practice going to God when he calls.

When I feel a nudge to pray, I go pray, then the nudge is stronger next time. If I say no, then it’s a bit weaker next time. So we should learn to continuously turn toward God in prayer, practice, and reading of the word of God.

It’s a journey, deeper and deeper into the fullness of God’s presence and power. We grow closer and closer to God in relationship, and eventually we go to be with God in the next life.

The word of God says that the Lord gives the Spirit without limit (John 3:34). We can get as close to God in this life through the Spirit as we want to. There’s no limit to the depths of God and knowing God more and more.

And that will continue on into paradise, the new Jerusalem, the adventure continues to know God more and more deeply… as Jeanne Guyon writes..

"If you were to fall into the sea, and were that sea infinite, you would fall from one depth to another for all eternity. This is how it is with a Christian who is in that place of continuous abiding. He is not even aware of his descent, and yet he is sinking with inconceivable swiftness to the most inward depths of God” -Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, p. 112

I think that’s what heaven is like, each day is even better, as we draw nearer and nearer to God, deeper into His depths, for all eternity. That’s the greatest adventure imaginable, are you ready for that?

Yet at the same time, there is another path, a nightmare, for those who reject God and choose sin. There is hell, the lake of fire, which is I think a different kind of journey, a journey of going further and further away from God, for all eternity.

The word of God talks about the “bottomless pit” (Rev 9:2) where Satan will be cast, and he will fall for all eternity, there is no bottom to that pit, he will just keep falling, an endless sinking, for eternity. Don’t join the enemy there.

Choose the journey toward God through Christ. That’s the road to take. And the adventure continues after death.

That’s our fifth point today, the adventure is to turn toward God and search out his depths (infinitely). But the greatest sorrow is to fall from God (forever).

All of this can be related to a sailing ship. This is a journey. And anyone knows that launching a sailing ship out is not easy. There is a lot of work involved in getting that ship out of port, away from the dock, and out into the deep waters. That takes strenuous activity.



Remember that when it feels hard to pray or hard to read the word or when you don't want to go to church or when you feel far from God. Launching out at first is sometimes hard. Push through. 

That’s our sixth point, sometimes launching out is hard, but be persistent, and you’ll find that place of catching the wind.

“The writer of Ecclesiastes said it: "To everything there is a season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) This is especially true of your soul. Every state of
transformation the soul passes through has a beginning, a progress, and a consummation. To stop at the beginning of any one of these stages is foolish. You must go through a period of learning, then a period of progress. At first you toil diligently, but at last you reap the fruit of your labor!” -Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, p.113

But as we do the work of seeking God and faithfully following, we eventually find we break through, we row and row and row to get out to open sea, but then at last, we stop rowing, and we open the sails on the ship, and the wind takes the ship, and the captain of the ship simply holds the helm, turning it gently toward the right direction.

That’s what it means to be led by the Spirit not by the soul. The soul is strenuous activity, exhausting, and empty. But when we open the sails and let the Spirit lead, we flow freely.

Point number 7, this is what it means to find rest before God. We are tuned to the presence of God within continually, we are led by the Spirit, and we are empowered by God, and this is not sleep. This is active. It’s blowing on the winds of God, like an eagle rising up, soaring on the winds, at rest, yet flying. The ship at rest, yet moving at a steady pace.

“Now, as you begin to move into Him, He will gradually gain possession of your heart. He gains it in the same way—little by little—that the gentle breeze fills the sails and moves the ship forward. When the winds are favorable, the pilot rests from his work. The pilot rests and leaves the ship to be moved by the wind. Oh, what progress they make without becoming the least bit tired!”
-Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, p. 114

One last thought, remember God is near. Whether you feel or sense God or turn within to Him constantly, he is certainly there either way. Does turning our eyes to Jesus and setting the Lord ever before us cause a seismic shift? It certainly does. But He is with us, even when we don’t sense it.

Review of Main Points:
1. God desires to meet with us.

2. The goal in turning inward toward God is that we would learn to do it over and over and over again until it’s constant.

3. To walk with God, we walk in God’s presence, and we find a pathway, and we find joy in life.

4. God gives us rest.

5. The adventure to turn toward God and search out his depths. But the greatest sorrow is to fall from God forever.

6. Sometimes launching out is hard, but be persistent, and you’ll reap a harvest of spiritual growth.

7. Real rest before God is active rest, like a sailing ship moving by the wind blowing in it's sails. So it is when we rest in the leading of the Spirit. 

Seasons of Grieving: When Grief turns to Joy

Grief and joy, two intense extremes. What is grief? 

“Author Edgar Jackson poignantly describes grief: Grief is teaching yourself to go to bed without saying good night to the one who had died. Grief is the helpless wishing that things were different when you know they are not and never will be again. Grief is a whole cluster of adjustments, apprehensions, and uncertainties that strike life in its forward progress and make it difficult to redirect the energies of life.”  -Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 171.

What about joy?

As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." -Today In The Word, June, 1988, p. 18.

We’re going back in time to a moment in history that is very important. It’s the moment when Jesus had gathered with his disciples, and they’re in a hidden place, and he’s explaining to them the things that are going to happen next.

Jesus is in fact giving them bad news. And this bad news is affecting them.

Jesus says in John 16:1-3, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

The reason Jesus is giving them this information ahead of time is to prepare them for it. When they are persecuted, they can remember, wait, Jesus told us this would happen. And then they won’t fall away. They’ll stand firm.

Jesus even says in verse 4, “I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.”

Years from now, when Peter and the other disciples are arrested and harassed and beaten by the Jewish authorities, they will think back to that conversation with Jesus and say, that’s right, the Lord told us this would happen.

They will then know, it’s normal to feel this way, it’s understandable that this is happening. I can handle this. It’s going to be ok. Often we panic when bad things happen, we assume things are out of control. But God's word reminds us, it's to be expected. We can react in foreknowledge, knowing it is well.

Today we’re talking about the topic of grief and joy. Grief and joy are emotions that surround transitions. Anytime a change is happening, we experience grief.

It doesn’t have to be a negative change either, it can be a positive change. It can be a job promotion. It can be a new baby. It can be a victory. But even with positive changes we can experience grief surrounding the changes in our lives.

I know for myself, as I prepare to move, I find myself feeling depressed at times, feeling uncertain, feeling troubled, and this weekend, my wife and I were doing fun things outdoors, going for bike rides, walks, bon fires, and I found myself pre-occupied with uncomfortable feelings. I couldn’t fully enjoy what we were doing. I felt myself grieved.

How do you deal with grief? I know many of us used to drink or use drugs, or have a smoke, or party, but we can’t do that anymore. We’re different now. So how do we deal with grief?

We have to face it head on. And that will take courage.

“In a sermon, Bill Hybels shared this story: A friend of mine has a brain-damaged daughter. Sometimes the sadness she feels over her daughter's condition overwhelms her, as it did recently. She wrote me this letter and gave me permission to quote from it:

". . . I can hardly bear it sometimes. My most recent wave of grief came just last year before her sixteenth birthday. As the day approached, I found myself brooding over all the things that she would never be able to do. What did I do? What I've learned to do again and again: I did what I believe is the only thing to do to conquer grief, and that is to embrace it. . . I cried and cried and cried, and faced the truth of my grief head on."

People who face their feelings and express them freely begin the journey toward hope.” -article from Preaching Today.

Talk about the grief. Pray about the grief. Bring your grief before God’s throne. Think about it. Express it. Consider what it means. Walk through the emotions. Spend time grieving. All of this takes courage. It’s easier to just hide from it in a bottle, or a hobby or a distraction. We hide from it by ignoring it and pretending it isn’t there. But that won’t bring healing.

Jesus notices the grieving of his disciples.

He says to them, “...but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.” -John 16:5-7

His disciples are so grieved they are not even paying attention. They aren’t asking Jesus where he’s going. They’re just so hurt that he’s leaving.

They are filled with grief. Jesus again is explaining the future to the disciples. The disciples are broken in these moments. Devastated. They love Jesus and they don’t understand what is happening.

But they are learning they must face the grief head on. They are in it. They must walk through it.

And Jesus explains that on the other side of grief, they will find that the change is actually good. It’s God's plan. It’s the right thing.

In my times of darkest grief, which have been many in my life, I’m grateful to the Holy Spirit who is with me, in me, in my mind and heart, communicating to me constantly about God, the truth, and justice.

As Jesus says in 7-11: “Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

The Holy Spirit ministers to us in grief, often through another person, or in our minds and hearts, or through the word of God.

The Lord continues, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” -John 16:12-15

God will often answer my negative thoughts, God will speak immediate truth:

It’s not worth it – God says I’ve given you good work to do.

It won’t matter – God says it matters more than you realize

It won’t work – God says it’s already certain

It isn’t good enough – God says I approve of your service

It’ll never be ok – God says in my timing you’ll find peace

I can’t do it – God says with me you can do all things

I don’t have the strength – God says my power is made perfect in weakness

The Holy Spirit is always speaking to us. Sometimes it’s an encouraging word. Sometimes it’s a challenging word. But He’s speaking. And when the Spirit speaks, you know you’re hearing from God.

Next we see the disciples finally beginning to question Jesus about what he means.

"Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” –John 16:16-20

Jesus knows that when he is crucified the world is going to celebrate. The world is going to rejoice that they finally got rid of Jesus. And he knows the disciples will mourn bitterly.

But Jesus knows that when he’s crucified that won’t be the end. It’s just the beginning. Because 3 days later Jesus will rise from the dead and be alive again.

And in those moments, Jesus knows, the disciples grief will turn to joy.

Similarly, in the big transitions in your life, the big moments of change, difficulty, grief, struggle, you mourn for a season. You grieve. You weep and shake in the difficulty. You come home each day thinking, “How can I keep going?”

But then after a certain amount of time, your grief slowly turns to hope, peace, even joy.

My wife and I just got married two months ago. And its been such a big transition in our lives. Huge transition. It’s throwing both of our routines into chaos. We’re both in our thirties, we’re set in our ways. And both of us are grieving in a way. Even though it’s a great change, it’s a blessing, it’s wonderful, it’s marriage. We both love it. But the change itself is hard.

But we talked yesterday, both just feeling out of whack, out of step, and we talked and said well in a few months we’re going to find a new normal. New patterns. And our struggle with turn to peace and a new comfort with the new patterns we’re forming now.

How does that work exactly? How can someone go from profound grief or pain, to joy and peace?

Jesus explains it will in verses 21-22, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

One of the most painful things in planet Earth is a woman giving birth. I’ve never felt the pain myself but I understand it’s brutal beyond words. But, when she holds that new baby in her arms, she forgets the pain, because joy overcomes the pain, so much so that the pain isn’t even remembered.

Joy overcomes grief. That’s a pattern in life. When I got saved in 2012, suddenly, what had been the most profound season of grieving in my life switched to a new season of profound joy.

A new joy the disciples get to experience is to pray in Jesus name.

Jesus teaches them about this next, he says, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” -John 16:23-27

What will make the disciples joy complete? By praying in Jesus name. Ask and you will receive, Jesus says.

It’s not just because Jesus is going to ask for us when we pray in His name. No, that’s not how that works. We ask in Jesus name, because that goes directly to God the Father, and God the Father loves us dearly, and will answer that prayer Himself.

What happens when we pray in Jesus name? People get healed. Souls get saved. People get delivered from addictions. The depressed are encouraged. Corruption is exposed in the world. Movies and music get made. Artwork gets created. Movements thrive. Churches grow. All because we pray in Jesus name.

And in all that, we find joy as we do God’s will. We find our joy made complete as we participate in the bringing of God’s kingdom to Earth. And when we pray in Jesus name, that’s what we do.

In any transition in our lives we want to run to prayer in Jesus name again and again and again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been so messed up and upset and angry or hurting badly and I ran to God in prayer and found such encouragement and peace.

Lastly, Jesus says, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”–John 16:28-33

I want to draw your attention to the last verse there, Jesus says that we can have peace in all these difficult transitions.

Yes, there will be seasons of grief. Yes, there will be times of joy. But in all of it, we can find a place of peace.

We will have trouble in the world. That is certain. Trouble, problems, changes, difficulties, transitions, but, Jesus has set the stage. Jesus has overcome the world system. He has defeated the enemy. He has made the way for us to heaven. We just have to walk it.

So we should take heart.

How can we have peace Jesus says? Only he says, “In me.” Only in Jesus can we have peace.

When you find yourself pressed by change and grief, take heart. Encourage your own heart. Remind your heart of the promises of God. Turn your eyes to Jesus. And the troubles of this world will turn strangely dim, in the light of his mercy and grace.

In conclusion, understand that in grief, in change, you’ll feel like you can’t stand it. You’ll feel like it’s too much. You’ll want to give up. You’ll feel overwhelmed. But don’t give up.

Many do give up. And they get left caught in the grief, and the grief never ends. They get stuck in the process, and the grief becomes a constant companion. Or they run, and miss the blessing, because they ran back to their old ways, instead of facing the change boldly, bravely, and head on.

They missed the grief, and instead of healing they buried it. So in the future they'll have to go back and dig it up again, to find healing. Because grief buried grows a weed in the mind that affects the present. Is that you today? Then it's time to go back and dig up those pains, to bring them into the light of Christ, for healing. 

But, if you face the grief boldly and walk through the pain patiently, waiting weeks, months, even years, eventually you’ll find your grief slowly turned to joy. And in the end, you’ll find a place of peace, as the process is complete. And it’ll be the new normal. And you’ll have this peace that transcends all understanding, because you didn’t give up. You kept up the fight. And you’ve found the prize of joy and contentment and peace.

Review of Main Points:
1. Change brings grief – difficult emotions surround transitions

2. Face Grief head on – go through it to find healing, if we avoid it and bury it we'll have to dig it up later

3. The Holy Spirit ministers to us in Grief – let the Spirit speak truth into your situation

4. Grief will turn to Joy – after we’ve gone through the grief we find joy on the other side, if we've been bold to face it

5. Joy overcomes Grief – Joy takes over so much that we forget about the grief

6. Joy is made complete in God’s kingdom come – prayer in Jesus name is the key

7. We can have peace beyond the transitions of life, in Christ – peace is the final end point after difficult changes