The Power of Unity

Takes the guess work out of life because you wanted outside of Dr. Tony Evans talks about the problems that result when proof becomes nothing more than a matter of direction. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony affect other speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative in modern culture. The true has been replaced by my truth or your truth. But today Dr. Evans explains why the path to unity begins when we recognize the authority of God's truth. Let's join him as he explains Clark as one nation under God is quickly becoming instead of being the United States. The divided states and everywhere you look. Division is a caring, presidential candidates talk about uniting the nation while they fight.

We know all aware of the ongoing racial divide the divisions within our own homes and families and the divisions keep growing. No matter what efforts are to seek to heal. Jesus Christ prayed a prayer the longest recorded prayer in the Bible that he prayed found in St. John chapter 17 and in that prayer. He's going to give you and me a secret. He's going to tell us something that will be life transforming. In light of all the divides that we are facing today all the schisms in the fishers that are separating us in Jesus's discourse. He is about to be arrested and getting ready to come and arrest him within 24 hours and begin the process of taking them to the cross. On this day before his arrest, he gathers his disciples together and gives them final words before his departure, knowing what was to come. And as he concluded his time with them. Knowing that the moment of his arrest and crucifixion was was nine, he prayed for them.

Chapter 17 of John is that prayer, but he says I'm not only praying for you. I'm praying for all of those who will come after you who believe on me because of your word. So in other words, the prayer wasn't just for them. It was for all Christians. So Jesus's plan is for you and me and that prayer is a secret.

I called the secret because I don't think we've fully gotten the impact of what Jesus shares with them and with us because the secret he is going to disclose in his prayer to his father about his disciples is about the power of unity.

Please notice with me just some of the references.

For example, in verse 11 it says at the end of the verse that they may be one even as we are in verse 21 he begins by saying that they may all be one in verse 22. He ended by saying that they may be one, just as we are one in the beginning of verse 23 I am damn you and me, that they may be perfected in unity, so as you can see, Jesus Christ is poorly concerning his prayer for his father that his followers emulate the oneness that he possesses with his own father, and you'll see why as we go along, because if you get this secret. I call it. Really could be life transforming sense is concerned about unity and oneness.

Let's clarify what it means because everybody don't define this word the same way Jesus makes it clear what he means. He says I want them to be one like you and I'll so whatever unity is he wants us to have.

It was to be a replica of the unity he himself possesses with his own father. What this unity mean look at verse four I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do unity has to do with the oneness of purpose. I completed the work you have left me here to do.

Unity is not saying this where everybody the same, it is distinctiveness going in the same direction. In order to achieve a common purpose. Unity is a purpose driven, not persons driven in this unity of purpose. There is a key element in order for the unity of purpose to occur. Notice what Jesus says in verse 17 to 1975 them in the truth. Your word is truth. Verse 19 for Bass Lake I think about myself that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth, his growl is that there might be oneness the wrong to oneness is sanctification in the truth. Put another way, there is no truth that can be no legitimate unity that would listen if there is no you cannot arrive at legitimate unity because God only responds to the truth which means you gotta know what the truth is we live in a world today are probabilities of potentialities preferences will live in a world of day when everybody's got an idea about everything and we base our decisions on our own ideologies and ideas.

You hear people talk about my truth and you talk about your truth when you got everybody would know truth you got everybody with little direction with no direction you have unity you don't have unity you don't have God remember the biblical definition of truth. It is an absolute standard by which reality is measured. Truth lives outside of you resend it again. Truth lives outside of you recall an objective truth.

It is true whether you like it or not wanting to not accept it or not.

Believe it or not Diana match if it's true, it's truth because you believe it doesn't make it true.

Just means it's you believe it could be believing a lot. Thinking it's true and if you believe in the lab, thinking it's true and you operate on your plate. That's not the truth and a lie and will be led to ally into falsehood thinking what the truth during the trip and a lot of us are living our lives on a wonder why things are not working out because we believe it to be true. Truth as an objective standard by which reality is measured and he says I will be sanctified with the truth. Sanctified means to be set apart for a purpose. Jesus says I was sanctified I sanctify myself verse 19 I set myself apart based word to the truth to fulfill the purpose that God has a God he now that sanctified them the same. Sanctify me by the true you say to an onshore pilot says I think this is the button push to get this playing off the ground. I think I think I am not sure but I is my best guess I'll know about you but I'm changing planes because I don't want a pallet dancing with my life on the flight documents that I think this is the place to and if it's not a well cut, find it will change doctors some certainty in the basement you open all go to a pharmacist in the promises of one's medicine in the I think this will help you how to choose from limit is to supplement it comes up is best guess about your medicine. You will go to another pharmacy you will talk to another pharmacist because when human life is at stake. Jessica Mitchell life. God doesn't want to guess at which a life truth takes the guesswork out of life because you are operating on an affluent standard that sits outside of you done driven to come back with more of our message in just a moment, including a look at how we know that absolute truth actually exists right now though he sure does your thought about writing his book oneness embraced the perfect follow-up for what were learning today. Well, that was really a book from the hardware I deal directly with the race issue I confronted talk about the justice issues the cultural issues the political issues that informant historical issues and then we try to conclude with giving a practical strategy for transformation any community based on the word of God. So we want to not cancel out our differences but we want to embrace our uniquenesses so that we can manifest all that God had in mind when he created like he creates differences in every area of his creations to show the breath of his wisdom, the breath of his glory of the same thing happens with race goblins to show the breath of his creative genius when it creates the races so embrace the uniqueness of your race.

Just use it in concert with God's purposes. Oneness embraced explains why unity among Christians of all kinds isn't just about getting along, but getting things done in our hearts in our churches and in our communities request your copy of this important book@tonyevans.org.

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It contains 20 of Tony's most requested lessons of the past year covering the biblical antidote for worry and anxiety. How to plant seeds for more fulfilling future how God's truth can help you fight temptation and more. Right now we are also making available a copy of Tony's popular devotional book called for a purpose that will help you discover the fulfillment that comes from doing what you were created to do this giant collection of 20 audio messages plus the devotional book are available as our gift to help support Tony's ministry with a year-end contribution make the arrangements today by visiting Tony Avenue and start or work or call our resource Center at one 800 832, 22 team members are standing by to help you day and night.

Again, dial 1-800-800-3222 right now Dr. Evans is back with more of today's message. Let's join him. Jesus made a powerful statement and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. That is a whole bunch in their number one.

She says truth exist. You shall know it.

Secondly he says the truth that exists. You gotta know what before I can for you. So just because it's me. You have an everyday language. Truth is God's view on any subject matter you want to just be wrong. Would it truth is God's view on any subject matter. As the Scripture says let God be true and every man alive. So if you disagree with… Just called you is called you a liar. If you disagree with God… About your posse liars disagrees with God and God said here and I know how many people believe it that not having people vote for that matter, how many people feel that people think about it now absolutely in society. God and not operating on the truth can be set free. So is unity. But God only relates with truth that you know if in fact you want to see him manifest himself to you now watch this gives a warning because he knows that there is unity can be interrupted and so he says, verse 14. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Verse 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not. He knows that there is a system at work to keep you from the truth and that system is called of the world.

The world is defined as that system headed by Satan. That leaves God out is that system illustrated not the devil same with me here that wants to get God meaningfully the conversation without getting rid of God's name Satan line God's name as long as it's not God's truth. So is not a fan of religion God's name and location benedictions go to church all the stuff but don't let his truth be the determining because the devil has a kingdom because he knows he knows some notes and they wouldhe knows if he can keep you from the truth can break up the unity can break up the unity to keep God away because God cannot operate in disunity. That's why Romans chapter 16 verse 17 and $0.18 them out who caused his unity in the church and, if necessary, remove illegitimate disunity. Disunity comes because of the absence of God in the absence of God always be with the loss of truth because God can't function a lot. The Bible says the devil is a liar and he says he's the father of the father is in scope and got children born liar and he got all spring. So Satan is, after removing it and it's it's a kingdom issue because in Matthew chapter 12 verses 25 to 29 Jesus says, a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He said the same cast of Satan and Satan can be strong she goes. Oneness is a city divided against itself. What divided against itself is sold. If I was the devil.

And I want to keep God out mobile home go to church and your country. What I'm going to do is I'm going to create illegitimate disunity. I want to create disunity because I want to disrupt the kingdom and a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand is with the devil.have you ever wondered if you married you have a good friend. How did we wind up what the divorce because how you cooked wind up in a fist fight everyone you through my closeout.

When we were just talking about you know which TV shall be like to get because once the devil got an opportunity on a little thing he said that, I think he said that the one thing became another think another thing became another thing wind up not even know because that's what is there because first three sentences when you say don't pray God will listen to keep God to keep you in conflict God doesn't feel comfortable and make a little thing.

Disunity can create you as you define which himself in conflict what you doing conflict what you talking to know what you talking to confuse everybody else. So you split between the kitchen which you because he draws from the truth. So this world system is probably a problem you have this problem too many of you alone because I got dance with the set at their own kingdom and he only is not normal lengthy defiance, and it will let you know if you touch the premises okay and some not like she will you know what it meant making them because they serve iniquity to identify the got a queen and that Queen has called her workers to serve kingdom and when that Queen calls her workers assume they came they built a castle in your kingdom called your lawn they want. They want to disrupt your lawn and make me keep growing in a growing amount gets bigger and bigger because they want to disrupt the beauty of your lawn with kingdom. Satan wants to build his kingdom in your life in your home in the church and in the culture any bills in any gathers his pope for election so I have very little sympathy.

I want to get rid of the mound. I want to get rid of the mouth because it will continue to grow if I don't continue to expand. So Satan wants to build the kingdom of his kingdom expand so that we can because you unity thing is Genesis 11 one Alabama says all the world, spoke with one voice they were unified they came up with one plan to build a civilization with one religion they build a cigarette.

That said, and he said the scholars will take us all the way to heaven.

Humanism we'll get to heaven by me when only God. We just need men to come together and sing Kumbaya.

No, hold hands and all that we would build a civilization.

Then he says and God came down so he is a great lesson right there, no matter how high you get God to come down casually going to still have it out so don't think any of us is we all that would degree you have what you have, what money you have a Car You Dr., Doctor got come down you so much comes down to see what the sons of men have built and when God sees that they want to build a civilization without pieces S. Divide the state split this thing up.

He says the reason we go to divided is if we let them stay unified. There is nothing that they will not be able to pull off because of the power of unity. Remember unity is oneness of purpose, it is establishing a common goal. That's legitimate. He says in verse 23 I in them and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity get better at it so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you have love me when we went he says when you have legitimate unity as defined biblically, the world will see something it is not seen. The world will see you love them like you loved me as a powerful statement to love is to compassionately and righteously seek the well-being of another.

He says if you will be perfected in unity, God will manifest his commitment to you said it again where there is unity. You get to see God show up, you get to see God invade the circumstance that you get to see God in facial situation.

You get to see God things twist things change things. Whether it's invading and emotionally elevating it circumstantially, you get to see God loving you see a lot of us are operating on other folk testimony about how real God is a powerful God is strong, God's will depend on what God said to Jaime because he never talks to us, but it is based on the truth in unity unit will show that you show that you do not make docile where Jesus showed up to change things.

He says if you are unified based on the truth. You will see me use another word of this word in verse 22 the glory which you have given me I have given to them, not glory glory is when God shows off Gloria's well-being God becomes visible. Gloria's where he enters into your situations and let you see his attributes and work Gloria's where God pains his name on a billboard so you can see that it was God.

Gloria's where God just wants to show it was in the two cities God.

That's why he tells a couple is in conflict to pray on that list but in first Corinthians 75. He says if you come together in unity. She says to couple says if you marriage the same way that you are physically intimate. He says if you become spiritually intimate option is there was a couple and they were in conflict and rebellious son was on drugs and all of this and it is causing disruption in the home and it put them out.

All of this every Wednesday.

They came together for fasting and prayer every Wednesday.

They came together they facet gave up the food and spent that 30 minutes 45 minutes. Fasting and prayer, either by phone or in person. They came together in unity and fastening press. Six month later I got a call from this lunch. Got a bunch of other people in their life in his life that challenged him, brought them back to the Lord.

Got it off of drugs and he called Monica to come back home on cleaning right now is working with his parents in the ministry and they credited to the unity they had virtually spiritually. Notice how hot it is the privilege made some time to play with your kids to pray with people in your life how to keep getting interrupted was uncomfortable. Look for some of you just think that's personality your emotions know that Satan want to keep being is unified so God and half the shallot that is all in the church. He wants to keep most from contact with God's will to God and feel comfortable showing up with that's why Jesus prayer is so big on unity that the glory of God may be revealed. Psalm 133 13 says how God loves the unity of his people for getting out of that unity he will command the blessing.

Now watch this is the only place in the Bible that I'm aware of God talks about commanding commanders you better do it commanders a command means that you have an option. So God tells blessings. When the calm when stop. He says when I see you blessing what to do in the blessing of God, to obey me tell you what to send down to do some things when I have a problem command the blessing and the blessing has no choice but to find out when you will cause operating Dr. 2011. Wrapping up a message on the power of unity, you can request your own CD or digital copy as a standalone lesson is a part of his new compilation the best of Tony Avenue and 2020. As I mentioned earlier, this giant collection is available for limited time is our gift to help support Tony's ministry with a generous urine contribution.

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