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UNITY - TRUE & FALSEWe hear a lot of talk about UNITY today. On the world's political scene we have in place the UNITED NATIONS. Many of the world's leaders are advocating and actively promoting a "ONE WORLD" global system involving a single monetary system, judicial system, and even a common language. More significantly, there is a present-day Ecumenical Movement which seeks to unite True Christianity and other “Faith’s” under the banner of the common good.
Because there is so much talk about Christian unity, and because Southern Baptist Churches have historically chosen not to be involved in the ecumenical movement, the purpose of this study is to teach you what the BIBLE has to say about unity — the true and the false.
MAN'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT "UNITY."
Turn in your Bible to Genesis 11. Here you will read about events which took place soon after the great world-wide flood of Noah's day — around 2,300 B.C.
A. According to Genesis 9:1 God's command to Noah and his sons was to replenish (fill full) the __________.
B. According to Genesis 11:2 instead of obeying God, the descendants of Noah remained in one place called the Plain of ____________.
C. According to Genesis 11:1 the whole earth was of ONE ____________ and of ONE ___________ (i.e., they were all talking about one thing — unity!). See Genesis 11:4cf.
D. According to Genesis 11:4 the inhabitants of the world decided to build two things.
1. A __________ a an attempt to bring about political unity.
2. A __________ a an attempt to achieve religious unity.
NOTE: Archaeologists have identified the Tower of Babel as a "ziggurat" a a tower used for pagan religious purposes.
E. According to Genesis 11:5-8would you say the Lord God was pleased with man's attempt to bring about a "one-world" situation? _________
F. What was the name given to this attempt? Genesis 11:9 ___________
MAN'S FINAL ATTEMPT AT "UNITY.
In the last book of the Bible, the Book of The Revelation, chapters 6-19 cover future events which will take place upon the earth after the Rapture, and over the seven-year period of Tribulation known as Daniel's 70th Week. Without going into a detailed study of Bible prophecy, it becomes apparent that in these godless days there will arise a false form of unity.
A. According to Revelation 13:7 the "Beast" (the Antichrist) will exercise political power over ALL kindred’s and tongues and _____________.
B. According to Revelation 14:8, the center of this political unity is called _____________.
C. According to Revelation 17:1, the great "one-world" religious system of the last days is referred to as the ___________ ___________. We identify this as a religious system because of Revelation 2:20-22 and because the Lord's true churches are likened to "pure, chaste virgins" by way of contrast (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-8).
D. God identifies this one-world "church of the Antichrist" as _____________ ___________ Revelation 17:5.
E. According to Revelation 17:1, 15 this religious system sits upon "peoples, and multitudes, and _____________ and tongues." It is truly worldwide in scope.
F. According to Revelation 18:2-8, what is the end of this final, Satan-inspired attempt at UNITY? ___________ ____________________________________.
TRUE UNITY – vs – FALSE UNITY.
A. Ephesians 4 is the "Unity Chapter" of the Word of God and deals with true unity as opposed to the false unity proposed by Satan.
Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
B. We hear so much in religious circles today about the need for a "spirit of unity." In contrast, Ephesians 4:3 commands us to keep the _______________________________.
C. Bible principles which relate to unity.
Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together except they be _________?
Ephesians 5:11 "Have no ___________ with the unfruitful works of darkness.”
2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not _________________________with unbelievers.”
D. Many 'churches' and religious groups are affiliated with the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, and other inter-faith groups. The WCC & the NCC are ecumenical organizations that are dedicated to the venture of bringing together all religions to promote a social gospel agenda. The social gospel is based on the belief that man is basically good and only needs a helping hand from one another to bring about a utopian society. This is contrary to Biblical truth.
E. What Men of the Past have said about the Ecumenical Movement: It has been said, "There is a difference between Union and Unity. You can tie a dog's tail and a cat's tail together and toss them over a clothes line. You may have union, but you certainly won't have unity."
C. H. Spurgeon said: "Unity at the expense of Truth is treason."
W. A. Criswell said: "The ecumenical movement is another name for Death to our Baptist faith."
Dr. R. A. Torrey said: “True Christian unity is one of the greatest, one of the grandest, one of the most glorious, one of the divinest, one of the most beneficent things on earth. It is the life of God the Father and the Son reproduced in the Church. It greatly delights the heart of God. It is one of the things that our Lord Jesus Himself most emphasized in His high priestly prayer the night before His crucifixion. The devil's counterfeit of true Christian unity is one of the most abominable and pernicious things on earth. The Bible is full of warnings against it; indeed some of its most solemn warnings are against the devil's cunning counterfeit of that unity which God so greatly desires and for which our Lord Jesus so earnestly prayed and laid down His life to make possible. It has always been the devil's subtle policy to counterfeit God's work and God's methods. For God's true Christ, Christ Jesus, the devil would substitute his Antichrist. For God's way of salvation through the atoning blood, the devil would substitute "salvation by character," a character achieved by our own will and our own moral effort. For God's revelation of the truth in the written Word, the Bible, and in the Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, the devil would substitute a revelation by man-made philosophy and man-made science. For the true Christian unity that God works out in the body of true believers, the devil would substitute a unity worked out by all kinds of compromises and cunning devices of men.”
Key Scripture Passages: John 17:20-21, Galatians 3:28, Amos 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 2 Chronicles 25:5-8, 2 John 9-11.
THE UNITY WE NEED.
A. Those involved in the Ecumenical Movement will often quote John 17:21 as a "proof text" that such a movement is of God.
B. Do you think God would have answered this prayer of His Son — or is it up to man to answer it? __________
C. Read carefully John 17:21-23 and check what would more closely reflect the meaning of the Lord's prayer.
___ Union of all religious people.
___ Unity among true Christians.
D. To whom was the Epistle of 1 Corinthians initially addressed? (See 1 Corinthians 1:2) The _________ at Corinth.
E. What was one of the problems in this church? 1 Corinthians 11:18. __________
F. God's will for the church at Corinth (and every other New Testament Church) is that there be “No __________ in the body” (1 Corinthians 12:25).
G. Look up the word "schism" in a dictionary. Write down the definition. ______________________________________
H. What is the Lord's desire concerning all the members within our church? (Ephesians 4:13) That we all come in the ________of the ________.
REAL CHURCH UNITY!
A. It is significant to note that Ephesians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 liken our church to a human body, calling it the "Body of Christ."
Ephesians 4:16 shows the goal of our church is to have every member working together just as a fit athlete has every joint and muscle toned to perfection.
1 Corinthians 12:26 shows the danger of our Church having unhealthy members — thus causing the work of the Lord to suffer.
B. True church unity is not having a group of "cloned" Christians — all thinking the same, doing the same, liking the same things — it means having a spiritually fit body with EVERY member matured, ministering, and multiplying.
C. The AID to Church Unity. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, the Lord gives to the churches Apostles and Prophets (ministries which ceased with the completion of the Word of God) and E__________, and P ______ and T_______.
D. The ATTITUDE for Church Unity. List the godly attitudes needed in all members of our Church. Ephesians 4:2, 32.
1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________
4. ___________
5. ___________
6. ___________
7. ___________
8. ___________
E. The ANSWER of Church Unity. List the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26.
1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________
4. ___________
5. ___________
6. ___________
7. ___________
8. ___________
9. ___________