Title: We Are One Scripture: John 17:20-26, Acts 1:14 Text: John 17:20-26, Acts 1:14 I yet believe that we are living in some amazing times when our horizons are both expanding and contracting. Never before has it been so easy to be in direct contact with people from all over the world. We are slowly becoming one global village. Uplinks, email, teleconferences, Internet, bulletin boards and all these electronic pit stops on the information highway offer us the chance to interact and interconnect in a nanosecond. Technology is pulling the diverse corners of the world into one community. We are becoming one. And it’s my belief that the church should be the leader in uniting this diverse community into one godly kingdom. The church is to be a place emulating unity where there is truly no Jew, no Gentile, no slave, nor master, no male or female. We are called to become one. We are called to be one church -without a spot or wrinkle prepared to scale heights of heaven upon our Lord’s return; We are called to be one faith- regardless of doctrine, denomination, creed, and confession; We are called to be one family- brothers and sisters, familiars and family united under the blood of Christ. We are to be one. And yet, in spite of humanity’s technological evolution towards globalization, we are still living in a culture of selfishness and individualism. We are living among a people who frequently say, “I don’t need anybody. I can make it out here on my own. I can do it my way and exist by myself.” That’s why we are witnessing an ever-growing rate of self-help programs, self-empowerment books, and self-motivational speakers. We are busy trying to become self-made people-doing things on our own. Movers and shakers are trying to become self-made millionaires whether it’s by making deals on Wall Street or dealing out dope on street corners. Some of our children are willing to live in ally-ways rather than abiding by their parents’ household rules. They feel that they are grown enough to make it on their own. We see mothers choosing to raise children without fathers. We have Black women willing to live without Black men because of the ‘ I don’t need a men’ attitude. We see men too proud to commit to a monogamous relationship because they want to selfishly play the field. Each of us is taking care of our own business. We feel that we don’t need anyone. Even when some of us get trapped in our sick bed, we want to be left alone in our afflictions. Our pride causes us to close our doors to visitors and others that want to help. We don’t want anyone in our business or feeling sorry for us. We feel that we can get through our troubles by our selves. But Jesus reminds us that we cannot function alone. He reminds us in this prayer that we are to be one. We are all apart of the one body and if one member suffers, all suffer together. If one member is honored, all the members are to rejoice together. When God said, “that it is not good that the man should be alone”, I believe he was saying that we need others to share our success and share our pain. We need others to partake in our joys and help us with our burdens. We need each other. Like Jesus, we too need fellow Simons standing in the wings ready to help us carry our cross. When pharaoh has burden us down with oppressive duties at work, we need love ones in our homes ready to refresh our spirits. When friends deny us, family forsakes us, and our loneliness seems overwhelming, we need the company of God’s beloved church to encourage us. Even on our sick beds, when we are unable to make it out to fellowship, although letters, cards, and flowers, are precious – we still need the physical manifestation of God’s love present by our bedside. We need someone to hold our hand, dry our tears, and calm our fears. We need each other. Tell somebody-we need each other. Jesus prays, “That we would be one as he and the father are one…I in them as you are in me that they may be perfectly one.” In other word, Jesus is saying, “Lord, let them have a sense of unity. Give them a spirit of oneness. Let them realize that they are all created equal in your sight. Let it no longer be about them and us, but let it be about “ours and we”. Let them be one as you and I are one. When the world sees me, they see the father. When the world seeks the father, it seeks after me. So, let them, Holy father be unified that they aren’t seen- but let the Christ that is in their midst be seen. Let them be one. Let those who are colored in the many hues of the rainbow collectively mirror your true colors. Sermon: Take Your Candle, "Go Light Your World"! Summary: Their new theme song is; everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know, everybody ought to know who Jesus is, When did that song quit being every Christians theme song? Take your Candle, Go Light Your World This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Take Your Candle, "Go Light Your World"!Matthew 5:13-16 Oh, this little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Hallelujah This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Hide it under a bushel, No? I’m going to let it shine! Won’t let satan blow it out, No! I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, Let it shine! If you ever went to VBS. Growing up during the sixties and the seventies that was a song that everyone learned and loved to sing. You got to do all the body language with it, it had a great message, it had a snappy little beat to it and it was easy to remember. Many a child thought to themselves, why wouldn’t everyone want their light to shine?, I’m going to tell everyone about Jesus when I grow up. The road to adulthood in Christianity, is paved with good intentions, but somewhere along the way, we forgot to keep the batteries charged up, or changed in our light and for a lot of Christians, their light aint been so shiny lately! If you go to Christian witnessing stats. On the net, this is what you will find. Of the 7 Billion that now live on planet earth, 15-25% of the population of the world is yet to hear a clear presentation of the gospel so that they can personally place saving faith in Christ for salvation. Only 6.3% of the world’s population lives in a culture without a witnessing church – though in large populations many would have little chance to visit one. 93.7% of the population lives where they have a witnessing church, but most Christians are not sharing their faith, usually about 2% do on a regular basis.” Every one who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, though they may not realize it, has a calling on their life, While most are not called to be preachers or evangelist, or anything to do with public speaking, all are called to share their faith. It was the last charge, or marching orders that Jesus gave us before He ascended to Heaven, You find it in Matt. 28:18-20 NKJ. It is known as the Great Commission 18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Preachers have been telling their congregations about it, ever since Jesus said those words, to those who were there that day! Makes you wonder why, after all this time, only 2% share their faith, maybe the other 98%, just need a little more clarification, Matt 5:13-16 MSG. 13"Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. 14-16"Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” That makes it pretty clear, doesn’t it? In fact that makes it crystal clear, You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. All Christians should know this, then why are the 98% choosing to have a Jonah experience day in and day out. Jonah 1:1-3 NKJ. 1. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. You see, Jonah knew what God wanted him to do. But like a lot of people in this world, all down through the ages, he chose not to.
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