We are kicking off a brand-new series titled “Better Together.” At its heart, this series is about exploring the “one another” verses of the Bible—verses that command us to love, forgive, and bear with one another [00:08]. Why is this so vital? Because unless we learn to love each other well as a church family, we cannot effectively love the community around us or show the world that we are truly set apart for God [00:41].
Understanding Who We Are
In leadership and business, tools like the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment are used to help teams understand their unique traits. Sharing my own top traits—Achiever, Belief, Command, Relator, and Harmonizer—helps illustrate why I am so passionate about church unity [01:59]. As a “Harmonizer,” I naturally love it when people come together without conflict [04:21].
However, we live in a fallen world. People bring baggage and sinful natures into the church. I often say that “church would be great if it weren’t for the people” [04:55]. But the church is a hospital for God’s people. It’s the place where we get healthy by following Jesus together.
A New Commandment?
In John 13:34-35, Jesus gives his disciples what he calls a “new commandment”: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” [07:28].
Interestingly, the command to “love your neighbor” isn’t technically new—it dates back to Leviticus 19 [07:33]. What is new is the standard and the scope. In the Old Testament, the command focused on fellow Israelites. Jesus expanded this to include the “untouchables”—tax collectors, foreigners, and sinners [08:30]. He demonstrated this love in “living color” through his own life [09:00].
The primary evidence to the world that we follow Jesus is our love for one another [09:15]. It is our testimony. If we lack this love, we are essentially living in spiritual darkness and blindness [12:12].
The Danger of Divisions
The world is watching us. They want to see if our actions line up with our words. Younger generations, like Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are particularly adept at “spotting a phony” [15:52]. If they see a church characterized by bickering, gossip, or backbiting, they will look elsewhere.
Paul addressed this very issue in his letter to the Corinthian church. They were splitting into factions based on which leader they followed—Paul, Apollos, or Peter [21:21]. Paul’s response was clear: “Has Christ been divided into factions?” [21:31].
In our church today, we must resolve that nothing—not politics, not different interpretations of non-essential doctrines, and not personal preferences—will separate us [17:12]. Unity does not mean conformity; we don’t have to dress or worship the same way, but we must be unified in our pursuit of Christ [23:10].
Partnership and Commitment
To help us stay unified, we emphasize a “Partnership Agreement.” This isn’t a commitment to a pastor or a personality; it’s a commitment to the body of believers [28:45].
Being a partner at Lamp Ministries involves several key commitments:
- Praising God: Regular prayer and corporate worship [30:51].
- Loving One Another: Committing to respect and biblical conflict resolution (Matthew 18) [31:32].
- Equipping: A commitment to continual growth and discipleship [32:12].
- Reaching: Finding a place to serve and sharing the Gospel with others [32:47].
- Giving: Supporting the work of the church through time, talent, and treasure [33:33].
Final Thoughts
Unity is a resolve we make now so that we can handle the challenges of the future [35:49]. When we stand together, we fulfill our mission to live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
As Paul wrote in Romans 15:5-6: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another… that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” [37:30].
*** You can watch the full sermon on the LAMP Ministries YouTube channel: Better Together