Uniting the body of Christ
March 19, 2006
Todd Hastings

Introduction

To share your family story about taking care of dogs, pregnancy, selling to the right people with the right price that brought my family in a unity. I have been worshipping God at Cornerstone United Methodist Church for 5 years.  What I want to talk about today is “unity of the body of Christ.”  It is from my heart that God lay down in me.  

Body

First of all, I want to talk about the reasons why we the families at Cornerstone United Methodist Church have to have unity among ourselves. 

I.  Reasons

1. A token of the new birth.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “So everyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old passed away, see everything become new.” 

The story of Nicodemus which is found in John 3: 1- 15. 

2. Dwelling in the Holy Spirit 

1Corinthians 3:16-17, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and God’s spirit dwell in you.  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.  For God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.

3. For the furtherance of God’s kingdom

As we have unity among ourselves, we can reach out to unchurched people and people who do not know Christ. When my brother, Steve, and I walked into Cornerstone United Methodist Church first time, the congregation welcomed us and treated us like family.  As we felt the warm welcoming, we decided to commit ourselves to worship God at Cornerstone United Methodist Church since 2000.

II. What does hinder our unity?

1. Closed mind and heart  - “I am not as religious as Pastor Kong is.  Keep away from the relationship among the body of Christ

2. Judgmental mentality- I have three rings on my lips and four on the earlobes.  Many Christians, especially male Christians, do not have rings on their lip, or rings on their earlobes.  I am a different Christian man from “traditional image” of Christian men. It does not mean that I hinder the unity of the body of Christ.  My heart is one with Christ, one with all of you to build up the body of Christ.  Please, do not judge other Christians by their appearance because God sees our heart and we should not see others’ dress code, rings, the colors of skins, and their bad habits.  These do not hinder the unity of the body of Christ, but judgmental mentality does.  The Bible says, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.  For the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” (Matthew 7:1-2) 

3. talking behind someone and gossiping

Conclusion:

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