Lesson 7 for August 17, 2013

UNITYJESUS’ PRAYER EXAMPLES OF UNITY THE BODYTHE BUILDING COMPONENTS OF UNITY THE MISSIONTHE MESSAGEORGANIZATION REACHING UNITY

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:20-23) Why was so important for Jesus that we may be one, with hearts as one? Could you relate that with revival?

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ… Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27) “The bonds of unity which unite member with member of the church are to be as firm and harmonious in their operation as are the different parts of the natural body. The hands, head, and feet are so closely united, and so mutually dependent, that one member cannot live and act independently of the other members” E.G.W. (Manuscript Releases, t. 19, MR No. 1414, p. 370)

“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:20-21) How can I be a “living stone” (2P. 2:5) that helps in making my church grow in unity?

Our Mission Our Mission — The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to proclaim to all peoples the everlasting gospel in the context of the Three Angels' messages of Revelation 14:6- 12, leading them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and to unite with His church, and nurturing them in preparation for His soon return. (Official declaration of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church) How can sharing one mission and one goal help in building our unity?

Although the mission of the Church has been the same since Jesus commissioned it, the specific message It should highlight has been changing over time, depending on the circumstances. Peter talked about a “present truth” (2P. 1:12). For the Waldensians, that “present truth” was the study of the Bible and identifying the Catholic Church as Babylon. For Luther and the first Reformers, the highlighted truth was the justification by faith. Which is the “present truth” for the Adventist Church in the End Time? How can that message lead us to internal unity? As a united Church, we must preach the message of: The Heavenly Sanctuary The Investigative Judgment The message of the three angels

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5) The unity of the Church depended on Its organization from Its very beginning. 1.The authority of the apostles was accepted (Acts 1:12-26) 2.The authority of the deacons was accepted (Acts 6:1-7) 3.When Jesus contacted Saul, He directed him to the organization of the Church (Acts 9:1-19, 26-31) 4.The Church accepted the decisions of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31) 5.The elders were accepted as leaders in the local churches (Acts 20: 27-32) Could we achieve unity if every believer acted independently?

“To provide for the support of the ministry, for carrying the work in new fields, for protecting both the churches and the ministry from unworthy members, for holding church property, for the publication of the truth through the press, and for many other objects, organization was indispensable… We sought the Lord with earnest prayer that we might understand His will, and light was given by His Spirit that there must be order and thorough discipline in the church—that organization was essential. System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe. Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law of God’s people on the earth… Let none entertain the thought that we can dispense with organization. It has cost us much study and many prayers for wisdom, that we know God has answered, to erect this structure. It has been built up by His direction, through much sacrifice and conflict. Let none of our brethren be so deceived as to attempt to tear it down, for you will thus bring in a condition of things that you do not dream of. In the name of the Lord I declare to you that it is to stand, strengthened, established, and settled” E.G.W. (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, cp. 1, pg )

The mission, the message and organization are indispensable for the unity of the Church. Nevertheless, unity could not be achieved without the three elements we already studied. 1.Prayer 2.Bible study 3.Witnessing Those are powerful elements that create, foster, and sustain the unity of the church.