The Last Teachings of Jesus: Unity and Servant Leadership

Don Hooton delves into the significance of Jesus' final teachings to His disciples, drawing upon the upper room discourse found in John 13-17. He emphasizes the concepts of unity, servant leadership, and the central role of Jesus' authority and word. Don highlights Jesus' example of humility in washing His disciples' feet and the importance of unity among Christians, rooted in the truth and love demonstrated by Christ. Through scriptural references and practical applications, Hooton calls for a deeper commitment to Christian unity and the teachings of Jesus.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:29 The Upper Room Discourse
03:12 Jesus' Commandment to Love
06:40 The Significance of Foot Washing
13:26 Jesus' Prayer for Unity
20:34 The Apostles' Role and Unity
26:23 Practical Applications of Unity
50:15 Final Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

I remember a, a young man who once was introduced to a church in the community and they had a gospel meeting 'cause the church leaders wanted the community to get to know him. And uh, so when that man who put it all together for the, the preacher got up, he announced everyone that when this brother, uh, asked us what he wanted him, what we wanted him to preach, the men said. We just want you to strut your stuff. And so when that young man got up after that announcement and he said, um, I really hope you've not come here to see me strut my stuff.

I hope you've come here to learn about Jesus. And that's what I hope you've come for tonight because I think our life needs to recognize as Christians by wearing the name Christian. We are not followers of anything but Jesus Christ. He is our Lord. He is our king, and without him as our savior, we are nothing.

And so I found it very fascinating that in his life, these first things that we've learned of importance have come at the last things of his. The buildup with the disciples in training them, things that he has not completely revealed to them. Now here, particularly in the upper room discourse from John Chapter 13 through John chapter 17, it, there are passages in Matthew, mark, and Luke that happen in the upper room.

But John focuses on these very important things that Jesus believed he needed to say to the 12. He needed to say it to them before he died. If you were that person about to die, the people that you love the most, the people that you care for the most, you would say to them before you die, the things that you want them to remember.

And I believe that that's what Jesus did, and I want you to notice that in that upper room discourse, it is in every disciple.

In that upper room discourse, it's the 12th. He had given them a grand assignment to bring the gospel to the world indeed, but to muddle the gospel in their lives for the whole world to see. He was going to teach them what he has already shown them again and again. About the nature of what it really meant to be a follower of Jesus.

That's why he says to them love one another. Five times in that upper room, he tells them love one another. And like I began on Sunday, if my mama told me, Don, go brush your teeth. And she said it five times in the course of about 30 minutes, I'd be going to brush my teeth. 'cause I knew I smelled bad. Jesus looked across the table at them, looked in their eyes, and he knew that's what they needed to hear.

Three times he calls it a commandment. And even in his prayer at the end of John 17, he says, I want them to know that the love you have loved me with will be in them. It mattered to Jesus and I want it to matter to us. And in that upper room, he talked about the Lord's suffer. We find that from Matthew, mark, and Luke.

While it's emphasis or emphasize that this is my body, this is my blood, it is, remember me, because the communion is not about our motion. It's not about our activities. It's not about bringing us together to talk about all the extracurricular things we are planning. We have come together to remember him.

We are a church not belonging to any human. We are a church belonging to the greatest of all, the king of who is the Christ. And then he said to them as he commissions them to go into the gospel to preach the world, all authority is mine. He doesn't tell them. By the way, guys, I think you're smart and I've trained you well enough to send you out all on your own.

And now it's time for you to go and spread your wings. Know he says, all authority is mine. He says, and you teach everyone what I have taught you. Jesus rightly understood his place with the 12 and he wanted the 12 to know they weren't free to legislate their own ideas about Christianity. All authority is mine.

Jesus said, and he said that after his death, but it was still the last thing.

When Jesus prayed in John chapter 17, it was more than just for their love. He's going to ask God to empower the 12 to recognize the unity that they had seen in Jesus and his father, and that they were to have the unity between themselves like the Father has with the. Then he'll go on to say that I want those who come to believe in me to have that same kind of unity.

And everyone right off the bat, if your perception of unity does not look like the unity the 12 apostles had with each other, you do not have the unity of Christ. Jesus began that prayer by saying, I want the 12 to have that unity so that the 12 can show the others that are learning about me from them through their word will know what that unity looks like.

So turn to John chapter 13 in John chapter 13. It begins, what is this long dialogue that John's Gospel focuses on and brings up details about that the other gospels don't. The text on the screen that you'll have is from the Christian standard, and I'll be reading from that. Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the father.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loves them to the end. Now, when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Simon, a Scarritt son, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and that he was going back to God.

So he got up from suffer, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel and tied it around himself. He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet and to dry them with a towel tied around him. He loved them. He knew the father had given everything into his hands, and he began to wash his, his disciples feet.

So when Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, do you know what I have done for you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are speaking rightly since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet, right?

I've given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. And truly, I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. So if you do these things, and I'm sorry, if you know these things, you will be blessed if you do. Now. So many times when you come to this text, the conversation erupts with the idea of, okay, everybody take off their shoes and let's all wash each to their feet.

And it becomes a little game that sometimes we might do in high school classes and everyone's feet gets tickled and. We totally misunderstand everything Jesus is talking about here. Customarily. The washing of feet was nothing extraordinary except that when you walked into a house, the owner of the house didn't do it, and the woman of the house didn't do it.

If they had a servant, the servant did it. And if they didn't have a servant, usually the child did it. Well, Jesus got on his knees and he washed the feet of the 12 possible. So many times we look at this and we say, well, is this a reli? There are people, there are churches that, that make this a religious act and some act of worship, and that's not what Jesus is talking about.

Number one, he is talking to the 12, and I want you to notice that he says to them, if you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Maybe he really wants them to wash their feet, but that's not what Jesus wants them to do.

He loved them to the end, and he knew that the father had given him everything into his hands, and so this was the sign that they needed to hear and to listen to, to understand what it meant. All authority has been now given into me. The father has given me everything into my hand, and no servant is greater than the master.

No messenger is greater than the one who sent him. And I wouldn't need you to see that because Jesus is about to send them. Jesus is the master, the teacher, and he's about to send them. He says, that's what I am. I am to you, teacher and Lord. And if you call me that, that's right. But look what I am doing.

I am humbling myself and washing your feet. The modern techie name or popular name is servant leadership. You didn't have to call it that. You just had to read about it. The great King of Kings, the Great Lord of Lords, is teaching the 12 what it means to reign and to be judges judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

James and John, the sons of Thunder. Peter the qua, the quick whipper out of, of his, uh, I'm sorry. Messed it up.

The quick sword whipper is what I was trying to say. They were lost in their egos and Jesus says, if you're gonna lead my flock. You need to be able to wash feet. And I know you think, I thought we were talking about unity tonight. I am.

Because whenever you trace the, the breakings up of Christians and you, you start to trace where problems emerge. And I'm not gonna dismiss the point of people's lack of allegiance to the word, but in the final analysis is because someone does not want to wash. Someone wants to be in charge. Someone wants to be the newest, greatest thinker.

Someone wants to be the newest, greater mover of ideas, and someone doesn't wanna wash you.

Why did Jesus do this? He loves them. And as teacher and Lord, he says, you are my servant. You are my messenger and you cannot be greater than me. And look what I am doing. I am washing your feet.

So when we start talking about unity, the big eye that's in the middle of our English word, never needs to be part of the conversation. If you don't begin your sentence, when you start talking about unity with the word the Lord, and you don't begin your sentence with the word of the Lord. You are not pursuing unity.

'cause Jesus was trying to teach the 12 they had to wash feet. So turn to me the text to the text of our lesson in John chapter 17. I'm gonna read the prayer and in front of you is the text if you'd like to read along. Thank

you. At the Woodlands, I have a, a deacon. I see Guy sends in the back and he jumps up and down to get my attention. Thank you.

Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven and said, father, the hour has come. Glorify your son so that the son may glorify you since you gave him authority over all people so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. This is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and the one you have sent.

Jesus Christ, I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, father glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed. I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything you have given me is from you because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those you have given me because they are yours and everything I have is yours and everything you have is mind and I am glorified in them.

I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I am coming to you Holy Father. Protect them by your name that you have given me so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost except the son of destruction, so that the scripture may be fulfilled.

Now I'm coming to you and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world. Just as I'm not of the world, I am not praying that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify myself for them so that they may also be sanctified. And then I want you to notice something now when Jesus is talking about in this prayer, we haven't read the whole prayer yet.

I know you noticed. I stopped.

I want you to notice that twice. He says, I have given them your words, your word. That's a thing that was going to unite The 12 was a. Understanding that what guided them and what led them ahead in the work that they were gonna be doing, we could say is the Holy Spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit, giving them the words that were Jesus's words.

The Holy Spirit. When he comes, he will remind you of the things that I have said, and he will relay unto you all the truth that Peter would say later. Everything pertaining to life and godliness. Then that's why Jesus says in verse 17, sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. And then notice verse 20.

I pray not only for these, but for those who believe in me through their word. We can't talk about unity. If we don't understand the very simple plainness with which Jesus makes that unity possible, and that's the revelation of the divine will, and that divine will is gonna be revealed to the apostles by the power of the Spirit, and then that divine will by the power spirit will guide those men to write for all posterity, all that God needs us to know.

So that we can keep the unity that the 12 modeled.

But Jesus prayed for that and I need you to hear that just like Jesus prayed earnestly that you learned to love like his father loves him, Jesus prayed that we be committed to keep unity. Just as the father is united with the son and the son is united with the Father. If we're gonna talk about being committed to unity, then we have to look like God in our love and respect for each other,

because Jesus will say some hard words in this whole conversation. I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus was certain about the exclusivity. Oh, exclusiveness. There we go. Just say the word exclusiveism. Okay. Forget it. Y'all know what I'm trying to say. I am the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus said without him, there is no life and no truth. Jesus will also say in chapter 15, I'm the vine. You are the branches. One who remains in me and I and him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he has thrown aside like a branch and he withers and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

And he is certain that he must insist that we abide in him if we are going to have the life that he gives. So as he continues in the prayer verse 21, he says, may they all be one. As you father are in me and I am in you, may they all show be in us so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one.

I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one. That the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

He said it in verse 11 and he said it three times in verses seven through 21 and 23. If you are a disciple of Jesus and you are not committed to keeping unity, you are not a disciple of Jesus.

Because that's what Jesus prayed for. That's what Jesus wanted us to be. Just as he wanted them to be loving. He wants us to be united just as he wants us to remember him in the supper. He wants us to remember the unity that his father and he has, and just as he wants us to remember that he has all authority.

He wants us to remember that the unity that we keep has come from him in the word that he has given. It is not optional.

The unity is connected twice by Jesus to the unity of the Godhead, as we would say, and connected to even the work that we do as a church in the universal sense that the world may believe that you sent me. How many things have been ruined in the world because as Christians, we are not committed to the unity that Jesus wanted the 12 to have.

The foundation is Jesus Christ and his word. Now, I want you to to notice, because he makes these emphasis oneness.

The platform for Unity that we sometimes call it in Ephesians Chapter four is a repetitive thing that Paul brings upon. But tonight I don't want to talk about that number one, 'cause I know a lot of you already know it. But if you haven't read it, please go back and read Ephesians four, the first six verses.

We'll talk about a little bit of it, but not that part. But what I want you to do is turn to second Peter.

Second Peter chapter one,

Peter is writing,

and I think in a lot of ways this verse means a lot to me tonight that I hope I can impress on you. Its significance, at least to me. Notice in verse three, he says, his divine power has granted or given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

And by these, he has given us very great and precious promises so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. Obviously, you know the points I'm about to make 'cause it's emboldened in the letters there. If you're hearing someone talking to you and they're talking to you and they keep saying, all of these things were given to us, they were given to us and they were given to us, so that you

would you automatically assume that the S is you? No. I think you need to reread that text again and recognize that the US that Peter is talking about are the people that the spirit gave the knowledge of Revelation to of the gospel. Spirit inspired people, probably exclusively in Paul's, Peter's thinking, the apostles themselves, because the recipients of this letter was all Christians and we're not unbelievers.

It wasn't people that they were trying to evangelize who had not yet believed. He's talking to Christians and he distinguishes us from you. Listen again. God's divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him, Jesus Christ, who called us by his own glory and goodness.

And by these he, the Lord has given us very great and precious promises, which I think are the blessings of the Spirit in John chapter 14 through 16, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire, I don't believe we'll ever understand unity.

We do not understand the priority of the apostles. I don't believe we'll ever understand unity because all we are are Americans who believe that I have to have my right. And when people come together to discuss religious matters, it doesn't really matter what anyone else in the room says. As long as I get my way.

Why did Jesus get on his knees and wash the feet of the 12?

It wasn't about their way,

it was about his.

And so Peter says, God has given us these promises. The Spirit has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness so that he who called us by his own glory. Could give us the power and ability to share with you a divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

If your pursuit of unity does not begin with, the Bible says it is not the unity for which Jesus prayed for the 12. The 12 were given everything pertaining to life and godliness so that you, that includes me, can share in the divine nature. So that's why Paul would say these stern words to the churches of Galatia.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we preach to you, a curse bee on him. And as we have said before, I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse beyond him. It's very strong language that he tells the churches of Galatia.

You cannot change the message we gave you. You cannot. Now, in our modern world, the uh. Allowing women to serve in a public ministry. Um, all the other things that are happening within modern Christendom, all of that falls within the purview of what Paul was warning us all about.

Peter, Paul, and any of the apostles never preached that. So why are we,

we cannot change its message. Unity is truly our commitment. And you know, John's stern warnings in second John verse nine. Anyone who does not remain in Christ's teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. And the one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the father and the Son. Is

this passage referring to the doctrine about Christ or the doctrine taught by Christ? I liked what this particular person wrote in his commentary and he says it's little, it's of no importance to John because both of them are equally true. As soon as it is the teaching about Christ, then everything Jesus said about the priority of the apostles.

Everything that Jesus said about promising the Apostles, the Holy Spirit, who would guide them into all the truth and everything that Peter says, that everything pertaining to life and godliness was given to us so that you can become partakers of the divine nature, then everything that the apostles revealed has to be the basis of our unity.

Or we will have no unity like Jesus at all. Earlier this year in the Woodlands, we set up a tent at a community event, uh, inviting people to Bible study, and we distributed Bibles and distributed invitations to events that we were having coming up. One sweet lady came to us who was a very, uh, clearly a vowed Catholic as she came.

She was actually quite studious. I was impressed by her conversation with me and some, we haven't set up a Bible study 'cause she hasn't called me back. But what she said, I told her we agree and this is what she said.

What we are trying to do, and this is coming from a woman who's committed to Catholicism, and I loved her for saying it. If what we are committed to do is anchored in our traditions, and if what we are trying to do is anchored in what we like and if what we are trying to do is anchored in our things that have always been.

Then how can that be God leading us?

Whatever you do in Word or indeed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So what I want you to walk away with tonight is this, in these first things from the last commands or things of Jesus, unity is obligatory because we are disciples.

Ephesians Chapter four. Therefore, I The Prisoner and the Lord urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received with all humility and gentleness, with patience bearing with one another in love making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called, and one hope that your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all who is above all and through all.

And in all because we are disciples. Of what Paul said. As disciples, this is what you are to be doing. Walking worthy of the calling you have received. This is who we are to be because we don't have options. It's not like an election. You can choose which party you want to vote for because there's only one king and that one king gave to his 12 ambassadors.

Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth. So you and I would not have to argue about what is truth, because the truth would be in front of us. What we must be dispassionate about is all of our assumptions, all of our opinions, and all of the things that we have brought to the reading of the text instead of letting the text read to us.

And the only way we can do that is with all humility, being willing to get on our knees and wash each other's feet. All gentleness. There never needs to be a new sheriff in town. There only needs to be Jesus with patience bearing with one another. You see that in his life, acting in love. Now, notice in Jesus' life, he corrected a lot of people.

He told a lot of people, that's why you don't really understand the scriptures. And keeping unity means we keep reminding people, well, you don't really understand the scripture. Let's talk about that. But if you don't want to talk about scripture, you probably don't want to keep unity.

But not only is unity obligatory because we are disciples, we must not abuse liberty that we have in Christ. Now, there's a lot I could say about that, but I don't want to keep you here till midnight. But I just wanna ask you this question.

All the things that you look in your life and think that are liberties, I'm just letting you imagine what they are within Christ. How much of you, how many of them are you willing to give up?

I heard a brother, I'll, I'll call his name, Melvin Curry. I remember when he was at a discussion between brethren who were talking about issues of fellowship and concern, and he made a comment about being in a congregation, and I think he would still say this today, where if he went in and he realized that they served the communion through to the vine in one cup.

He said, I drink from one cup and I drink for one cup every week, because those brethren, Jesus Christ died for. I would keep drinking from one cup for those disciples who Jesus Christ died for, so that we would keep talking and keep talking and keep talking about scripture. Not my opinion, not my concerns about germs, but what Jesus Christ said.

Because if you're committed to unity, that is what you want to talk about. And I was transformed by that illustration He once used. That's why Paul says in Galatians for you, were called to be free. Brothers and sisters only. Don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Get on your knees and wash feet. But

then he says,

we must have the spirit of.

What is that? I think the best way for me to illustrate it is very simple words that I think you've heard many times before and when Jesus said, I've come into this world to do your will. You've appointed me a body, I've come to do your will. This prayer that we read, Lord, I'm going to accomplish. I have accomplished the will you sent me to do.

And then he prayed. Not my will, but your will be done. Jesus had a spirit that Paul says we should have. Romans says it in chapter eight, verse nine. In you, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. If indeed the spirit of God lives in you, and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ. He does not belong to him.

I'm gonna read something to you that was published a long time ago by man, many of you, some of you probably know by name, Barton W Stone in 1828. He wrote this on no other foundation can the parties ever meet than on the Bible alone. Without note or without comment, and in no other name will they ever unite.

But in that given to the disciples in Antioch who were Christians, but should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names and agree to receive the Bible alone and be called by no other name than Christian, will this alone unite them. No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name, they are far, very far from Christian uses the word union because having the spirit of Christ, not my will, but your will be done is exactly where Unity will take us.

That will take us to unity. Working with people is challenging. Ask my wife.

We all have differences that are often more preferences over styles and tastes. Sometimes the fact of our differences and our attitudes are exhibited in a way that show that we aren't really committed to truth, but to opinion. That indicates that the standard of scripture is not what pulls us to unity.

But Jesus prayed for the 12th that their unity would be based on the word that I have given them. And then he prayed that those who would come to believe on me through their word, that their unity would sanctify them in the truth. And that they would have unity said three times a unity like I have with you Father, not optional.

The goal of unity is based upon truth.

You can't have truth without love, and you can't have love without truth, and you can't have unity. Missing either one of those.

So let me make these last applications.

Spouses argue, right? Everyone, raise your hand. If you've never argued with your spouse. Most of the husbands will raise their hand and say, no. We've all argued. We've all been wrong, hopefully, of the story of the man who talked about his wife. When she said, she finally admitted she was wrong, she went, I'm wrong.

You know, it's hard for her to admit when you start talking about life with Christians, we're all imperfect, but the only thing that is perfect is the truth God has given us. And if we aren't committed to looking at it. Living according to it, we're not pursuing unity. The goal of unity is truth because truth sets the stage for what true unity is.

So what does that mean? I must do, let me make these last suggestions. Number one, love will assume better motives of my brothers and sisters. That famous passage in one Corinthians 13 verse seven, where he talks about love, the thing that we always read at funerals or at weddings, we need to read every time we argue with our brothers and sisters, because that's what was happening in Corinth.

They were all arguing. About the gifts of the spirit that they hadn't been given. And I think tongue speakers were probably seeking prominence because it was an extraordinary gift that they thought that they had 'cause that they could speak in a language that they had not been taught. Wow, that's impressive.

Everybody, look at me. I'm sure you've met people who act like that maybe in pulpits, maybe in Bible class settings, and certainly around tables. Oh, everybody look at me.

The one Corinthians 13, verse 17 says, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I don't think we have to be naive. Jesus knew who he was dealing with with the 12 even when he called them, and he never lowered the standard of truth, but he never allowed them to miss the point that he loves them.

Love will assume the better motives if we work with brethren. And number two, faith will continue to do all that depends on me. You go back and you look in revelation and you know that's when the letters are written to churches and there are just a very few remaining who, who are being faithful. Never once does John encourage any of them to start another work on the other side of town.

Says, you stay faithful.

And so he says in Romans 12, verse 18, Paul, if possible, as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. And I'm taking that a little bit out of context because I think in that context, Paul is actually using that to talk about our relationship with people in the world. Ironically, sometimes, why can we not get along with brethren when we're trying to get along with our neighbor?

I'm gonna have to do if I have faith, everything that depends on me,

and we will seek to understand if we wish to be understood.

Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them. For this is the law and the prophet.

That's where Unity will find some benefit when this is the way we work. And last in these suggestions, we will be to others what Christ has been to us. This is Jesus prayed Father. Let the 12 see the unity you and I have had. Then Jesus prays that the unity that he and the father have had that we have witnessed in the 12 is the unity that all of the disciples who believe on me through their name will seek for themselves and keep.

That's why verse 31 says Ephesians four, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor, and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. Jesus spoke against those who did evil. Jesus called out what was wrong?

Jesus and Paul, the Spirit is telling us that we have to be what Christ was.

Just think about how many shouting matches you think Jesus had in his ministry.

Think about how many shouting matches you've had with your brothers and ask yourself, how close am I to Jesus?

Remember, Jesus never wanted separation between disciples. Inevitably, it will happen. The devil has work on us more than we ever want to admit. Paul urged the Corinthians to have no divisions in the body. But there are times hurtful times when churches divide over matters. That could have been nothing moving from but from selfish ambition or concede.

Sometimes. There were other reasons where honest people could not continue to worship in good conscience. He says, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves and lead. Each of you look not only for your own interests, but for the interest of others Have this mind which was in Christ Jesus.

But when matters of liberty and conscience are pushed on others, division will be inevitable and these will be the solutions that will help us to keep from being there.

Let me like make this last application. Obviously I'm not covering everything that everyone would want me to talk about, but divisive people

exist.

That's why Paul says to the church at Rome in chapter 16, I urge you brothers and sisters to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles, contrary to what you think it should be,

contrary to what the majority believe, contrary to what old brother Alexander Campbell taught.

And read it again. I urge you brothers and sisters to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you have learned. If you have learned wrong teaching, then you have not learned it from the apostles, but what Paul is talking about, the teaching that you have learned from us, and then he says, avoid them.

Such people do not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetite. They aren't getting on their knees and washing your feet.

They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words. None of this negates the need to be patient and bring people to repentance, and none of this negates. The demand to seek truth alone in everything that we practice. But unity without truth is not unity and not being what Jesus wants us to be.

But likewise, fighting without love is doing nothing Jesus wants either.

As Jesus prayed for a group of 12 who would've never organically, naturally, or in any other moment of their lives ever ended up together a tax collector with a zealot, fishermen with a man educated by the highest level of education in the first century world.

Jesus believed that the 12 could be, the apostles could be united, so can you.

But you have to have the commitment to what they said and what Jesus prayed was the basis of their unity. Just as un optional is loving your brother. Just as un optional in the last things that Jesus said is remember him as we do on the first day of the week, just as un optional, is recognizing that all authority belongs to Jesus Christ.

It is un optional for us as brothers and sisters to think that unity is not my job. It.

In the last things that Jesus said, we realized these are the first things that should matter to us to love one another, to remember him when we come to worship. Not talk about everything going on in the world, but remember him and to recognize he is the one who has all authority and that we are united because of him and the word that he has given.

So remember Jesus' words, that they may be one as we are one. May they all be one. As you father are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely.

One that the world may know. You have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. I'd like you to pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father, a very important thought for us to be your disciples tonight on seeking the unity that your son and our savior prayed for, we pray, father, that you'll keep in us and a heart.

A heart, and an attitude, and a humility. To keep the unity that the Spirit gave to the apostles, the one Lord who has all authority. The one faith that the spirit brought, the one spirit you, the one God, the one baptism, the one hope. And Father, we just pray that you'll help us to see how important this is and not.

Dismiss it to something that can just happen, but be disciples that will not let it happen. But anyway, but the way that honors your son's wish and prayer that we be united even as you are with your son, forgive us. Of all the wrongs that we have done, forgive us of the wrongs that all of our people have done.

Help us to be more resolved, to be one as you are in us. In Jesus' name, amen. So this evening, let me offer this invitation to those who are Christians. God cares about you. He shows us in this teaching of Jesus'. Last words about the things that should matter to you most. If you've discovered you're not, it's not mattering to you, then please change.

But if there's things in your life that cause weakness and needs for which you need prayers, let the elders here know they'd be happy to pray for you. But to you and this audience who haven't become Christians yet, I haven't really talked about baptism. I haven't have talked about how important who you are is to God.

God died through his son to bring you redemption, hope and forgiveness. There is no better way. God can tell you that he loves you. So we sing this song because we love you. If you need to become a Christian tonight, let us know so we can baptize you for the forgiveness of your sins. Just together we stand and as we see,

I hear.