JIREH: Part 1 – The Basis of Unity (Notes, August 1)

On the day Pentecost was being fulfilled, all the disciples were gathered in one place. 2 Suddenly they heard the sound of a violent blast of wind rushing into the house from out of the heavenly realm. The roar of the wind was so overpowering it was all anyone could bear! 3 Then all at once a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes. It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them. 4 They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues—empowered by the Spirit to speak in languages they had never learned!
5 Now, at that time there were Jewish worshipers who had emigrated from many different lands to live in Jerusalem. 6 When the people of the city heard the roaring sound, crowds came running to where it was coming from, stunned over what was happening, because each one could hear the disciples speaking in his or her own language. 7 Bewildered, they said to one another, “Aren’t these all Galileans? 8 So how is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages…the mighty wonders of God? 12 They all stood there, dumbfounded and astonished, saying to one another, “What is this phenomenon?”
13 But others poked fun at them and said, “They’re just drunk on new wine.”

Acts 2:1-13 (TPT)  

• We are currently the most divided faith group on earth, and there isn’t a close second.

• …perhaps without even realizing it, we’ve fallen into the very dangerous habit of neglecting God’s commands in favor of our logic. 

• There is still an army of those who are fearfully convinced that they will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” If you were Satan, how would you discourage them? …keep them from the one thing God said would actually save people: unity.

• The gospel message is incomplete without the picture of the unified church. There is no plan B.

• True discipleship involves living life together, caring for the lost and hurting together, and experiencing victories and disappointments together.

• This is what God wants: groups of mature believers who show the world supernatural love for each other. The love component of church is not negotiable.

• Disunity isn’t just ugly; it makes us dysfunctional. We cannot be the presence and force in this world that God intended if we’re actively jettisoning essential parts of our Body.

• Are we really even seeking truth anymore, or are we just defending what we already believe?

• Too often we treat community and discipleship as optional add-ons that are available for those who are interested in that kind of thing.

• When we equate maturity with knowledge, it’s easy to justify a life spent acquiring knowledge and finding fault with others.

• The Father is calling: “Come home. Join me at the table. It’s time to celebrate.”…The question is whether our disapproval of the guest list will keep us from joining our brothers and sisters. And our Father.

• …there is something so beautiful and powerful about a group of incredibly diverse people uniting under a common banner. It shows the world that our common obsession with the worth of our King is more powerful than any social, political, culture, or economic divide. It shows them a picture of Heaven. Don’t let your pride get in the way of that picture.

• We can’t wait until everyone agrees to join the fight for unity. As God blesses the faith of the few, others will join.