November Pastor's Pondering
The Church belongs to Jesus Christ, of which He is the head. Our church belongs to Jesus Christ, of which He is the head. If that is true, and I believe it with all my heart, then we must strive to do what Jesus wants us to do and to be what Jesus wants us to be. And what is that? What does Jesus want us to be and do? One good answer is found in Ephesians 4: 3, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the
Spirit through the bond of peace.” Unity is Christ’s desire for those who make up His Church. He prayed for it: “…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”
(John 17: 23)
What is it that produces this unity that Jesus prays for and Paul instructs us to strive for? I believe it is having the mind of Christ. Luke tells us that after Pentecost the believers in Jerusalem were one in heart and mind. The Holy Spirit was alive and active in their midst and they were focused on Jesus. They shared together the thoughts and the emotions of Jesus. They were committed to Jesus with every cell of their being. As a result, they experienced unity with one another because they were committed to, and living for Jesus. If we are going to experience unity in our church, I believe this is the key….. commitment to Jesus with every cell of our being. One mind, one heart…. the mind and heart of Jesus.
Pastor Rich