Three Essential Questions
After watching the message take some time reflect on the following three questions.
- What did you hear? What point in this message was most impactful for you?
- What do you think? How did this message challenge, change, or affirm your thinking?
- What will you do? How will you put into practice what you've learned today?
"I am not praying for the world, but for those you've given me, because they belong to you. Now I am departing the world and I'm leaving them behind. Father, protect them by the power of your name so that they may be united as one just as we are one." John 17:9, 11
1. MY UNITY WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IS THE PROOF I'M SAVED
"I'm giving you a new commandment: you must love each other! You must love each other in the same way that I have loved you. Your love for one another will be the proof to the world that you really are my disciples." John 13:34-35
Action Plan: Can you easily describe your unity with other believers? How do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Write down examples and share with your small group. More importantly, ask your small group if they have the same assessment as you do.
2. THE TRINITY IS OUR MODEL FOR UNITY
"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one with each other as we are one." John 17:11b (NIV)
3. JESUS' LAST PRAYER WAS THAT WE'D LIVE IN UNITY
"My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father — that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me." John 17:21 (LB)
Action Plan: Do you take the opportunity to minister and witness to non-believers? This may be uncomfortable for you. Start by joining an outreach ministry that brings into contact with unbelievers (i.e. food bank, meals on wheels, etc). Share your experience with your small group and close friends.
4. GOD GIVES US HIS GLORY SO THAT WE'LL BE UNIFIED
"I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as we are." John 17:22 (NLT)
5. OUR UNITY IS OUR GREATEST WITNESS TO UNBELIEVERS
". . . may they be brought into complete unity so that the world knows that you sent me and that you have loved them even as you have loved me."
John 17:23 (NIV)
Action Plan: Would an unbeliever know that you are a believer by watching your life. If you are able, ask a neighbor or coworker that is an unbeliever to describe you as a person. Bring what they say to God in prayer.
6. UNITY REMOVES FEAR AND CREATES BOLDNESS
"Then all the believers united together in prayer. After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook and they were all filled with God's Holy Spirit. And they began to speak God's message with boldness."Acts 4:24, 31 (LB)
7. When a church is truly unified, everybody's needsare met
"The entire group of believers were completely united in their hearts and in their spirit. Everyone shared their possessions with each other. In fact, they shared everything they had." Acts 4:32
8. BAPTISM AND COMMUNION ARE VISIBLE SIGNS OF UNITY
"For just as your body is a unity even though it has many different parts, it is the same with Christ's body, the church. We're all different, but we form one body. We've all been baptized into Christ's body by the same Spirit, no matter whether we were Jews or Greeks or slaves or freemen, we now have all received the same Spirit." 1 Cor. 12:12-13 (AMP)
9. Focusing on OUR COMMON Purpose Creates Unity
"Dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves! Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose." 1 Cor. 1:10 (LB)
10. UNITY BEGINS WHEN WE REALIZE WE'RE INCOMPLETE WITHOUT EACH OTHER
"Yes, we're all different parts in Christ's Body, but there's still only one body! So the eye can't say to the hand, 'I don't need you' and the head can't say to the feet, 'I don't need you.' There must never be any division in the body allowed. Instead, all the members must care for each other equally." 1 Cor. 12:20-21, 25 (NLT)
"When one part of the body suffers, every other part is to suffer with it. And when one part of the Body is honored, every other part is to rejoice with it! Together you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that Body!" 1 Cor. 12:26-27
11. Jesus dieD to UNITE US, not divide us
"By his death on the cross Christ reconciled us and united different races into one body, He brought us all back to God, ending the hostility." Eph. 2:16 (TEV)
12. Jesus expects me to work hard at unifying Christians
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. Bind yourselves together by living in peace with each other." Eph. 4:3
"This is what I have asked of God for you: that you will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love." Col. 2:2a (LB)
Weekly Action Steps
We recommit our lives to Jesus Christ. Text NEWSTART (1 word) to 99000 or email newstart@saddleback.com
We express our gratitude to God for his goodness by giving back to him. Your generosity online is feeding tens of thousands of out-of-work families and serving many other needs. Give at Saddleback.com/give
We meet in small groups online to discuss what we've heard. To join a group, text SMALLGROUP to 99000 or email SMALLGROUP@saddleback.com.
Listen to our new Doable Discipleship podcast season, "Politics and the Church" at Saddleback.com/learn
