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"Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well." Romans 16:13 (ESV)

1. Confluence: "A coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point."

"He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.... On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:13,16

2. The church should exemplify that God's people are one.

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make 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 to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)

Jesus prayed, "And the glory which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one." John 17:22 (NKJV)

3. The effective, evangelical church is a diverse church.

"I commend to you Phoebe … Priscilla … Aquila … Epaenetus … Mary … Andronicus … Junia … Amplias … Urbanus … Stachys … Apelles … Aristobulus … Herodion … Narcissus ... Tryphena … Tryphosa … Persis … Rufus, … his mother and mine ... Asyncritus ... Phlegon ... Hermas ... Patrobas ... Hermes ... and the brethren who are with them ... Philologus … Julia ... Nereus … his sister ... Olympas … Timothy ... Lucius ... Jason … Sosipater ... Tertius ... Gaius ... Erastus and Quartus ..."  Romans 16:1-24 (NKJV)

ACTION PLAN: Male and female, differences in nationality, ethnicity, and socio-economic status are all recorded in the names listed in the sixteenth chapter of Romans. Pray that you will have eyes to see all members of the body of Christ as he does. Pray "Lord Jesus, you prayed for the future church that we would be one, just as you and your Father are one. Give me your eyes to see each person in my church community the way that you do and give me your heart to love them the way you do. Show me any area of my heart that holds at a distance any person or group because of my perceived difference from them."

4. At Pentecost, the Spirit spoke through the languages of people from around the known world.

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind.... Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire ... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues.... Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene…, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.'"  Acts 2:1-11 (NKJV)

ACTION PLAN: Sharing the great news of the wonderful works of God wasn't limited to the first church. If you have been stirred by God to go into the world, consider serving on a P.E.A.C.E. trip. Find out how you can be trained and what the next trips will be by visiting the Saddleback Missions site.

5. At the Tower of Babel, the nations were dispersed according to the Table of the Nations

"Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.... From these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood." Genesis 10:1,32 (NKJV)

6. In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)

Jesus: "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." John 17:22-23 (NASB)

7. The wind of God's Spirit blows wherever it will, crossing cultural chasms.

"This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.'" Acts 2:16-17 (NIV)
"The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
John 3:8 (NET)