Being Spiritually Unified

The speaker discusses the importance of spiritual unity within the Church of God. They reflect on the purpose of being part of the church and emphasize the foundation of calling, baptism, and reconciliation. They explain that God chooses individuals and extends an invitation to be part of His plan of salvation. The speaker also emphasizes the power of darkness from which believers have been rescued and the transfer into the kingdom of God. They highlight the significance of the spiritual nature of the body of Christ and the process of drawing individuals into a relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. It is emphasized that a response and personal relationship with Jesus Christ are necessary for eternal life. So brethren, today I've got a lot of material. I'm going to try to get through it, but today the title of my message is Being Spiritually Unified. I want to begin with a little bit of an introduction here and like to try and assess and reflect upon the state of the Church of God at the present time. Not only for our own selective group here at CBCG, but all the churches of God that continue to teach from the scriptures and hold fast to the truth as they've been taught and called by God the Father. Let us reflect upon what we as a group of people are doing together, brethren. What we as a collective team representing God the Father and Jesus Christ are actually trying to achieve. And that will give us an opportunity to assess where we have been, where we are presently, and where we want to go from this point forward. So today let us look at like-minded group point of view. A like-minded group point of view. A group of like-minded brethren trying to achieve the same goal of achieving the overall purpose of us being here. First let us look at some things that we need to address from a foundational point of view. And the things that we look at all must lead back to that foundation upon which we stand if we are going to achieve that overall goal that all of us are seeking. Why, brethren, and you've heard this countless times, why are we here? Why are we here? What does it mean to be part of the Church of God and more specifically part of this organization CBCG if you so will? Why does it exist? Why can't we all be unified as one group and not with the many scattered groups comprising of the Churches of God? These are all questions we're going to try to answer somewhat. Why am I here at CBCG and not somewhere else? These are all questions that many of us can ask and hopefully be able to answer as well on a personal level. Hopefully we can maybe answer some of these questions based on the spiritual foundation that was based on scripture and not our thoughts and ideas which we many times left getting away. Brethren, our personal foundation spiritually must include, of course, three things, calling, baptism, and reconciliation. These three things are so important for us to realize and to comprehend what they actually represent. We cannot have a relationship with God without these things and they all represent a timeline. They work together but they work in order. Today I hope to achieve a timeline effect which will take us from point A and work through various points connecting these so that we will arrive at a logical conclusion from scripture as to why we are here and importantly also who we actually are. We all know, brethren, very well from the scriptures that no one can come to me except the Father who sent me draws him. You read that in John 6 verse 44. We know this only too well, brethren, but do we actually understand and appreciate what that statement says? Today I'm going to talk to each one of you on a more personal level, a conversation between you and I, not the person next to you but directly each one of you. So what does that mean to you, the scripture I just mentioned? No man can come to me, Christ said, except the Father who engages in drawing him. We know that today the general context is we are living in an age of self determination. It's the age of self. In the secular world this is a very well represented by everything that is happening around us daily. It all appears to be about self. Everything around us is emphasizing the self. I will determine for myself what I'm going to do or what I'm going not to do and determine for myself what is right and what is wrong. That is the attitude that this society is living under now. We see it all too. This in itself can water down an individual's appreciation that we have had a specific calling from God the Father. It can enhance the idea that I am here because I chose to be here. I determined to be here. I am here because of me. We can easily be misled into that way of thinking and this brethren has resulted also and contributed to the fact of the various divisions within the church serving to reinforce self-determination. We can appreciate that we all have been forced to make decisions over the last number of years as we were confronted with doctrinal error and various other things on our journey. We had to make decisions and you know what brethren at an extremely easy step over the line from being forced to make those decisions to continue to say I am here because I have chosen to be here. Brethren we did not choose God. He chose us. He chose each one of us for whatever reason but God chose us. I personally can't explain why he called me specifically but he called me and I went through the very clear calling process that many of you have also gone through. Although I was initially introduced to the truth through my parents but needless to say I was personally called. God the Father does the calling so let us concede that God chose each one of us. We did not choose God. God extended an invitation to us. He drew us again as a rule. He chose the week of the world so let us not get puffed up and proud. God preferred us brethren each one of us and God the Father decided to take you personally for himself. He invited you. He preferred you to be an active participant in his unfolding plan of salvation at this time. What God is now doing with each one of us is a part of the plan of salvation and we must realize that it will involve the rest of the world but you and I have received as Paul said to the Hebrews the heavenly calling. So brethren if we responded to God's calling something significant takes place. Of course it began with an invitation so we did not have to be forced to accept. The Father did never force us to accept the calling that he's given us and I'm sure many of us has different stories to relay on how we struggled initially and maybe resisted but then just let it go. So here we are. We responded to the invitation each one of us and have come to this point in our journey. So finally let's go to the first scripture here Colossians 1 verse 13. Colossians 1 verse 13. Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness. God the Father has rescued us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of son of his love. So regarding who we are is very important brethren because we have been delivered. We have been drawn out from the power of darkness as it said. When Paul was talking about the particular calling that he received and that was an outstanding calling that we can read in Acts. Christ said of that calling that Paul's ministry would include turning people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. When God called each one of us we were totally under the power of Satan. Whatever way of life we had however good or bad our family upbringing whatever it was still under the power of Satan the God of this world and we have been drawn out from that and transferred as it says in the scripture into something else. If you read old Colossians 1 we can see that we are transferred not into the literal kingdom of God because flesh and blood does not inherit the kingdom of God. We are still flesh and blood but we have been transferred into something. We have been transferred into the church of God. Verse 18 and he is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from among the dead so that in all things he himself might hold preeminence. So let us consider this we have been called and if you want to refer to as such transferred into the church and we've often in the past heard from years ago that this refers to as an embryonic kingdom which is no case concept to consider but it is the development for full sonship in the kingdom the church. We have been put into the church having been drawn out from the world. So brethren the Greek word of church in the New Testament is Ecclesia. It is not generally a spiritual term. It did not derive from spiritual sources. It is a gathering or an assembly. It can be used in a secular form or as has become known in more religious form. Men have formed many Ecclesia over the years. Men came from these but with our calling our training and our background we can use the word Ecclesia in terms of a spiritual application and we've become used to that. But as you can have many Ecclesia many gatherings many assemblies that have been called together. There is only one quality that makes the body of Christ and the Ecclesia synonymous and that is important for us. That is the spiritual nature of the body of Christ. Let's turn to John 6 verses 44 to 45. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up the last day. It is written in the prophets and they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard from the father and has learned comes to me. Here's the beginning of a Here's the beginning of a process brother which will end up in the God family. Here's the Elohim family involved. The father and the son in a process of drawing people in their physical form into a relationship with them. Reading on verse 46. No one has seen the father except he who is from God. He has seen the father. Truly truly I say to you the one who believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. The father calls brings an individual to Jesus Christ. Then a relationship is formed with the individual and Jesus Christ which is the linkage that takes them back to the father. The calling by the father doesn't mean an automatic linkage to the father. There must be a response brethren. We must respond. Particularly important to understand that the individual must come to Jesus Christ and there must be a process that goes on with that individual such as eating the bread of life as we read. Let's turn to verse 62. What if you shall see the son of man ascending up where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you they are spirit and they are life. Verse 64. But there are some of you who do not believe for Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones that did not believe and who would betray him. The bread of life as we read is spiritual. This is a process that an individual must go through and of course it leads us eventually to baptism. So if the father has called you and you have responded and you've come to baptism because that's the formation of the relationship that involves the spirit of God. A new life begins with the baptism. God's calling will lead a person to that baptism which is the formalization of course of the covenant agreement between the individual and God. With this brethren it also becomes a formalization of a person's place in the church. Your position in the church becomes formalized through baptism. Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 8. Romans 8 verse 8 beginning verse 8. But those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However you are not in the flesh but in the spirit. If the spirit of God is indeed dwelling within you but if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ he does not belong to him. But if Christ be within you the body is indeed dead because of sin. However the spirit is life because of righteousness. Very important brethren. If Christ is in us it is a kind of merging that takes place between flesh and the spirit. We are not the same person after baptism. That doesn't mean that we walk away from the baptismal pool and there is a great aura around us or glow but there is something inside something very different. Verse 11. Now if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is dwelling within you he who raised Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies because of his spirit that dwells within you. Did you notice the word mortal? The spirit of God dwells within us. It is just not working with us not just out there leading us from calling to conversion. It is a part of actually who we are. We carry a part of Jesus Christ within us from that point forward. With baptism of course repentance is required and we must be careful that our mental state remains sound and true through that process of baptism. Romans 6 verse 4. Romans 6 verse 4. Therefore we were buried with him through the baptism into the death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father in the same way we should also walk in the newness of life. That becomes a literal reality through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We are not the same person we were prior to baptism. There is a new life now within us brethren. It is a spirit life that deals with the flesh, that deals with the human side. We are committed to the crucifixion of self. That life of crucifying the self goes on from that point. Baptism. And it is an ongoing process. Our old man was crucified with him when we went and got baptized and immersed in the water. Immersed in the water. That's what we committed ourselves to do each one of us individually. And that indwelling presence now defines each one of us who we are brethren. We may look the same but in God's eyes we are very different being carrying that spirit of God. God identifies us as one of his sons or daughters. And he sees us differently than others do. But this also helps define the church. First Corinthians 12 verse 13. First Corinthians 12 verse 13. For indeed by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bondmen or free, and we were all made to drink into one spirit. At that point you can call it Ecclesia. And it is God's Ecclesia, not men's at this point in time. We eat the same bread and that is the bread of life. Jesus Christ is the same being within you as within me. As with this person or with that person. It's exactly the same. For as the body is one, the body is one and has many members, this baptism that we underwent is defining this for us, each one of us. Verse 12. For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of one body, though many are one body, so also is Christ. This is looking at it from God's point of view. And so as we say very clearly and very accurately, the church, the body of Christ is spiritual in nature. It's the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ that you are carrying that places you into that body and places that person into the body. And that person into the body comprises the body of Christ, the church. They're all carrying that same spirit, and it's one. One spirit, unity across the board in one body and one spirit. The church, you may say, or compare it to as a spiritual organism. All the mutual, all the parts are mutually dependent. They all work together, needing each other and relying on each other. Ephesians 4 verse 16. Ephesians 4 verse 16. From whom all the body fitly framed and compacted together by that which every joint supplies according to its inner working in the measure of each individual part is making the increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love. We, brethren, we're all individually called. And through baptism and Jesus Christ spirit within us, we become a joint and we are called upon to supply something for the body. That's the concept of the spiritual organism. The unfortunate part is that the Ecclesia has been translated as church, and the real spiritual aspect has become lost and confused in the world today. You see, you can go to an assembly, but that assembly does not necessarily mean it is a part of the spiritual body of Christ. Yes, the name Ecclesia can have a religious sounding name, but it may not be a part of the actual body of Christ. That is reality, brethren. The church is made up of individuals, spirit led people who have been reconciled to a father. That is what the church is made up of. And this is a process. Conversion is a process, but this is also a process, brethren. Now we can move one step further, reconciled to the father. Second Corinthians 5.17. Second Corinthians 5.17. Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Brethren, this is something we personally must assess. Are the old things passing away from us? Satan is a master of creating an environment that keeps the old things alive and keeps bringing them up front and center. You don't have to go looking for the old. It will present itself from time to time because that is what Satan does so well. And we must fight this continually, each one of us. But brethren, are we passing away as far as the old is concerned and becoming new, as instructed? Because we are a new creation. The spirit of God in us is a spirit of transformation. Paul understood this very well. That is why the book of Colossians and Ephesians became so important for all of us to read and understand. Verse 18. Second Corinthians 5.18. And all things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Not only are we reconciled to the Father, but in that reconciled condition, as part of the body of Christ, there is a ministry of reconciliation. There is something further that has to be done. Verse 19. Which is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and he has entrusted to us this message of reconciliation. Being reconciled then places a responsibility on each one of us. And that responsibility will ultimately entail the world. It will entail the aspect of a gospel being preached as a witness to this world. That's a part of the reconciled state. These people no longer live for themselves. Go back to verse 15. And he died for all those, all so that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and was raised again. We all know that we live in a very toxic environment today. It's very toxic. Probably as toxic as we would ever expect since the time of Jesus Christ's death for somebody to be a member of the body of Christ and to accomplish what God fully intended. Brethren, sometimes this environment today is more toxic than most of us actually allow ourselves to believe. Satan has produced a mindset, a society where everything is opposed to achieving what God the Father wants us to achieve. But we're in this warm water that's getting warmer and warmer. And how much are we actually seeing? We, on a personal basis, must think about these things, brethren. How much is some of this stuff that's around us rubbing off on us? Whether it be on an everyday exposure, but it's rubbing off on us and changing the clarity of the view that we should have as God's people. 2 Corinthians 2.14. 2 Corinthians 2.14. But thanks be to God who always leads us triumphant in Christ and manifests the fragrance of his knowledge through us in every place. How might that fragrance, his knowledge, be spread around in every place? By a body that is one, a body that is a spiritual organism, a body that is a true representative of its head, which, of course, is at one with the Father as a living witness to this world. The world has no idea of the concept of what actually unity really means. God intended the fragrance of his knowledge to be spread. A ministry of reconciliation. People who are reconciled to the Father. They understand that. They acknowledge it. And they have committed themselves to this dying of the self, not living longer for themselves. Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for sin on our behalf. And it removes the barrier between man and God. And through Christ, we are now reconciled to the Father and we move on in God's plan as this new creation. Ephesians 4 verse 1. Ephesians 4 verse 1. Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, am exhorting you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called. This reconciled relationship is a relationship of unity and oneness. It cannot be any other way, brethren, since we are dealing with the Elohim family, the Father and the Son. So that takes us back to the beginning of this timeline when we were called. Paul is discussing the importance of us walking worthy of the calling that we receive. Because that calling is part of God's intention to reveal himself to mankind. To this world and the church, this body of Jesus Christ is involved in all of that. We're being encouraged. Each one of us ordered, commanded to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called, brethren, which was the Father's calling specifically to each one of us and directly to us. Verse 2. With all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. These are not qualities that any human mind or a mind of flesh can generate by itself. These are qualities generated by the new creation, by the spiritual indwelling of Christ working in us. These are not typical human normal qualities. This is what we must replace, brethren. This is the new that replaces the old. Lowliness and gentleness in this world today. Verse 3. Being diligent to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, one spirit, even as you were also called in one hope of your calling. God did not call to multiple atresia or man-made atresias. We were called to God's atresia, one body. Verse 5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in you all. These are six very important verses, brethren. It implies and it underlines the importance of unity and oneness. In our church experience, many of us can recall, unity was always spoken of, but brethren, unity as we understood it was not correct. Calling, baptism, reconciliation and the unity has to come from the unity of the spirit dwelling within us. Since the church can be considered a spiritual organism, this is the unity the church is to have. One body, one spirit. God's calling brings us to baptism. Baptism aligns us to develop the mind of Christ, who is perfectly, of course, aligned with the Father. That can be a beautiful intellectual exercise and it sounds so good. But brethren, is it practical, realistic exercise as far as our lives are concerned? Is it a practical, realistic exercise as far as our own personal lives are concerned? You can answer that on a personal basis. This God family relationship is best portrayed, of course, by a human marriage relationship. And I won't go through all that due to lack of time, but you can read it in Ephesians 5, verses 22 to 31. As God designed the institution of marriage from the very beginning, the two were to become one flesh. And that relationship is typified by the relationship of Christ and the church, the body of which we are all members. Ephesians 5, verse 32. Just skip down to that verse. This is a great mystery, but I am speaking in respect to Christ and the church. There is to be one spirit as there is one flesh in a marriage relationship. There is to be one spirit in our marriage relationship, whether you want to call it an engagement type relationship, no matter, with Christ. There is a fully fledged marriage coming up as well as we have all learned and understood. It portrays the one flesh of a husband and wife. It portrays one spirit of the member of the God family. Christ is the head of the church, brethren, and in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead, the father and the son relationship. He is the head of the church to which we have been so lucky to have been added to. God has a purpose for all of us. He didn't call us haphazardly. He called us for a reason. We may not be able to answer the question why, but he called us, each one of us, for a reason. And from this relationship flows the family style of governance. And it is an especially important part of our relationship. But brethren, we must also realize the family style government in the church will only work if you've got members who are prepared to commit themselves as being part of the family. It will only work by the indwelling presence of God's spirit in an individual. A willingness on our part to give up the old self and to submit to all that God has to mold, to shape, and to work with us. Ephesians 3, verse 14. For this cause I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his spirit in the inner man. Let's ask the question, is that happening, brethren? Is that actually happening? It should be. Are we actually growing? Of course, we should be. Are we seeking to grow? Are we wanting to understand? Or are we looking for loopholes? These are all questions we can ask ourselves. And personally, make a personal assessment. No judging someone else. Personally assess yourself. Are we committed to being strengthened on the inside, that life of Christ inside of us? We should be solid in our own minds about where God has placed us and what he wants us to do and to achieve. God has great plans for us all. Do you, brethren, believe that God has actually placed us here? Do you believe that God is doing a wonderful thing for us? Do you, brethren, believe that God has actually placed us here? Do you believe that God is doing a work through you at this time in preparation for salvation? For the entire world being able to comprehend God's plan? With God's Spirit, brethren, working within us, we can comprehend these things that the natural mind would never be able to have knowledge of. Verses 18 to 21, Ephesians 3. And that being rooted and grounded in love, you may be fully able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses human knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who was able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that is working in us. To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all generations, even into the ages of eternity. Amen. Let us ask the question. Who is working in these individuals and representing the Father on this earth today? Who is working in these individuals? Unity within the body of Christ is provided by the unity of the individual components. Very basic, fundamental concept to understand. Do we actually grasp that, brethren? Do we understand that point? Have we seen that in the past? Unity in the body of Christ is the unity provided by each one of us. Every part, every individual must do their share. We might all have different responsibilities, but we all can contribute to the unity and the oneness of the church. Brethren, church unity is a personal responsibility. This is the timeline where we start with a calling and we all come to this point. Unfortunately, in our past we have not seen this, have we? And the connection we have not totally grasped as we should. This, brethren, is who we are. Individuals called, placed through Christ's sacrifice and baptism into the body to provide unity within that body. Oneness within that body. Building and growing into the image of the One who created us. This is who we are by the calling that we have received. What an awesome concept to even perceive. Brethren, again, as we have heard so many times in the past, why are we here? This world desperately needs to know the Father as we all know. Jesus Christ said He came to reveal the Father. The world does not understand God. They don't understand who the Father is. And they don't understand the distinction between the Father and the Son and how this all comes together. We, brethren, are representatives of Christ. We, brethren, are representatives of Christ and the Father to this world. John 10 verse 30. John 10 verse 30. I and the Father are one. Very simply. I and the Father are one. Jesus Christ and the Father are one. Back to John 5 verse 17. But Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now, and I work. God the Father and the Son both work. They are creating. The work has not stopped. It is not in a holding pattern. It is hard to grasp at times, but that is the fact we must come to realize. John 4 verse 23. John 4 verse 23. But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father is indeed seeking those who worship him in this manner. How is that achieved? That is achieved through the calling, the baptism and the reconciliation. A group of people who can worship the Father in spirit and truth because they are eating of the bread of life. Verse 24. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. Let's turn over to John 6 verse 63. It is the spirit that gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life. God is working. Christ is working and the church is the focus of that work now. The church is to become a living witness of the Father just as Christ was. As we read in Ephesians 4, the powerful words of unity. The unity which represents spirit and truth. Let's go back to Ephesians. I know I'm jumping all over but these are important scriptures. Ephesians 4 verse 7. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Brethren, we were not called because God needed us. Because we had something to offer to God. It was pure grace. The Father extended his mercy to us. Verse 8. For this very reason he says that after ascending on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. It was through Jesus Christ's sacrifice he led the captivity captive. The penalty was lifted from our shoulders and we had freedom. We had the freedom now to come to the Father. Verse 9 and 10. Now he who ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens so that he might fulfill all the things. This is right after these sections of scripture that we've already read. And it's talking about one body and that is the united body. It is intended to fill all things through his sacrifice through the calling of people into his body. That he might fulfill all things. And these comments are made regarding the church. Having given gifts to all men that is taken from this quote which adds. Let's read Psalms. Go to Psalms. 68. Verse 19. Verse 19. Blessed is the Lord he daily bears our burdens that God the God of our salvation. Sheila. Our God is the God of salvation for unto the sovereign Lord belong the issues of death. That's the gift he has given us. He's given gifts to me the freedom from death. The freedom from sin. The freedom from sin. The freedom to worship God in spirit and truth. The natural mind doesn't have that freedom. It can't. We have that freedom. Are we using that freedom brother? Are we using that freedom? We know that if we give Satan an inch he'll take you right back into captivity. Just because we have been free does not mean we cannot be taken captive again. And that does happen brother. It does happen. We snap out of it. And then we repent. We have that opportunity. And then we come back closer to God again. But Satan doesn't want us to exercise that freedom. That produces unity. The oneness that represents the Father and the Christ. God's great work is to fulfill his plan of salvation. Our work is to represent Christ and the Father. Now as this plan is being developed. And it is a work. Ephesians 4 verse 13. Until we all come into the unity of the faith. And of the knowledge of the Son of God. Unto a perfect man. Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Brethren I will leave this question for you to answer. Is the church there at this point? Or is there still work to be done to get there? A question you can ponder and answer each one of you personally. Are we there? Are you there? Does your life reflect that? It is a goal. Certainly. It is where we are headed. It's where we want to be. And what we want to achieve. That's the work that God wants us to do. It is a work in progress. That he might fulfill all things. In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead family. Body. To become more like God. So brethren the importance of the individual calling. Becomes so much clearer to us. Ephesians 2. Verse 20. Verse 20. You are being built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. In whom all the building. Being co jointly fitted together is increasing into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together for the habitation of God. In the spirit. That is a work in progress. A building is built. And it's very significant building because it involves Jesus Christ at his return. This is for the household of God. And I don't believe that we at this time can say that building has been completed. We're all fitted together. We've all got. We've got that unity. We are being worked on so that we will fit together. With the unified spirit. For reference brethren. And I'm not going to go into great detail. You can read Haggai about the building of God's temple. And a group of people had been sent to rebuild the temple. And of course they got distracted. This is a complete other Bible study that you could possibly do some other time. They got distracted from the job that was at hand. There were enemies that wanted to stop them from completing the task. But they let down. And for 16 years the work languished. It wasn't being done. And so God sent Haggai to them to give them a good boot. In the rear end so to speak. To tell them to go on with the job that they had been given. You can read this in Haggai 1.3-4. For lack of time I won't read that. But you can read that in Haggai 1.3-4. Brethren we must have self-determination. With today's society so centered around self-determination. With today's society so centered around self-determination. And wanting to feel good. And put emphasis on ourselves. It becomes very evident. That it takes courage brethren to accept the work that is laid at our feet. It is hard work. And the temptations are there constantly. Causing us to find a way around the difficulty of doing that work. And we tend to find justification in what we do. And it greatly causes deceit many times. This is what we must fight constantly brethren. Each one of us. We should not be sidestepping that building program. And start expecting and demanding things from the church. And if I don't get what I believe I should. If I should I'll go elsewhere. That's what we have to ask ourselves brethren. Why are we here and not there? Why are we here and not there? Is God works being accomplished more powerfully in you? We must accept that challenge. Reading on in verse 5. And I'll leave this to you. Read in Haggai 1.5. It's the time that we were to consider our ways. Let us read though Lamentations. Let us go to Lamentations. I want to bring this out. Lamentations 3 verse 40. Let us test and examine our ways and return again to the Lord. Brethren we must search out and examine our ways. And we must return to the Lord. That's what consider really means. Consider your ways. Consider your ways means to search out. Examine our ways and take it to heart. And as we come to the Days of Unleavened Bread. This is so emphasized. We cannot slough off brethren. We cannot. We cannot let that happen to us. We've come this far. So we must stay strong and take the challenge. Take it to the heart. Sometimes it might hurt. Sometimes we have to look at ourselves in the mirror. And admit that what we're looking at is not that pleasant. But God sees it anyway. Accept that challenge brethren to change that. In verse 6 of Lamentations. Let us read verse 6. He has made me live in dark places like those who have long been dead. Verse 7. He has set a fence around me so that I cannot go out. He has made my chain heavy. The building is not being built. So I would like it to be built. What is our personal part in that? Think about that brethren. Actually think about that. If you have the mind to look for it. To seek it and to hear it. That spirit that we have will stir up that desire within us all. To get on with the building program. And not to be building paneled houses. The things that are important to us. The things that make life easier for us. The work that God has given us is a difficult work. It's a hard work brethren. No questions asked. There's nothing harder than changing what we are. We can acknowledge that at baptism. Now some of you may think what I'm saying today is very negative. But rather brethren. Consider it is very positive. God is building a building. And we have been given the opportunity to be part of it. Do we really understand that? Do we really understand that and appreciate that fact? Is God doing a work? Absolutely he is. There are different aspects of the work. But the work is the work of change. The work of unity. The work of the body of Christ. Becoming one reflective of the nature of the Elohim family. This is very important to God. The building of his temple. We have been called to do a work. And that work is the work of change. The work of unity brethren. The work of the body of Christ becoming one. Reflective nature of the Elohim family. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 3. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 8. Now he who plants and he who waters are one. But each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. What does it say here? According to his own labor. Not somebody else's. There is no responsibility that lies elsewhere. Outside of each one of us. Which we can appeal to us all. Which we can appeal to us to which we can appeal. The responsibility is personal. And we must personally accept that responsibility. Do we actually grasp that brethren? We are responsible. Verse 9. For we are God's fellow workers and you are God's husbandry. Even God's building. As a wise architect according to the grace of God. That was given to me. I have laid the foundation and another is building upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds upon it. Are we careful? Are we taking heed? Or are we looking for compromises? Are we looking for the easier way to get around difficulties? That are in front of us. In this building program. This journey that we are on. Verse 11. For no one is able to lay any other foundation besides that which has been laid. Which is Christ Jesus. Now if anyone builds upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or stubble. Brethren. We know there is going to be a very trying time. The journey that we are on is not a cake walk. There is going to be testing to see what work we have actually done. What work have we personally done? This brethren is the time to do it. When we have the opportunity. We don't have anybody breathing down our necks threatening persecutions. And drawing us off to be thrown to the lions and tigers. We still have the freedom to do this work currently. But because we have that freedom and the quietness. We sometimes seem to get too comfortable and slack off. And have tendencies to not do it. Verse 16. Don't you understand that you are God's temple? And that the spirit of God is dwelling in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God. God shall destroy him. Because the temple of God is holy. Which temple you are. Brethren. As we approach another Spring Holy Day season. The Passover. And the Days of Unleavened Bread. Let us seriously think about these things. We need to grasp the fulfilling that Christ is doing currently. That he is fulfilling within us. The individuals who are part of the body of Christ. The fullness of the Godhead. Bringing us into relationship with him. So brethren as I come to an end to this message. Unity from a godly perspective is not just a nice idea. It's not just a nebulous idea. Idea. It is absolutely essential as God creates his eternal family. Eternal family. The unity of the father and the son must be replicated in those that father is called. It is the basis of any gospel witness that God will take to the world. So brethren let us take a look at the church today. What is the condition of the church today? The church today is in the condition it is because of the individual components of the church. Simple, isn't it? But do we actually grasp that? The individual components. The individuals that comprise the church have got to accept and take the responsibility for that. Just as now as though I am encouraging us to accept the responsibility to fix it. And if there are flaws get things back in order where they should be. I'll give you a reference here. John 17 verse 9 to 10 and verse 21. Did we? Maybe I should go there. I don't want to shortchange this. John 17. 9 and 10. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me for they are yours. All mine are yours and all yours are mine. And I have been glorified in them. Verse 21. That they all may be one. Even as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be one in us. In order that the world may believe that you did send me. Do we grasp that brethren? That the world may believe. That the world may believe. That oneness. That unity of the body of Jesus Christ representing the father and the son to this world. The world as we know needs to know the father. Verse 22. And I've given them the glory that you gave to me in order that they may be one in the same way that we are one. I in them and you in me that they may be perfected into one. And that the world may know that you did send me and have loved them as you have loved me. In closing brethren. Do we love God and his benevolent plan for mankind enough to give our lives to him? Romans 12 talks about becoming a living sacrifice. Do we love God? Do we love the calling that we have received? Do we love the baptism? Do we love the reconciliation enough that we will give ourselves into the hand of God to allow him to do what he wants done? To present our lives as a living sacrifice so that the world may see the unity of the Elohim family. What a glorious time it's going to be when the world finally sees that happen. But remember brethren. The church has a particularly important part to play. Let us turn to this final scripture. Psalms 133 verse 1. Psalms 133 verse 1. Behold how good and how pleasant is it for brethren to dwell together in unity. How many times have we heard that in our past experience? Do we truly understand it? The word unity comes from the root word to become one. A group of people assemble to become one unit. God's Ecclesia, the body of Christ, a spiritual organism. The Ecclesia, the body of Christ is to be at one with the Father. How good and pleasant is that unity? How good and pleasant is that unity? Brethren, that is why you and I are here. That is what we as individual members of God's church are trying to achieve. It is only one part. It's not the whole part. But it is almost a very critical part indeed. It is the crux originating from the initial calling we received from God the Father, the Most High. Hopefully, let us take these words and apply them to ourselves before the upcoming Passover. And let us dwell on the message and remember our goal. That we are here for the unity of the spirit. Unified body that Christ and God the Father can use for the future. Let us really take this to heart, brethren. Let us be spiritually unified. It's a must if we are to succeed. Without unity, true godly love cannot exist. And that is what a glorious unified body is all about. The love of God expressed through the words of God through us under Christ. The spiritual unity created within the body.