John 17:20-23
20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me
through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as
you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will
believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one
as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect
unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you
love me. “
Jesus’ concern at the Lord’s Supper: Will they stay united?
The disciples were still fighting among themselves
It’s the human condition. We say, “If everyone just agreed with me, they’d all be right!”
Jesus prays, “May they experience such perfect unity”
Unity is not sameness
Jesus’ goal: One body of Christ
Unity is like different ingredients forming a dish
You need differences
You have to be stirred up and blended together
You have to go through the fire together and come out different
Ways to strive for unity:
1. Celebrate one another
Notice each other’s strengths
2. Love one another
Desire to be reconciled, not to be right
Jesus says, “let my children come to me.”
Don’t stop God’s children from coming to him.
3. Forgive one another
It’s hard to forgive someone who is wrong.
It’s easy to forgive someone you love.
For Versailles to fulfill its mission, it needs to become one, as Jesus and the Father are one.
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