James 2:2-4 (NKJV) For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Being exclusive, biased with regards to the rich or the poor, racist, or concerned about our own needs is not love. It is not the same kind of love that Christ has for us. Instead, we are to have the same love for one another just as Christ loves us unconditionally. When we love others as Christ loves us, there is no place for wrong attitudes such as an elitist attitude, or spiritual pride, and neither should we be concerned about the different strata of society in the church or nationalities because we are all in Christ, and we want to respond to God’s love for us by serving Him and giving God our best.
The church in Philippi was more concerned about their personal prestige, selfish ambitions and were drawing members away rather than bringing unity in the local church. They were highly opinionated without reason or basis. God dislikes disunity, rebellion and strife, and neither will He bless rebellion. It takes an effort dying to self and choosing to be aligned with the church by putting her as our first priority in order to be of one accord. It doesn’t happen on its own but takes intentionality. When we are united in spirit or in one accord, there will be an absence of individualism or selfish ambition, and unity and oneness in the body is what ushers in the manifested presence of God in a church.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (NKJV) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
It is no easy task for a group of musicians to make one sound because musicians are known to be individualistic, so the resulting sound can be jarring. Therefore, when all the musical instruments and singers were one and made one sound, it was a sign of being of one accord to glorify God because they were convinced that God is good and His mercy endures forever! It wasn’t about them anymore, but all about God. Being of one accord is not confined to worship, but should relate to everything that we do as a church, and exist in every ministry.
Sermon Series: Servefest 2023 February
同心合一
雅各书 2:2-4 若有一个人带着金戒指，穿着华美衣服，进你们的会堂去。又有一个穷人，穿着肮脏衣服也进去。3你们就重看那穿华美衣服的人，说，请坐在这好位上。又对那穷人说，你站在那里，或坐在我脚凳下边。4这岂不是你们偏心待人，用恶意断定人吗？
相互排斥，爱富嫌贫，种族歧视，只顾一己之需这不是爱。这不是基督对我们那样的爱。我们要彼此有同样的爱，就像基督无条件地爱我们一样。当我们像基督爱我们一样爱别人时，我们就不会有错误的态度比如精英主义的态度、属灵上的骄傲、精英主义的态度，我们也不应该关心教会中不同的社会阶层或民族，因为我们都在基督里。我们希望通过服事上帝，献上我们最好的来回应上帝对我们的爱。
腓立比的教会更关心他们个人的声望，自私的野心，这些促使了信徒的离开，而不是腓立比当地教会的合一! 他们在毫无理由或依据的情况下极端的自以为是。神不喜悦分裂，悖逆和纷争，祂也不会祝福悖逆。为要达到同心合一，需要付出努力，治死自己，并选择与教会保持一致，将她摆在第一优先的位置。这不会自然发生，而是要有意为之。当我们在灵里合一或有一样的心思时，就不会给个人主义或自私的野心存留空间。正是藉着身体的同心合一，才能在教会中引导神的彰显。
历代志下 5:13-14 吹号的，歌唱的都一齐发声，声合为一，赞美感谢耶和华。吹号，敲钹，用各种乐器，扬声赞美耶和华说，耶和华本为善，他的慈爱永远长存。那时，耶和华的殿有云充满，甚至祭司不能站立供职，因为耶和华的荣光充满了神的殿。
一群音乐家共同发出一个音响不容易，因为众所周知音乐家都是很个人主义的，所以发出的声音可能会很刺耳。因此，各种乐器手和所有歌唱的都一齐发声，声合为一，有一样的心思成为荣耀神的标记，因为他们深信耶和华本为善，他的慈爱永远长存！这无关乎他们中的任何人，只关乎上帝。同心合一不仅限于敬拜，它关乎教会中做的每一件事，并要在每一个事工中呈现。
讲章系列：服事招募节 – 一心一意，彼此团结
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