https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/PerfectedInUnity.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: John 17:13-26<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. In Jesus’ final prayer to the Father before his arrest, Jesus expressed his desire that his\nfollowers be united, just as he and the Father were one – John 17:22-23\n
A. That “one” is not numerical, but a unity in purpose and action.<\/p>\n
II. Through this unity we are perfected – made complete or mature.<\/p>\n A. It is through a unity of faith that each part causes a growth of the whole –\nEphesians 4:11-16\n
1. Unity doesn’t just happen. It is taught.<\/p>\n
2. It is grounded in the faith and the knowledge of Christ<\/p>\n
3. It is truth spoken in love that causes growth<\/p>\n
4. The result is that we grow up to be like our Savior<\/p>\n
B. Teaching every man, so we are presented complete in Christ – Colossians 1:25-29<\/p>\n
C. Thus, unity exists in the truth. We have but one faith – Ephesians 4:5<\/p>\n
1. A faith that was delivered but once – Jude 3<\/p>\n
D. Same mind and same judgment – I Corinthians 1:10<\/p>\n
1. Same mind – same goal<\/p>\n
2. Same judgment – same standard (the truth)<\/p>\n
III. The goal is love<\/p>\n
A. Love God – Matthew 22:37-38<\/p>\n 1. If God is first, then it doesn’t matter what you think or I think, only what\nGod wants.\n
2. If you love God, you abide in God, and He in you – I John 4:16<\/p>\n
3. You keep God’s commandments – I John 5:3<\/p>\n
B. Love brethren is a natural consequence – I John 4:7-12<\/p>\n
1. Love then is matured in us<\/p>\n
2. Through love, all know we are Jesus’ disciple – John 13:35<\/p>\n 3. It doesn’t mean we will ignore each others faults or compromise our God’s\ncommands for the sake of an artificial peace. \n a. Instead, we work with each other and strive for a common\nunderstanding. \n b. We encourage each other to reach for the lofty goal of being\nChrist-like. \n
4. Love is perfected with us – I John 4:17-18<\/p>\n
C. Love, then, is the perfect bond of unity – Colossians 3:14<\/p>\n
1. We are knitted together in love – Colossians 2:2<\/p>\n
a. Attaining the full assurance of understand<\/p>\n
b. Resulting in a true knowledge of Christ<\/p>\n
2. Keep his word, so the love of God is perfected – I John 2:5<\/p>\n
IV. Unity is kept by peace – Ephesians 4:1-3<\/p>\n
A. Again noticed that it is something worked for<\/p>\n
B. Peace is made through God’s wisdom – James 3:13-18<\/p>\n
C. God hates discord among brethren – Proverbs 6:19<\/p>\n D. Though factions will come because not everyone has love for his brethren, not\neveryone has love for God, not everyone stays with the truth – I Corinthians 11:18-19\n
E. This is why divisive people must be dealt with – Titus 3:10-11<\/p>\n
V. Fellowship is with God and his people by practicing the truth – I John 1:1-7<\/p>\n
A. How pleasant to have unity – Psalms 133<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 17:13-26 I. In Jesus’ final prayer to the Father before his arrest, Jesus expressed his desire that his followers be united, just as he and the Father were one – John 17:22-23 A. That “one” is not numerical, but a unity in purpose and action. II. Through this unity we are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[65,513,454,441,456],"class_list":["post-52330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-love","tag-maturity","tag-peace","tag-truth","tag-unity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28710,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-jesus-prayer-for-unity-be-about-the-jews-and-gentiles-and-not-about-doctrine\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":0},"title":"Could Jesus’ prayer for unity be about the Jews and Gentiles and not about doctrine?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question is about the Lord's prayer for unity in John 17. We generally view that as being a unity of doctrine but what in that passage determines that? Could the prayer for unity be for unity between the Jews and Gentiles and of heart and spirit (Acts 4:32)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88477,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/vital-starting-points-for-unity\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":1},"title":"Vital Starting Points for Unity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer All believers should, at the least, accept that Jesus wants His followers to be united together. He prayed \"for those who will believe in me through their (the apostles') word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36453,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/keep-the-unity\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":2},"title":"Keep the Unity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ephesians 4:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The wedding day comes and a couple joins together in a covenant due to their love for each other. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The two become one flesh. They are united and now see everything from the same point of view. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some of you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24264,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/unity\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":3},"title":"Unity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24258,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-unity\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":4},"title":"The Unity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our Lord\u2019s desire was that his followers would be united - John 17:20-23 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the intervening years, the world has accepted lies. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They believe that as long as we agree on something, then there is unity II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The attitude of unity - Ephesians\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":83126,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/working-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":52330,"position":5},"title":"Working Together","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer The people of God are characterized by work. This is not a drudgery but a blessing demonstrating God's fellowship with His people and His people with one another. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet God's grace teaches us to \"renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Men-Working-300x200.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52330\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}