Topical Sermons - Executable Outlines

personality rather than doctrine!
Mark A. Copeland
[The problem of division continues, despite the devastating effect it has on our witness for Christ. What
can be done by those who want to work toward the unity for which Jesus prayed...?]
II. THE SOLUTION FOR UNITY
A. ACCEPT THE SAME STANDARD OF AUTHORITY...
1. This is the first step toward religious unity
a. The need for a standard can be easily illustrated (e.g., agreeing on the length of a line)
b. For Christians, the standard must be the Word of God as revealed through Jesus and
His apostles
1) Jesus has all authority - Mt 28:18
2) We must abide in His doctrine - Jn 8:31; 2 Jn 9
3) The Spirit led the apostles into all the truth - Jn 16:13; Ac 20:27; 2 Pe 1:3
4) We must continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine - Ac 2:42; 1 Co 14:37
2. This requires putting away all other standards of authority
a. Such as creeds, traditions of men, ecclesiastical councils, etc.
b. Also personal or parental preferences and opinions
c. Things not explicitly authorized in the Scriptures
3. The same standard of authority can quickly unify those willing to follow it
a. E.g., how many baptisms are there?
b. Those seeking to maintain the unity of the Spirit will answer: “one baptism” - cf. Ep 4:
3-6
B. DEVELOP CHRIST-LIKE ATTITUDES...
1. This is required to maintain true unity in Christ
a. For many can claim to the let the Bible be their only standard
b. Yet differing views often exist, for understandable reasons
1) Varying degrees of maturity
2) Varying levels of knowledge
2. Barton W. Stone, an effective promoter of Christian unity in the early 1800's, had these
insightful words in an article entitled "Christian Union" published in The Christian
Messenger
(1828):
“On no other foundation can the parties ever meet, than on the Bible alone, without note
or
comment; and in no other name will they ever unite, but in that given to the disciples at
Antioch--CHRISTIAN. But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various
creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name
than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess
the SPIRIT of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union.” (As quoted
by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement,
20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56)
3. So we must display Christ-like virtues as we seek the mind of Christ
a. Lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, bearing with one another in love - Ep 4:1-3
b. A lack of selfish ambition or conceit, esteeming others better than ourselves - Ph 2:1-5
c. Patient, in humility correcting those in opposition - 2 Ti 2:24-26
Topical Sermons 288