I. Unity or DIVISION?

• Satan is the author of division: class, tribes, political parties, races. The Tower of Babel was built because they were "one people...and one language" (Gen. 11:6 ESV). God is the author of unity. He breaks down the middle wall of partition between races, between genders, between generations, between classes.
  • Unity increases ANOINTING (Ps. 133).
  • Unity increases POWER.

I. The four rivers of unity

A. Unity is an ATTITUDE (Eph. 4:1-3 ESV).

• Humility—This is the basis of all unity.
• Gentleness—It means to have your strength under control (meekness).
• Long-suffering—This is patience.
• Love—This is agape love, with no bitterness or revenge.
• Peace—This is the bond of peace.
  • 1 Peter 3:7-8 ESV: "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind."

B. Unity is PERSPECTIVE (Eph. 4:4-5 ESV).

• "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
• Perspective of the common—Moves from what’s different about us to what we have in common
• Perspective of the kingdom

C. Unity is DIVERSITY (Eph. 4:7-12).

• Moves from what we have in common to what we have that’s different from each other.
• God is the God of endless VARIETY.
• A "soup" versus a "STEW"
• "But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Cor. 12:24-26 ESV).

A. Unity is MATURITY (Eph. 4:13-15 ESV).

• "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood [to a full-grown man]" (v. 13).
  • Maturity is not age, but WISDOM.
• "Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (v. 15).
  
  • WE ONLY GROW UP WHEN WE RECEIVE TRUTH.