True Christian Unity
About this sermon
In “True Christian Unity,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about the condition of the church, faith, prayer. Drawing especially from Matthew 24, Ephesians 4, John 17, 1 Timothy 4, the teaching emphasizes that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises.
Chronological teaching outline
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Odle focuses on family discipleship while working through Matthew 24, Ephesians 4, John 17. The message argues that faithfulness in the home requires instruction, loving correction, protection, and a consistent Christian example. It connects this with the conviction that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on faith while working through John 17, John 1. The message argues that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. It connects this with the conviction that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on faith while working through John 17, 1 Timothy 4, John 1. The message argues that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on family discipleship while working through John 17, John 1. The message argues that faithfulness in the home requires instruction, loving correction, protection, and a consistent Christian example. It connects this with the conviction that biblical love is demonstrated through truth, patience, sacrifice, and conduct toward others. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on the condition of the church while working through Ephesians 5. The message argues that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. It connects this with the conviction that salvation is presented as God’s work in Christ that produces a changed life and continuing faith. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on the condition of the church while working through Acts 1. The message argues that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. It connects this with the conviction that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on the anointing while working through Ephesians 5, Psalm 133, Romans 16. The message argues that spiritual anointing is given for service and must remain joined to character and obedience. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on biblical love while working through Proverbs 13, John 1, Numbers 13. The message argues that biblical love is demonstrated through truth, patience, sacrifice, and conduct toward others. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to practice patient, truthful love in relationships and conflict.
Odle focuses on the condition of the church while working through Luke 17. The message argues that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. It connects this with the conviction that unresolved offense can become bitterness, while forgiveness releases judgment to God and protects the heart. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on the condition of the church. The message argues that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. It connects this with the conviction that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
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- 0:00:00
God we know God you said where two or three are gathered together in your name that you're in the midst of them and Lord we know that angels are around us because each of us have angels that protect us that you've assigned to us Lord and I know they stand around Lord in awe that looking at us as your children and the angels thinking how lucky we are how blessed we are how awesome it would be to truly be your child in the way that we are Lord they they stand in awe of us so Lord we thank you for that we thank you for the privilege for the honor for God what we don't deserve and that is to be born again and to be your children through the blood of Jesus we don't deserve it neither one of us deserves it so Jesus we thank you Lord that we are God restored to that place god with you that we were meant to be your children created in your image amazing thing Lord God help us not to take it lightly we pray this in Jesus name amen you know as we were singing that song uh there you know just for a moment I truly began to see as they were angels all around us and the Lord just began to remind me they look at us and they go wow I wish I could be like that think about that because they don't have the same experience they don't have the same relationship with God that we have that's just hard to find them isn't it the Bible even says one day we will judge angels it's just hard to Fathom when you what it what it really means to be a child of God to have that honor and that privilege that blessing to be born again to be restored to sonship to be restored to be what he originally created Adam and Eve to be his children in Intimate fellowship with him sin ruins that repentance and faith in the blood of Jesus remedies that amen and it is an awesome privilege that we take far too lightly folks I'm telling you we take it too lightly
- 0:03:03
if we took it as serious as it is and as special as it is we would be concerned about Sin we would be concerned about compromise we would be concerned about letting an idol creep into our lives we would be very concerned because why would you want to blow it when you're an heir to the throne you know the Bible says the day is coming where we will rule and reign with him that will be seated with him in his throne that we are not just going to be you know sitting on a cloud with a harp like the stupid world thinks heaven is that we will rule and reign with the King of Kings and the Lord of lords with Jesus Christ and we should not even be there boy I tell you it'll wake you up won't it I want you to take your Bibles this morning because the Lord did speak to me a very clear message and it basically has two levels to it kind of the body of Christ at Large and um in our church no hmm where'd you put them yesterday yes I gotta get my wife to get me my reading glasses just to help me out this morning I could probably do it without them but why struggle right um I actually printed my notes out but I actually walked off and left them but I have them on the computer so we're good let's just pray over the word for a second I ask God to give you ears to hear this not just with your head but with your heart because this is a very important subject tonight today because we're talking about true Christian Unity so Father in Heaven I ask you Lord to help us I already prayed this but I'm gonna pray it again Lord that you will help us holy spirit to understand in our hearts what it means to be in unity with you with the truth with each other in the body of Christ and what true Christian unity means Beyond head knowledge father I pray this in Jesus name amen this is vitally important subject because the Bible warned us that in the last days perilous times would come
- 0:06:03
and Jesus said in Matthew 24 one of the signs of the end and of his coming he said was what take he that no man deceive you many will come in my name and deceive many so we got to ask ourselves a question what is what is this issue of unity okay because there is a true biblical Christian unity and there is a false deceptive satanic Unity that is trying to transpire and trying to take place within the body of Christ but let's look at a few passages before before we go there we're going to look uh first let's just look at Ephesians we're going to be in a lot of scriptures this morning so Ephesians chapter 4 Ephesians chapter 4 everybody there Ephesians 4 verse 1. he says here I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one Spirit even as you are called in one hope of your calling one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all but he says here with humility lowliness meekness long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit now I'm going to say this this morning just to get my point across because there's two there's two aspects of even true Unity one is unity of Doctrine or Unity of belief what we believe the doctrines that we believe and then another is the unity I'll call Unity in the spirit okay now how many of you know it's important to be unified in Doctrine I'm going to show you that in just a second but it's also vitally important to understand that you can be unified in Doctrine you can be around a group of people that all believe the exact same things and agree on the doctrinal issues and still not have Unity because there's issues in the heart that can cause disunity there's hidden things okay but I wanted to read that scripture because
- 0:09:03
you know there's an instruction toward Unity right we're going to come back to Ephesians 4 in a second go to John chapter 17. of course this is the famous prayer of Jesus here in John 17. that everybody likes to quote but not many pay attention to John 17 now we're not going to read the whole prayer of Jesus here it's the whole chapter almost but this is Jesus praying and we'll look at verse one he says these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father the hour has come glorify thy son that thy son may also glorify thee as thou Hast given him Power Over All Flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him and this is life eternal that they might Know Thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou has sent and so he goes on to continue praying and he begins to pray for the the disciples we're going to skip on down a little bit here and I love this because uh this is kind of against the pre-trib Rapture idea as he's praying here he says uh verse 13 and now come I to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them Thy word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world hmm but thou shouldest keep them from evil they are not of the world even as I am not of the world sanctify them make them holy purify them cleanse them through thy truth Thy word is truth as thou has sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify myself that they may also be Sanctified how through the truth neither pray I for these alone but for them also which Shall Believe on me through their word now look what he says here's the prayer that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I and thee that they may also be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent me now Jesus prayed here several things that are very important concerning this subject of unity talked about sanctify them through thy truth Thy word is truth can I say this and and can I make it very very clear
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