Over the next couple of months we are going to be in a series of messages called “walk toward the mess.” Why? Because Jesus never hesitated to walk into a middle of a mess in order to show that he had come to fix things and save things and heal things and change things. We are going to start this series in an unusual way. I want to talk to you about walking toward the mess of division. We know the world is full of division…The world thrives on division. Satan is the divider in chief – and we play right into his hands. And then along comes Jesus. And Jesus is going to do something completely unique – something that’s never been done before – something that’s never been tried before – and he’s going to give this thing a name; the church. He is going to place all of His followers in a single family! Galatians 3:28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. This was never heard of before. This is quite revolutionary. An end to division. In the one of the last prayers of Jesus, Jesus prayed about this… John 17:20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23… May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. This is the heart of Jesus. The heart of Jesus is that his church, his followers, would be one… Especially in three ways… That they would be one with God. That they would be one with each other. And that their oneness would be a testimony to the world that Jesus is for real and that the love of Jesus is for real. Well, it doesn’t mean that we are one? That those who follow Jesus may not be exactly the same but they all have a shared purpose, a shared vision and a shared direction. We are all advancing toward the exact same goal. Paul knows all about this and so often writes about how important it is to be one. Phil.2:2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Eph. 2:20 Together, we are his house…21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Eph. 4:3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. Col. 3: stop was 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. These Bible commands to live in harmony with other Jesus followers are more important than your politics, than your skin color, the pressures of culture, and whatever you think the next color of the carpet should be in the church building!!!! So how are we doing with being one? To walk toward the mess of division let’s practice three laws 1. The law of love. John 13:34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Love is giving someone what they need most, when they deserve it the least, usually at great personal sacrifice. Love is willing the good of another person ahead of yourself and no matter the cost to yourself. 2. The law of ought. Matthew 5:23 (kjv) Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 3. The law of humility. 1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body…. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” I’m going to call this the sin of defeatism and elitism.