Message:

• Today I want to speak to you on the subject of UNITY! More specifically, The Song of Unity
• What are THE SONGS OF ASCENT? 
  • From Psalms 120-134
  • These songs were sung as people were pilgrimaging to Jerusalem
    • Psalm 121:1–2 (ESV) — 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
    • Psalm 122:1 (ESV) — 1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”
    • Psalm 127:1 (ESV) — 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
    • Psalm 130:5–6 (ESV) — 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
    • Psalm 134:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD! 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!
• Setup the song - A song of unity 
  • Did you ever hear the song made in 1985 “we are the world?”
  • Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles

Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

• Unity is GOOD and PLEASANT meaning “the right thing, beneficial” and “enjoyable”
• Unty is RARE, PRECIOUS, and SYMBOLIC
• Unity is REFRESHING, it's as if we are getting rained on, and it produces GREAT FRUIT
• The blessing is proclaimed on the gathering of God’s people (Zion) and the unity of God’s people.
  • BECAUSE GOD IS A GOD OF UNITY! HE LOVES UNITY
  • The Trinity; all of heaven; His relationship with man

In summary, Unity is a very productive and enjoyable thing. It is rare, very precious, and symbolic of God's presence. It brings refreshing, just like a rain shower would. It causes dead things to live. God will speak his blessing over unity and that blessing will bring life forevermore.

Let’s reflect on our unity:

• Are you enjoying the blessing of unity in your life? Is it apparent?
• Is America enjoying the blessing of unity?
• Is your marriage enjoying the blessing of unity?
• Is your family enjoying the blessing of unity?
• Is your place of employment enjoying the blessing of unity?
• Is your church enjoying the blessing of unity?

Here’s the truth:

• If your marriage is unified, it will be good and pleasant. It’s hard to come by, but it will be a symbol of God’s presence. It will be as if you are under a shower of blessing.
• If your family is unified, it will be good and pleasant. It’s hard to come by, but it will be a symbol of God’s presence. It will be as if you are under a shower of blessing. 
• If your church is unified, it will be good and pleasant. It’s hard to come by, but it will be a symbol of God’s presence. It will be as if you are under a shower of blessing. 

OUR PROBLEM IS OVERCOMING DISUNITY! 

• Satan is a confuser, accuser, and disunifier 
• The flesh loves to disunify 

Four things that will stifle the beauty of unity:

1. A hard heart
   1. You will never have unity as long as your heart is hard.
   2. Here is the phrase for a hard heart: I... Don’t... Care.
      1. I don’t care to find unity and harmony
      2. I don’t care to forgive
      3. I don’t care to reconcile
      4. I don’t care to empathize, sympathize, or carry your burden
   3. Colossians 3:12–14 (ESV) — 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
   4. If you want unity, you must soften your heart 
2. A prideful mind 
   1. How in the world could the unity of heaven be ruined ~ A proud mind! 
   2. It’s almost impossible to have unity when there is pride. That’s why the Word says:
      1. Philippians 2:3–4 (NLT) — 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.
   3. I’m convinced that unhealthy EGO is one of the greatest threats to unity
   4. Unhealthy Ego - a warped view of my importance
      1. Arrogant: An inflated sense of self-worth or superiority over others, often expressing itself in dismissive or condescending attitudes.
      2. Defensive: A reluctance to accept criticism or feedback, and a tendency to react defensively or even aggressively when challenged.
      3. Self-centered: A focus on one's own needs and desires to the exclusion of others'. This can lead to disregard for the feelings, needs, or rights of others.
      4. Inflexibile: A resistance to change or adapt, often due to a desire to maintain control or assert one's own way.
      5. Entitled: A belief that one deserves certain privileges or recognition, without necessarily having earned them.
   5. If you want unity, you must HUMBLE YOURSELF
3. An unwise tongue
   1. One of the greatest destroyers of unity is THE TONGUE. The tongue can set a forest ablaze.
   2. Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) — 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
   3. Bad Words - Who can survive
      1. Building legos with a toddler
         1. Building homes with an unbridled tongue
         2. Building churches with unbridled tongues
      2. Murmering
      3. Gossip - Proverbs 16:28 (ESV) — 28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
      4. Slander
      5. Mean comments
   4. No Words
      1. A great source of disunity is the lack of communication and the assumptions that follow. 
      2. Pursue clear communication
   5. If you want unity, you must use your tongue wisely
4. An independent spirit
   1. Group trips and wandering kids. 
   2. Missions trips and wandering participants.
   3. Me and my dad at the river walk in New Orleans
   4. Korah in the Old Testament
   5. Diotrophes
      1. 3 John 9–10 (NLT) — 9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. 10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.
   6. Western philosophy is highly focused on the individual
      1. My life
      2. My future
      3. My career
      4. My truth
   7. Christian philosophy is often focused on the people
      1. We are a Kingdom
      2. We are a family
      3. We are a holy nation
      4. Jesus “laid down his life for the sheep”
      5. The early church was known for their togetherness
   8. If you want unity, you must harmonize with other believers

Closing:

• The final prayer of Jesus was that we be one
• The encouragement of the apostles was that we be one
• I want to pray for the blessing of unity upon you.
  • If you need unity in an area of your life and would like to pray for it, stand up on your feet. 
  • Let’s pray for softened hearts
  • Let’s pray for humble minds
  • Let’s pray for wise words
  • Let’s pray for unified spirits
• Altar call - Where are you with God?