Leader: The apostle Paul said a lot about unity when he wrote his letter to the Ephesians. Paul obviously like the church at Ephesus. Look at some of his words he wrote to the church:
All: This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers”
Leader: Did you pick up on why Paul was thankful for those church members” He was thankful for their faith in Jesus and, for “your love for all the saints.” We sometimes call a real godly person a saint, but in the Bible it simply refers to Christians. So Paul was thankful because these church members were showing love for one another. Unity is critically important. Paul would emphasize it again to the church members at Ephesus.
All: As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. 2 Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. 3 Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together. (Eph. 4:1-3, The Voice)
Leader: You have responsibility as a corps member. You are to be a source of unity. You are never to be a divisive force. You are to love your fellow Salvationists unconditionally. And while that doesn’t mean you agree with everyone all the time, it does mean you are willing to sacrifice your own preferences to keep unity in your corps. For when we seek unity, we demonstrate love. Look at Paul’s words one more time in his letter to the church of Colossae:
Leader: Paul said, “above all.” It doesn’t get much more important than that. Unity is really important in your church. Jesus says to declare forgiveness of those who have wronged us. This is because forgiveness of other people emulates God’s forgiveness of us.
All: 14 If you forgive people when they sin against you, then your Father will forgive you when you sin against Him and when you sin against your neighbor. 15 But if you do not forgive your neighbors’ sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matt. 6:14-15, The Voice)
Leader: Unity in the church will not happen if members have unforgiving hearts. Paul tells them the key to remain unified is to show compassion and forgiveness toward one another.
All: 12 Since you are all set apart by God, made holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. (Col. 3:12-13, The Voice)