“Lord Jesus, we thank You, that You have called us to be in one accord as Your church. We are to strive together for the faith of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers
The eleven disciples were gathered together in the upper room along with others for prayer and supplication. The common thread that held them together was the task that the Lord had placed on them, which was to be His witnesses. They desired for people to come to the faith of the Gospel. Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; (5) for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”
The Lord had commanded the disciples to wait and be baptised with the Holy Spirit. The reason for this baptism was that they had to be witnesses to Him so that people will come to faith in the Gospel. Coming together in one accord, therefore, was not difficult. Philippians 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”. When we keep our common agenda before us, which is to see the world come to faith in the Gospel, then we will ensure that our conduct is worthy of the Gospel.
We will love and care for each other. Caring and loving one another is not an end in itself. The love and fellowship in the church is the bridge on which people will cross over and come to faith in Jesus. If there are squabbles and disputes in the body of Christ, the solution is very simple. Let us strive for people around us to come to faith in the Gospel. We will then put aside our differences, for we will realise that our conduct must be worthy of the Gospel. The devil does not want the church to be focused on her one mission, which is to be witnesses to Christ and bring people to faith in the Gospel. If people are not coming to faith in the Gospel, we can know for certain, where the problem lies. It lies with the church, that our conduct is not worthy of the Gospel, for our task is to strive together for people to come to faith in the Gospel. The great commission, therefore, becomes central for us as the church, since this is our unifying mission.
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. We are not coming together to pray for ourselves but for people to come to faith in Jesus. As we pray for others, God meets our own needs. We see how people are in bondage and captivity to the devil. Which is the one group that has authority against the powers of darkness? It is the church. When the church prays with one accord, the devil has to flee.
John 17:21-23 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (22) And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (23) I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. The world must know that Jesus has come from God. When we are focussed on our mission as the church, then our level of oneness will be perfection. This is what Jesus has prayed for us. I Timothy 2:3-8 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, (7) for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (8) I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; We are to be of one accord in prayer for we want people to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus is the mediator between God and man and man must come to faith in Jesus.
“Father, forgive us that as Your church, we have failed to be focussed on the one task that You have given us, which is to bring people to faith in You.”