Worship

“Nothing/Something” by Pat Barrett and Dante Bowe

Scripture

“John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

‘But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” -Mark 9:38-41 (ESV)

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” -Philippians 1:15-18,27 (ESV)

Jesus’s Radical Teaching on Inclusion

“… for whoever is not against us is for us (Mark 9:40)” has been resounding in my mind all week long. Perhaps these words of Jesus stand in direct conflict with what we normally hear, “If you’re not for me, you’re against me.” Jesus flips that statement right here. I love His inclusivity and wide-open arms!

In the passage from Mark, either John the Baptist’s disciples or some from the 70 that were sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1-7) were moving with signs and wonders. Demons were being cast out, and it was not from one of the 12 disciples. Tensions were rising. How could other followers of Jesus cast out demons, they asked? Later on in the New Testament, Paul is faced with something somewhat similar, and we see that territorialism, cynicism, or criticism escaped Paul.

It drills down to one question: Is the gospel being preached?

Do you know how many denominations there are in the Christian faith? According to Live Science, “There are more than 45,000 denominations globally. Followers of Jesus span the globe. But the global body of more than 2 billion Christians is separated into thousands of denominations.”

Biblical Principles for Unity

Again, is the gospel being preached, or are we busy staying divided?

I find it humorous that the disciples were more frustrated that some other Christ follower could cast out demons but they couldn’t. It wasn’t about celebrating the freedom for the demon-possessed person but rather their own territorialism on the demon-possessed. Unfortunately, it’s not a new issue for the Bride of Christ. Competition and cornering the market on ministry or theology has kept us all the more divided. Somehow, instead of seeing the vast abundance of the Kingdom of God coming to Earth, we are vying for market share, popularity, and not offending the world.

Again, I must ask the question: Is the world encountering Jesus through His Bride?

I need to poke something in the eye and address a grievous devastation as it pertains to a current situation the world is facing. That, my dear believers, is the division of the unvaccinated versus the vaccinated. Sisters in Christ, we are being polarized against each other over this issue, and it is breaking the heart of God! Brother against brother and family member against family member—Jesus said it would happen. Somehow, we have lost the biblical perspective on whose we are together, in Christ, as a Bride. We have been brought into Him, included in Him, grafted and adopted together as One. And yet, if you stand in opposition to me on this issue, somehow our foundation in Christ is no more? Sisters, regardless of a vaccine, is the gospel being preached, or are we too busy being sidelined with the political agenda of the hour?

I need us to get back to these truths and view one another with this eternal perspective:

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” -1 Corinthians 1:10

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” -Ephesians 1:13

“So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” -Romans 12:5 (ESV)

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” -Romans 15:7 (ESV)

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.” -2 Corinthians 5:16 (ESV)

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3:28 (ESV)

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus … .” -Philippians 2:5

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel … .” Philippians 1:27

The Mission Before Us

The enemy wants nothing more than for us be divided and polarized against one another. If he can destroy the very prayers that Jesus prayed for us in John 17 before bearing the cross, Satan would claim such victory. The Spirit of God will give us unity because it’s what Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in. It’s who They are and the essence of Their relationship with one another and with us. So unity isn’t a by-product; it’s the very foundation of our relationships. But Jesus also wants us to fight for it. We have to fight to maintain our unity with one another. That means if you call yourself a Christ follower and you are vaccinated and your sister is not, you love her and accept her regardless. If you, dear one, are unvaccinated and your prayer group sisters are all getting vaccinated, you are not permitted to reject them and write them off. The gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached through our unity and our love for one another! We cannot harbor resentments and bitterness toward one another on this issue. We can agree to disagree, but we have to keep loving one another because we all belong to one body! Satan is having a field day on this issue, and we need to stand up and say, “Not on my watch!”

We will not have vaccines in Heaven, and if we are called to bring Heaven to Earth, how is it that all of a sudden we are living from an earthly perspective? How have we lost sight of living for “that day” in order to preserve our lives and maintain our strong stance on an earthly topic? Let’s get our gaze and perspective from where we are seated in heavenly places. Can we please be the answer to the cries of Jesus heart in John 17?

“‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“‘Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’” – John 17:20-26

I will leave you with this closing question: Is the gospel being preached through your life and your love for vaccinated and unvaccinated people? It’s got to boil down to that one question in this hour because there are still more than 3 billion people waiting for you to tell them about your Jesus!

A Few Key Notes

• It’s not too late to join us for a 40-day devotional and fast! Purchase my new book “Revivalist Arise” on Amazon, and then sign up to join the devotional series. You can also click this link to join the Zoom meeting each Friday.

  Please invite other women to join you!

• Join us October 1 at the Hope Center to hear from speaker and author Christina McCracken. The cost to attend will go toward launching new Arise cities as the Lord brings them on. You can RSVP today! If you are interested in hosting a six-person table for $125, please contact Stacy Riddick at [email protected] or 214.514.3351.
• Women and young ladies, you’re invited to Mountain Tops Weekend on Saturday, October 9. We’ll enjoy a time of worship, prayer, and ministering to each other. You can RSVP now!
  Date: October 9
  Time: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
  Location: Freedom Church, 2435 E. Hebron Parkway, Carrollton, TX
  Cost: $20
• Join us October 22-23 in Midland, Texas, as we share the hope of the gospel for Harvest Day. Email me at [email protected] for more details.
• Arise is looking for women to lead initiatives in 70 cities. If you would like to start an Arise chapter in your city, email me at [email protected].
• Do you want to be equipped in sharing the gospel? Email me at [email protected] for details on trainings.