The Church Gathered
VISION: “The Great Request” is found in John 17:20-23. Jesus asked the Father that all his followers, from then on, would be one just as Jesus was one with the Father. Three times Jesus prayed for unity and twice so “that the world may believe”. The Great Request is like The Great Commission. In a few verses, these scriptures instruct us on how to best win others to Christ. Can Christian spiritual unity truly lead to many people believing? The idea is surprising, but Jesus would not have asked for this if it were not true and possible, and it would not be in scripture if it did not have an application.
We find that the Bible has much to say about Christian unity in passages such as John 11:51-52, 1 Cor 1:10-13, Eph 4:1-3, Phil 1:27, and 1 Pet 3:8. Church unity is a core belief. After hundreds of years of division over important issues, ignoring the scriptures on unity has become very convenient.
Three years ago, one morning, as I was waking up, I thought if the Church leaders would ask God what to do, He would tell us how to be united again. After much prayer and seeking advice, I was convinced that this was my calling and the goal of my calling. MY GOAL IS NOT UNITY, but rather a worldwide gathering of church leaders to seek God’s will concerning unity.
Judah gathered together and earnestly sought God for deliverance (2 Chron 20). The early Church gathered together and earnestly sought God for boldness (Acts 4:29-31). Such prayers glorified God, and in both cases He answered with power.
There are many influential Christians that support a greater spiritual unit. I know at least thirty—people like Francis Chan, Pope Francis, Joyce Meyer, and John Piper. They are advocates but they need a workable plan. Leaders will be ready to act when many show their support for this effort.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8-9) We need to go to God and say, “We can’t do it, but God, You can. Our way of uniting Christians is not sufficient. Only You, Lord, know what we need and how to make unity work. What should we do?”
PROPOSAL: The springboard will start locally with the following:
• Establishing a gathering of local church leaders supporting each other in unity.
• Establishing a prayer group dedicated to seeking God about unity.
Within a few months, I will invite the staff from Churches in Orlando to a breakfast. There I will share this vision and related testimonies. I will also present a model of how churches working together with a prayer strategy have seen remarkable results in building God’s kingdom. Support will be generated as local leaders see the movement of the Holy Spirit in the success of this project.
