Author: David Wilber
From the very beginning we see that God’s divine purpose for man includes being in community. Indeed, it was God Himself who said, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God declared everything else in creation tov—good—but He apparently thought it was a problem that Adam didn’t have any fellowship. So, what did He do? He established the very first community of believers by creating Chavah (Eve), thus showing that His divine will for man is perfected in the fellowship and unity of His people.
Why is community so important to God? Well, for one thing, John says we cannot love God if we do not love our brothers and sisters in the faith (1 John 4:20). How can we truly love our brothers and sisters if we aren’t in fellowship with any of them? Furthermore, biblical community is the means by which God fulfills His will on earth. When we become disciples of Yeshua (Jesus), we become part of the body of Messiah. All members need to be available and working for the body to fulfill its role (1 Corinthians 12:14-27). There’s simply no biblical framework for living a life isolated from other believers. In fact, the Bible explicitly discourages it:
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.(Proverbs 18:1)
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Generally believers agree with the need for fellowship, so the problem isn’t really a lack of God-given desire for community. The problem is that many believers don’t know how to maintain unity when they find fellowship. Indeed, just like it was in the first century, there are quarrels, fights, and disunity among us (James 4). This is deeply alarming. Why? Because Yeshua said that the world would know the Father sent Him when His followers are united (John 17:21). Therefore, disunity in the congregation is a detriment to the Gospel. We must find a solution.
With that said, the following is a list of 5 keys to having unity in the body. If you are part of a local body or you feel called to start one, these principles will help serve as a good foundation. I believe they are essential to the life of any congregation.
1) Humility
Humility is required to establish true, biblical unity. We know this because the antithesis of humility—pride—is the number one hindrance to unity. Pride is the very characteristic of the enemy that caused him to fall. It is the first of seven deadly sins that God hates. From pride come wicked and murderous intentions, lies, gossip, and ultimately "discord among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19). On the other side, Ephesians 4:2-3 says that those eager to maintain unity of the Spirit do so with humility, gentleness, and patience.
Everything starts with humility. We can’t even come to the Messiah in repentance if we aren’t humble enough to acknowledge that we need Him. God says that He gives grace to the humble, but He opposes the proud (1 Peter 5:5). In addition, the Bible says that being great in the Kingdom requires us to humble ourselves by serving others:
"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)
Our Messiah Yeshua demonstrated this biblical characteristic in an amazing way when He washed the feet of His disciples (see John 13:1-17). In the first century, this task was reserved for the lowest of servants. When Yeshua performed this act of humility, He was showing us how we should serve one another:
"For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." (John 13:15)
Are you willing to humble yourself and serve others in your community?
2) Accountability
Accountability is the willingness to be honest and accept responsibility, and oftentimes it means admitting mistakes. For instance, the Bible says that we are to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). We’re awfully good at making excuses and finding ways to avoid following this commandment. Some of us are so guarded because of past hurts. We don’t like to be vulnerable. But accountability is key to the unity of the congregation.
In fact, when God speaks, it is often through other people. If we aren’t willing to humble ourselves and trust others enough to be vulnerable with them, we shut the door to God bringing healing into our lives:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)
We need to open ourselves up to the rest of the body and “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). In addition, we need to be willing to be the ones to hold others in our faith community accountable. That’s what community is for. Sometimes being confronted by other believers is uncomfortable or scary, especially when it’s in regard to sin. It’s also uncomfortable to be the one doing the confronting. But for the sake of the Kingdom, we need to get over our pride and fear in this area.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)
3) Generosity
The Bible tells us to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). That may seem simple enough, but we need to remember that poverty is not only a physical condition. It’s possible for someone to be emotionally poor, too. Indeed, there are often people in the body who are depressed and in desperate need of encouragement. How generous are you? How much time do you invest in listening to those in your faith community? How often do you look for opportunities to speak into someone’s life? How much time per week do you spend serving others?
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. (Proverbs 11:24-25)
As believers, we need to be generous with our words, time, and finances. We need to always be on the lookout for ways to bless our brothers and sisters with regard to both their physical and emotional needs. Generosity is key to having a thriving community.
4) Tradition
Sadly, tradition has been given a bad rap by some believers. And it’s true that Yeshua explicitly condemns traditions that replace or otherwise go against God’s commandments. However, there are many beautiful and meaningful traditions that Yeshua Himself practiced and taught. With that said, I believe biblically permitted traditions are very important and essential to having unity.
The Jewish people are a wonderful example of the power of tradition. In addition to God’s amazing love and miraculous power, tradition is what helped the Jewish people stay united as a nation for thousands of years. In fact, the feast days of God (Leviticus 23)—His "traditions," if you will—are designed for the very purpose of bringing all Israel together several times a year. Is it possible that the disunity in the body that we see today is partly due to Christianity disconnecting from its Jewish roots and throwing out God’s "traditions"?
Traditions help us stay connected to our past. They remind us who we are. They give us common ground and something to share with each other. No doubt about it, tradition is key to unity in the body.
5) Yeshua
The most important key to unity within the body of Messiah is the Messiah Himself! When our focus as a community is on Yeshua rather than our own agendas, we all become conformed to His image and character. It is then when we can truly be on the same page in mind and spirit.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Messiah Yeshua, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Messiah Yeshua. (Romans 15:5-6)
Again, it is selfish ambition and pride that bring chaos and disorder (Philippians 2:3, James 3:16). Whenever I hear of a community of believers falling apart, I have found that it is usually due to pride and selfishness. There can be minor theological differences among believers in a community, but the Messiah must remain central for the community to survive and flourish. Yeshua said that a house built on sand cannot stand, but the house built on the rock will not fall when the rain and winds come (Matthew 7:24-27).
I hope this short list gave you something to think about and will serve to bless the body of Messiah. May the Father unite His people!
We often think of prosperity as something material. Prosperity from walking in obedience is often the opposite. It is having a deeper relationship with the Creator. It is when the desires of our heart become His desires.
Emotions are powerful. Our emotions, like compassion and empathy, often motivate us to do wonderful things like give to charity and help people in need. When we see an injustice, many times it will deeply affect us and move us to take positive action. And yet, strong negative emotions—jealousy, vindictiveness, resentment—can often overpower our better judgment and move us to neglect or hurt people.
The difficulties that we endure in this life are sometimes so painful that we feel stuck in unending sorrow. Many of us have been through tragedies that have left us with a crushing despair, which years later turns into a continuous dull ache that never leaves. We become despondent and therefore reluctant to believe that God could heal us.
Can you recall times in your life when you’ve lost control of your emotions? Perhaps it happens more often than you’d like to admit. We’ve all had heated moments where we’ve reacted out of anger or pain, often provoking others and dragging out arguments. What guidance do the Scriptures give us in these situations?
Is there a danger of leaving Jesus and the Gospel behind in our pursuit of Torah obedience?
Many of us carry around a deep sense of rejection, insecurity, and longing. We struggle to feel accepted, which sometimes drives us to unhealthy behavior. What does the Bible teach us about overcoming these feelings?
When the New Testament authors talk about Abraham, they always highlight his faith. Indeed, Abraham is most well known, both in Judaism and Christianity, for his great faith in the God of Israel. But Abraham also exhibited another important godly characteristic that is often overlooked: hospitality.
Our Messiah said that His return at the end of the age will be like the days of Noah. What can we learn from Noah's flood as it concerns the end days?
We are told in 1 John 4:1 and other passages to “test” the message of a teacher or prophet to see if what they say is truly from God. The reason is that “many false prophets have gone out into the world” and are leading believers astray. What are some of the identifying marks of a false teacher/prophet?
I love to be outside in Yahweh’s beautiful creation. Not too long ago, I spent some time in the woods. I was a good distance from the truck, but I didn’t realize it until the sky started to darken and I heard thunder. A storm was coming. But it was too late. I knew there was no way I’d make it back to my vehicle.
It is often said that believers ought not to judge. Indeed, “Judge not that you be not judged” is one of the most memorized Bible verses ever. Even people who have never read a Bible in their life will immediately quote that verse to silence anyone who might dare express disapproval toward them. But is it true that we are not to ever judge anyone?
Feelings are important and shouldn't be dismissed. But we must not be led by our feelings. We cannot assume that our feelings reflect the complete truth of any situation. Our feelings reflect only how we interpret the truth of the situation. New information or another perspective often leads to a different interpretation.
Why do people complain and rebel against God’s will? Before we answer that question, it’s important to understand that the reason given by the complaining rebels is usually not the complete picture. They give one reason for their complaint, but there is often a secret reason below the surface.
Recently my wife Diana and I had the opportunity to travel to North Carolina to attend and speak at a conference. The weekend was wonderful, and I was so blessed by the encouragement from believers around the world. But I admit I didn’t feel that way at the beginning.
Did you know that God gives us physical things to do in order to teach us spiritual principles? Indeed, He didn’t give us a bunch of random commandments just to watch us jump through religious hoops. He is a loving Father, and His Torah (instructions) is designed to teach us His character and His truth. Every “jot and tittle” in God’s Word has a profound Spiritual purpose—whether or not we recognize it from our limited perspectives.
It's easy to get discouraged by the instability of our culture these days. There is a growing distrust towards our leaders, the Media, and each other—and for good reasons, in many cases! But we shouldn't feel hopeless. Instead we should consider this the perfect opportunity to be a light in the darkness by offering something different, something stable, something that people can hold on to.
In Matthew 24, Yeshua (Jesus) told His followers to look for very specific signs that will mark the end of this present age and signify His Second Coming. But what are faithful followers of the Messiah supposed to do with these signs? How are we to live our lives as these signs begin to take place?
Have you ever heard the popular saying, “Hurt people hurt people”? The idea is that when someone acts like a jerk, someone else was likely a jerk to them. Someone planted that seed in his or her life. Thus, they don’t know what else to do except produce the fruit of death that comes forth from that seed.
Why on earth does God care about whether or not we rest on the Sabbath or eat unclean animals? Is it that big of a deal? What do these things really have to do with being a Christian?
Did you know that you and your spouse weren’t brought together by accident? God put you together for a reason, which is to fulfill His will on earth and to be a picture of Messiah and the Church. Marriage is important to God, and He desires your marriage to flourish.
From the very beginning we see that God’s divine purpose for man includes being in community. Indeed, it was God Himself who said, "It is not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). God declared everything else in creation tov—good—but He apparently thought it was a problem that Adam didn’t have any fellowship. So, what did He do? He established the very first community of believers by creating Chavah (Eve), thus showing that His divine will for man is perfected in the fellowship and unity of His people.
There is perhaps no experience more painful than losing a loved one to death. What does the Bible say about finding comfort and hope in these difficult times?
One of the greatest temptations of mankind is to exalt ourselves. We want people to think we're the smartest, coolest, and most talented. We want to be seen and admired for our gifts and talents. It's natural to desire acceptance and affirmation from others, but there's a danger of idolatry when we make God's work about us instead of Him.
In the Bible we often see God speaking to people, seemingly having regular conversations with them, and revealing Himself in very tangible ways. But that’s not the regular experience of many believers today. Did something change?
In chapter one of Acts, Luke speaks of the miracles that Yeshua did to prove He was alive after He was resurrected. He appeared to the disciples and many others for forty days and taught them about the kingdom of Yahweh. This chapter is also where Yeshua tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the gift that the Father had promised—the receiving of the Holy Ruach (Spirit).
Yeshua said that the world would know the Father sent Him when His followers are united (John 17:21). Therefore, we as believers have an important duty to try to maintain unity within the body of Messiah. But in order to work towards unity, we must first identify the cause of disunity.
Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, wrote how there is a time for everything. There’s “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). The season of Sukkot is not the time of weeping and mourning. That time was during the month of Elul leading all the way up to Yom Kippur. Sukkot is the time of laughing and dancing. Indeed, God explicitly commands us to “rejoice” in this season!
A consistent theme that we see in the Scriptures is God’s call for His people to make up their minds. God spoke through the prophet Elijah, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow Him” (1 Kings 18:21). God sovereignly chose these words to appear in His Holy Scriptures to be read by us today. He’s asking us the same question: How long before we decide whom we want to follow?
On the Hebrew Calendar, the month before the fall feast days is called Elul. In Judaism, this month is traditionally associated with the theme of repentance, or in Hebrew, teshuvah. It’s a time of introspection, reconciliation, and preparation.
Rodney Thompson speaks on what it really means to "come out from among them" (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Kelly Neumann gives insights from the book of Job and how to see God's goodness in the midst of suffering.
Jim Lindley speaks on King David's confrontation with the "5 Giants" and how that relates to spiritual warfare.
Paul Tremlin continues his series on the Fruit of the Spirit, this time covering "Goodness."
Mark Jacob teaches on the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit in both the Old and New Testament.
David Wilber teaches on the counting of the Omer and how it relates to the Great Commission
Mark Jacob gives an overview of Passover and firstfruits and how it connects to the death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua
Pastor David Robinson digs up the root of spiritual apathy and unpacks how we can overcome by the Lord's help
Paul Tremlin dives into the Scriptures and science to understand the power of our words.
Pastor David Robinson goes over the plagues sent upon Egypt and how each plague was a direct judgment against the various false gods in Egypt.
Pastor David Wilber speaks on the tithe, what it is according to the Bible, and how it might apply today.
Guest speaker Bill Cloud speaks on rededication and trading our old garments for robes of righteousness.
Pastor David Robinson speaks on the history of Thanksgiving and what it means for Christians today.
Partner With Us
Your support makes it possible for us to share the Word of God with people around the world through our weekly services, live broadcast, and online media resources like this article. Partner with us in reaching the nations with the Gospel of Yeshua/Jesus and the truth of His Word!
On every 4th of July in America, we are reminded of the value of liberty. But liberty is not an American concept; it's a biblical concept. God created us to be free.