To Be of One Accord
ICS Daily Devotions
James 2:2-4 (NKJV) For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Being exclusive, biased with regards to the rich or the poor, racist, or concerned about our own needs is not love. It is not the same kind of love that Christ has for us. Instead, we are to have the same love for one another just as Christ loves us unconditionally. When we love others as Christ loves us, there is no place for wrong attitudes such as an elitist attitude, or spiritual pride, and neither should we be concerned about the different strata of society in the church or nationalities because we are all in Christ, and we want to respond to God’s love for us by serving Him and giving God our best.
The church in Philippi was more concerned about their personal prestige, selfish ambitions and were drawing members away rather than bringing unity in the local church. They were highly opinionated without reason or basis. God dislikes disunity, rebellion and strife, and neither will He bless rebellion. It takes an effort dying to self and choosing to be aligned with the church by putting her as our first priority in order to be of one accord. It doesn’t happen on its own but takes intentionality. When we are united in spirit or in one accord, there will be an absence of individualism or selfish ambition, and unity and oneness in the body is what ushers in the manifested presence of God in a church.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (NKJV) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
It is no easy task for a group of musicians to make one sound because musicians are known to be individualistic, so the resulting sound can be jarring. Therefore, when all the musical instruments and singers were one and made one sound, it was a sign of being of one accord to glorify God because they were convinced that God is good and His mercy endures forever! It wasn’t about them anymore, but all about God. Being of one accord is not confined to worship, but should relate to everything that we do as a church, and exist in every ministry.
Sermon Series: Servefest
