The Good and Beautiful Community - Part 4 John 17:21

1. 2 0 1 4 S u m m e r S e r i e s : T h e G o o d a n d B e a u t i f u l C o m m u n i t y
The Christ-Centered

2. How many churches are there?

3. 30,000+ Protestant

4. “We’re right and the rest of you are wrong!”

5. O N E

6. JOHN 1720 “I am not praying
only on their behalf, but also on
behalf of those who believe in
me through their testimony, 21
that they will all be one, just as
you, Father, are in me and I am
in you. I pray that they will be in
us, so that the world will believe
that you sent me. 22 The glory
you gave to me I have given to
them, that they may be one just
as we are one— 23 I in them
and you in me—that they may
be completely one, so that the
world will know that you sent
me, and you have loved them
just as you have loved me.

7. JOHN 1720 “I am not praying
only on their behalf, but also on
behalf of those who believe in
me through their testimony, 21
that they will all be one, just as
you, Father, are in me and I am
in you. I pray that they will be in
us, so that the world will believe
that you sent me. 22 The glory
you gave to me I have given to
them, that they may be one just
as we are one— 23 I in them
and you in me—that they may
be completely one, so that the
world will know that you sent
me, and you have loved them
just as you have loved me.

8. Father and Son are not the same, yet they are one.
Church will not be the same, yet it must be one.

9. “Now there were
staying in Jerusalem
God-fearing Jews from
every nation under
heaven…” ACTS 2:5

10. “There is
neither Jew nor
Greek, neither slave
nor free, nor is there
male or female, for you
are all one in Christ
Jesus.” GAL 3:28

11. Jesus Christ Makes Us One!

12. “If we disagree, we must divide.”

13. Meager Church
Conservative
Democrat
Grape Juice
Reformed
Gender Equality
Just War
Pro-Choice
No Tongues
Praise Songs
Creationism
Gay-Including
Immersion
Psychology
Heterogenous
Mega-church
Liberal
Republican
Wine
Arminian
Male Headship
Pro-Peace
Pro-Life
Tongues
Classic Hymns
Theistic Evolution
Gay-Excluding
Sprinkling
Biblical Counseling
Homogeneous
EPH45 There is
one Lord. There is
one faith and one
baptism. 6 There
is one God and
Father of all. He is
over everything.
He is through
everything. He is
in everything.

14. –James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Community (86)
“The church of Jesus Christ has been split into many different
factions who refuse to have fellowship with one another. For a
people who claim one Lord, one faith, one baptism, we are not one
church but exist in isolation, judgment, suspicion and
condemnation. This is a sad and terrible situation that undoubtedly
grieves the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…”

15. –James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Community (86)
“…Race, class, denomination and doctrine
separate the people of God.”

16. “If we disagree, we must divide.”
“Let’s disagree without dividing.”

17. 2COR1311 Last of all
then, my brothers,
good-bye! Set your
hearts on this
maturity I have
spoken of, consider
my advice, live in
harmony, be at peace
with one another. So
shall the God of love
and peace be ever
with you. (Phillips)
Disagreed
Without
Dividing

18. “The solution to gender, race and social divisions is not to
eradicate our differences but to see them in light of Jesus.”
–James Bryan Smith, The Good and Beautiful Community (99)

19. EPH525-27Husbands, go all out in your love for
your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church
—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s
love makes the church whole. His words evoke
her beauty. Everything he does and says is
designed to bring the best out of her, dressing
her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.
(MSG)

20. JOHN 1720 “I am not praying
only on their behalf, but also on
behalf of those who believe in
me through their testimony, 21
that they will all be one, just as
you, Father, are in me and I am
in you. I pray that they will be in
us, so that the world will believe
that you sent me. 22 The glory
you gave to me I have given to
them, that they may be one just
as we are one— 23 I in them
and you in me—that they may
be completely one, so that the
world will know that you sent
me, and you have loved them
just as you have loved me.

21. O N E