Lesson 7 August 10-16 Unity: The Bond of Revival SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: John 17:9-11, 20-24; 1 Cor. 12:12-18; Acts 4:32-33, 1:8, 15:1-31; Matt. 18:16-20. Memory Text: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” ( Ephesians 4:1-3, NKJV). Unity is an essential ingredient of revival. Conflict, division, and strife do not create an environment for nurturing revival. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on a church that had united in Christ’s mission tothe world. Their petty differences were subordinate to the call of Christ’s larger mission. Striving for supremacy ceased in the light of Christ’s commission to reach the lost with the gospel. If the early followers of Christwere busy vying for power, the work would have been stymied from the start. Instead, convicted by the Holy Spirit to die to self, they were united in purpose and mission. In short, where there is no unity, there can be no revival. Where jealousy, envy, and jostling for supremacy reign, the Holy Spirit’s power is withheld. How crucial, then, that we learn how to break down the barriers that sometimes separate us so that we can enter into the unity that Christ seeks for His church. Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 17
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 16:24:27 +0000
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