September 25, 2023 | Miami, Florida, United States | Leonard Johnson, executive secretary, Inter-American Division
Have you ever heard of the word unity? I’m sure you’ve heard of the word unity. It’s a familiar word that we use all the time. But unity suggests a coming together of working together as one, as a team. And we see this spirit in Mark’s gospel Chapter two. Why do you say that Pastor Johnson? When I look at Mark chapter two and beginning at verse three, the Bible says, Then, they came to him bringing a paralytic, and when they could not come because of the crowd, they and uncovered the roof where he was.
So when they had broken through, they led down the bed on which the paralytic was laying. Have you considered how many times the word they is employed in those few verses? That tells us that when we work together as a family, as a church, as a group, we can accomplish great things for God. And that is what the church needs today in the Book of John, Chapter 17, Jesus prayed for the unity of His followers, of His disciples.
And that unity is still needed today. And let me tell you, when we are united, when we work together as a team, God will honor our faith. Look at it in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 2:5, the record says, When Jesus saw the faith, not the faith of the paralytic alone, not the faith of the four friends, but the faith of the five of them together.
What did he do when Jesus saw their faith? He said to the paralytic son, Your sins are forgiven you. I say to you today, my friend, when God sees our togetherness, our unity, He will do great things through and by us. So let us be united one to another and above all, united to Christ and His purpose. God bless you.