Service: C3 Destiny Church, Monday 5 October 2026
Speaker: Geoff Hawke
Key scriptures: Ephesians 4:1-6; Psalm 133; Acts 2:1; Galatians 2:20; Luke 9:23-24
Watch the message on YouTube
Summary
This message was about the unity God gives His church, why it matters, and how we can guard it for the future.
Geoff opened in Ephesians 4, written by Paul while he was chained to a Roman guard under house arrest. Even then, Paul’s focus wasn’t on himself but on the churches he loved. After three chapters reminding the Ephesians of their identity in Christ and God’s plan to buy us back from sin, Paul says, “Therefore… live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” We respond to such an incredible gift by reflecting Christ’s character.
Paul names the qualities that build and keep unity:
- Humility: not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking more of others and their needs, wanting to serve rather than be served, as Jesus did when He washed His disciples’ feet.
- Gentleness: strength under control. Geoff described the big senior boys at school playing kneeling rugby with the little Year 7s, strong enough to flatten them but choosing to look after them.
- Longsuffering: having a long fuse and not retaliating when provoked, like the older Scouts patiently helping the younger ones who forget their sleeping bags or forget to eat.
- Bearing with one another: patiently putting up with each other’s flaws and annoying habits instead of holding a grudge, like an older sibling looking out for a younger one.
- The bond of peace: the Holy Spirit binds us together, and we need to work hard to keep that bond strong. Geoff shared that whenever he pushes into his relationship with God, God works in all his other relationships.
The enemy wants to break unity at any cost, but Psalm 133 says how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity, and that there the Lord commands a blessing. In Acts 2 the believers were all together in one accord, and the church was born with thousands added in a day.
Using rowing and rugby, Geoff showed that unity isn’t everyone being the same. In a rowing eight, everyone has to communicate, carry the boat together and pull in perfect time. In a rugby team, every player is built differently for a different position, but they all play for the team. Our differences make us strong when we put the team, and Christ’s vision, above our own agendas.
Signs of healthy unity include agreement on what we believe, humility, active fellowship, a shared purpose, and dealing with conflict well by going privately to the person first. The biggest threats are pride and offence. To guard our unity we need to remember whose we are, not just who we are (Galatians 2:20), deny ourselves and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-24), and find our worth in God’s approval rather than our success.
Geoff finished by reminding us that we are Christ’s hands and feet, His team, and called us to make every effort to keep the unity we have so that others see God through us. He closed with an invitation for anyone seeking God or carrying burdens to come and receive prayer.
Five questions for reflection
- Paul wrote Ephesians 4 while chained to a guard, yet his focus was on others. What helps you look beyond your own circumstances to care for the people around you?
- Geoff described gentleness as ‘strength under control.’ Where might God be asking you to hold back your strength or rights for someone else’s sake?
- Psalm 133 says God commands a blessing where His people live in unity. Where have you seen God bless a group or church that was truly united?
- The rowing and rugby examples showed that unity isn’t uniformity. What strength or ‘position’ do you think God has given you in His team?
- Pride and offence were named as the biggest threats to unity. Is there a relationship where you need to take the first step and go privately to resolve something?