Oneness In Spirit, The Role of the Holy Spirit in Unity
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 7/1/2024Ephesians 4:3-6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
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27:26
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to maintain oneness within the church and family, emphasizing that unity requires active effort, the removal of bitterness, and a commitment to the bond of peace.
Key points
- •Unity is not a passive state but requires active effort and the intentional bond of peace.
- •The Holy Spirit is the essential catalyst for unity in the family, the workplace, and the church; human effort alone is insufficient.
- •Every member of the Body of Christ has a unique and necessary role, and pride or competition hinders the collective mission.
- •Unity in the home is often disrupted by a lack of spiritual leadership and respect; men are called to lead through service and provision rather than abuse or passivity.
- •Personal bitterness and unforgiveness act as barriers to the Holy Spirit's work, requiring believers to 'let go' of past hurts to achieve oneness.
Scripture
Holy Spirit
Community
Family
Peace
Leadership
Life application
Identify one relationship in your family or workplace where there is discord and choose to respond with silence or a servant's heart this week rather than demanding your way. Practice 'loving from a distance' if necessary, while releasing bitterness through prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to bring peace.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of my life am I being 'passive' about unity instead of making 'every effort' as Paul commands?
- Am I currently viewing my role in the church or family as a competition, or do I truly see myself as one part of a larger body?
- What specific hurt or 'cycle of dysfunction' am I holding onto that might be preventing the Holy Spirit from creating oneness in my home?
- How does the way I treat my spouse or family members reflect (or distract from) my identity as a member of the Body of Christ?
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Full transcript
0:00I just want to talk to you about Oneness
0:02in spirit the role of the holy spirit in
0:06unity at the end of the day listen to me
0:09at the end of the day God wants us to
0:13embrace the spirit of unity but you
0:16cannot do it without the Holy
0:19Spirit you will never have unity in the
0:22family if you don't have the Holy Spirit
0:25you'll never have Unity on that job
0:27unity in the church unity in in your
0:30business if you do not have the Holy
0:33Spirit so it's important for you to
0:35understand that what keeps what keeps a
0:38family together is the spirit of unity
0:42and what keeps a church unified as one
0:45body is the Spirit uh of unity now let's
0:52go to Ephesians
0:534 beginning at verse three here are the
0:57words of the Apostle Paul he says make
0:59every effort make every effort make
1:02every effort that mean you have to push
1:03to do
1:05this under normal
1:07circumstances you you can't be
1:10passive when it comes to the subject of
1:12unity he says make every effort to keep
1:15the unity of the spirit through the bond
1:17of
1:18Peace So what Paul is telling us here it
1:21is peace that keeps Unity together so
1:25when there's chaos in your family when
1:27you've got that one person who always
1:30create drama in the family you have to
1:33understand for the family to be United
1:36the family cannot uh dwell on Discord
1:41and and toxicity and so forth the family
1:44has to embrace peace and sometimes to
1:48get peace you have to be
1:55silent some of you think that to get
1:57peace you have to demand it and you have
1:59to yell and you have to scream and you
2:01have to fight and argue sometimes the
2:04greatest way to invite peace in the
2:06environment is to be
2:09silent then he says here for therefore
2:12or there is one body and one Spirit he's
2:16talking about Unity here just as we are
2:19called to one hope when you are when you
2:22are called one Lord One Faith one
2:25baptism one God and Father of all who is
2:29all over all and through all and in
2:34all you can't get more unified than
2:37that he says as a church all of us and
2:41this applies to the family also we need
2:43to understand we are one
2:46body one body so when the church fights
2:50and argue and and have our differences
2:54and hate on people and treat people bad
2:57and when we make the church
2:59uncomfortable before hurting people to
3:01come in and people are seeking God we're
3:04not walking in the word of God because
3:06Paul says we are one body we're one
3:09Spirit just as you were called to one
3:12hope one hope when you were
3:16called so I hope all of us this morning
3:19whether we're dealing with our family
3:21whether we're in this ministry or
3:23whatever situation you find yourself in
3:26that you must allow the Holy Spirit to
3:28create Unity in
3:31you Unity keeps the peace in the
3:35home when you're United it keeps peace
3:38in the
3:39church you know what the devil want in
3:41your house as husband and wife you can't
3:43get along with children you can't get
3:45along you can't get along with in-laws
3:47you can't get along with cousins and and
3:49nieces and nephews you can't get along
3:51with
3:52people because he doesn't want the unity
3:55in that home he doesn't want the unity
3:58in this church
3:59the last thing the devil want is for
4:01this church to continue the devil want
4:04to get into Henry Fernandez for him to
4:05think no I built this thing this is my
4:08thing and I'm going to die with it I
4:09ain't giving it to nobody any that's
4:11what he would want he wants this to
4:14become a Henry thing he wants this to
4:17become a thing where Henry gets jealous
4:19because okay new younger people are
4:22coming in and this is why you ministers
4:24got to be
4:25careful when you see these younger
4:27people that I'm selecting to be trained
4:29as minister ministers you got to watch
4:30your
4:32attitude you got to embrace them you
4:36can't look at them and what they think
4:38they are you know who they think they be
4:39you know coming up in here and acting
4:41like they minister they ain't no
4:43Minister look at them they not equipped
4:45for
4:46it
4:48no we have to be
4:50United what the devil want is for pastor
4:53tman to come and now it's a
4:56competition now it's division
5:00some of you like tman some of you don't
5:01like me some of you like me some of you
5:04won't like him that's
5:07division I'm fully aware I've been
5:09pastoring this church for 33 years and I
5:12know not everybody in this building
5:14likes
5:16me but you know why it doesn't bother me
5:19because when I come on this
5:21stage I don't want you to like me this
5:23is not my assignment about
5:26me you was you're wasting your time not
5:30liking
5:31[Applause]
5:34me I am like the US Postal Service uh
5:38people my job is to deliver a letter I
5:41don't care if you like me or
5:45not I'm a man on an
5:49assignment so don't let the devil get
5:51into your spirit man and create Discord
5:55with you and your family sometimes you
5:56just got to love your cousin from a
5:58distance
6:00you got to love your uncle from a
6:02distance your come on now your auntie
6:04from a distance sometime you got to love
6:06your parents from a
6:11distance because in every family there's
6:15always that one crazy
6:20relative
6:22always and they may be sitting right
6:24next to you
6:26but I'm not going to say nothing
6:30so the holy spirit is working in and
6:33through all of us the holy spirit is
6:35working in and through all of us look at
6:381 Corinthians 12 and it says at verse 12
6:42just as one body through one or though
6:44one has many parts but all its many
6:50parts form one body but all its many
6:54parts form one body so it is with Christ
6:59for for we are all baptized by him one
7:02spirit so as to form one body where the
7:07Jews or Gentiles slave or free and we
7:10were all given the one Spirit to
7:15drink even so the body is not made up of
7:20one part but many very
7:23one as a family the man has his role the
7:28female has a role
7:30the children have their role in a church
7:34the bishop has this role the pastors
7:36have their role the elders have their
7:39role the staff the volunteers you the
7:43congregation you the virtual uh viewers
7:47we all have our role but we're one
7:51body we are one body that's how we keep
7:54peace the bond of
7:57Peace but we cannot say well okay
7:59because Henry is the head he's better
8:02than the pastors the elders I'm above
8:07the
8:08members that's not
8:11Oneness the Trinity doesn't argue who's
8:14greater than the
8:17other cuz actually they're
8:21one can you imagine the power and the
8:24effect we could have in our homes and in
8:26this church when we embrace
8:30the unity of
8:32Oneness verse 27 says now you are the
8:36body of Christ and each one of you is a
8:40part of
8:41it you matter to God every one of you
8:45you are a part of the body of Christ you
8:48matter to God in your home everybody
8:52should matter to
8:54you there's several scriptures where the
8:57word of God encourages us us how to have
9:00the family structure strengthened that
9:02means women you need to understand this
9:05look at the man and I and I know I could
9:07hear many of you going to kick back at
9:09this but according to the word of God
9:12the man must be a leader one who can
9:16lead his family and I know we have
9:19failed at this so many
9:21times I get
9:24it I get it many of you sisters are
9:26struggling with us men
9:30because we failed the leadership test so
9:34often we're not standing up to a
9:36responsibility in the
9:38home you know we disrespect you the
9:42things we say to you we hurt your
9:45feelings we we we just say words that
9:49nobody should be saying to a human
9:52being and some of you brothers are even
9:55using your hands on women
9:59you're physically abusing your
10:04woman and I'm I've got to tell you man
10:08you you have to start
10:09thinking is that a man of
10:12God is that somebody that you think your
10:15God will be proud
10:17of why would you even want to hit a
10:21woman
10:22why cuz you're
10:25angry it's only a weak man
10:32only a weak
10:35man would put his hands on a
10:41woman and that tells me if you are
10:44physically abusing your woman you need
10:46to get some help
10:51today get some
10:53help cuz most of these women are looking
10:56for
10:57leaders they're tied of struggling and
11:00carrying two
11:01roles they have their role as a
11:04woman they have their role to develop
11:08the family to carry our
11:10babies and to make sure we give them
11:13watch this a house they make it a
11:16home that in most cases if you treat the
11:20woman right the very thing you want
11:23she'll give it to you but she's just
11:25looking for a leader the problem is we
11:28fail so many times s because we're not
11:31leading and guess what these sisters
11:34ain't waiting around for you to
11:37lead not in the 21st
11:41century they will move you out of the
11:45way and they'll go on about their
11:48business to accomplish their goals so if
11:51you understand your position as a leader
11:53you're a
11:54provider you're a
11:56provider go out there and work man
12:00don't be sitting home and your wife out
12:02there
12:03hustling and you sitting at home how
12:06could you be a
12:07man to let your wife be working working
12:11working working and you don't go out
12:13there to
12:15work that's not the image of a
12:19leader that's taking advantage of a
12:22woman how would you like somebody to do
12:25that to your daughter
12:31so because the man is out of leadership
12:33he has created Discord in the house
12:35there's no peace cuz when you lack money
12:40it invites
12:43arguments when the woman is out of place
12:46she challenges the leadership of a man
12:48and some of you sisters please hear me
12:52you have to examine
12:54yourself and some of you need to change
12:56your attitude
13:02need to change your
13:05attitude because your mouth is
13:08belittling that
13:10man and although you're asking him to
13:13step up to be a leader you're using your
13:16mouth to handcuff
13:19him cuz you don't respect him forget the
13:24Oneness and how do you become one you
13:27can't do by yourself
13:29many of you are coming from
13:30dysfunctional
13:32homes so the only way you can break the
13:37cycle that is in your family is when you
13:40let the holy spirit guide
13:42you let him guide
13:45you so you can break the cycle in the
13:48home and you become that woman that when
13:52your man comes home he doesn't feel like
13:54he's coming home to a
13:57prison he doesn't feel like he's coming
13:59home to a burning
14:02[Applause]
14:04house that man should be driving saying
14:07I can't wait to get
14:13home that man should not be driving
14:15around the city of Fort
14:18Lauderdale in a
14:21circle cuz he doesn't want to go
14:24home because the moment he enters the
14:27house he's catch in Hell on the job he's
14:31going through drama but the moment he
14:33comes to the house you're going to shoot
14:42him they are many good men in this room
14:46and good men who are streaming listen to
14:49me there are many of them oh yeah they
14:53got issues
14:54yes dysfunctional
14:57yes but but many of them are good and I
15:00know some of you won't like this now
15:02verse 27 you are the body of Christ
15:06listen to me you are the body of
15:09Christ you may say that man is not a
15:11Christian he ain't saved you can't be
15:15born again because the stuff you do all
15:17that kind of a stuff but please hear
15:20me there's an old saying that's saying
15:23and I know a lot of you not going to
15:24like
15:25this and it goes for both male and
15:28female
15:30one man's
15:32trash is another person's
15:40treasure what you may throw
15:43away and you think is no
15:47good when they're placed in the hands of
15:50someone who's a
15:56caregiver so every one of you spouses
15:59you should be asking yourself the
16:01question who's in your
16:03hands who are you holding how you
16:07treating that person I close with this
16:10Acts 2 verse 42 we going to pray for you
16:13because Unity was in the early church it
16:15says they devoted themselves verse
16:1842 to the apostles teaching and
16:20fellowshipping to to the breaking of
16:23bread and to prayer everyone was filled
16:26with awe at The Many Wonders and signs
16:29performed by the apostles all of the
16:32Believers were together and had watch
16:34this everything in common they sold
16:37their possession or property and
16:39possessions to give to everyone who is
16:42in
16:43need every day they continued to meet
16:46together in the temple courts one of the
16:50practices of the early church is that
16:53they would meet on a weekly basis like
16:55us so be careful when you as a body
16:59think you don't need
17:01this there's power in
17:05Oneness verse 46 for every day they
17:07continue to meet together in the temple
17:10courts they broke bread in their homes
17:12and they ate together with glad and
17:15sincere Hearts praising God and
17:17rejoicing and enjoying the favor of all
17:21the people and the Lord added to their
17:24number daily those who were saved so the
17:27church according to the word of God
17:31grew because there was
17:35Oneness there was
17:38Oneness they broke bread together not
17:41just the bread of meal but communion
17:44that's why we do that we have
17:47communion they broke bread together and
17:49watch this everybody have a
17:52need I can't tell you how many times in
17:55this church there are people who had
17:57needs and I ask you guys and you stepped
17:59up to the plate and and
18:01helped that's what the church is
18:03supposed to be about nobody should walk
18:06into this building and have a need and
18:08we not pulled together be careful listen
18:11to me be careful that we become so
18:14selfish and
18:16self-centered that all we do is walk in
18:19these doors or log on and all we want is
18:23God give me a blessing
18:24today just bless me God and we don't
18:28embrace the spirit of
18:31servanthood the spirit of loving people
18:33praying for people the spirit of
18:36servanthood serving people going to our
18:38D to Care Center one Saturday a month or
18:42per quarter and say look there are
18:46hundreds of hungry people in our
18:48community you don't need to know them
18:50they they don't need to Pat you on the
18:51shoulder you don't even need to give the
18:54food we've got the food your offerings
18:56are providing that
18:59your offerings are providing hundreds of
19:02people every week at our food bank the
19:05least you could do is just say Lord let
19:07me just go and
19:08serve let me go and serve when you come
19:11on property you walk in the lobby you
19:13keep the unity hey how you doing God
19:15bless you you don't have to know people
19:17to say
19:21hi it's just good
19:24manners I grew up that way there not you
19:28you can save a life by just saying hi
19:30you have no idea the bad day that that
19:33person is going through so I say to you
19:37today we need to be
19:39one we need to be United how is that
19:42going to happen Holy
19:45Spirit Holy Spirit man if you let him
19:48work in you watch this to get rid of the
19:51bitterness some of you are so bitter I'm
19:53telling you you're going to go to hell
19:54with that
19:56bitterness I'm telling you
20:00I don't care what somebody did
20:02you you need to stop that bitterness and
20:06angry anger in you
20:09and I ain't going to forgive them you
20:12got to stop it it's going to kill
20:15you you're stressing yourself just let
20:20It
20:23Go Let It
20:26Go just Let It Go
20:29and let God use you you have a lot of
20:32thing to
20:33do a lot of thing to do when you leave
20:36this building when you go to your
20:38workplace
20:40tomorrow stop saying all those negative
20:42things about your
20:45company it may be true but stop it why
20:48would you try to
20:51destroy and hurt the hands that's
20:53feeding
20:55you don't be stupid
20:59you're Salt and Light so don't go to
21:01that job and you become the ring leader
21:04to keep gossip in the company and they
21:06know you go to
21:10church don't let your family members
21:14say that you are the one that's causing
21:16the problem in the
21:18family and you go to
21:21church don't do
21:23that
21:25unite unite Let It Go
21:29whatever it is whatever hurt you
21:32whatever your parents did to you years
21:34ago that you just can't forgive them off
21:38whatever the situation may be Let It
21:42Go and become
21:45one your family will go a long way a
21:50long way if you got two income in the
21:53house you're never going to go further
21:56when you hide your money she hide her
21:59money he hide his money you hide your
22:03money you cannot Prosper when both of
22:07you are
22:12hiding you
22:16can't you can't have a secret bank
22:19account that she don't know
22:21about not not if you're in the body of
22:27Christ can't be high and all that cuz
22:29you're not going to go any
22:31further come on
22:33now how can a house
22:35stand if it's divided well you know
22:39Pastor I hear that I understand what
22:41you're saying you know but the reason
22:43why I got to hide it cuz they'll spend
22:45it and they'll steal it then why are you
22:48with a thief
22:49[Applause]
23:01if you are with someone that you have
23:04done
23:05everything possible I'm not talking
23:07about you lying to yourself if you have
23:10done everything you know to do to work
23:13with a person listen to me
23:15carefully and you've been working
23:17working working working working working
23:20it's been years and that person is not
23:22working with you is bringing you down at
23:26some point in time you got to decide
23:29and I know we don't want to talk about
23:30this in the
23:33church cuz we believe a lie that you
23:36need to sit into something forever till
23:39the day you die because that's God's
23:44will so you're in your 30s and you're
23:47going to spend the next 25 years of your
23:49life into something that's
23:54dead if there is no Unity
23:58it's not
24:00going to
24:03work and sometimes watch this sometimes
24:07your happiness comes from making some
24:11difficult
24:12moves and zip
24:16it you don't need to explain things to
24:20nobody let everybody form their
24:23opinions but you walk in the will of God
24:26and when you do that I promise you
24:29God will bless you bow your heads with
24:30me
24:34please someone under the sound of my
24:36voice on the internet you're streaming
24:39in this
24:41building you are not one with the body
24:45of Christ ministers please take your
24:47positions only ministers
24:50please you're not one with
24:54God you're
24:56not Unified di you're not in
25:01Christ and I'm telling you if you're not
25:04a part of the kingdom of God you're
25:07taking a big risk with your
25:09life I want to give you an opportunity
25:11to turn your life over to Jesus this
25:14morning because maybe you will be the
25:17salt and the light that God will use to
25:20bless your family to spread light in
25:24that family's
25:26home to change the traj Dory of your
25:30family if that's you this morning
25:32whether you're here or you're streaming
25:34and you don't know the Lord as your
25:36personal savior meaning you've never
25:37prayed the sinner's prayer yeah you go
25:39to church thank God you're here
25:41physically you're streaming but you want
25:43to become a part of the Oneness that we
25:45have in Christ would you repeat after me
25:47the sinner's prayer and say Lord
25:50Jesus I'm a
25:52sinner I Repent of my
25:55sins I embrace the free gift of
25:57salvation
26:00and today I am born again today I Bor
26:04again in Jesus name in Jesus amen father
26:08thank you that they have now confessed
26:10and according to your word once they
26:12believe in their heart they're now born
26:14again may you bless your
26:17people may every one of us find our
26:20place here at the Faith
26:22Center because this is
26:26home this is home
26:30home help when we go home to our various
26:35homes your presence will be
26:38there that as we anoint them
26:41today they will take the bond of Peace
26:46home so that you can have your way in
26:49that
26:50family because the best is truly yet to
26:53come and the devil knows it there's so
26:58many many good things you have planned
27:00for that family and all he's trying to
27:03do is to distract them have your way
27:06with the families now and even for those
27:08who are streamen who were not physically
27:11able for us to lay hands on them may you
27:14bless strengthen them also give us an
27:18incredibly blessed and prosperous week
27:21and we give you praise for it in Jesus
27:24name amen