Church Life in One Accord

In order to practice the church life in one accord, there are crucial matters that need to be seriously considered and practiced. I was enlightened freshly as I had a time of morning revival with brother on this point of one accord. 

Seeing the One All-inclusive Vision: The Vision of Christ and the Church

Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; / But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18, RecVer)

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, (Acts 26:19, RecVer)

The disciples witnessed the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. This vision of the all-inclusive Christ burdened them to come together and pray in one accord. Because of this vision, they were able to deny their self, give up the world, their background, and could be blended as one, even to pray with fasting for ten days, which ushered in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Praying in One Accord

These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14, RecVer)

Day by day, we all must be governed by this one vision of Christ as Paul saw along with the vision of the Body of Christ in Acts 9.  This is the motivating factor for continuing steadfastly in one accord.

Pursuing the Apostles' Teaching

And they continued steadfastly in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42

The issue of the one accord led disciples to the practice of the church life, meeting from house to house. Therefore, the pursuit of the Apostles' teaching must be daily; reading the Bible, being revived through the ministry of the word, and pursuing the ministry in the form of Life-studies and the ministry books. For this, a price needs to be paid.

Practicing the Oneness: Meeting

 

As children of God, all genuine believers are one in the Spirit and also one in the universal Body of Christ. This oneness must also be practiced in each locality by gathering together as the local churches on the ground of oneness. Therefore, it is important to meet as the church in the name of the Lord Jesus. Besides, the practical oneness in our inward being must also be prayed for and realised.

Practicing the Oneness: In Harmony

These all continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14, RecVer)

Again, truly I say to you that if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens. Matthew 18:19

One accord refers to the harmony in our inner being. The Greek word homothumadon, homo (same) and thumos (mind, will, purpose), denotes a harmony of inward feeling in one's entire being. This is a crucial and deep experience.

Practicing the Oneness: One Spirit With One Soul

Only, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, that whether coming and seeing you or being absent, I may hear of the things concerning you, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1:27, RecVer)

Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing. (Philippians 2:2, RecVer)

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5, RecVer).

I exhort Euodias, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2, RecVer)

We should think with the mind of Christ and speak with the mouth of Christ, the Head. In this way, we will think the same thing and speak the same thing. The only way to do this is by allowing Christ to make His home in our hearts. For this, we need to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Our heart has a lot of things in it. It must be dealt with and allow Christ to make His home. Christ must have access to our hearts. In this way, we will be saturated with Christ in our inward being, especially, our soul. In addition to knowing Christ, we must also have the subjective experience and enjoyment of Christ. Then, we will be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion as Christ would be our person, our life, and our living.

Now I beseech you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be attuned in the same mind and in the same opinion. 1 Corinthians 1:10

Practicing the Oneness: One Heart and One Way

And I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. (Jeremiah 32:39, RecVer)

One heart to love God, to seek God, to live God, and to be constituted with God for one expression, and one way, the inner law of life, are required for the one accord.

Practicing the Oneness: One Scale in the Church Life 

You shall not have in your bag differing weights, one heavy and one light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, one large and one small. A full and righteous weight you shall have, and a full and righteous measure you shall have, in order that your days may be extended upon the land which Jehovah your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 25:13-15, RecVer)

There should just be one scale to measure myself and others. What I condemn in myself must also be condemned in others, maintaining the one scale. Better not to have any scale, neither for myself nor for others. Only God can judge righteously. Leave every measurement to God. 

Practicing the Oneness: Small Vital Group Living

In practice, the oneness can be realized in the small group meeting of the saints where all the saints are living and functioning.

Small Group meeting and living functions:

1. Retain the existing saints 
2. Recover the dormant saints
3. Reach out to the new ones by preaching the gospel

The Small Group meeting was invented by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The believers met from house to house.

And day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart. (Acts 2:46, RecVer)

Five advantages of the small group meetings are:

• It allows the Holy Spirit to move in us.
• It allows the saints to know and care for one another.
• It allows the grace the saints have to be developed.
• It allows everyone to function.
• It allows everyone to lead someone to the Lord and to the church. 

And He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, so that they might be with Him and that He might send them to preach And to have the authority to cast out the demons. (Mark 3:14-15, RecVer)

Therefore, this practice of church life in one accord will command the Lord's blessing. For this, we should all voice the same thing, trumpet the same thing, teach the same thing, and be in the same practice.

Lord, gain our one accord and bless Your church!