Unity in the City

Several of us in the city instigated a ministers' prayer meeting at the Ryde Four-Square Bible School. This was a good central spot and over 30 ministers from different groups gathered every Tuesday morning. Each of us made it the priority in our ministry. Out of this we started the "Holy Spirit Teaching Seminars" at the Wentworth Grand Ballroom where, every two months, 2000 regularly gathered for gloriously anointed times of teaching and fellowship. For each seminar the Lord showed us how to promote unity by inviting one teacher from different streams in the Body of Christ - the evangelical charismatic, pentecostal, restoration, and Catholic charismatic. This provided balance also and avoided sectarianism.

There were nine churches in the city that had particularly close fellowship. Believing that honour and recognition should be given to the ministers God has called to the city, rather than always tending to look to overseas ministries, I invited the nine ministers to teach at a teaching seminar on prayer. Each minister was to take 15 minutes. We did not instruct which subject on prayer each was to take. They were each to seek the Lord. It was a glorious day. Not one teacher overlapped another. Each brought a specific aspect of prayer, flowing from the other, and by the end of the day it was a complete and wonderful message on prayer.

United Prayer for Sydney

These expressions of unity were wonderful. On another accasion we held a communion service. Again, 2000 gathered. These were great numbers in those days in the early 70's. No one preached. It was a great time of worship and rejoicing as we shared the Table of the Lord together. At the end of the time I stood up and said...

"Our hearts and faith are together. Let's each find a partner and let us all pray for the city of Sydney."

A mighty rush of sound filled the air as they all began to pray!

We also met regularly at 5 am every Sunday at Wynyard Square in the centre of the city. Christians from different fellowships gathered and we walked the streets, praying for Sydney. At 7 am we would then all come together under Wynyard's clock tower. As the clock struck 7 our united voices rang through the city's empty streets as we sang ...

"He is Lord! He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.
Every knee shall bow.
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!"

Then we all went home to different parts of the city for our Sunday gatherings.

Genuine Unity Blessed by the Lord

We have found over the years that whenever unity is expressed the blessing of God is poured out. As King David expressed in his Psalm 133

..."How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head...." v.1-2.

Most of our seminars and short-term Bible schools in Asia have had sometimes up to 40 different denominations and groups represented. Without exception, every time, we have seen the outpouring of God's Spirit.The unity of His believers is the great desire expressed by the Lord Jesus in His prayer to His Father just before He went to the Cross....

"...I pray also for those who will believe in me....that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" John 17:20-23.

This is the level of our relationship together that God is after - the same unity as is expressed in the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May this be the central focus of all of us who are in Christ - unity together in our faith in the Lord and His work on the Cross and Resurrection. It is through our unity that His glory will be revealed and the world will believe!