Emphasis Preaching Journal

The presence of the Spirit in the early church was expressed in two ways: externally in the mission to Israel and internally in the unity of the fellowship itself. Both the outward mission of the church and its inner unity are essential parts of its life. And perhaps they are always in tension to some degree, one getting more attention than the other at different points in a church's life. The inner unity of the church can be threatened in a number of ways. Sometimes ties within a church are strained or broken by carelessness or lack of consideration.