Sermon by David Le Veo, SOS Lyon Church. Based on John 17:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Introduction
Three days from stepping into a new year, David Le Veo speaks on a subject that has weighed on his heart for a while now: unity. A value of God's kingdom that Paul returns to again and again. He writes to the Ephesians: "Be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). And to the Philippians: "Make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:2).
This insistence from the apostle points to a real challenge. Humanity does not naturally aim for unity, and Satan works hard to spread division: in the news, in debates, even around your Christmas table. As part of the body of Christ, you are called to be a bridge of love between God and people, a carrier of peace and unity wherever God has placed you.
David Le Veo suggests walking through three steps to get there: becoming a peacemaker, letting the source of the Holy Spirit draw the people around you, and remembering God's ultimate goal, that all his creation be united to him forever.
Sermon Outline
1. Being a maker of peace, love, and unity
God sends you into a world broken and divided by sin to bring in his kingdom. To picture this posture, the preacher turns to Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: "For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew... to those who are without law, as without law... I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some."
Paul had grasped his mission: to be a craftsman of the kingdom. He learned other cultures, other languages, he knew how to make himself small, without ever distorting the gospel or tolerating sin. The message stays the same; the delivery adapts to the listener.
In practice: if you walk into a conversation with friends or coworkers pushing your political opinion, your certainty about the best sport, the best team, the best way to grill a steak, all you bring is division. It comes down to the state of your heart, your decision to refuse the pride that always makes you feel superior.
Paul picks up the same idea in Romans 14:1-4: "Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions... He who eats, let him not despise him who doesn't eat. Let him who doesn't eat not judge him who eats... Who are you who judges another's servant?" In Rome, a community split between strict religious folk and clumsy new converts; Paul's heart was to bring them together in mercy. It is God who has the power to strengthen a heart, not your judgment, not your arguments, not your positions.
David illustrates this struggle with his own daily life: for more than fifteen years, he has run renovation projects. Plumber, electrician, tile setter, mason: the moment a problem comes up, everyone pulls the blanket to their side. The human reflex is to be right, to be the boss, the expert. Yet Solomon warns in Proverbs 11:12: "One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace." Out of love, learn sometimes to hold your tongue.
2. The source that draws the people around you like a magnet
The people around you cannot live out biblical unity without first being transformed by the Holy Spirit. So the question becomes: how do you make disciples of Jesus Christ? Opening your home and setting the table is a good start, but you also need to prepare yourself intentionally to be that channel of love and unity.
People are drawn to fruit that isn't just for show. They come like magnets toward those who carry, deep inside, peace, joy, unconditional love. Hypocrisy and pretense transform no one. Proverbs 17:1 sums it up: "Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife."
Jesus himself confronts the Pharisees in Matthew 23:26: "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and platter, that its outside may become clean also." The world pushes you to polish the outside; God brings you back to the inside.
To make this concrete, David offers a simple picture. Two vessels invited to the same evening gathering. The first (himself) thinks first about his outfit, the barber, the gym, and arrives "as he is," almost empty. The second (his brother Josias) wants to leave a mark on hearts that evening, so he prepares his source: time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit for words for this or that person. When you arrive, who do you want to sit next to? The one who got themselves ready well, or the one whose gaze carries the compassion of Christ?
Hence this daily challenge: do you spend as much time getting ready physically in the morning as you do asking God what he has for your encounters that day? The cashier at the store, the coworker, the brother, the sister, the husband, the wife, each one can be reached, if you draw from the right place.
3. The ultimate goal: creation united to its Creator
Before the cross, Jesus prays out loud in front of his disciples in John 17:20-21: "Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me."
Jesus' deep desire is that those who will believe be united to the Father. And for that, he needs missionaries, disciples sent out to proclaim the word so that all may be one.
Some will object: didn't Jesus say in Matthew 10:34, "I didn't come to send peace, but a sword"? Yes, but that will be the sad reality for hearts that refuse the good news. And a few verses earlier, in Matthew 10:14, Jesus tells those he sends out to leave that house and shake off the dust, not to linger. If God entrusts the gospel to you, it will find far more open hearts than closed doors.
Coming out of Christmas, you may have heard (or said) this line: "It's the thought that counts," while unwrapping a pair of socks or a book about the thousand most beautiful beaver dams. The thought alone is far from enough. Be intentional, yes, but it is the gift itself that carries the power: the gospel of Christ, dead on the cross so that all may be united to his Father.
Key Takeaways
- Biblical unity is not some vague "peace and love": it is the unity of God's kingdom, and you are called to be its craftsman.
- Like Paul (1 Corinthians 9), you can adapt to those around you without ever changing the message or tolerating sin.
- The world is not first transformed by your arguments, but by an inner source (the Holy Spirit) that people can feel.
- Preparing your heart (prayer, listening) matters more than polishing your outside (Matthew 23:26).
- Jesus' prayer in John 17 makes your unity with other believers a testimony: "that the world may believe that you sent me."
Personal Application
- Before your next appointment (work, family, friend), take three seconds to pray: "Jesus, I want to be a channel of love, not a sower of division." Actually do it this week.
- Is there a subject (politics, sports, food, parenting) where you push your opinion so hard it builds walls? What would happen if you decided to hold your tongue (Proverbs 11:12)?
- Do you spend as much time preparing on the inside (prayer, listening) as you do preparing on the outside (outfit, appearance)? What do you want to adjust?
- Like Paul, who could you "become all things" to this week, without distorting the gospel? A coworker, a neighbor, a family member?
- According to John 17:21, your unity with other believers is a sign to the world. Is there a broken relationship with a fellow believer you can begin to repair?
Scriptures Cited
- Ephesians 4:3
- Philippians 2:2
- 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
- Romans 14:1-4
- Proverbs 11:12
- Proverbs 17:1
- Matthew 23:26
- John 17:20-21
- Matthew 10:14
- Matthew 10:34
FAQ
What kind of unity is John 17 talking about?
Jesus prays that those who believe in him would be one "even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you" (John 17:20-21). This is a unity of love and communion between disciples, mirroring the Father-Son relationship, with a missional purpose: "that the world may believe that you sent me."
Is becoming "all things to all people" like Paul a form of compromise?
No. David Le Veo is clear: Paul never distorted the gospel or tolerated sin. He adapted his approach (languages, cultures, sensitivities) without ever touching the message. Adapting is not denying who you are; it is making yourself accessible so the good news can find its way in.
Practically, how do you become a "peacemaker" this week?
Three paths from the sermon: (1) pray for three seconds before every encounter so you don't show up as a sower of division; (2) learn to hold your tongue when your opinion would hurt more than help (Proverbs 11:12); (3) spend time preparing your inside (prayer, listening) at least as much as your appearance.
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