1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV
Now I plead with you, brethren, by 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 perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
You may have noticed that when things shut down around the world last year, churches were treated harshly as non-essential entities, less necessary than liquor stores. There was a major effort to keep us apart from each other. Pastors were arrested, jailed, fined for obeying the Word of God to not forsake the assembling together. This was a tactic of Satan to make it easier to steal, kill and destroy the sheep of the Great Shepherd. We are likened to sheep in scripture. Sheep have practically no protection from predators. Therefore, for their safety, they must stay together and stay close to their shepherd. So there is an important reason for Paul’s instructions to the church about maintaining unity and harmony. The true church is built on the Word of God and we must recognize who we are and stay together, doing the things that promote unity and harmony. Also, we must stay close to the Lord who is our Shepherd.