The Basis For Our Covenant

SERIES: The Church, a Body in Covenant”

TITLE: “The Basis For Our Covenant”

TEXT:  1 Corinthians 12:18-27

18  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

19  And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

20  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.

21  And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."

22  No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

23  And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,

24  but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,

25  that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

26  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 ¶  Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

INTRODUCTION:

What is it that forms the basis for our covenant together?

1. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (V.11).

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

A-    The leadership of the Holy Spirit to trust in Christ.

1-      The Holy Spirit convicts us of our need (John 16:7-11).

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that

I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come

unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And

when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of

righteousness, and of judgment:  Of sin, because they

believe not on me;  Of righteousness, because I go to my

Father, and ye see me no more;  Of judgment, because the

prince of this world is judged.”

2-      The Holy Spirit points us to Christ to meet that need         (John 16:13-14).  “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

B-    The leadership of the Holy Spirit to unite with a local body of believers.

1-      The Holy Spirit always leads believers to unite with a church

(Hebrews 10:25).”Let us consider one another in order

 to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the

assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of

some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more

. as you see the Day approaching.”

a-     Why?

1.)    Encouragement

2.)    Growth

3.)    Service

b-     He led Paul to seek out a local fellowship               (Acts 9:19,26) “Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus… when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples”

c-      Why did you join the local body of believers?

1.)    Size?

2.)    Programs?

3.)    Holy Spirit Leadership?

d-     Illustration: “The perfect Church (KTI 46)

1. RECEPTION OF CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR .

(VS. 2-3) “You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

A.     Receiving Christ is necessary for salvation .

1-      To receive Him gives salvation.

 (John 1:12) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

2-      This is what eternity rests upon.

 (1 John 5:12) “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

B-    Receiving Christ is necessary to being a member of His Church.

1-      The church is made up of the redeemed.

(1 Cor. 1:2) “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.”

a-     Illustration: “The rhyme of the Ancient Mariner”

1. PROFESSION OF FAITH AND BAPTISM .

A-    A public profession of faith is vitally important.

1-      The Bible commands it.

 (Matthew 10:32-33) “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

 (1 John 2:23) Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

2-      It is impossible to straddle the fence.

 (Matthew 12:30) "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

B-    Believer’s Baptism is important.

1-      Jesus commanded it (Matthew 28:19) “"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

2-      It is the biblical pattern.

a-     Jesus was baptized

b-     People were always baptized after a open confession of Christ as Savior and Lord in the book of Acts.

c-      It identifies you with Christ.

 (Romans 6:3-6) “as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin..”

1. UNITING TOGETHER AS ONE BODY IN CHRIST (V.13) “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

A-    This union is God’s work (v.18) “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”

1-      He has placed you into the body of Christ to complete it      (v. 24) “God composed the body...”

2-      We must serve in the body with the conviction of His call   (vs. 15-16) “If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body?.”

B-    It takes the whole body working to make it work                            

 (v. 21) “And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you.".

(Ephesians 4:16) “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

1-      Every part must do its job.

2-      If one part does not function properly, the whole body suffers.

CONCLUSION: