A body Built to last

Introduction

As many of you know, like most pastors, I love analogies. Most analogies all break down at some place.

Examples

Paul loved analogies as well. One of the greatest of his analogies he used was the body of Christ. Each of us have been brought in and created as the body of Christ. He talks about this on multiple occasions and what this means for us and those around us.

If paul mentioned it multiple times you can believe it is very important for us, the modern church, to understand and live out.

So if we believe we are the body of Christ, there are implications that must mean for our daily lives and That is what I want us to talk about together and study on this summer.

Believe it or not, we are not all equal. We are not all equally made, equally gifted, or equally able.

Each individual has different giftings and abilities. We have different feelings emotions and different ways in whuch we see things.

Thankfully, we are not all clones or robots.

The different roles of soldiers in war

This morning I want us to focus on a body that is built to last. This will be an overview of the body of Christ, and we will focus our time this summer in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians

Rest assured, as many of you know, planting a church and working to reach a community is hard work and it is.But that is just on the level of our church. It is work for each individual.

The body of Christ is in one hand very large. It is made up of every believer that has every placed their faith in Jesus Christ, but on the smaller spectrum it is each body of believers that are a part of each local church.

Nonetheless this calling is exhausting. If it were easy then Jesus would not have said what he said. He would not of asked us to pick up our cross. Paul would not have asked and said that we should take part in Christs suffering.

Every day there are people that walk away from the Body of Christ and His calling. Every day there are churches that stop fighting and moving forward and they either throw in the towel or fall to the ways of the world around us. There are pastors this week who will pull into their office. Take everything they have and throw it away and they will be done.

Why does this happen?

Well we know the answer to this is sin right on a large level. Its brokenness hurt selfishness heartache and a myriad of other things.

But ultimately they were not built to last. They did not have what they needed to finish the mission and finish the race ahead of them.

2 questions: How can you live with absolute pasion and devotion for the kingdom and be built to last? How can KCC serve with energy and passion and reach those around us and continue on as long as God allows?

Before I hit our main points today let me say this. The Body of Christ that is His church is indeed built to last. It is built to lastbecause he made it. While you or I or a group of us may be in danger of falling. Christ and His church never will.

Matthew 16

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 16

17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 “I also say to you that you are aPeter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

If we are going to be a body that is built to last, we must be

Disciplined

The New International Version (Chapter 9)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

none of us would run a race without training

it takes discipline to be here early to change plans to stand for gods word to

Flexible

The New International Version (Chapter 9)

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

change how we do things

how i was raised. notjing wrong

Focused

The New International Version (Chapter 4)

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

blinders on a horse

easily distracted

there is something so much larger at play

Dependent

The New International Version (Chapter 4)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

most important and must be the starting point