Worship Matters: One Body

Views of the age:

-being different is the best

-being different is bad

- being united is bad

-being united is good

-being united means agreeing about everything

-being divers means we cant agree about anything

-in order to be unified I must not say anything

-in order to be diverse I must say everything that is different about me

Central question: In a day where unity means uniformity and diversity means disunity, can we be uniquely unified?

1 Corinthians 12:12–31 ESV

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 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 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

One Body one Baptism one Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

you can’t go at this alone. Dejected and depressed or triumphal and independent We can’t go at it alone

the darkest assumption human culture makes is ascribing value based on desirability. Those who are desirable are worth something in Christianity everyone has value because they are created in gods image, wile not everyone will be saved Christ died for all ascribing worth to them, and in the new man of Christ, all members are important as they are all filled with the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:14–20 ESV

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

Personal lies

I do not belong

I just blend in

i am not needed

I am not strong

i am not pretty/presentable

I am exposed/ashamed

i am cut off

i am alone

One Body many members

1 Corinthians 12:21–26 ESV

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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Roman culture

Greek city / Roman colony Who is best?

The body analogy would have appeared quite differently Paul turned it on its head Romans and Greeks would have assumed that the head is the best And should be first with the most prominence Jews would have assumed that shameful parts were just a necessary evil such as the feet or the left hand

One Body, Spirit empowered

1 Corinthians 12:27–31 ESV

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

one of the biggest contrasts Paul draws in this chapter is between the dead idols and being the living manifestation of the spirit of God on earth if you want to feel alive, boldly and faithfully use your gifts as a reminder theat God is real and he is at work in this world and that you get to experience him in this way

Application

Lords Supper

Michael Green gives an excellent sixfold summary of the theology of the Lord's Supper that Paul stresses in verses 17-34:

look back (to Christ's death),

look in (in self-examination),

look up (fellowship with God),

look around (fellowship with each other),

look forward (to Christ's return),

look outward (to proclaim God's word to others)