The Church
The Fundamentals of Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Church is the Body of Christ, not a building, not a denomination, not a movement. It’s ALL followers of Jesus.
Ekklesia, usually translated to church, means “gathering” or “assembly.” It’s about the people and their coming together, NOT the location.
Originally, Christians would meet at the Synagogues, but as not to conflict with the Jewish community, they moved their meetings to Sunday.
Then they moved to houses. It’s never been about the venue, but those who are part of the Body of Christ.
Peter described the Church as living stones: 1 Peter 2:5
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house...
Paul, while describing the Spiritual Gifts, describes the Church as the Body of Christ, and gives us great insight and examples. WHAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT TODAY
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
Paul compares the Body to the human body.
Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free… EXPLAIN JUDAIZERS
In Christ there is no distinction between races, backgrounds, or status...we are all Children of the Most High!
The true Christian church can be a conglomeration of everything under the sun. That is, we may have Calvinists and Arminians and Methodists and Baptists and all sorts of others, and yet we are all together on one thing—
Jesus Christ is wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption! He is All in all, and the people of the Lord who have learned to hear the voice of the Shepherd gravitate towards that kind of church!
Beauty of the CHoG - Movement “Salvation makes you a member!”
Lots of different backgrounds
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
Paul is using this as a reference to both spiritual gifting and how God is using each person.
But we can also use this to help us understand something that the world tires to show as a weakness!
Why are there different denominations? Is this a sign of division?
Maybe - There are different denominations and groups with different doctrines and theology.
Some for good reason, some maybe not so good reasons
Different parts of the body are called to different things.
Certain people NEED different things.
Some need the assurance of being chosen.
Some need the assurance of having choice.
Freedom has allowed for variation, whereas pressure and persecution tends to cause unity and faith.
“I cannot forget the words of my friend, Stoyan..."I took great joy that I was suffering in my country so that you could be free to witness in your country." And then he raised his voice to say: "Don't you ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution - and that is our witness to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!”
Nik Ripken - The Insanity of God
But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.
The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.
Funding for missions - gallbladder and lymph nodes, hands can’t move if they arms don’t move them...
Don’t feel like you and your role, calling, ministry, gifting is lesser or not important! - Trust in God’s call on your life
Don’t think that others are less important - be humble
And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care.
So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
Everyone has their place, and not in a discriminatory way. Everyone can belong.
There are those who are called to be more in the light, while others do things in the back end. ALL ARE NEEDED, ALL ARE IMPORTANT!
We also take care of each other!
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Being there for one another is both about the relational and the tangible!
We are called to a holistic way of living with each other and ministering to the world around us.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
This greater way is LOVE.
Again, everyone has there part and all are important.
Apostles (those who were specially commissioned as messengers of and by the Lord, especially directly after Jesus to begin spreading the word and faith about Christ). In this sense, we don’t have apostles any longer. But in a looser sense, we do have those who go and spread the message and encourage around.
Prophets - gave and give messages as a spokesman for God.
Teachers - explain the word of God in a way that people understand.
Miracles - expelling demons, raising the dead, and other signs and wonders that go beyond what the world would see as natural.
Gifts of Healing
Gifts of Helping - like that of deacons or trustees (trusted in the physical nature of the church).
Gifts of Guidance - or administrations, like those of elders, pastors, or leaders who deal with the spiritual care of the church. NOTICE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. WE ARE CALLED TO AN HOLISTIC APPROACH
Gifts of different kinds of tongues - the church in Corinth was placing a high status on the gift of tongues, and Paul was correcting this order.
Paul event points out, that not all heal and not all speak in tongues in vs 30!
The HS dispenses the gifts how He sees fit, we don’t get them all.
Throughout the history of the humanity and the Church, there has always been the human tendency to want what we do not have.
Curly hair wants straight.
Some want to be part of a large congregation to disappear in the crowd, or to be a part of what is cool at the time.
Some want the intimate connections that are typically found in smaller churches.
At the end of the day, we need to realize WE ARE ALL part of the body of Christ. We all have a place and we all have a purpose. Just because their purpose is different than yours, doesn’t mean that it’s wrong or less / more important.
Embrace what the Lord has gifted you with. Embrace the people the Lord has placed in your life. And go and BE the church!
PRAYER
Father, we thank you for your wondrous Church. Though we have a beautiful church building, we thank you that WE are the Church and that it’s not any one place. Guide us, empower us, and embolden us through your Spirit to go out into the community and be Your Church, Your Children, Your hands and Feet. I thank you for all the wonderful people we have here and all the ways you have gifted each and every one of them. You make sure we are able to provide and take care of each other. Thank you for this wonderful family.
In Jesus’s name, amen.
