A Member in Christ’s Body

A Member in Christ’s Body October 14, 2007 Give by: Billy Mathews [Index of Past Messages] Introduction Our life group is doing a Study by Warren W. Wiersbe on being Joyful. Dr. Wiersbe has done a series of books, on Christian Living. One, ‘Be What You Are’ has a chapter titled “A Member in Christ’s Body” – it from that chapter that I take our lesson today. In Acts 9:4, Jesus Christ asked Saul “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” When the He asked that question, He revealed a great truth. When you lay hands on God’s people, you lay hands on God’s Son. His people are united with Him just as the members of the body are united. In Eph. 1:22-23, we see Jesus Christ is “the head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way”, and each Christian is a member of his body. But what does this mean? What difference should it make to us as believers that we are members of his body and also “members one of another” as stated in Rom. 12:5? Five key words help to summarize the answer: vitality, unity, diversity, maturity, and ministry. With each of these words there comes a responsibility for each believer to fulfill to the glory of God. 1. Vitality The believer’s union with Jesus Christ is a living union. When we trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God gave us spiritual life and placed us into the body of Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be slaves or free” (1 Cor. 12:13). Notice that we did not put ourselves into his body, nor did another believer do it for us by means of some religious ritual. This work was totally and solely accomplished by the Holy Spirit of God in response to our faith in Christ. The word baptized in 1 Corinthians 12:13 confuses some people, and this is understandable because we usually associate the word with water. But the Greek word BAPTIZO has both a literal and a figurative meaning. Literally, it means “to submerge, to immerse, or to overwhelm.” Figuratively, it means “to be identified with.” It is the figurative meaning that Paul used in 1 Corinthians 12:13. The Holy Spirit identified us with Christ and made us a part of his body when we trusted the Savior. It is important to note that we do not baptize ourselves; it is the Spirit who does it. Also, every believer has this experience and it takes place only once, at the time of conversion. It is not a post-conversion experience for a select group of “super saints.” Paul said that all believers had been baptized, not just a few. Paul never commanded believers to be baptized by the Spirit. He did admonish us to be filled with the Spirit, in Eph. 5:18 and Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31, for that experience must be repeated as we seek to witness and serve the Lord. To confuse the once-for-all baptism of the Spirit with the continual filling of the Spirit is to confuse salvation with service and our position in Christ with our power from Christ. The witness of the Spirit within us is evidence that we are indeed God’s children. How does the Spirit witness to us? For one thing, he speaks through the Word of God, illuminating its pages and teaching us its truths. He also witnesses to us through contacts with God’s people as we worship and serve together. He gives us that sense of “belonging.” We love God’s people and want to be with them. In Acts 1:8, we see that the Spirit also witnesses through us and enables us to share Christ with the lost. This witness is not something that we manufacture in our own power. The Spirit enables us to witness and do it in a way that is natural and not forced. A Christian is not somebody who tries to imitate Christ. A Christian is a person who is identified with Christ as a member of his body and the life of Christ flows in and through him. He has a living relationship with the glorified Son of God through the indwelling Spirit of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Gal. 2:20). This means he can have a life of spiritual vitality as he draws upon the strength of the Lord. The “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2) enables him to obey the will of God and produce fruit for his glory (Gal. 5:22-23). This brings us to the Christian’s first responsibility: to maintain a close communion with the Lord so that Christ’s life and power enable you in your walk, your work, your witness, and your spiritual warfare. The next key word is Unity. 2. Unity Eph. 4:4 tells us “There is one body”. There are many local “church bodies” around the world, but all true believers are members of that one body of which Jesus Christ is the Head. As Christians, we may wear different denominational labels, but we all belong to Christ and to one another in a spiritual unity created by God. Our task is to endeavor “to preserve [or safeguard] the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). In Ephesians 4:4-6 Paul listed the seven bonds that unite the people of God: • One body: the church (Eph. 1:22-23) • One Spirit: the Holy Spirit sent from the Father • One hope: the return of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13) • One Lord: our Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Cor. 12:3) • One faith: the basic Christian doctrine given to the apostles (Jude 3; 1 Tim. 6:20-21) • One baptism: the baptism of the Spirit • One God: the Father of all At this point, we must distinguish between unity and uniformity. Unity comes from life within and is a living thing, while uniformity is something mechanical and manufactured. A company of soldiers in a parade are uniform in what they wear and do, but this uniformity is no proof they are experiencing unity. They may be angry at their commander and perhaps even at each other. You can produce uniformity by pressure from without, but unity comes only from power from within. Churches experience unity as they share Christ’s life, while cults promote uniformity as they demand submission. The church is more than an organization. It is an organism, a living body, energized by the Spirit of God. This is not to suggest that church organization is wrong, because if an organism is not organized, it will die. But when organization becomes more important than spiritual relationship to Christ, then “institutionalism” sets in and the church starts to exist only for itself. Local evangelical churches may differ from one another in minor matters of interpretation and organization, but it is important that they present to the world a united witness of love (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23). Why? Because God put the church into the world to help him “put things together.” The Father’s ultimate goal is that “he might gather together in one all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10). If the local church is divided, and the divisions are competing with each other, then the church is working against the very plan of God. As we read through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we see the emphasis on “gathering all things together in Christ.” In 2:1-10, God brings lost sinners back into fellowship with himself. In 2:11-22, believing Jews and Gentiles are made one in Christ. The unity of the whole church is emphasized doctrinally in 4:1-16 and practically in 4:17—5:17. The letter closes by emphasizing unity between husbands and wives (5:18-33), parents and children (6:1-4), and masters and servants (6:5-9). This unity on earth is accomplished through the church by the Head of the church in heaven. We are in this world to do the will of God and help “gather together all things in Christ.” Ours is the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18-21). The spiritual unity of God’s people is not something that we must bring about ourselves. It is already an accomplished fact. Eph. 4:4 says “There is one body” not “There ought to be one body.” Paul was not referring to some all-inclusive organization, a “world church,” so to speak, but to the body of Jesus Christ in the world, a spiritual body made up of living members, people who have trusted Christ and received new life through the Spirit. Here, then, is our second responsibility, to be enthusiastic to maintain and promote the spiritual unity of God’s people. Be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker, and help to put things together in our world. The next key word is 3. Diversity You will note that all three of the important “body passages” in the New Testament deal with both unity and diversity: Unity Diversity Rom. 12:1-5 Rom. 12:5-8 1 Cor. 12:1-13 1 Cor. 12:14-31 Eph. 4:1-6 Eph. 4:7-13 Unity and diversity must work together or one will destroy the other. Unity without diversity is uniformity, but diversity without unity is anarchy. The church needs both unity and diversity if it is to function in this world. God has given diverse gifts to his people and these gifts must be used for the building up of the body of Christ. We shall discover as we continue our study that the only thing that can balance unity and diversity is maturity, “growing up” to become more like Jesus Christ. The various images of the church given in Ephesians illustrate this fine balance between unity and diversity. In 1:22-23 and 2:16 Paul used the human body as his example. I have one body, but it is made up of many different parts, each of which has an important function to perform. In 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Paul amplifies this truth and points out that, in the body of Christ, Christians belong to each other, affect each other, and need each other. In Ephesians 2:19 Paul used the nation and the family to illustrate unity and diversity. In a nation, there are many different kinds of people, but they are all citizens of one “body politic” and all have a part to play. Children in a family are all different, and yet they share the same parents and the same nature. You find in the nation and in the family both unity and diversity. Marriage as discussed in verses 5:22 and following also pictures this balance, for the husband and wife are different from each other and yet “one flesh.” Finally, in 6:10 and following, Paul wrote about the army and the spiritual armor. There is one army but it is made up of many individual soldiers, units, and companies. There must be unity (one loyalty, one commander, one enemy) and diversity (infantry, cavalry, intelligence, and today we would include even Air Force and Navy.). Of all these illustrations, perhaps the body is the clearest. When the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ at conversion, he gives that believer a spiritual gift, or spiritual gifts. The member of the body is to use the gift (or gifts) to help the body grow and mature (Eph. 4:7-16 and 1 Cor. 12:12-31). The church does not grow as the result of people using their special “talents” or abilities in their own strength. The church grows when gifted people use their gifts in the power of the Spirit. Unity has to do with the gift of the Spirit, while diversity has to do with the gifts of the Spirit. But this is not enough: we must also have the graces of the Spirit if we are to use our gifts in the right way to the glory of God. It was here that the Corinthian church failed. They used their gifts as weapons to fight with, not as tools to build with, because they lacked love. This leads to our fourth theme, maturity. But first, we had better mention our third responsibility, which is to discover and develop our own spiritual gifts and not be afraid of diversity in the church. When the Spirit is in control, diversity strengthens the vitality of the body by testing the unity of the body. 4. Maturity Again, each of the “body passages” deals with maturity, which is expressed by Christian love. Now we are dealing with the graces of the Spirit, those beautiful qualities that the Spirit of God produces in our lives when we are functioning in the body as we should. Here is the complete chart of the “body passages”: Unity Diversity Maturity Rom. 12:1-5 Rom. 12:5-8 Rom. 12:19-21 1 Cor. 12:1-13 1 Cor. 12:14-31 1 Cor. 13—14 Eph. 4:1-6 Eph. 4:7-13 Eph. 4:13-16 First Corinthians 13 emphasizes love and 1 Corinthians 14 shows how that love should be exercised in the practical activities of the church. It is too bad that we think of First Corinthians 13 only as a lovely poem to be read at funerals and weddings, when actually it ought to be read at church business meetings. The Corinthian church was a needy assembly. It was divided as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:10-12; defiled 1 Corinthians 5:1 and following, and disgraced 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. We see in 1 Corinthians 11:17-18 and 14:23-26 that in the public meetings, some of the “gifted members” were flaunting their gifts and causing disorder. The more spectacular gifts, such as tongues, were especially being abused in the assembly. How did Paul seek to correct this ugly situation? By teaching them the truth about spiritual gifts. Each believer has at least one gift, and that gift must be used for the good of the whole church. The purpose of ministry is the building up of the body, not the promoting of the individual believer. Seven times in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul uses the word edify (“build up”). In the public meetings, there must always be edification, decency, and order (14:40). The body matures from within. It must be nurtured with the Word as each member ministers (Eph. 4:11-12, 16). “Speaking the truth in love” is the secret of maturity (Eph. 4:15). It has well been said that truth without love is brutality, but love without truth is hypocrisy. We need both love and truth if the body is to mature and become more like Jesus Christ. The goal of our ministry is to grow “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). God wants his people individually, and his church collectively, to become more and more like his Son (Rom. 8:29). Of course, our glorified Head, Jesus Christ, is constantly ministering to his body through the Holy Spirit of God. This is the work our Lord is now doing in heaven. As each member of the body yields to Christ and permits the Spirit to minister, the body grows and is strengthened. Hebrews 13:21 informs us that Christ’s desire is to ‘‘equip you with everything good for doing his will, and… work in us what is pleasing to him” . The key word here is “equip,” from the Greek word KATARTIZO. As we have seen, it means “to adjust, to equip, to prepare.” Doctors used this word to describe the setting of a broken bone. To sailors it meant the outfitting of a ship for a voyage; and to soldiers it meant the equipping of an army for battle. Fishermen used it to describe the mending of their nets (see Matt. 4:21). What, then, is Jesus Christ now doing for the members of his body? He is adjusting and setting the “broken bones” so that the body will be strong and healthy. He is equipping us for the voyages and the battles of life, and he is “repairing us” so that we can be effective tools in his hands. But, how does he do this? If you trace KATARTIZO and its kindred words through the New Testament, you will see that our Lord uses four special tools to equip us for ministry in the body. First, he uses the Word of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17, niv). The believer who reads and studies the Bible, who meditates on it and seeks to obey its truths, will find himself growing and being useful to Christ and his church. When you lead people to faith in Christ and then introduce them to serious Bible study, you see this wonderful transformation. At first, the new Christians flounder a bit (“Where did you say Genesis was?”), but then things start to fall into place. The “babes” begin to grow, and along with growth comes a desire to serve. Then you discover how the Word has helped them discover and develop spiritual gifts that can be used to build up the church. The second tool our Lord uses is the fellowship of the local church. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip [KATARTIZO again] his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Eph. 4:11-12, niv). The sequence here is clear. God provides gifted leaders to the church, and these leaders help the believers discover and develop their own spiritual gifts. As each believer ministers to the body, the body grows and more leaders are developed in the church to help the next generation. Christians who ignore the local fellowship of believers are missing opportunities for growth. Radio, television, books, tapes, and seminars all have their place and can be used of God. But there is no substitute for the local church when it comes to balanced spiritual growth. Then why does there appear to be a shortage of spiritual officers, teachers, pastors, and Christian workers today? Because far too many churches “hire” gifted people to do the work that the individual members ought to be doing, instead of encouraging these leaders to equip the church through the Word. Vance Havner said, “I have seen good men become the flunkies and bellhops of their congregation.” That is not the way God meant it to be, and I am thankful that we here have a body willing to do the work of the church and not leave it all to the Pastor, though to be truthful, there are many things Rich is doing that could be done by others. In Acts 6:1-7 we find the first internal crisis the early church faced had to do with the priorities of their spiritual leaders. The problem was solved when the church agreed to change the organization and share some of the responsibility and authority so that the apostles could major on “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). The result? “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly” (Acts 6:7). To quote Vance Havner again: “Many a man called to be a preacher wears out in trivial missions, not necessarily evil, but not worth his time and effort. It is important to get our priorities in place.” Another part of the local church’s “equipping” ministry is the loving discipline and restoration of erring members. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore [KATARTIZO again] that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1, niv). A believer who is out of fellowship with God and the church is like a bone out of joint or broken. It must be set with tenderness and patience or else the whole body will be infected and weakened. The third spiritual “tool” that the risen Savior uses to equip his people is prayer. Paul wrote “our prayer is that you may be fully restored [KATARTIZO]” (2 Cor. 13:9),. Prayer releases the power of God in our lives and in the lives of others, and this leads to spiritual growth and service. What a blessing, and yet what a battle, it is to pray for God’s people and watch them develop and start to serve Jesus Christ! No doubt Paul was thrilled as he saw the Lord equip Timothy and Titus for ministry. Often in his work Paul had to leave young churches behind, and all he could do was pray for the leaders and write them letters of encouragement. When he visited those churches months later, he rejoiced to see how God had matured and equipped some of his people. The fourth tool God uses to equip his own is suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ. “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore [KATARTIZO] you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Pet. 5:10, niv). In his first letter, Peter had a great deal to say about the sufferings of God’s people. Some of his readers were burdened because of the trials of life (1:6-7). Others were being lied about (2:12), and some of the believers were suffering because they had done good, not evil (2:18-20; 3:13-14, 17). Peter told them that a “fiery trial” would soon begin and that they would suffer because they bore the name of Jesus Christ (4:12-19). Satan wants to use suffering to tear us down, but God can use suffering to build us up and equip us to serve him better. However, keep in mind that suffering does not automatically equip the saint. Sad to say, some Christians have gone through trials and have come out of the fiery furnace burned and bitter instead of purified and perfected. It is only when we depend on the grace of “the God of all grace” that the furnace does its equipping work. Here is our fourth responsibility: we must let God use his “tools” to equip us and mature us as we share in the ministry of the local church. We must devote quality time to the Word of God, prayer, Christian fellowship, and worship, and we must not be afraid of the furnaces. The Head of the church in heaven knows exactly what to do to help us mature. We have considered four words that help us understand what it means for the Christian to be a member of Christ’s body: vitality, unity, diversity, and maturity. One word remains: ministry. 5. Ministry When the Son of God came to earth to minister, he needed a physical body (Heb. 10:5-7). When he returned to heaven after his earthly work was completed, he left behind a spiritual body, the church. The birth of his physical body is recorded in Luke 2, and the birth of his spiritual body in Acts 2, both written by Dr. Luke. Why is his spiritual body here on earth? To continue his work and to share his message with the whole world. A body is for ministry. In recent years “body life” has captured the interest of many churches. In some places it has almost become a fad. When “body life” really catches on, the local church starts to minister in new and exciting ways that are sometimes difficult to keep up with. People discover that there are other kinds of Christian service beside preaching, teaching, singing, taking up the collection, visiting prospects, and sitting on committees. Not that these tasks are unimportant; but if this is all that the church does, then a lot of people are spectators instead of participants. D. L. Moody once said, “I would rather put ten men to work than do the work of ten men.” That is what “body life” is all about. It means equipping God’s people, enlisting them for service, and then encouraging them to get the job done. Booker T. Washington said, “Few things help an individual more than to place a responsibility upon him, and let him know that you trust him.” Often, we speak about “church membership” as though it were only a matter of “joining church” and “supporting” the church with our money, attendance, and occasional work. But “membership” means that we are part of a living body and have the responsibility and privilege of contributing to the strength and growth of that body. If the body is to grow and serve, it must be “joined and held together by every supporting ligament as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16). Now we are ready for our fifth responsibility: we must use our gift or gifts in loving ministry to the church and through the church to a needy world. We must do the thing God has called us to do, and do it in his power and for his glory. I ask that you take time to review the five key words, and I pray you will not only review but will also reflect on these five key words, as well as the five responsibilities we have as Christians. As you ponder these things, I hope you will find new ways to use your gifts in ministry and that you will rejoice at what an exciting thing it is to be a member of the body of Christ! If you have need for prayer, a few of us will be here at the front to join you in prayer – as you leave today, take Christ with you.   [Back to Top]