What is the Church? 1 - The Body of Christ

Reading: 1Corinthians 12:12-31
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 1Cor. 12:12 (NIV)

I.   The Body is a Unit

     A.  Because there is only one Spirit

           1.  We don’t each have a spirit, we all have the same Spirit living in us!

                 a.  That means that if you acknowledge Jesus as your savior, the Spirit is in you.

                 b.  That’s the same Spirit that’s in me and in everyone here.

                 c.  You don’t have an option about joining the Body of Christ—you're already a part!

           2.  If the same God within me is within you, then you and I are essentially bonded.

                 a.  I am obliged to see that you and I share something intimate: God within us.

                 b.  The illusion is that we are many, the reality is that we are one.

           3.  We have a spiritual communion since we are baptized into the same Spirit and drink of the same Spirit.

                 a.  Our two sacraments celebrate the one Spirit who washes us and enters us.

     B.  Not blind to God’s work through Me

           1.  It’s OK to acknowledge that I am a part of the Body.

                 a.  (v.27) If the Bible is true, everyone here is supposed to be here.

           2.  God brought us to this place at this time because for what He wants us to be and do, He needs these very parts.

           3.  Since I know God is at work in me, it’s OK for me to serve the body in the way he designed and equipped me to.

                 a.  Turn to the person on the other side and say “God is working through me.”

                 b.  I don’t like saying these truths because get concerned about my reputation for being humble! (That’s not humility!)

                 c.  I don’t have the right to say “I’m not a hand or an ear so I don’t count.” That minimizes what God really is accomplishing in me.

     C.  Not blind to God’s work through Others

           1.  I’m not the measure of what it means to be a body part. Neither are you.

           2.  We expect to see many different kinds of parts.

           3.  When my eyes are opened I see and appreciate God’s way of gifting us with you.

                 a.  Turn to the person sitting next to you and say “God is working through you.”

II.  We Need each other

     A.  Equal but not the Same

           1.  Though we have different functions, different gifts we are equal in honor

           2.  Though we are all equal, we are not all the same.

     B.  Our Differences hold us together

           1.  If we were just carbon copies of each other, how could we really help each other?

           2.  Maybe God made us with different abilities, gifts and styles because he wanted us to really need each other.

           3.  As a matter of fact, because we are all different parts of one body, we do need each other.

                 a.  Nobody is the appendix!

     C.  Every part deserves Respect

           1.  The eyes can’t go around saying they don’t really need the hands — or that they don’t need the hands as much as the hands need them.

           2.  Some parts look unnecessary, but they aren’t at all!

           3.  Some parts might be viewed as embarrassing by some standards, but we hold them in highest regard!

III. God’s design for the Church

     A.  Each part appointed for a specific purpose

           1.  Did you think God would design His body in such a way that some parts just sit there like a tumor?

           2.  Some local church bodies seem to have parts that have stopped functioning. When that happens the whole body is in trouble.

           3.  The brain and liver and nose and stomach and blood and lungs all need each other.

                 a.  In that very same way, we need each other.

     B.  Parts that Equip and Empower

           1.  Paul talks about appointed leaders in v.28ff. Apostles, prophets, teachers.

           2.  A Church leader’s task is mostly to equip and empower the rest of the body (Eph.4:11-13).

           3.  They feed the body with spiritual food, and train the body for effective action.

                 a.  These are elders, teachers, group leaders, and people who exercise informal spiritual leadership.

     C.  Parts that Serve and Support

           1.  Paul also talks about those parts of the body that aren’t meant to look like leadership.

           2.  These parts are there to serve and support the body - like red blood cells and bones. (Support ≠ (only)giving financial support)

                 a.  These are the care-givers, the counselors, the behind the scenes people.

                 b.  They have gifts of healing, helps, administration, tongues. They can even be miracle workers.

           3.  Notice that these parts aren’t there to serve the leaders, they are there to serve the body.

The Bottom Line:

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