STEWARDS OF HIS BODY - YOUR LOCAL CHURCH 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

STEWARDSHIP OF HIS BODY - The Members at Renewing Life Church CHURCH

SCRIPTURE READING

1 Corinthians 12:12 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.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

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.

1 Corinthians 12:14 ESV

For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

1 Corinthians 12:15 ESV

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.

1 Corinthians 12:16 ESV

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.

1 Corinthians 12:17 ESV

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?

1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

1 Corinthians 12:19 ESV

If all were a single member, where would the body be?

1 cor 12 13

1 cor 12

1 Corinthians 12:20 ESV

As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

1 Corinthians 12:21 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.”

1 Corinthians 12:22 ESV

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

1 Corinthians 12:23 ESV

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,

1 Corinthians 12:24 ESV

which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,

1 Corinthians 12:25 ESV

that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

August 14th: Stewards of His Body (The Members of the Local Church)

a. August 14th: Stewards of His Body (the church)

TO BE A STEWARD IS TO BE GIVEN THE POSSESSION OF SOMETHING TO CARE FOR IN THE ABSENCE OF THE OWNER

AN ASPECT OF STEWARDSHIP THAT IS CRUCIAL IS THIS:

THE OWNER WANTS US NOT ONLY MAINTAIN WHAT HE LEFT IN OUR CARE, BUT TO MULTIPLY WHAT HE HAS LEFT TO OUR CARE

Last week: STEWARDS OF GODS GLORY

Maintain it by being constant wonder of it in our hearts. Multiply it by the gospel of Christ spread through our sacrificial worship of the Lord.

Multiply it by the gospel of Christ spread through our sacrificial worship of the Lord.

TODAY, STEWARDSHIP OF HIS BODY - THE MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN STEWARDSHIP OF THOSE WITHIN THE CHURCH - RLC WHEN YOU DECIDE TO JOIN AND UNITE IN COVENANT MEMBERSHIP WITH THIS BODY.

AS SUCH, YOU ARE NOW, RESPONSIBLE TO CARE FOR THE BODY - EVERYONE IN THE BODY - IF I AM TO BE A GOOD AND FAITHFUL STEWARD OF THE LORD

1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

I. MY STEWARDSHIP OF THE MEMBERS OF RENEWING LIFE CHURCH IS DIVINELY ORDERED

V11 AND V 18

This is important to understand because your investment - time, talent, treasure, care, etc., is not simply of my own choosing. God has so ordered my steps to be a member at Renewing Life Church and therefore I cannot say HOW I act as a member or towards members is my decision.

The basis of Paul’s claim is verse 1 and 2

1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

1 Corinthians 12:2 ESV

You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.

1 cor 12 1

PAUL IS SETTING EVERYTHING HE IS ABOUT TO SAY ON THE BASIS OF BEING A CONVERTED CHRISTIAN

II. MY STEWARDSHIP OF THE MEMBERS OF RENEWING LIFE CHURCH IS SPIRITUALLY NECESSARY

SUB POINTS

See points below regarding distance and put under each of the sub-points:

Common good (v7)

Personal growth

Personal growth

You are God’s gift to the church. You and your gift are connected in the eyes of God and you are only useful for the local church when you and I are operating in our giftedness

NOTE - part of the division in Corinth and part of the carnality of the corinthians (living like the world) is rooted in not living in their divinely assigned roles

if all were hearing, etc,...

NOTE THIS: Your maturity in the Lord is connected to your walking in your calling - gifting.

However the Lord GIFTED you is how He will GROW you.

v7

GET THIS!:

WALKING IN YOUR GIFT IS YOUR ACT OF WORSHIP TO GOD AMONG THE SAINTS OF GOD

III. MY STEWARDSHIP OF THE MEMBERS OF RENEWING LIFE CHURCH MAKES CORPORATE WORSHIP NECESSARY

WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THIS TEXT IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN WORSHIP. ACCORDING TO VERSE 7 - THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT IS ATTACHED TO MY GIFT AND THIS GIFT CANNOT BLESS OTHERS IF I AM NOT PRESENT. I CANNOT BE BLESSED IF I AM NOT PRESENT

God’s presence is everywhere, but it is special in the gathered church.

GET THIS:

THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE AND SUSTAINED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD - BY YOURSELF

Being alone is

IN THIS CHAPTER PAUL’S ANALOGY OF THE BODY IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE A HAND, DISCONNECTED FROM THE BODY IS ONLY A HAND - NOT A LIVING HAND

ETC...

TO BE BLESSED AND TO BE A BLESSING THERE MUST BE CONNECTION AND CONNECTION IS NO WHERE CELEBRATED BY THE LORD MORE THAN WHEN WE GATHER TOGETHER, ON THE DAY OF THE LORD TO HEAR HIS WORD, EXPRESS OUR GIFTS AND BE IMMESERD IN HEAVENLY BLESSINGS

THIS IS WHY NEGLECTING WORSHIP - MAKING THE CHOICE TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN GATHER WITH YOUR LOCAL CHURCH - IS SPOKEN AGAINST POWERFULLY BY THE WRITER OF HEBREWS:

THAT’S WHY THE HEBREW WRITER SAYS...

Hebrews 10:24 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

heb 1) 24

NOTE THIS

NOTE THIS

FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY IS NEGLECTING/REJECTING GOD TO WHOM ALL OUR WORSHIP IS DUE

AND

FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY IS NEGLECTING AND REJECTING THE PEOPLE OF GOD

FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLY IS NEGLECTING AND REJECTING MY OWN GROWTH!

I. YOU HAVE A DIVINELY GIVEN, NECESSARY FUNCTION FOR THE HEALTH OF THE BODY (4-11)

Necessary Function

verse 4, 8-11

cant say you are more needed or less needed: the value of the gift is from the giver of the gift and the one who gave me a gift is the same one who gave you a gift so all of us

Ø The Wonders of God in the Worship of His Body

WE are rejecting God when you forsake worship with His people

WE are hurting the people of God when we forsake worship with His people

§ That’s why forsaking the assembling is a sin

We are rejecting help, hope and grace when we forsake worship with his people

· You are rejecting God when you forsake worship with His people

· You are rejecting help, hope and grace when you forsake worship with his people

THAT WHY JESUS WENT AFTER THE SHEEP THAT WAS MISSING WHEN THE COUNT WAS MADE:

Matthew 18:12 ESV

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?

§ Jesus going after the one sheep was

Matth 18

OF COURSE - BECAUSE HE LOVES THE SHEEP AND ALSO HE KNOWS AS I KNOW AS YOUR PASTOR THAT

CHRISTIANITY AT A DISTANCE IS DANGEROUS

UNPROTECTED FROM THE PROWL OF WOLVES

UNFRUITFUL:BEING FAR FROM THE LIFE OF THE LORD IN THE BODY

)

o They can bless you

Ø Here speak about the relationships of the church

The reality and power of being people of:

Ø The reality and power of being people of:

o Love

o Peace Making

o Encouragement