Sermon Tone Analysis

The Imperfect Church – 23

The Serving Church

Introduction

Over the years, I have been ‘privileged’ to take countless personality tests.

For different roles and positions I’ve held, I have been psychologically poked and prodded over and over.

While many of these tests involved insane numbers of questions, there was one that was rather short and sweet.

It was called the “Oreo Test.”

Basically, it claims that the way you eat an Oreo cookie says something about your personality.

Let’s see if it works.

How do you like to eat your Oreos?

Pick one of the following options:

The whole thing at once.

One bite at a time.

Dunked in milk.

Twisted apart.

I don’t like Oreo cookies.

Here’s what your choice says about you:

The whole thing - This means you consume life with abandon, you are fun to be with, exciting and carefree with some hint of recklessness.

You are totally irresponsible.

No one should trust you with their children.

One bite at a time - You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way.

Just like them, you lack imagination, but that's okay, you're normal.

Dunked - Everyone likes you because you are always upbeat.

You like to sugar coat unpleasant experiences and rationalize bad situations into good ones.

You are in total denial about the shambles you call a life.

Twisted apart - You have a highly curious nature.

You take pleasure in

breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities.

You deny your involvement when things go wrong.

I don't like Oreo cookies - You probably come from a rich family, like to wear nice things and go to upscale restaurants.

You are particular and fussy about the things you buy, own, and wear.

Things have to be just right.

There's just no pleasing you.

TS – We are all different, unique in our own ways.

And that differentness can do one of two things…divide us, or unite us.

That is what Paul gets after next as we walk through 1 Corinthians.

As he has already started us on the path of spiritual gifts, he now solidifies his plea for unity in the Church:

- 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.

So it is with the body of Christ.

13 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.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 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.

16 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?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear?

Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 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.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23 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, 24 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.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.28

Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,

second are prophets,

third are teachers,

then those who do miracles,

those who have the gift of healing,

those who can help others,

those who have the gift of leadership,

those who speak in unknown languages.

29 Are we all apostles?

Are we all prophets?

Are we all teachers?

Do we all have the power to do miracles?

30 Do we all have the gift of healing?

Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages?

Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages?

Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

As we walk through this text for the next few minutes together, we will see that Paul will weave together several of his previous arguments regarding various issues, to boil things down to these truths about the Church:

1. WE ARE ONE (V.

12-13)

2. WE ARE MANY (V.

14-17)

3. WE ARE NEEDED (V.

18-21)

4. WE ARE UNITED (V.

22-27)

5. WE ARE SERVANTS (V.

28-31)

TS – Let’s walk through these together:

1. WE ARE ONE

In 12:4-7, Paul said, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”

With a focus on both the diversity of gifts, and the unity they are to bring, he will now flesh out both of those truths.

v. 12 – “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.”

He appeals to this organic image that we all understand.

Your body has around 100 trillion unique cells, 206 bones, 600 muscles, 78 organs, 100,000 individual hairs on your head, and 9,000 taste buds.

Though your body is comprised of thousands and thousands of different and unique parts, all of them work together to comprise one functioning and healthy body.

This is Paul’s point…end of v. 12 – “so it is with the body of Christ.”

While he is obviously making reference to what the Church is and how it is to function, that phrase literally translates, “so it is with Christ.”

In using that phrase in particular, Paul is establishing a clear link between us and Christ.

The Church is not just a body of Christians…it is the body of Christ.

David Prior – “In order to accomplish his work on earth, Jesus had a body made of flesh and blood.

In order to accomplish his work today, Jesus has a body that consists of living human beings.”[1]

William Barclay – “Christ is no longer in this world in the body; therefore, if he wants a task done within the world, he has to find someone to do it.

If he wants a child taught, he has to find a teacher who will teach that child; if he wants a sick person cured, he has to find a physician or surgeon to do his work; if he wants his story told, he has to find someone to tell it.