Changing Together

Introduction

New Year, New You - better chance of changing in community.

ILLUST - Researchers at Kansas State University found that people who exercised with someone they thought was better than them increased their workout time and intensity by 200 percent

We will see today how each one of us plays a vital role to help each one of us grow into the newness Christ brings.

(ESV)

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

12 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. 13 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.

Spiritually we are one 

We are the body of Christ - not a club for the religious.

We are the body of Christ because of Christ.

Paul uses the analogy of the Church as Christ’s body in several places:

; ; ; ; ; , and .

Spiritually we are one 

Great analogy to explain the importance of diversity in unity among believers in the church; however, I believe there can be an inherent danger in only discussing the analogy as it relates to the spiritual concept of the church and the gifting of it’s members, or even in using the analogy to explain the situation that was happening in Corinth. We need to understand what Paul is trying to communicate in using this analogy and then we need to ask ourselves, “What does it mean for Granger Missionary Church to be the Body of Christ?”

vSpiritually we are one 

The Truth: We are ONE in Christ

Any discussion of the church must begin with the one who secured it with his blood.

It all starts with Jesus. What part of us being in the body of Christ was due to us?

7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom

11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Just as the gift of salvation is dependent upon Jesus - so to is our entrance into his body, the church.

Regardless of our backgrounds, WE ARE ONE.

We are the church, the body of Christ in Granger, not because we decided to start services, but because of Jesus.

The Implication: We are unified

Christ’s body is only as healthy as the church is unified.

13 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.

Jews and Greeks - different races and ethnicities

Different ways of worshipping

Slave and free - different spheres of life — socioeconomic status, seasons of life, generations.

The glory of the gospel is displayed in the unification of races, ethnicities, social strata — Why? because there is every reason for division and the ONLY reason for unity is JESUS.

The beauty of the gospel is that it is different from the world.

Granger MC, we are one - that’s the fact. That is answered in the Bible.

The question is are we unified? That is a question that can only be answered in your heart.

Paul names the common distinctions of people that were common in his day and in the church at Corinth — Jews and Greeks, slaves and free.

As we said earlier, we don’t want to simply leave the truth there we want to bring it back here.

The main areas of distinction of people that we will find here at Granger MC that could (if we are not careful) serve also as lines of division would be Anglo and Hispanic, and young and old.

— What are your thoughts when you hear Spanish being spoken in our halls?

— What are your thoughts of the older generation? Younger generation?

ILLUST — After baptism, man covered in tattoos was welcomed.

— Some of our ladies are looking for ways to help with Upward, not because they love basketball but because they love the children who need to hear about Jesus.

You have more in common with GMCE than you do with your unsaved neighbor or coworker.

—

Unity isn’t displayed in simply tolerating one another. Unity is displayed when we celebrate and serve one another.

How are you praying for GMCE?

What are doing to celebrate and serve the next generation or the previous generation rather than focusing on your own group?

You have what we need and we have what you need. 

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

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

Diversity in unity (goal) not uniformity

15 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. 16 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. 17 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? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?

We are only fully the church when everyone contributes.

(paraphrased from JD Greear)

We can’t be the church if everyone consumes.

20% do 80% of the work of the church.

This is not a guilt trip to get more people to serve somewhere during a service on a Sunday morning. This is actually a much bigger guilt trip!

Paul is not talking about people using their skills to pull off a Sunday service event. He is speaking about people using their God-given, Spirit-empowered supernatural gifts to help others change and become more like Christ.

(ESV)

26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

In other words, the expectation is that when we gather, we are looking for ways to contribute. Is that your attitude as you came to church this morning? Looking and expecting to encourage someone, teach someone, help someone, serve someone.

Instead, we often come to consume from ‘those serving today.’

The sad reality is the grand majority of believers do little more than consume the services of the church than contribute to the body of Christ.

The sad reality is the grand majority of believers do little more than consume the services of the church than contribute to the body of Christ.

We view those who serve in the church (on Sunday or any other day) as having a ‘next level commitment’ to the church when, in reality, according to this passage, its the most basic level of commitment for the Spirit-filled believer.

I hate to take it a step further (but I will) this is only a problem IF WE EVEN SHOW UP.

God has distributed the primary portion of His power in the world by means of gifts He’s given to the church. When you are asking God to work in your life without being intimately connected to a local church you are asking Him for His power and while you disconnect yourself from the source of that power, and that, frankly speaking, takes a pretty brawny level of Chutzpah.

 J. D. Greear, “Gifted: ,” in J. D. Greear Sermon Archive (Durham, NC: The Summit Church, 2017),

 J. D. Greear, “Gifted: ,” in J. D. Greear Sermon Archive (Durham, NC: The Summit Church, 2017), .

The writer of Hebrews notes the importance of the gathered church as well as the propensity of some to simply find it unimportant.

(ESV)

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 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.

We’re not talking about simply attempting to maintain Sunday service attendance. We’re talking about watching the tyranny of convenience, comfort, and consumerism

Church is not a spectator sport. 

The church is God’s method to carry out his mission. There is no plan B.

There are no sidelines.

(Illust - Indoor soccer - no sidelines - constant movement)

Many American churches:

The tyranny of:

ILLUST - 40-year-old in mamma’s basement playing video games expecting to be served and entertained. The body is growing but producing nothing.

I am NOT saying that if you do not show up some Sunday morning that you are not participating in the body of Christ.

I am NOT saying that we do not sometimes have seasons of rest or recovery in preparation for our next stint of ministry.

I am saying that this passage is asking — WHERE are you participating in the body of Christ?

Are you contributing to or crippling the Body of Christ?

The fact is: We NEED you.

**In addition to understanding that each of us has a gift to use for the body of Christ, you must recognize that your brothers and sisters each have a spiritual gift given by God to help you grow.

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

21 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.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 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, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

We are the body of Christ - not a club for the religious

We participate as the body of Christ not attend a club for the religious

As a part of the church, I need you for my growth.

Christ’s body is only as healthy as the church

Using the same analogy, Paul shifts direction. He has made the case that all the gifts are needed in the church — diversity is necessary for a healthy church. Now, Paul is addressing those who would think themselves better than others because they think their gifts are superior to others or that they are complete enough to not need the others.

This seems to have been a real issue at the church in Corinth where there seemed to be a division between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots.’

There were those who believed they did not need the others and it caused division in their corporate worship.

(ESV)

 J. D. Greear, “Gifted: ,” in J. D. Greear Sermon Archive (Durham, NC: The Summit Church, 2017), .

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

Missionally we move forward as on

Together, we serve the body of Christ to accomplish the mission of Jesus

There are no sidelines.

(Illust - Indoor soccer - no sidelines - constant movement)

Not only is the body not complete without the participation of all the parts, it is not healthy if the parts are not using each other.

Many American churches:

21 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.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

ILLUST - 40-year-old in mamma’s basement playing video games expecting to be served and entertained. The body is growing but producing nothing.

eye / head to the hand / feet may be reference to free and slave

they are all necessary and help each other.

parts that seem to be weaker (internal organs?) are indispensable.

Notice they ‘seem’ weaker but they are not. To whom do they seem weaker? To those who are looking down on them.

Ironically, this goes against the true understanding of both the gospel and spiritual gifts.

gospel - we deserve nothing but the wrath of God but in his mercy has given us a new identity in Christ.

gifts — are given to me - I didn’t gain them, work for them - their gifts - I have nothing to boast about.

Human nature says I am better than you, look at me — Gospel nature says I am no better than you, look at Christ.

It would seem that Paul is addressing those that would believe that their gifting makes them superior to others, that their way of participating in the body of Christ is more valuable, they have a right to participate in church even at the expense of others.

Paul is moving beyond seeing certain spiritual gifts as better than another, to people in the church seeing themselves as better or more spiritual than another.

The truth is, we need each other to grow. I need your spiritual gift and you need mine. My spiritual gift is not greater than yours, nor yours greater than mine.

If you want a new you this year, allow those in the body of Christ to use their spiritual gifts to grow you.

Beware before you say, I don’t think they have anything to teach me or to help me grow.

If you are:

at Granger MC more than 10 years - stand — We need you!

at Granger MC less than 10 years - stand — We need you!

serve with kids — We need you!

part of prayer group — We need you!

serve as a deacon — We need you!

serve on worship team — We need you!

serve anywhere else — We need you!

The opposite of division is care for one another.

When we display unity in our diversity we grow and the world notices.

Together, we serve the body of Christ to accomplish the mission of Jesus

Conclusion

ILLUST -Aspen trees need each other

One aspen tree is actually only a small part of a larger organism. A stand or group of aspen trees is considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system. Before a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right, including sufficient sunlight. In a single stand, each tree is a genetic replicate of the other, hence the name a “clone” of aspens used to describe a stand.

Older than the massive Sequoias or the biblical Bristlecone Pines, the oldest known aspen clone has lived more than 80,000 years on Utah’s Fishlake National Forest. Not only is the clone the oldest living organism, weighing in at an estimated 6,600 tons, it is also the heaviest. Even if the trees of a stand are wiped out, it is very difficult to permanently extinguish an aspen’s root system due to the rapid rate in which it reproduces.

This is the picture I pray for Granger MC.

This is the unity that Christ paid for on the cross