He Calls His Church The Body

Intro

I. The church is diverse but unified (12-13)

A. Paul uses the human body to show us how the church works (12)

- Have you ever considered how amazing the human body really is? Truthfully, how could anyone ever believe that it is the product of chance plus time? The stomach’s digestive acids are strong enough to dissolve zinc. Fortunately for us, the cells in the stomach lining renew so quickly that the acids don’t have time to dissolve it. The lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries (tiny blood vessels). If they were laid end to end, they would stretch 2400km (1500 miles). Human bone is as strong as granite in supporting weight. A block of bone the size of a matchbox can support 9 tons – that is four times as much as concrete can support. Each kidney contains 1 million individual filters. They filter an average of around 1.3 liters (2.2 pints) of blood per minute, and expel up to 1.4 liters (2.5 pints) a day of urine. The focusing muscles of the eyes move around 100,000 times a day. To give your leg muscles the same workout, you would need to walk 80km (50 miles) every day. Everything in our body seems to work together by design...

- It should not surprise us Paul uses the body to illustrate the church

- God designed the church to function like a human body there are many parts but they are united

- This church is made up of many diverse parts who should be united together into a whole

- And even though parts of our human body are different they must be united to one another so that the body works right it’s the same way with the church

- If a part is missing, we are handicapped

- In chapter 1:10-13—one of the problems was division who the spiritual father was in the church—key in on verse 13 they lacked spiritual maturity

B. The Spirit is responsible for assembling the body (13)

- The Spirit comes to live within us when we were saved—our passage tells we were baptized (placed into the body) at conversion

- Are you unified with the other members of the body here? the world around us is not unified.

- What can of impact can a unified working together church have on a community

- The church is diverse but unified

II. Every member has a function (14-20)

- Each part in our body is designed with a different function

o Hands—to hold, open things, pick up, etc…

o Feet—to carry us from place to place, allow us to stand, get up…

o Eyes-- see

o Ears—hear—eyes see what is in front of them ears hear all around

o Nose—smell, thanksgiving lunch, flowers, or loved ones

o Walking on train track eyes say no train but ears hear body feels shaking who do we believe

- In our church body some are hands, some feet, some ears, some ears

- Every member has a specific function to preform in conjunction with other members

- Every part of our human body must be a functioning member in order for our body to operate the way it was designed. It’s the same way in the church if a part is not functioning the church wont work the way it was designed

- Paul makes that clear in this passage

- One of the ongoing questions you should ask yourself and God in prayer is: "How can I best serve my church? You should never ask yourself if you should be serving your church." Thom Rainer - I Am a Church Member

- What is your function in the body? how has God gifted you? What talents do you have? Cook—social—paint—decorate—write. Are you using those talents? What about your spiritual gifts are you using them in the body?

- Every member has a function

III. Every member is important (21-26)

- We need one another to do the work of ministry (21)

- Ill—imagine how foolish I would be if I told Christi or A/V team I don’t need them on Sunday morning

- At a meeting of the American Psychological Association, Jack Lipton, a psychologist at Union College, and R. Scott Builione, a graduate student at Columbia University, presented their findings on how members of the various sections of 11 major symphony orchestra perceived each other. The percussionists were viewed as insensitive, unintelligent, and hard-of-hearing, yet fun-loving. String players were seen as arrogant, stuffy, and unathletic. The orchestra members overwhelmingly chose "loud" as the primary adjective to describe the brass players. Woodwind players seemed to be held in the highest esteem, described as quiet and meticulous, though a bit egotistical. Interesting findings, to say the least! With such widely divergent personalities and perceptions, how could an orchestra ever come together to make such wonderful music? The answer is simple: regardless of how those musicians view each other, they subordinate their feelings and biases to the leadership of the conductor. Under his guidance, they play beautiful music.

- No one can say that your gift—your function in the church – is less important than theirs

- For instance, the eye can see what needs to be done, but it relies on the arms and hands to complete the task

- The brain may know where it needs to go, but it depends of the feet to get it there

- We think those who are pastors are most important in a church or a teacher but what if no one mows the grass, or cleans the nursery, or the bathrooms

- What if no one makes the coffee or greats visitors

- What about the people who are not in worship this morning because they are in the other building watching the kids and teaching them, they are no less important than anyone in this room and I would say they are far more important

- Try living without your kidneys

- We can live without our arms and feet, but not our vital organs, which are hidden (22-25)

- Folks, the most indispensable people in the church are usually the ones that do their work for the Lord quietly behind the scenes without fanfare or need of recognition (ms vicki, ms carol, Ms linda, Stacey, the people who come and work on Thursdays, Willie on rainy Sundays )

- Who do we need to take time today or this week to thank for their service? Who do we need to show appreciation to. Who have we thought is less important in the church and take their gifts and contributions for granted?

- Why is this so important? People outside the church are looking for a place to belong and serve

- Every member is important

IV. We need to love every member if we are going to be a healthy body (27-31)

- One of the biggest problems in the Corinthian church was gift envy—many were envious of those who possessed certain spiritual gifts – while those who possessed those gifts looked down on others who didn’t

- Here is Paul’s argument against gift envy—27

- (28-30)- God distributes these gifts to His church – therefore His sovereignty overrules their jealousy

- So how does the church become healthy and fully-functioning (31)

- Paul calls the church to give abundantly and serve without hesitation

- God does not want us to be creasters

- Some need to step up and not just come on Sunday morning, leave and watch as others run around trying to do it all

- Ask yourself this question “how can I best serve my church?”

- The question should bever be should I serve the church but how can I serve my church