Unity

Big Idea of the Message: The church needs you, and you need the church.

Oneness

In order for the church to function, just like your body, all the parts need to work together;

Many of us understand how hard things can be when parts of our body don’t want to work right;

Just like the body the church has many parts - people - than need to function in oneness;

1, 2 Corinthians (1) Oneness in the Body of Christ (vv. 12, 13)

The point, simply put, is that the physical body is one body but has many parts (“members”). This is unity in diversity: each part has a different function, but all parts function together in harmony as one body. So it is with the entire Christian community as the “body” of Christ.

Here is why the church needs to work as one - because we are all one in Christ, baptised in His Spirit;

How are you functioning in the body?

Diverse

Now while the church needs to function as one because we are one in Christ this does not remove our uniqueness;

Just as Paul was pointing out that each body part - eye, ear, hand, foot - have a single purpose they still function in uni-scent;

In the church each member has different gifts/talents that help the church function as one;

The diversity of the church it what makes the church function;

No one person or small group are responsible for the church, all the members are responsible with talents and finances;

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 12

Paul wants the Corinthians to focus on unity instead of their diverse gifts. They must appreciate what makes them the same—Christ and His purposes—rather than what makes them different.

Notice what everything points back to - oneness in Christ.

Purpose

The church has a purpose beyond just coming together a couple times a week;

The church has been told by Jesus to share His word and be His image;

But too often the church hurts people and turns them away;

What if the church started living its purpose instead of just talking about its purpose;

Application Point: Each believer is a part of the body of Christ. While we will likely experience church hurt from a local body or specific believer, the church is still God’s chosen vessel, and it is crucial to be in fellowship with other believers.