Membership in the Body

ILL-- Sequoia Trees strength. (Transformational Groups, Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger)

No sequoia grows alone

Evangelism is a group effort. We aren’t individuals trying to win the world on our own.

We are the body of Christ, working together, according to our giftedness to take the message to the ends of the earth.

Our Church Culture

-Evangelism Strategy: Our goal is to create a culture of evangelism demonstrated through a church who invites people to worship, Bible Study, and special events; prays for spiritual needs; witnesses to unbelievers; and loves their neighbor as themselves.

-Inviting/ Praying/ Witnessing/ Loving

-Who’s Your One- Starts in June.

-Wednesday evening Mid-Week Worship and Prayer Service- 6:00-6:30.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

1 Corinthians 12:12–26 ESV

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

This is written to the church at Corinth. A local body of believers. Not speaking of the universal church here.

3 Truths Make Unity Possible

1- One in Spirit (12-14)

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 ESV

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

"many" yet "one" (12)

Many= Every individual member is part of the body. Unity and Diversity.

"so it is with Christ"= Just like the human body is made up of many members when we follow Christ we become one member of the Body of Christ.

It is the "one baptism" that is the basis for unity. (13)

2 Baptisms in New Testament

Water baptism= a symbol of repentance.

Spirit baptism= time of salvation when you receive the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:2-3

Galatians 3:2–3 ESV

2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Romans 8:14-17

Romans 8:14–17 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The Holy Spirit in our life is what unites believers.

Holy Spirit draws us to community.

The gravity of this unity= "Jews or Greeks, slaves or free."

Two of the most divided groups in society.

Jews not allowed to talk to Greeks. = race and religion (I follow Paul, I follow Apollos)

Slaves not allowed to talk to free. = social status

No need for distinctions in Christ. All made one because of Holy Spirit.

Diversity and Unity

This was a revolutionary idea.

Attempting unity outside of the work of the Holy Spirit will never last.

Gordon Fee, "Our desperate need is for a sovereign work of the Spirit to do among us what all our 'programmed unity' cannot."

Only the supernatural work of the Spirit can hold a church together.

2- One in Membership (15-20)

1 Corinthians 12:15-20

1 Corinthians 12:15–20 ESV

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

You need to be part of the body.

The hand cannot decide on it's own that it doesn't belong to body.

Membership in the body is necessary for Christian growth. Satan wants us isolated.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him."

Community is essential for Christians.

Stetzer and Geiger in Transformation Groups, "We live in a society that is obsessed with autonomous individualism, the idea that all I need is myself and I can make it on my own. This lie keeps people from connecting to one another and is slowly killing their souls. many of the most influential sins of our culture-- pornography, greed, failure to take responsibility-- are fostered in the context of radical individualism. If we listen, we can hear the echo of Genesis. "It is not good for the man to be alone." God didn't design people to live outside of community."

Community is where we find accountability. -- We naturally want to keep self accountable. It doesn't work that way.

Accountability only works when you respect others to keep you on track.

ILL- Jonathan driving Cobra- Accountability was in knowing you would get caught. Takes away temptation.

Sunday School is more than a place to make friends. It is a place of accountability.

Jesus is coming back for the church, not individuals. And God will dwell with humanity in community for eternity.

Rev 21:3-4  

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

3- One in Significance (21-26)

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

1 Corinthians 12:21–26 ESV

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.

You need others to be part of your body.

You are not more significant than anyone else.

You are not more important than any other part.

ILL-- Amputation always has drastic consequences. Even if it's just a toe.

Corinth church was hierarchical. Those at the top thought they could live without those at the bottom.

Two big sins of Corinthian church- self-sufficiency and demeaning others by saying they had no use for them.

Diversity and mutual concern is necessary.

The purpose of the gifts is to build one another up and to care for one another, not to flaunt one's own spirituality.

Race, social class, job, position in church-- none of these things make one more significant than anyone else.

Jesus turned the world order upside down. Women, Samaritans, sick, children

Jesus gives us all significance.

Why do we try to undo what Jesus did?

1st last, last 1st.

CONCLUSION

Are you living in community?

Accepted Jesus' payment on the cross?

Using His Spirit to guide your life?