Sermon 060897

1Co. 12:12-27                      The Body of Christ – Diverse, yet in Unity - II                     6/8/97

Series 23.9                                                                                                                         ABCC

I.    Review                                                                                                                             577

q         Paul is addressing division, jealousy, strife & confusion in this church (1:10-11; 3:1-3)

q         Arrogance & ignorance are often causes of division & confusion (4:6-7,18; 12:1)

q         Diversity & variety in the body of Christ should not be a cause for division (v. 7-11)

q       God deserves all the glory for the variety of manifestations in the body of Christ(v. 11)

II.  The Metaphor or Example of the Human Body

A.      One complete unit with many members (v. 12, 14)

B.      Every body part is in fact a part of the body (v. 15-16)

C.     No one body part constitutes the whole body (v. 17)

D.     Every body part is designed for a specific purpose (v. 19-20)

E.      Every body part serves a valuable purpose (v. 21)

F.      Some parts of the body are essential to maintain life (v. 22-23)

G.     The most vulnerable parts of the body are essential for life (v. 22-23)

H.     The body was made for interdependence of the body parts (v. 24-25)

I.        All parts of the body must be cared for (v. 25-26)

J.      God has composed the human body with purpose (v. 24b; Ps. 139:14)

Ø      No single body part has any significance apart from the rest of the body (eyeball, ear, foot, hand, heart, lungs)

Ø      No single body part can survive apart from the rest of the body (eyeball, ear, foot, hand, heart, lungs)

Ø      Disease in any single body part will eventfully affect the rest of the body

The Body of Christ-Diverse, yet in Unity-II, pg. 2

III. The Body of Christ

A.      One complete unit with many members (v. 12, 14)

- “so also is Christ” – we cannot separate Christ from His church (v. 27; Acts 9:4)

B.      God Himself has placed each member in the body of Christ (v. 18) – no membership card

C.     The Holy Spirit has made the many members into one body (v. 13)

Ø      A member is not an isolated appendage; not independent & separate, but a part of the ONE body of Christ

1.      Your limitations are no excuse for self-pity (v. 15-19) = inferiority

2.      No one member of the church or spiritual gift constitutes the whole church (v. 20-21) = superiority

3.      Members with less public spiritual gifts should be encouraged (v. 22-24a) = faith, service, helps, etc

4.      Every member should be cared for without partiality & with genuine love (v. 25-26)

We all must be involved, every individual.  There is no such things as an unimportant or irrelevant member of the body of Christ.  This is the reason that every Christian should be a member of the local church and actively involved.  This is the reason that we are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  The church is the vehicle by which Christ has chosen to carry out his marvelous work in the earth (Eph. 5:25).  My beloved brother & sister Christ has given His life for you (Rom. 5:6-8), how can you not love Him & serve Him with all your heart?  How can you not love your brother or sister in the Lord? How can you not forgive, minister, etc. to them when you yourself have been forgiven so much?  How can you think & say wrong things like “because I am not leader or teacher, I’m not a part or because God has used me in such great ways in the past, I have no need of counsel or reproof…”  FOR BY ONE SPIRIT WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY!