The Body of Christ

We are in the midst of a series about the Church. In particular, we are emphasizing the benefits of being a part of the Church.

The way that the Scriptures speak of the Church reveals her special relationship with God and how she reveals the nature of God to the world:

As the People of God

As the Body of Christ

As the Temple of the Holy Spirit

As the people of God, we are called out and chosen by God the Father as His special treasure. Like the Moon that reflects the light of the Sun, the people of God reflect His holiness to the world. We receive His blessing and out of the overflow of that blessing, bless others.

Christians Are His Body

1 Corinthians 12:27 NKJV

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Romans 12:5 NKJV

so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Collectively, we are the body of Christ. Christ is the Head.

Ephesians 1:22–23 The Message

22 He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. 23 The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

Jesus is the Head…He rules the church. The church, the collection of each individual member, is His body. The Church is essential to the way He speaks and acts in the world.

There are two principles that the use of body as a metaphor point to.

The first is about our relationship and the second is about our responsibility.

The first relationship is to Christ. He is the head, which means that He is the first in authority. He rules the affairs of the church and directs its life.

This is one of the most wonderful truths: that you and I can have a relationship with God through Christ. This is offered to the Church. And this relationship isn’t a secondary one like Boss to worker, or Master to servant. This is a special relationship; one with direct access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). It is a relationship that is intimate and close, where God hears us and God reveals His heart to us (1 John 5:14-15, 1 Corinthians 2:8-16).

Illustration: Difference between having a key to the house and visiting a house. A person with a key has direct access. The person without the key needs to wait to be let in.

We have direct access to God. This is because we are connected to Jesus the Head (cf. John 15:7). We have access to the One who has all authority. We have access to the Source. This is the privilege of the church.

Secondly, relationship to the church, i.e. the members of the Body of Christ, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. In other words, our order of relationship goes from Christ, to the church, to the world.

A Community to Belong To

The word for church in the Greek can be translated literally as assembly. The Scriptures show us just what kind of assembly it is.

Illustration: An assembled, functioning, lego car vs. lego car parts on a table.

In the New Testament, the assembly (local church), was made up of believers in Jesus. There were those who recognized and even respected the church but didn’t join them (cf. Acts 5:13). Only those who believed, and ultimately who were baptized, joined the church (there’s no evidence that non-baptized church members existed in the NT, see also Acts 2:38).

The church was always organized with leadership as soon as possible (cf. Acts 14:23). This implies that an unorganized gathering of believers did not constitute a local church. The church worked to preach the gospel (evangelize) and serve one another in love.

The local church was a community of faith whose members had publically confessed Christ, were baptized, and had organized meetings. They did the work of sharing the gospel and serving one another. They were united in this pursuit. They had a “common unity” — a common purpose, common values, lived together in unity.

Ephesians 1:22–23 TLV

God placed all things under Messiah’s feet and appointed Him as head over all things for His community— which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Not only does being a part of the Body mean that we have a relationship with Jesus, it means that we have a community that we are a part of. It means that we have a place to belong.

Connected to Others

Colossians 2:19 NKJV

and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

The body is united in purpose and growth by the Head. But that life flows through the tight connections—joints and ligaments—between the members.

The Wuest NT translates “knit together” as “being constantly compacted together.”

Being a part of the Body of Christ means that you are being constantly compacted, united, and connected to other members of the Body.

In other words, one of the main benefits of being a part of the church is that you are not alone. God intends to connect you to others. He places the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6). He joins you to others so that you no longer have to face life alone, but that you have other brothers and sisters with whom to share burdens and blessings.

A Place for Each One

In the Body of Christ, there are no useless parts. Every member is important. Each person has a place set apart for them.

1 Corinthians 12:12–26 NKJV

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And 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 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

This is another benefit of being part of the church—there are no unimportant members. Every person is important to the whole.

Illustration: Despite not being attractive and being hidden, nose hair is important to your well being. It prevents pathogens from reaching your lungs. It acts as a shield between your lungs and pollutants.

You are important. You have a place. You are special. Being a part of a church is being an important part of something greater. Without you, something is missing.

A Part to Play

Not only does being a part of the church give you a community to belong to, through it God offers you a part to play. In other words, kingdom purpose will always have some connection to the local church.

Romans 12:3–8 NLT

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Purpose is related to function. God gives you a function in the church. To accomplish that function, He gives you ability—spiritual gifts. The the purpose of those gifts is to build and strengthen the body (see also 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, 1 Corinthians 14:26).

Ephesians 4:15–16 NKJV

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Notice what the working of each member is focused on. Is it making the world a better place, or is it for the growth of the body? Remember that it is first Christ, then the church, then the world.

The purpose of the gifts of Jesus is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying (building) of the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:11-12).

Being a part of the church means that you have a part to play. God connects each saint and gives them a purpose. As the world notices our love for one another, expressed in our unity and our service, they will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35).

Conclusion

The church is the body of Christ, connected to Jesus in a special relationship. He directs us and ministers life through us. We have direct access to Him and through Him all things. And He directs us to minister His blessing among the body and to the world.

The church is so much more than a meeting.

In the local church you will find community and calling.

In the local church you have been given a place and purpose.

Join the community. Find your place. Walk in your purpose.