Gifted With Purpose (part 3) - 12:20-31

Introduction

Two pieces of wood. Hole. Several bolts.

I have here two pieces of wood that I need to hold together.

I also have some bolts.

If I put this bolt through the wood, will it stay?

For a little while. Right?

It depends on how we apply pressure.

What if we switched out the bolt? Would that make it hold?

No. We would have the same problem.

What we need is a different piece of hardware.

We need a washer and nut to go on the bolt.

You see, if all we have is bolts, we will not be able to accomplish the task of holding these two boards together.

We need a diversity of hardware to do almost any task.

Not to mention, we need different screwdrivers, and socket wrenches, and drill bits!

Here is the point.

Diverse tools are necessary to accomplish a given task.

This physical reality is paralleled in the spiritual realm.

We need diverse gifts to accomplish our given task.

The body of Christ is intentionally diverse and spiritual gifts reflect that diversity.

Purpose:

Spiritual gifts are God’s design for the maturity and support of the body of Christ.

(this is why there is diversity)

Guidance:

To support and mature the body we recognize three requirements.

Outcome:

When these requirements are met the body of Christ provides growth, encouragement, and purpose.

Three requirements to enable the support and maturity of the body of Christ.

Requirement #1…

1. The Body Must Be Dependent vv. 20-22

Complete independence is an impossibility.

We are always going to depend on someone or something.

This is not a bad thing. We need one another!

We saw an example of this earlier in 1 Corinthians.

Go to 3:6-7.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 NKJV

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

We function best when we function together!

We need the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given to one another in order to complete the task He has assigned us.

We are dependent on one another as well as on God Himself.

Paul reveals in these verses two realities about dependence.

Reality #1…

a. Every part needs other parts vv. 20-21

1 Corinthians 12:20–21 NKJV

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.”

The statement Paul makes here is one of reality.

There are many members. There is one body.

Though composed of many parts, there is only one body.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are part of the body.

We are many members made into one body.

What does that mean?

Paul tells us in v. 21.

We are dependent on one another.

Each part needs other parts!

Our eyes need our hands to grasp the things we see.

Our head needs the feet to take us where we want to go.

In the body of Christ it is no different!

Each part is dependent on all the other parts to function well.

We need one another.

None of us can look at another part of the body and say it isn’t necessary!

Here is what else it means.

Pride in our spiritual gifting is just as ridiculous as pride at physical characteristics over which we have no control.

Repeat - read aloud

God made each of us what we are.

He gave us the gifts we have.

None of us can function independently of one another.

This means we have nothing to be proud of!

We had no choice in our gifting and we have no ability to use our gift apart from the support of other members in the body.

Here’s our lesson.

I need my spiritual siblings.

Repeat - read aloud

You and I cannot do this on our own!

We need the other parts of the body in order to accomplish the task we have been given.

The spiritual growth, maturity, and effectiveness of the body of Christ depends on all of us doing our part, using our gifts to the glory of Christ and the good of the church.

Two realities about dependence.

Reality #1. Every part needs other parts.

Reality #2…

b. Every part is needed v. 22

1 Corinthians 12:22 NKJV

22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

First, Paul agrees with himself.

:)

He agrees that the eye needs the hand and the head needs the feet and the feet need the eye and hands need the head.

We need one another!

More than that, beyond just needing one another, each part is necessary.

In the human body there are some parts that seem to be less important.

In fact, for years students were taught that we had some vestigial or “left over” organs that we didn’t need.

Science has now discovered the purpose for each of those organs.

A kidney may not be as durable as a foot, but it is no less important and necessary.

If I put my liver where my hand is, it probably wouldn’t turn out so well.

But that doesn’t mean my liver is unimportant!

The parts of our body that seem weaker are just as essential as the parts that are strong!

There are some parts that are unseen and would seem to some to be less important than the more visible parts.

Those parts are still necessary.

Again, this same reality applies to the body of Christ.

Some Spiritual gifts function in the background.

There are people who serve the Lord here at Grace Church and you may never even realize what they do.

However, that doesn’t mean they are unimportant!

Every single part of the body is necessary.

In the physical realm, missing some invisible body parts leads to death.

We need all of our parts!

While we can learn to function without some of them, we will never be as effective if we lack parts.

The body of Christ needs all of its parts.

We cannot be effective without them.

Here is our lesson.

I am a necessary part of the body.

Repeat - read aloud

We need you!

We need you here, using your gifts, talents, and abilities, in the local church.

If you doubt your usefulness or the necessity of your presence and service here at Grace Church, take that lesson we just read home and repeat it every single day.

You are a necessary part of the body.

Three requirements to enable the support and maturity of the body of Christ.

Requirement #1: The Body Must Be Dependent.

Requirement #2…

2. The Body Must Be Connected vv. 23-26

Using a body to illustrate our structure as believers comes with so much application.

That’s probably why the holy Spirit chose it.

One of the applications we can take from this illustration is that of connection.

Here is what Paul says in Ephesians 4:16.

Ephesians 4:16

Ephesians 4:16 NKJV

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.

Verse 15 described Christ as the head of the body.

Everything we need comes from our head.

However, Paul points out here that we are joined and knit together by what every joint supplies.

The implication is that the connection we enjoy in the body of Christ is dependent on us!

We are connected.

However, our experience and enjoyment of that connection depends on our activity.

Each part must do its share.

As we are connected, supporting one another and doing our part, the body grows!

The body is built up by the love that we have for one another!

Here’s the bottom line.

Growth and effectiveness in the body of Christ depends on connection.

Paul gives us three benefits of connection here.

Benefit #1…

a. Connected for honor vv. 23-24a

1 Corinthians 12:23–24