Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction - Today I’m continuing this series called “Spiritual Goals for 2022”.

Last week in the context of the Lord’s Supper, we began to discuss the importance of church membership.

The Lord’s Supper is built around the Biblical truth that the spiritual family is part of the body of Christ.

Today we want to expand on the Biblical truth that being formally connected to a local body of believers is still the NT model for believers to follow and practice.

Quickly by way of review:

1. NT Church membership is expected - Many of the commands given to believers are impossible to correctly observe if you are not a member of a local church.

Jesus knew every single one of those disciples in that upper room, even better than they knew themselves.

They knew each other well and there was no guessing who was a member and who was not.

2. NT church membership is directed - It is directed under the Lordship of Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Body.

God has called and appointed men to be the spiritual leaders of this spiritual body.

They are under-shepherds, who serve under the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ.

3. NT church membership is protected - Paul clearly ties the family unit to the bigger spiritual family unit of the church - The husband is the head of the wife, just like Christ is the head of the church!

The word for “submit” is the Greek word “Hupotasso” it is a military term - Hupo, means under & tasso to arrange.

Literally to arrange, or line up under in an orderly manner.

4. NT church membership is connected - Develop the relationship aspects of church membership.

In chapter 12:25ff we looked at earlier, we are to have the same care and concern for every part of the spiritual body.

Life is all about relationships, and being a member of the body of Christ carries with it great responsibility.

Today we’re going to dive in and look at the metaphors the NT uses to describe this spiritual body of believers of Jesus Christ and we’ll see that in each case, the NT assumes & expects church membership in an identifiable, directed, protected & connected spiritual family.

Each when we think about the responsibilities of these metaphors or pictures, we’ll understand the great responsibility we have to this spiritual family.

NT Metaphors for the church:

1.

A body - 1st Cor.

12:12-20 - 13 times in just a few verses Paul refers to body being one yet made up of many individual parts or members.

Paul’s argument is that Jesus established the spiritual family and the Holy Spirit has united through baptism (the entrance to church membership) both Jews & Greeks, (all races of people) regardless of social status into one body.

Then Paul illustrates the folly of any individual part of the body saying it is not connected to the body with absurd examples.

Rush Limbaugh wasn’t the first to illustrate absurdity by being absurd!

Look down at your feet.

Did your feet come schlepping in her on their own?

No. Did you look down and your first thought was “what are my feet doing here?”

Of course not.

Now some of you may have realized you have on the wrong colored socks…made you look!

Of course your feet got here because your brain sent neurological signals to your arms and hands to take a shower, get dressed, brush your teeth and come to church!

It doesn’t matter if your feet think they are independent of the rest of the body, facts are facts and they are connected to the body!

Same goes for your ears, hearing the sound of my voice today.

His illustration gets even more ridiculous, it’s like a scene from monster’s inc - The whole body is an eye, or an ear or better yet what if your whole body was just one big old schnoz?

That’s a nose by the way…

Notice the importance of vs. 18: “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”

It is the Lord who decides who is part of this spiritual family because He knows what this spiritual body, this spiritual family needs!

The Apostle Peter explained it this way to believers in 1st Peter 2:4-10.

The picture Peter paints for us is Jesus is a living stone, the chief corner stone, and then the master stone mason who chooses, shapes and places us as living stones in His Spiritual House!

The church isn’t the building, it’s the people!

Back in 1st Cor.

12:26, Paul says when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.

Have you ever walked barefoot through your house and stubbed your big toe on an end table or stepped on a lego block?

Instant pain everywhere in your body!

If one of our body parts, members isn’t working the whole body suffers doesn’t it?

We take care of them, we mend them care for them.

Why?

Because each member is important!

So the NT teaches us to:

• Love one another - John 15:12 and many others… “Giving of myself, even to death for the holiness & righteousness of another.”

Serve one another - John 13:14

Comfort & edify one another - 1st Thess.

5:11

Pray for one another - James 5:16

Admonish or correct one another - Rom. 15:14

Restore one another - Gal. 6:1, after correction takes place.

Bear one another’s burdens Gal.

6:2.

Consider one another in order to stir up love & good works - Heb. 10:24, then in vs. 25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but so much the more as we see the day approaching!

In other words, missing your spiritual family gatherings ought to be the exception rather than the rule!

People find all kinds of reasons to miss gathering with their spiritual family!

These are but a few responsibilities that go with being a member of the spiritual body of Christ.

Not only is the church pictured as a body, it’s also pictured as:

2. A bride - (Show verse slides) 2nd Cor.

11:2, Eph.

5:22-32, Rev. 21:2, 9 We touched on this last week from Eph. 5:25-33 where Paul ties the marriage relationship to that of the church being the bride of Christ.

John the Baptist was the first in the NT to use this imagery in his announcement of the coming of Christ.

“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’

The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.

The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.

Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.

He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28–30).

John proclaimed Christ the bridegroom and himself effectively a friend of the groom.

Jesus would later use a parable about Himself being the Bridegroom and His disciples should be wise virgins who wait for His return with lamps lit (Matt.

25:1-13).

There are implications of purity, holiness, exclusivity, loyalty, nurturing, cherishing, providing, protecting, serving, all tied up in the marriage relationship.

It’s not each person giving 50%, it’s both Bride & Groom giving 110% to each other 110% of the time!

There is sacrificial, mutual love and respect and total commitment forsaking all others as long as we both shall live.

For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part!

Can you imagine any situation where Jesus does not fulfill His responsibilities to His bride?

Of course not!!

So why do so many Christians treat their relationship to Jesus as His bride so flippantly & carelessly?

How would you feel if you were Jesus knowing what you know about your commitment level to His bride your local church & to Him as your bridegroom?

How would you be feeling if you were Jesus and you only came home once every 6 weeks or so?

What would Jesus say about your level of support and commitment?

Folks, if you love Jesus, you’ll love what Jesus loves, and Jesus loves His church and He not only gave Himself for her, but He continues to give Himself to her!

Oh the shame of being an unfaithful bride!

Repeatedly the Bible paints sin as infidelity!

May it never be said of any of us as individuals or collectively as His spiritual bride and family here at CCBC!

Not only is it pictured as a body, a bride, but also as:

3.

An army - (show slides)

A. Equipment of the soldier - Eph. 6:10-20,

B. Wage the good warfare - 1st Tim.

1:18

C. Fight the good fight of faith - 1st Tim.

6:12

D. Endure hardship as a good soldier - 2nd Tim.

2:3

E. Please your Commander & Chief - 2nd Tim.

2:4

In military structures, there is built in accountability, soldiers receive their orders and they faithfully carry out those orders.

They are trained in their MOS or their job.

So too we Christians serve our Commander & Chief Jesus Christ, we take our marching orders from Him.

In the local church we can be trained to use our Spiritual Gifts to further the churches mission.

There are no “Lone Ranger” Christians.

They say there is no closer bond than that of fox-hole buddies!

The relationships you forge among your fellow soldiers for Jesus Christ are deep & incredibly special!