Many Parts, One Body

Many Parts, Many Gifts

A couple weeks ago we had talked about different gifts, how we as individuals have different gifts to use together for the ministry here in Leiceister. Those gifts work together to make Christlike Disciples in Leicester Vt and the surrounding communities.

Healing Choir quilt story

I tell this story as an example of what using that gift looks like and how that gift is an important function of the body.

Today Paul uses the imagery of the human body how all the parts work together to support life. In Corinth some gifts were thought of as more important and desireable, Paul’s use of the body emphasizes the point that all parts and functions of the body are equally important.

The questions we have to wrestle with today are how can we on a local level use our gifts, to better function as the local body of Christ? There is another level to functioning as the body that I believe is equally important. How do we work together with other brothers and sisters in Christ across denominational lines as the collective body of Christ? In a divided country the church can and should be an example of unity, despite our differences.

1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

John 17:20–21 NLT

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

One Body

Why is christian unity important?

-Discipleship place app

*When we spend time Criticizing other christian traditions we undermine the mission of the church to make Christlike disciples.

*Christian unity is important to advance the mission of God through the church locally, and collectively so the world will believe. Because we have all been baptized into one body, by one spirit and we all share the same spirit.

Paul continues his conversation, more like exhortation to the church at Corinth. This conversation on unity in body of Christ begins in chapter 12 and continues through chapter 14.

Imagery of the body

-All parts working together. There aren’t lesser parts but all parts are necessary to carry out their functions.

-Our gifts are our bodily functions.

-God has put each part right where he wants it.

-One part doesn’t say to the other I don’t need you, or ask it to perform its function. The lungs don’t tell the heart to breathe, and the heart doesn’t tell the lungs to beat.

-back to the quilt

-When one part of the body suffers we all suffer. If any part of the body stopped performing its function the whole body would suffer and eventually die. The same is true about the body of Christ.

This passage speaks to me and challenges me on two levels. One is the local church level as each one of us is gifted by the Holy Spirit to perform a bodily function, how can we use our gifts and function locally as the body of Christ, to make Christlike disciples here in Leicester Vt?

The second is on a larger scale body of Christ, because there is One Lord, One Faith, One baptism. In a country seemingly more divided than united how can the body of Christ across denominational lines work together that the world may believe? Yes we have our differences and some of them are huge, but we are united in Christ and together we acknowledge one baptism.

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

Brother’s and sisters God has put each part of this body where he wants them. As Leiceister Church of the Nazarene how can we encourage one another in our gifts to function as the body of Christ? How can we work together to make Christlike disciples in Leicester and beyond? How can we begin to work in those gifts, even before God calls a new pastor here?

To wrap things up I wanted to share with you a worship experience I had where I sensed the power and presence of God more than I ever have. That worship experience continues to impact me today.

It was sunrise on Easter Sunday in Baghdad Iraq, on the front steps of Saddam Huseins palace. The chaplains and assistants planned an Easter Sunrise service, it was a group of Catholics, and protestants, Charasmatic pentacostals and baptists. It was a group of 5 point calvanists, and wesleyan thinkers. It was the body of Christ gathered to worship and celebrate together the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For one morning in a war zone the church was able to put aside the things that divide us to remember what makes us one body. Brothers and sisters when the body of Christ gathers for worship across denominational lines God shows up in a mighty way.

Ephesians 4:3–6 NLT

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.