Developing the Body Beautiful

Introduction (5m)

How much do you spend on making yourself look beautiful?

Women want to look better. It's such a simple wish for all women. (Linda Wells, Editor-in-Chief, Allure magazine).

UK Cosmetics industry: £9.8bn in 2019.

It's a very basic wish. I really believe that women want to improve themselves in many different ways. It can be a very loaded issue. It can upset women. But I believe a woman's looks are directly related to her psyche. (Linda Wells, Editor-in-Chief, Allure magazine).

Make-up is almost a religion in itself. You don't even think about why you do it. You just do it. It's a pleasurable activity to make up your face. I also find it natural and honourable and so much fun. (Helen Gurley Brown, editor in chief, Cosmopolitan international magazine).

Women: £2,462 average on beauty products/fashionable clothes; Men: £1,786.

Huge investment in trying to develop body beautiful.

The Church is the Body of Christ - How much do we invest on making the Church beautiful?

I will maintain Christian ideals in all my relationships with others; my family and neighbours, my colleagues and fellow salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible, and the wider community. (Soldier’s Covenant)

Do you invest in Christ’s beautiful body in this way? What does it mean? Do you know how to do it? Do you know what it looks like? As you and I relate to each other, do you know what the goal is?

Paul, writing to Philippians about their relationships sets out e.g. of JC.

Explanation (5m)

Jesus practised incarnational presence

Paul talking about incarnation. In JC, God took on human flesh. He ‘moved into the neighbourhood’ (John 1:14 MSG). God showed up. In the flesh. In our flesh. In a concrete way:

Philippians 2:7 NLT

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

God knew there was no better revelation than by fully entering our world - physically and emotionally

And that’s what J did, throughout his life on earth. He made himself nothing. He took on the nature of a servant. He humbled himself. He simply loved those he came into contact with. He touched them. He listened to them. He healed them. He challenged them. He loved them.

He loved them.

God “kisses” humanity in the incarnation

Woman once went under knife of surgeon Richard Selzer to remove tumour on face. Despite best efforts, he had cut nerve in cheek. Result - permanently misshapen face. Dr. Selzer worried how husband would respond. Encouraged: young man warm and caring to his wife, joking about her new cute look. Encouragement > awe: young husband bent down towards his wife, twisted his lips to fit crooked mouth and gently kissed her.

World/humanity broken, twisted, misshapen by sin/despair, crooked but in Jesus, God bent down, twisted his lips and kissed the crooked lips of world/humanity.

Application (5m)

Paul points to Jesus as our example

Philippians 2:5 NIV

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Do the same. vv.2-4.

Example of Christ. Personal attitude = show love to others. Our relationships with one another should reflect Christ’s example of simply showing love.

That’s ideal Christian relationships. That’s developing body beautiful.

We are Christ’s Body Double

Matthew Eldridge? Film with Jason Bateman in - Arrested Development, Juno, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief - you will have seen him. At least, hands, feet and body. He is stand in/body double. JB gets most of attention/fame but ME helps him to shine.

We are Christ’s body double. He gets honour. He is the name above all name. Everyone will one day bow at his feet and declare he is Lord. He will get the glory. We are his hands, feet, body on earth. And we are more attractive when we show beautiful love to each other and to others.

6 ways to be incarnational

We can bite our tongue, when we’re tempted to snap back.

We can extend grace to people. We can forgive them and let go of our grudge against them.

We can walk a mile in someone’s shoes. Hurt people, hurt people. Remember their story. Let’s think about where the other person is coming from when we encounter them, especially if they are out to hurt us.

Practice patience. Especially with those EGRs who need more patience!

Exercise humility. Think of others more than you think of yourself.

And pray for them.

If we promise to do this, this morning, it will change our priorities

Individual and corps. Success not doing more, adding more and more programme, not turning up and doing stuff.

It will be about loving well. The sign of the Spirit working in your life - in my life - and in corps is supernatural love towards God, towards each other and towards those around us.

Let’s continue to do all we can to develop the beautiful body of Christ and to be his hands and feet to each other and to the hurting, broken, twisted and misshapen world around us.

Next Steps

SB 1005 - Brother, sister, let me serve you

Brother, sister, let me serve you, Let me be as Christ to you; Pray that I might have the grace to Let you be my servant too. 2 We are pilgrims on a journey, We are family on the road; We are here to help each other Walk the miles and bear the load. 3 I will hold the Christ-light for you In the night-time of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, Speak the peace you long to hear. 4 I will weep when you are weeping, When you laugh I’ll laugh with you; I will share your joys and sorrows Till we’ve seen this journey through. 5 When we sing to God in Heaven We shall find such harmony, Born of all we’ve known together Of Christ’s love and agony. 6 Brother, sister, let me serve you, Let me be as Christ to you; Pray that I might have the grace to Let you be my servant too. Richard A.M. Gillard © 1977 Scripture in Song/Maranatha! Music/Universal Music/Small Stone Media BV, Holland (Admin. for print/sync UK/Eire by Song Solutions www.songsolutions.org). Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 30158 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 1005