Community

SPC Darren Robinson

SGT Zanaiah Creamer

SPC Justin Blackwell

SGT Zachary Kish

SPC Calvin Aguilar

These are 5 people that I served with in the Army that died. They joined the Army to protect their country. Some of these people died in war and others from deep wounds within themselves. Each has a personal story to me. I was a team leader to two of these heroes and friends with each. Let us start today by giving thanks to these individuals who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

As you guys know, I am in the Army Reserves. What you many not know is that I have served in the Army for 20 years. Yes, that is a long time. I find it interesting that our lesson on community comes on Memorial day weekend. When I joined the military I learned what it meant to be a member of a community.

Every veteran that has served in the military is a part of this community. There is a special bond I have with every veteran. This community is broken down into the now 6 branches of the military. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force. Each branch like to talk trash to each other, but we all respect each other. Each branch has a unique special function that they serve to protect our country.

Inside each military branch, there are smaller branches. In the Army these are broken down from large to small into Major commands, Divisions, Brigades, Battalions, Companies, Platoons, Squads and teams. Each of these have unique skills and abilities. As part of the community each entity must fulfill their role for the Military to provide the security that is required.

As an individual Soldier. My role may not seem overly important. However, this was far from the truth. I was a Military Working Dog handler. In my role, I filled an extremely important position. I trained my Dog and other dog teams to find explosives. I was asked at times to perform explosives searches for the POTUS, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. If I failed in my role it would endanger the most powerful people in the Community.

At other times, I was asked to search for explosives in combat environments. These searches were done with an expectation to find explosives. If I failed to do my Job, I put the lives of everyone walking behind me in danger. Yet that was my role. Other roles included Medics, Platoon Leaders, Gunners, Interpreters, Radio communicators. Each of these individuals had important roles to play in our mission. We depended on each other to keep us alive.

This community is a reflection of the Scripture that we are studying today, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. The only difference is that we are a community known as the Children of God. Paul calls this community a body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

English Standard Version Chapter 12

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 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 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way

Like the Military, the church universal is one Body. There are many parts to the church to that serve to reach the overall vision of the church. That is to preach the gospel to all nations making disciples, baptising people in the Holy Spirit. When we accept God’s forgiveness and are saved by His grace, we are adopted into this body.

So how does the body work. First I want to point out that when I talk about the church here, I am referencing Church Universal. That is not just Korean New Life. But churches that are all over the world. Honestly, it is not everyone within those churches, but those that believe and have been saved. There are people, most likely within every church, that come every Sunday, but have not put their faith in Jesus as Savior.

Now let’s look at the universal church. God, the Father, is the Creator of the Church. He established a people. Jesus is the heart of the church, The High Priest, bringing life giving blood to all of it’s members. The Holy Spirit is the Central nervous system of the church. The Holy Spirit each individual members of the church to action.

I talked about the church universal a minute ago. There are churches all over the world that are unique. Some churches have thousands of members. Others have 20. There are varying beliefs about God and the Church throughout the Universal Christian church. Many of these are because of the varying perspectives and cultures that are held around the world. These all work to bring the Gospel to the world.

However, there are also churches and people who claim Christianity, that hold false beliefs that Satan uses to manipulate, misinform and deceive people. Scripture calls these false prophets. For this reason, we must understand what it is that a church believes on the Core issues of Christianity. A church’s beliefs on the Trinity, Inerrancy of Scripture, and Jesus dying on the cross for our sins are important to understand. When I came here, these were one of the questions that I asked about. The answers informed me that this is a church that speaks Truth in love.

Let’s know turn our focus to the local Church, Korean New Life Church. When God established His people in the Israelites, it was to lay the path for our church. The blood of Jesus on the cross is the life-blood of our church. Without it our church would not exist. The Spirit worked through a group of believers to establish Korean New Life Church.

When we look at our church, We have Pastor Yong and myself as stewards of the church. What that means is that we care for the church. We teach the church. We lead the church in the direction that God calls us. This leading is done through the Holy Spirit.

But we cannot do everything that the church needs. God provided people with different skills to help us lead the church. The church is filled with people of different skills and Spiritual Gifts that meet different needs. In my old church, we had carpenters, electricians, Musicians, teachers, doctors and many more people that used their talents to serve the church.

But God gave each of these people gifts to use in service of the church. These are Spiritual gifts. If we look back to verses 4-7

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

What is most important about our community is that God has empowered everyone. Each one of us that believes in Jesus has been given a gift. There is something special within each of us that God will use for His glory within the church. He wants you to use the gift that he has given you.

What is your gift? Do you know what ability God has given you that not everyone else has? Do you know what Spiritual Gift God has given you? Maybe you are a musician, or teacher, or encourager or a number of other things.

If you know what your gifting is, are you using it? I have met many people that say well this is my gift but they never use it. They take what God has given them for His purpose and keep it for themselves. The gift that they have never grows because it is never put into use.

You are an important part of this community. You will have a great impact on the church. Dave was telling me the other day of a former student who played music here. Today, she leads worship in a large church in S. Korea. She is using her abilities to impact the church.

I want you to know, that God has given you a gift and an ability to use for the church. You were made with a purpose. I do not know that purpose… But God does. Each of you can impact the church in great ways. But to do so, you will have to step out in faith and step out in willingness to use the gifts that God gave you.