A Healthy, Functional Body Of Christ | Messy Church, Part 19

A Healthy, Functional Body Of Christ | Messy Church, Part 19

How can we be a healthy, functional, Body of Christ?

1) Understand that you are part of the Body!

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one

body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form

one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one

Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Baptized by ONE Spirit

-We’re sealed

-We’re connected

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

2) Understand that we all have an obligation as part of the Body

Inward obligation

1 Corinthians 12:15-20

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

Inward obligation

God placed ALL the parts in the body, how HE WANTED

Outward obligation

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

NO DIVISION and EQUAL CONCERN

1 Corinthians 12:26

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Interdependence NOT Independence

The parts of the body work together. The eyes and ears do not only serve themselves, but the whole body. The hands do not only feed and defend themselves, but the whole body. The heart does not only supply blood to itself, but serves the whole body. Sometimes there is a part of our body that only lives to serve itself. It doesn’t contribute anything to the rest of the body, and everything it gets it uses to feed and grow itself. We call this cancer. 

-Enduring Word

Each one of us plays a role, for the body as a whole.

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Apostleship – Missional Boldness.

Matthew 28:19-20a

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Teaching – Correctly explaining and applying the Bible.

Matthew 28:19-20a

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Helps-

“It strikes me that they were not persons who had any official standing, but that they were only moved by the natural impulse and the divine life within them to do anything and everything which would assist either teacher, pastor, or deacon in the work of the Lord. They are the sort of brethren who are useful anywhere, who can always stop a gap, and who are only too glad when they find that they can make themselves serviceable to the church of God in any capacity whatever.”

-Charles Spurgeon

Next Steps:

-Discover your gift

-Use your gift

-Pursue Unity

Unity + no diversity = Nazi Germany and the holocaust

No unity + no diversity = Dystopian robot society, A.I. taking over

No unity + diversity = Current state of our country, Corinthian church, CHAOS

Unity + diversity = God’s design