The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV) 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

Introduction:

• The Body of Christ and Local Church
• The local Church is the mechanism, the living organism God has created to being agents of the Gospel advancement and Care/edification.
• The epistles of the NT are addressed to local churches or to leaders of local churches

1. Jesus is building His body.

Colossians 2:19 (NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

1.1. Jesus is snot building a crowd, or an edifice, but rather a body.

1.2. The body is nourished from the head.
1.3. Christ being the Head.
1.4. When a member of the body is disconnected from the head

1.4.1. Ela… without a brain, there can be no consciousness.

1.5. All ministries, which are God’s gifts, are given to the local bodies to equip saints for ministry to one another
1.6. As members of the Body of Christ, believers are related not only to Christ, the “Head”, but they are related one to another in the Body. 1.7. One, yet many.

2. We are a member of the body.

Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV) 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

2.1. What does it mean being a member of a body:

2.1.1. Being steadfast:

2.1.1.1. Continue steadfastly: to adhere to one, be his adherent, to be devoted or constant to one to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting…

2.1.1.2. Doctrine
2.1.1.3. Fellowship – Kononia
2.1.1.4. Breaking bread-communion

2.1.1.5. Prayer

2.1.2. In Fellowship/koinōnia: association, community, communion, joint participation, share which one has in anything, fellowship, intimacy the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship

2.2. It is the Lord’s intention that every member of the Body of Christ should be connected and as growth in the body.

2.3. As maturity settles in then eventually ministry grows.

3. The Importance of Each Member of the Body being connected.

1 Corinthians 12:15-19 (NKJV) 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

3.1. Every member of the body of Christ is important.
3.2. Every member of the body has it’s role.
3.3. No member can say they are unimportant or unnecessary.

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

3.4. God plants/connects members in the body as it pleases Him
3.5. In order for Christians to carry out the commission of Christ they must be in fellowship.

3.5.1. Ela… an eye or hand or foot cannot carry out it’s mission apart from the body it is suppose to be connected with.

3.5.2. A hand cannot look at a foot and say ooooh how I wish I were a foot.

4. Though many, yet one.

1 Cor. 12:20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 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, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

4.1. One must allow themself to be cared for.

4.2. Ela… how many of us have a primary care physician or in our community a natural path carer? Why… because we want to be able to go to someone and tell us what we need to hear and offer suggestions for how to address the issue.

4.3. Ela… continues: We can be so quick to run to the ER, or our PCP, or whom you need to call on for physical advice.

5. The central purpose of body ministry is that of the edification of the whole church

Eph 4:12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

5.1. There are many people who turn to hurting themselves when they are not doing well.

5.2. Hurting oneself is never a healthy habit as well as separating oneself from the body.

5.3. When the whole body ministers to itself the result is health.
5.4. When the whole church is ministering to itself the adhesive force of LOVE holds us together.

Conclusion: We are family

De 14:2 for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.