Pastor Dan Nickerson – May 26th, 2021
(1 Corinthians 12:12-31)…..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. 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? 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? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And 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 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
The Church is a very big deal. Even though the world we live in has great resentment and hatred for her, she is still, and always will be the love of our Lord. When I speak of the Church, I am not referring to denominations and the like, but rather the body of Christ which consist’s of genuine believers in Jesus Christ who have been born from above, and who are now sealed with the Holy Spirit, and are walking in obedience to Christ. This is made evident in (Ephesians 1:22-23) (Colossians 1:15-18). He saved it out of love, and by giving Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25). He did so that He might make her a “glorious” church, by sanctifying and cleansing her with His Word, so it might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:26-27).
His Church (those who are born again) are nourished and cherished by Him (Ephesians 5:29-30). This suggests that the work of Christ in behalf of His Church goes beyond just dying on the cross. What I want us to realize is that outside the Church (the body of Christ) there is no life (John 15). There is no salvation outside Christ (Ephesians 5:23). There is no spiritual nourishment outside the body, the church. We know that through His blood He provides salvation to those in His Church, but how does He provide nourishment and strength to us?
Jesus provides nourishment directly from the head to the members of the body (John 15:1-5). Jesus also provides nourishment through the ministry of each member (the believer) of His body. Each member has been given some gift by the grace of God (Romans 12:4-8) and we are expected to use it for the benefit of His Church (1Peter 4:7-11). When each member is doing his/her part the body is capable of edifying (building itself up) in love (Ephesians 4:11-16). Let’s hope that each of us is serving in the body with the gift we’ve been given.
The body of Christ is designed by God to accomplish several functions such as evangelism, edification, benevolence, etc. but not all have the same gifts or callings in His body. So when people are expected to do the same thing as the next person other important functions go undone. Every member of the body of Christ is needed for the body to function well. No one can say they are not important (1Corinthians 12:14-19. No one can say others are not needed (1Corinthians 12:20-25). The members of Christ’s Church are so interdependent with one another that when one is affected all are affected (1Corinthians 12:26-27). When one suffers, all suffer. When one is honored, all are honored (Galatians 6:2). When a member thinks within himself/herself that I am not needed, I won’t be missed, Or there’s nothing that I can do that is important, as a result they become inactive and the whole body suffers. Listen, you may never take the time to think of your fingers, but slam the car door on them and watch how the whole body gets involved in responding to their crisis. The nerves will carry the message to the brain, the brain in turn sends a message to the feet which begin to hop around, then to the eyes which water, to the mouth which opens to scream, and to the other hand which tries to find the door handle, so on.
When one of those less visible members gets into trouble every part of the body is to respond to the need (Romans 12:15). What is your gift? – Are you using it for His body?