Body of Christ
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We’re spending this last bit of Summer to hopefully launch well into the new year. Last week we tried something new and had City Group signups as a part of our service. Here’s a really cool statistic for you. The average adult small group attendance in churches across the US, according to multiple surveys, is between 40-50%. As of last week’s signups, we have 72% of our adults in a small group. That’s pretty incredible, and something to celebrate!
We have a big day today as well. We are going to be in 1 Corinthians 12 and talk about what it means to be a member of the body of Christ. Specifically we’ll talk about what it means to serve the body in the context of the local church. Here’s another cool statistic for you. According to those same surveys, the average number of adults serving in churches across the US is between 42-45%. As of right now, 57% of our adults are serving in some capacity. That’s a pretty awesome thing. We believe that small group involvement and serving are great markers of church health. Now, at the tail end of our service today, much like last week, we are going to have tables set up around the room with different ministries represented. I’ll give some more instruction at the tail end of the service. But, maybe you’ve been wanting to jump in somewhere but have been hesitant. Today’s your day! But first, let’s get into 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
Rather than reading it in its entirety this morning, we are going to go section by section.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
1. The Makeup of the Body (12-14)
The comparison that Paul makes for the way the church functions is to a physical body. Our physical body is one unit comprised of many different members, many different parts. Those parts all have different and unique functions. The church can be thought of in the same way. One body, many different parts. Let’s break this down in 2 ways as Paul lays it out:
A. Comprised of Many Members
One of the most beautiful aspects of the church is the diversity that is represented. This can be diversity of nationality, age, cultural influences, church background or lack-thereof. This can be skill sets, interests, giftings, strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think that any of us would sit here and debate that there are no 2 people that are exactly alike. Just for fun this week I started reading some studies on how many different possible DNA combinations there could be, and my brain started to hurt so I had to stop. Point is this, the body is made up of many different, uniquely beautiful and gifted people. The diversity of giftings is exactly what we are talking about and what contributes to overall church health.
At the same time that we are all uniquely gifted in different ways, Paul also tells us that we are one body through the Holy Spirit.
B. Unity in the Spirit
Paul says in verse 13 that “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Paul is not talking about water baptism here, but instead is referencing Spirit baptism. John the Baptist predicted that this would happen in the gospel of Mark: “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus reiterated this truth shortly before His ascension into heaven in Acts 1:5, “in just a few days you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.” This happens on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended onto the disciples and filled them, and now happens for everyone who places their faith in Jesus.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is synonymous with salvation. One commentator said that it may be defined as “that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.” Therefore, every believer has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. The moment we confess Jesus and receive the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit enacts the New Covenant in our lives. The Holy Spirit fills us, indwells us, at the same time we experience regeneration, which means being born again. We are made new, washed of our sins by the blood of Jesus. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the moment of cleansing in which we move from darkness to light, from death to life.
Because this is true for every believer, we find unity in this. The same thing can be said for all of us, across the world, across history. While there is great diversity in the body we are all one body through the Holy Spirit.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:15-24
2. Diversity of Gifts is Crucial to Health (15-24)
A. The Danger of Self-Deprecation (15-19)
Apparently what was happening in the church at Corinth is that some believers were thinking that they weren’t as important to the work of the church as others. “Well the hands, I mean, they do everything! They play music, pick up children, greet people at the door, make coffee, set up pipe and drape, but I’m just a foot. I mean, I’m not even needed. You can sit down and do most of those things!”
Same thing with the ear! “I mean, sure I’m an ear, but I’m no eye!” But imagine, Paul says, if the body were just an eye! What fun would that be? I mean sure you could roll everywhere, but you wouldn’t be able to smell anything or taste anything. Imagine if the whole body were an ear! I mean that’s just a ridiculous prospect. The point is this, there is no part of the body that is any less important than the next. Paul was addressing a specific issue in the church. Nobody is any less important than anyone else. You all have worth. You all have a place. You all are integral to the health of the body.
The danger of this mindset, that our gifts are as good as so-and-so’s, is that we can become crippled and sideline ourselves instead of utilizing the gifts that God HAS given us. When we believe the lie that we don’t have anything to offer, we are robbing the church of it’s full effectiveness!
B. The Danger of Self-Reliance (21)
At the same time that this was going on, it seems like it might have been stirred up by some who were considering themselves better, or more important than others. This is why in verse 21 Paul says, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” Nor the head to the feet. It seems that some had categorized certain positions as more necessary than others, and had potentially belittled others along the way.
The danger here is that we can become arrogant, because my gift serves a “more important” aspect of the church.
C. A Proper View of Giftings (22-24)
What Paul does out of response to this is elevates those who have been believing that they aren’t as important. And he continues with the comparison to the human body. The parts of the body that SEEM to be weaker, not that they are, but the ones that can sometimes be perceived as weaker, less honorable, those are the ones that we treat with greater respect, with greater modesty. We cover them up. We treat them with dignity. We don’t need to carry that illustration any further but I hope you get the point.
Let me ask you a question. What is the least visible and often least celebrated serving position at our church, do you think? Not any more or less important, but definitely not as visible as our worship team, or our Kids Ministry Volunteers!
So the proper view that we are looking for is this, that there is no serving position that is more important than another. There is no part of the body that is more important than another. There is no gifting that is any less important than any other gifting. Paul tells us that those that are visible and most often naturally celebrated… “man you guys did a great job singing today,” or, “my kids really love having you as a teacher…” are important, and just as important are the behind the scenes jobs that sometimes can feel thankless. When’s the last time anyone encouraged our sound guys because the music mix was well blended? When’s the last time you thanked the volunteer running the slides for keeping up with the lyrics and message slides? ALL are important and ALL should be celebrated.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:25-27
3. Diversity of Gifts Creates Unity (25-26)
What is the reason that we honor and celebrate all giftings equally? The reason we do that, Paul says, is to avoid disunity. “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”
When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. When one part of the body is honored, we all celebrate together. We are in this together! Our mission is to “be a family committed to making disciples for the kingdom and glory of God.” The way that we do that is by banding together in unity behind this goal. Every unique gift being utilized to drive this mission forward:
Set up
Truck Driving
Greeting
Welcome Table
Cafe
Security
Worship Team
AV
Kids Ministry
Student Ministry
Maybe you're gifted in Outreach and want to help with our local partnerships. Maybe you're passionate about Global Missions and want to be a liaison between us and our global partners. I mean there is so much that can be done to serve the mission of Family Church which is serving the mission of God’s Global Church and that is the Great Commission, to go and make disciples.
Listen if you are sitting out there and thinking, “yea Adam this all sounds great, but I really don’t have anything to offer,” that’s NOT true! There is a place and space for every part of the body to serve. Maybe you’re serving in a ministry area and you’re feeling like your gifts are being utilized in the best way possible. That’s ok. We had a season where a lot of people were serving out of a necessity, but we don’t have to think that way anymore. Let’s be in this together. Let’s continue to trust and follow the Lord as He leads us forward in His faithful growing of His church. I’m so excited to see what He continues to do this year in and through us, but we’ll save that for the Family Chat
