Sermon

Better Together #2
 “Being Your Part”
  1 Corinthians 12:12-26
 

Introduction:

What was going on 1st century in Corinth?

• It was a church of diverse people.
• There were many divisions, arguments, lawsuits, and immorality.
• There was confusion about marriage, food sacrificed to idols, worship, the Lord’s Supper, the Resurrection, giving, and spiritual gifts.
• Specifically, some thought they were more important than others because of there positions, social status, and gifts.
• Paul was specifically writing to these issues.
• He knew they needed each other.

What is going on Today—2008 in Surabaya?

• The Shrinking World
• Christianity & the Workplace
• Denominationalism
• Post Modernism

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

   12The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.

   14Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?

   18But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

   22In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
 

Define the body of Christ.


          o Universal
                + Extremely diverse.
                + It has no boundaries except belief in Christ.
                      # No Cultural boundaries
                      # No Racial boundaries
                      # No Social boundaries
                      # This is real despite our prejudices.
                + Christ is truly the head.

If the church is described as a body, which part describes you in the universal body of Christ?


          o Local church
                + Fairly diverse.
                + It has some boundaries…
                      # location
                      # language
                + Christ is the head and working through pastoral leaders.

 

 

          o Go Group
                + More similar that diverse.
                + The boundaries are self created but not exclusive.
                + Christ is the head through everyone’s individual involvement.

 

 

          o Universal.
                + That every person on the planet would hear and be assimilated into the body.
                + To create a universal fraternity.
                + To raise-up and train a community of believers to bring the gospel to every person in their area.
                + To take us from Birth to the Grave.


    * Discovering the purpose of the Body of Christ.

          o Go Group
                + Creating a community of believers that makes people say “I want to be a part of that!”
                + Creating a community of believers that helps us discover and use our individual gifts.


    * Dependency of the members of the Body of Christ.

          o Universal
                + We depend on each other to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission to tell everyone!
                + We help people we don’t even know sometimes.

          o Local Church
                + The body of Christ is described like the human body.
                + Why should I become co-dependent?
                + You are only ONE PART of the body.

          o Go Group
                + Our Local Body is too big.
                + The best way to exercise your body part is by being a part of a GO Group.

 

1 Corinthians 10:15-17

15You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am about to say is true. 16When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the benefits of the blood of Christ? And when we break the loaf of bread, aren’t we sharing in the benefits of the body of Christ? 17And we all eat from one loaf, showing that we are one body.
 
“As I eat this bread I identify myself as a member of the Universal body of Christ, joint with the fraternity of believers worldwide to see His gospel proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

“As I take this piece of the Body of Christ it unites me with every person represented in ICA, and that I am one piece of a bigger body that is co-dependent on the other parts for my success in the Christian life, as well as fulfilling God’s plan for us to share his love with every English speaking person in Surabaya.”

 

“As I join with those standing beside me today, I acknowledge my need to be in close relationship with a group of believers focused on encouraging each other and growing in our faith and gifts to see God’s plan fulfilled in our lives.”