High Hopes - Designed To Succeed - Part 2 Series

The Body Beautiful

Part 2

High Hopes

Designed to Succeed

We are in the midst of a new series, entitled

“The Body Beautiful”

The idea behind this series

is to get us to the place

where we not only have an understanding

of the parts of the body

and the reason for the Body of Christ,

but most importantly

this series is designed to help you

find your place in the Body

Too many Christians

are just living life – day-to-day

without an understanding of their purpose

and how important they are to the Body.

The good news for today is this

You are exceptional – you are unique –

you are designed to worship the Lord -

In fact, your perfect place in the Body of Christ –

will not only bring you great joy and peace,

but it will help bring that same peace and joy

into the lives of others

All too often –

we are trying to fit into the structure of the local church

Instead of having the church

adapt to the parts of the Body

as Christ created them.

If you have a certain gift or talent

and there is no place for you in the Body,

Chances are

you will be miserable, unfulfilled and never settled.

However

if the local church operates as Christ,

its founder, established it, -

the church would recognize the gifts

and make room for them to grow, develop and flourish.

1Co 12:12-31

The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does.

Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit.

Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts.

Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body?

Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body?

If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing.

But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.

A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part.

It takes many parts to make a single body.

That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it doesn't need the feet.

In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest.

We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts,

but we don't have to be modest about other parts. God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable.

He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others.

If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.

Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body.

First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages.

Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles.

Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean.

I want you to desire the best gifts. So I will show you a much better way.

When you are added to the Body

You bring about a more beautiful

More perfect Body

Able to accomplish its mission

Too many people are simply wandering around without a clear direction

As far as their place in the Church of Today

Let me ask you a question

As the Body of Christ – What is your part?

Now I know some of you are saying things in your head like

“I swat the flies in the summer”

“I pick up the lint on the carpet”

“I water the lawn”

You understand

I didn’t want to name actual ministries

So no one would take offence

The areas I mentioned

Are areas of service – called “helps ministry”

But they do not define

WHO YOU ARE

as a part of the Body of Christ