Talk To The Hand Series

"In Christ"

"Talk To The Hand"

I Corinthians 12:12-27

Individualism

Examples/illustrations

"What you want is what you get"

"Your way, right away [at BurgerKing]"

Mitsubishi "You deserve it"

Supremacy of the "id"

Reality TV

Survivor

The Weakest Link

Big Brother

"? House"

Our natural drive as Americans

Frontiersman Spirit

Lindbergh

Eirheart

Body of Christ

Stark contrast to individualism

Paul’s purpose of letter

"I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." I Corinthians 1:10-12 (RSV)

Dynamics Of The Body

1. Uniqueness

Each member is unique

"For the body does not consist of one member but of many... But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body." I Corinthians 12:14, 18-20 (RSV)

No 2 left feet, each compliments the other

2. Union

My value is defined by my correlation to the Body

"But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." I Corinthians 12:24-26 (RSV)

"Army of One"-- There are no "Christians of One"

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5 (RSV)

To be cut off from the body is to be dead.

3. Worth

All members are of equal value.

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." I Corinthians 12:12-13 (RSV)

A) No room for inferiority

"I’m a foot not a hand"

"I’m an ear not an eye"

B) No room for superiority

Each person is vital- no "unpicked" players or "outcasts"

"As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of." I Corinthians 12:18-20 (The Message)

4. Belonging

All members are of equal value, and are therefore indispensable.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." I Corinthians 12:26-27 (RSV)

We are wounded because we have pushed away, or let go of those who didn’t seem of great value.

"They weren’t committed"

"They had some problems to work out"

Divisions-because we’ve let them go.

Split of First Church- Flour Bluff