Are We The Body Of Christ Or Just An Imitation

ARE WE THE BODY OF CHRIST OR JUST AN IMITATION

1 COR; 12:12 --- 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.

LET US PRAY:

FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECIOUS WORD. WE ASK FOR YOUR ANOINTING UPON THIS SERVICE. HIDE YOUR SERVANT BEHIND THE CROSS-OF CALVARY AND LET JESUS BE LIFTED UP AND GLORIFIED. HOLY SPIRIT, HAVE YOUR WAY IN THE SERVICE. OPEN OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS TO RECEIVE WHAT YOU HAVE FOR US TODAY IN THE PRECIOUS AND HOLY NAME OF JESUS WE PRAY. AMEN.

IN 1ST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 12 THE APOSTLE PAUL EXPLAINS TO US EXACTLY WHAT THE BODY OF CHRIST IS

LET TAKE A LOOK STARTING AT VERSE 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.

BY ONE SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE WERE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, THE BODY OF CHRIST, WHETHER JEW OR GREEK, SLAVE OR FREE, BLACK OR WHITE,

RED OR YELLOW, ALL WERE BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY. AND MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT. WE DON’T ALL HAVE OUR OWN LITTLE HOLY GHOST. AS THE BODY OF CHRIST WE ARE ALL MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT.

VERSE 14--- FOR IN FACT THE BODY IS NOT ONE MEMBER BUT MANY.

THE BODY OF CHRIST DOES NOT CONSIST OF ONE MEMBER BUT MANY MEMBERS

EVERYONE SITTING HERE TODAY, PLUS MANY MORE SITTING IN OTHER CONGREGATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD IS A MEMBER OF THE BODY

VERSE 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?

VERSE 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?

DID GOD BLESS US ALL WITH THE SAME TALENTS OR GIFTS?

AND GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH, FIRST APOSTLES, SECONDARILY PROPHETS, THIRDLY TEACHERS, AFTER THAT MIRACLES, THEN GIFTS OF HEALINGS, HELPS, GOVERNMENTS, DIVERSITIES OF TONGUES

ARE ALL APOSTLES? ARE ALL PROPHETS? ARE ALL TEACHERS? ARE ALL WORKERS OF MIRACLES?

HAVE ALL THE GIFTS OF HEALINGS, DO ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES? DO ALL INTERPRET?

THANK GOD WE HAVE ALL BEEN GIVEN DIFFERENT GIFTS AND TALENTS

VERSE 17---IF THE WHOLE BODY WERE AN EYE, WHERE WOULD BE THE HEARING? IF THE WHOLE WERE HEARING, WHERE WOULD BE THE SMELLING?

VERSE 18---BUT NOW GOD HAS SET THE MEMBERS, EACH ONE OF THEM, IN THE BODY JUST AS HE PLEASED.

GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE TALENT AND GIFTS YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALLY AS HE PLEASED AND SET YOU IN THE BODY OF CHRIST WHERE HE WANTED YOU TO BE WHERE YOU COULD SERVE HIM BEST.

VERSE 19---AND IF THEY WERE ALL ONE MEMBER, WHERE WOULD THE BODY BE?

VERSES 20---BUT NOW INDEED THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS, YET ONE BODY.

VERSE 21---AND THE EYE CANNOT SAY TO THE HAND, “I HAVE NO NEED OF YOU”, NOR THE HEAD TO THE FEET, “I HAVE NO NEED OF YOU.”

WHAT MEMBER OF THIS BODY SITTING HERE TODAY CAN YOU LOOK AT AND SAY I HAVE NO NEED OF YOU.

VERSE 22---NO, MUCH RATHER, THOSE MEMBERS OF THE BODY WHICH SEEM TO BE WEAKER ARE NECESSARY.

EVERY ONE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NECESSARY

VERSES 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,

VERSE 24---BUT OUR PRESENTABLE PARTS HAVE NO NEED. BUT GOD COMPOSED THE BODY, HAVING GIVEN GREATER HONOR TO THAT PART WHICH LACKS IT.

VERSE 25---THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO SCHISM IN THE BODY, BUT THAT THE MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

WE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME CARE FOR ONE MEMBER AS WE DO THE OTHER,

ALL MEMBERS ARE THE SAME IN GOD EYE AND IT SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR US.

VERSE 26---AND IF ONE MEMBER SUFFERS, ALL THE MEMBERS SUFFER WITH IT; OR IF ONE MEMBER IS HONORED, ALL THE MEMBERS REJOICE WITH IT.

VERSE 27---NOW YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST, AND MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY.

JESUS CHRIST ESTABLISHED THE CHURCH, AND HE CONTINUES TO BUILD IT. WHEN A SINNER ACCEPTS CHRIST AS SAVIOR, HE BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST AND BELONGS TO THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL. A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER SHOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CONGREGATION IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER.

THE CHURCH IS NOT THE BRICK AND WOOD OF THE BUILDING IN WHICH YOU ARE MEETING. THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. YOU ARE THE CHURCH.