Becoming The Body

1 Corinthians 12:28

28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

I wanted to talk to you a little bit about what has been on the heart of Pastor and also on mine. Pastor and I want to see this church grow and by growing we mean spiritually as well as physically. A large church with many members does not mean a better church unless those members are active. The church has been given a great opportunity. We have been given many people with different skill sets that can accomplish many things. When we take away the opportunity for the members to contribute, we take away an active part of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Have you ever tried to sit down and eat with your feet? Or walk using yours hands? Or ever tried to eat without un-straightening your elbow? What if we decided that we could do things better if we did not use those parts of the body, but used the parts that are foreign to that kind of task. I told the pastor when I started with the church many things, but one that I would like to bring up tonight. I told the pastor, I am not a handy man. If you see something that is broken and needs to be fixed, I am probably not the right person to call. I can do almost anything and will try to fix almost anything, but I am not an expert at it.

Romans 12

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

I said a few seconds ago about different tasks being done better by different people. Well this church needs every one of you to fulfill the role that God has placed you in this church for. It says that we form one body. I do not have any part of myself that I would be better without it functioning and I do not have any extra parts. I have all that I need to thrive and survive and no extras. When God designed the church body, he did not design 2nd string players. We are not a football team. We all are the starting line. Everyone has a job.