Being One Body

BEING ONE BODY

I Corinthians 12:11-13

The Holy Spirit unties each and every believer with Jesus to be united in one body, in one accord, in one church. It is a single living body that should lift up and edify the body of Christ. We are all individual parts of the body but are interdependent on each other. Each of us needs what the other can provide with their God given talents and gifts that He has given each of us. It is His will that distributes gifts Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

Paul was urging the people of Corinth to stop the envy and work to together as one just as Christ taught His disciples. Instead of building up the body of the church the Corinthian people were preoccupied with the people who had the gift of speaking on tongues. They felt they were a special “breed” if you will. A cut above the rest and had a better position or of more importance in the church. Paul compares the different parts of the human body to the different individuals of the church. Each member of the church has completely different and unique functions and talents, but all are very vital to the unity and survival of the church body. Their tasks and talents may be different, but all work toward the same purpose. It is obvious that we can certainly accomplish more working together than any of us can as individuals.

Two of the most common errors that believers make are (1) taking too much pride in heir abilities, (2) thinking they have no talents or gifts that could possibly contribute to the body of the church. Instead of comparing our individual talents to one another and seeing, “which one is greater”, we need to work together “Being One Body “, for the sake of Christ.

Prayer

I. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

A. Each church should have people from all backgrounds and places

1. God’s church includes people from social, economic, ethnic, and origins

2. It would be easy for the different personalities of people to divide a church

3. By the way we are brought up we are different

a. I was brought up in the north

b. Some people of the south were brought up with prejudice

4. We all have different tastes, ways and talents

a. No two of us are alike

b. We are all created unique and special in the eyes of God

c. We are unique in we all have different fingerprints

d. By our DNA is how science can tell us who our parents are

e. But each and everyone of us has royal blood running through our veins

i. We are all members of God’s family

ii. We are children of the King

B. Just as when you have a recipe for food

1. It takes many different ingredients to make any recipe complete

2. Each ingredient is different but each item gives it a unique flavor

3. Each ingredient is vital and it would not be the same without it

a. What if you would forget the onions in potato salad?

i. What if you left out the salt?

ii. Salt is so small and unassuming

iii. What does salt do? It changes the whole taste of things.

b. What if you left out the strawberries in the strawberry cake?

i. It would just be a plain cake, not bad, just plain

ii. What if a basketball team didn’t have any tall players?

iii. It would not be bad, but different.

C. Each member of the church has a unique and indispensable purpose for God

1. Nobody is here by accident

2. Each member has a specific talent and a specific purpose of the church

a. Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

b. Ephesians 4:11-12 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

i. I believe that all of these offices are for today

ii. Just as in the days of the disciples we need all these offices

iii. What if we did not have evangelists?