Body Functions
Pt. 3 - Carry/Comfort
I. Introduction
God formed each of us and according to Jeremiah He knew us before we were ever formed. He formed our natural bodies by by establishing biological systems that carry out specific functions. These systems are necessary for everyday living. Our physical body survives by maintaining or restoring its internal environment. His creation of the human body was so perfect that when God needed an illustration of how the entity that He sent and sacrificed His only Son to establish (the church) He resorted to the body as the visual representative. And exactly like our physical body our spiritual body consists of individuals and relationships carrying out specific functions! Our survival depends on our ability to maintain and at times restore our internal environment.
Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 12:25 - The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t.
So in our attempt to continue to confront and combat the principality of isolation that is so deadly and disruptive in the body's ability to function we have talked about being connected. Our survival and significance is directly tied to our connectedness. We need each other. So we have called you to become connected and to enter a covenant relationship with someone in the body! This connection and covenant are absolutely essential for the body to function properly. Most of us on our own have expectations regarding the function of the body. However, we cannot place covenant expectations on relationships of convenience and frustrate and become frustrated. Covenant bears fruit and enables us to function properly as the body.
When we are truly connected and in covenant relationship that Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 12:25 then and only then are we are able to fulfill (SLIDES 4) 1 Corinthians 12:26 . . . If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.
So Paul is explaining to us that if we are connected to each other at the level that we are called to then we will come to this place where when you hurt I am not immune but rather I feel your pain. Likewise, when you are blessed/successful/experience favor I am not jealous or envious I become your #1 cheerleader and rejoice with you. When we get to this level we can then move into Paul's further instructions!
TEXT: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.
Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
So did you catch what Paul said? Comfort is a two way street! Too many of us receive comfort but we also consume comfort. We want comfort but never turn and comfort someone else. We are so self consumed that we are only concerned about getting out of our own trouble and we never stop to consider that We have been comforted so that we can become a comforter. There is a reason Jesus comforts us and allows us to get over what would have stopped someone else. He didn't let it stop you so that you can help it not to stop someone else. Too many of us show up year after year looking to be ministered to and comforted but it is time to realize that you are also commanded to be a comforter to someone else. Maybe we are waiting for the Holy Spirit to live up to His name while He is waiting on us to live up to our calling.
In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that when we comfort someone else we are literally fulfilling the law of Christ. What was the law of Christ? Remember when He was asked the greatest commandment He chose love the Lord your God and then to love your neighbor as yourself. We reveal our love for God by our willingness to comfort and carry our neighbor. Otherwise our claims of loving God are simply empty talk!
Paul demands that our hands and our mouth get involved in the process and back each other up. How many of you know that sometimes our mouth doesn't backup what we do with our hands and vice versa. So Paul prescribes the complete package carry/comfort with hands carry/comfort with mouth. Encouraging talk (I will pray for you) is essential but it is incomplete. Helping hands are essential but it is incomplete. If the body is going to function properly we need mouth and hands. We need some talkers (life in words) and we need some helpers.
Peter jumps into this discussion and instruction when he says in 1 Peter 4:8-10.
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Peter says that for the body to function properly we must walk deeply in love. Notice the order it is when we walk deeply in love that room is made for our gift. Love precedes gift. The reason people don't let you use ur gift with them is because they don't know you love them.
Too many of us want to use gifts but won't exercise love so people shut us down and close us out cause they need love before gift. Too many of us want to skip to next week and confront but we pass over comfort. Love deeply - cause love covers, not condones, a multitude of sins. Love will lead to and always demands confrontation. If I love you I can't stand by and watch you continue to make life destroying decisions and choices. Confrontation comes after carrying. Isn't that how Jesus operated? He healed/forgave (loved/carried) then confronted - go and sin no more. The depth of our love is revealed by our willingness to cover, carry, and comfort.
Again it is a combination - hands and mouth have to get in agreement. There will be times that you comfort that while your hands are helping your mouth is going to want to go off (how could you, why would you, I can't believe, I would be ashamed, they are always like this). Peter says practice hospitality without grumbling. There will be times when you are carrying that you will want to complain and speak and you just need to swallow your words.
There is an account in the Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 4 that you are familiar with. It is an astounding example of love, compassion, concern, determination and without a doubt it is the quintessential picture of how the body should operate. You know it. 4 men out of love for their friend and brother who is broken carry him to Jesus. In fact, the Bible says he had palsy or was paralyzed. Just a quick word how many people do we run know that are paralyzed by fear, pain, past, sickness? If they are paralyzed, then they must be carried. They run into obstacles - other people (other people keep them from getting the friend to Jesus - word) and are forced to extend even more effort and energy (word). They were so desperate to help that they refused to give up in their attempts to get him to Jesus (word - how many of us try once and quit? Give once and quit? Assist once and quit?). They dig through the roof and lower the man to Jesus so that he can be healed and find hope. How many of you understand there are days we need to be carried to Jesus but there are also days I need to get my mind off me, lean down and pick someone up who don't have the ability to get to Jesus and work past every obstacle and barrier to get them an audience with the King! I declare that the body is functioning at its very best when we carry broken, messed up, hurtful and heavy people to Jesus. We are never more in cooperation with the Head than when we carry folks to Him. The Word says Jesus, seeing the faith of the 4 men, heals their friend.
5 clues about carrying/comforting that we need to keep in mind.
1. People get to Jesus because of people! People need Jesus with skin on. This man met Jesus before he met Jesus. 4 men acted like Jesus to get their friend to Jesus. When we act like Jesus people will get to Jesus! This is the why we carry!
2. Carry them to the right One.
Not just to good advice. Not just to bill being paid. Not just to food. Some of us only carry folks to us! They become dependent on us because we never get them to Jesus. This is the where we carry.
3. Carrying others isn't convenient.
You will have to get your hands dirty. Their mess may make you want to run off. Their issues may stink and smell but get them to Jesus. This is the how we carry. In spite of inconvenience.
4. Those you carry may never thank or repay you.
There is no account that the man ever turned and said thank you. We can' allow lack of thanks produce a lack of carrying/comforting! The real question is do we want praise or do we want Jesus to get the praise? They may never be able to do anything for you in return. There is no account that the man they carried turned and did anything for the 4 who carried him.
5. Jesus responds to the faith of friends.
His response to the need had nothing to do with the sick man's faith. Perhaps we don't see the sick/broken/pained people healed not because of their lack of faith but our lack of faith. Our faith is revealed by our willingness to carry or comfort!
Every house reflects the nature of the owner. When someone comes to your house it clearly reflects you. This house should clearly reflect the nature of the owner. How we handle each other's needs and burdens reflects Him.
Who are you carrying and comforting? I know you have your own needs but who's need are you tuned in to and sensitive to? How do you treat those here who can't do anything for you in return? Who are you showing Jesus by your willingness to carry?
