BEYOND THESE WALLS
Text: I Corinthians 12:12 -31
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 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. (13) For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (14) Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. (15) If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. (16) And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? (18) But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (19) If all were a single member, where would the body be? (20) As it is, there are many members, yet one body. (21) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." (22) On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, (23) and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; (24) whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, (25) that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. (26) If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. (27) Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (28) And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. (29) Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? (30) Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (31) But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Bees can show you something about teamwork. On a warm day about half the bees in a hive stay inside beating their wings while the other half go out to gather pollen and nectar. Because of the beating wings, the temperature inside the hive is about 10 degrees cooler than outside. The bees rotate duties and the bees that cool the hive one day are honey gatherers the next. Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press. This illustration tells us something about effectiveness of a team because they all participated.
God organized a community which is referred to as the Body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12 Paul tells us a lot about the intended work that God had for the Body of Christ. Since the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost, God has planned for the Body of Christ to be in the world but not of the world to change the world. God can do greater things through the Body of Christ (John 14:12) than the influence of the devil in the world. Are we carrying on effectively and fruitfully in the teamwork that God has called us to as missionaries in our mission fields? Behind these walls, we have entered to worship and beyond these walls we will exit to serve God by loving people as He first loved us even before we were ourselves were lovable! We wrestle with mutiny issues.
MUTINY IN THE BODY?
Surely we have all heard of the fictional story called Mutiny on the Bounty, but is there non-fiction Mutiny in the Body---the Body of Christ?
As you know, a body has many parts. But as Max Lucado points out, “His body has been known to misbehave. The brain discounts the heart . (Academics discount worshippers.) The hands criticize the knees. (People of action criticize people of prayer.) The eyes refuse to partner with the feet. (Visionary thinkers won’t work with steady laborers.) A clear case of mutiny in the body.” (Max Lucado. Out Live Your Life. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010, p. 45). Did God call us to competitive mutineers or unifying disciples? God called us to be unifying disciples.
What do mutineers have in common? If you had to sum up a one word, then the word “rebellion” comes to mind.
1) Chief Rebel: Lucifer was a mutineer in the worst way. Remember what happened when Lucifer----the “anointed Cherub” rebelled? (https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/100312/sin-by-steve-kinnard.). He was the head of the angels until he rebelled! A third of the angels of heaven followed him and were cast out with him for their rebellion. In fact, God created a special placed for them called “Hell”! Matthew 25:41 tells us that God “… prepared an eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (NRSV).
2) Rebels: Satan would love nothing more than to make complete renegading rebels of all God’s children so that they would also receive eternal punishment---eternal fire because they too would have been blinded by pride.
3) Jealousy: There is what is known as the “ancient parable of the privilege stomach”. “The members [of the body] conspired together, that the hands should carry no food to the mouth, nor the mouth accept anything that was given to it, nor the teeth grind up what they received. While they sought in this angry spirit to starve the belly into submission, the members themselves and the whole body were reduced to the utmost weakness. (Livy, History of Rome, 2.32.10). Thus the members were forced to recognize that the stomach made a crucial contribution”. (Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Daily Bible Commentary: I Corinthians. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997, p. 146). Not everyone can be an eye or a hand and so on because each part has a necessary function that complements the whole (I Corinthians 12:20 -25).
DIVERSITY OF UNIFIED DISCIPLES
What are we called to do within the Body of Christ?
1) Each other’s keepers: In today’s text Paul seems to echo the ideal of being a “sibling’s keeper” (Genesis 4:9). Verse 26 reminds us that we are to watch out for each other! Do we contradict ourselves when show more attention to one over another? How can we hurt for another person if we choose to ignore their pain? “We cannot write off people and still claim to love them”. (Jerome Murphy O’Connor. Daily Bible Commentary I Corinthians. Peabody: Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997, p. 146). God called us to be disciples to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19) because of the difference God makes in us. Our lives should reflect that change within in our behavior. Have we written anyone off within the Body of Christ because we felt that they were insignificant? God loved us before we were lovable!
2) Accolades: Does the fruit of our discipleship please God enough for Him to say “Well done?”
3) Checking our own work: There is the story of a little fellow who called to check up on his work. He called the lady who often paid him to cut her grass. He posed as another young man seeking lawns to mow to make money. He asked her if she was interested in hiring him. She said, “No thanks. I have so and so who cuts the grass for me”. The boy asked, “Does he do a good job?” She answered “That’s why I want him to keep cutting my grass.” If we were to check up on our work as disciples, what would others say about our work?
Do you remember your membership vows?
1) Membership vows: Remember the words prayers, presence, gifts and services? Have you ever associated your membership vows with stewardship?
2) No bench warmers: Is there a difference between being a member on the church roll as opposed to being an active member? Did God call us to be members----spectators only or active members who participate in the ministry of the church? Why is it that sometimes spectators will complain when God has called them to be on the field in the game?
BEYOND THESE WALLS
Are there worldly mutineers who are lost?
1) Flesh wars: There is mutiny for those who live by the flesh. Anyone who relies completely on the flesh instead of God’s salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ becomes a rebel. As we know flesh and blood cannot reveal God to us (Matthew 16:17). It is the Spirit---God’s Holy Spirit that gives life because the flesh is no help at all (John 6:63 ESV). The desires of the flesh work against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17).
2) Deceived by Satan: Rebels have been deceived by Satan and his lies and logic, because fools say in their hearts that there is no God (Psalm 14). How many are there who want to be their own God?
“A Father was dying. He had a few moments to left to live. He had four children. He said, Good night John, goodnight Butch, goodnight Betty, goodbye Ralph.” Ralph said, “Wait a minute. You said goodnight to my siblings but good-bye to me!” The father told his son, “Because the other three children have accepted Jesus, I will see them in glory, but you have not, I will never see you again.” (Tony Evans. Tony Evans’s Book of Illustrations. Chicago: Moody Press, 2009, p. 70). We can witness to people but the people to whom we witness must want to repent and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior!
3) The cross: The cross is foolish to those who are perishing (I Corinthians 1:18) because their sin continues to widen the gap between those who live according to the flesh and God. >>>>> As we know sin destroys. >>>> If you needed an acronym for sin we could say it is subtle, invading and nullifying. In the legal system, it is said that the person who represents himself or herself as his or her own attorney has a fool for a client.
Jesus Christ is our High priest (Hebrews 7:26 -27), our defense attorney, our sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) while He was on the cross. Jesus became a curse to remove our curse (Galatians 3:13). Jesus who knew no sin became sin to remove sin (II Corinthians 5:21) even for all of those who are worldly mutineers!
How well does our ministry make a difference beyond the walls of this church building? Do we point to this church telling others that this is where we attend church? Or does our lifestyle reflect that we are the church 24/7 365 days a year? God called us to be disciples to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19) because of the difference God makes in us. Our lives should reflect that change within in our behavior.
Have we written off anyone outside these walls? We have a ministry to care for one another within and to share the gospel with the last, the least and the lost without do we not? Remember what the dying father said to his lost son? Was it not a prophetic warning that could keep him out of Hell? If we truly care for someone, then we should care enough to tell them about Jesus Christ!
1) Presence: Can we make a difference if we are not present? Again, since the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost, God has planned for the Body of Christ to be in the world but not of the world to change the world. God sends His Spirit upon the Church to preach the good news, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to those blinded by sin in order to release the oppressed (Luke 4:18 -19 paraphrased). God can do greater things through the Body of Christ (John 14:12) than the influence of the devil in the world. How can we make a difference if we do not show up?
2) Overcomers: What do you see in the world everywhere today? Hate? Indifference? Hate is like an amoeba which seeks to eat up its host to stay alive. How much hate do you see in the world today? Years ago (2018), Joseph Kennedy, a high school coach lost his job because of saying a private prayer in public. Some are indifferent to Christians in the world while others are hateful and spiteful toward Christians. There are thousands of episodes we could insert as examples of hate and indifference. How do we overcome these problems and help others to overcome their problems? Consider I Corinthians 12:26. Love is the answer because godly love has the power to overcome and make those who participate in sharing God’s love overcomers. Hate and indifference close the door to getting involved.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
