The Body Of Christ Series

The Body of Christ

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1Co 12:12-27)

Today We are talking about the Body of Christ. Many people hear that phrase and think, ‘the mystical body of Christ” and because of the association with the word mystical they kind of think that it’s a topic they don’t need to study, however it’s a topic that is a great thing to study and understand.

First let me try and help change some thinking by letting you know the only thing truly mystical about the Body of Christ is that it consists of people, though unseen by us here, all around the world that are living for God just like you and I. So in other words its mainly a “mystical” or unknown number of people are part of the body. Now that were are able to move beyond the mystical part, we can begin to understand the true nature of the Body of Christ.

The most fundamental thing about the Body of Christ is that it is simply the Church without strife or envy or malice, doing what its supposed to be doing, dwelling together in the spirit of unity.

[illustration from SermonCentral.Com]

Imagine the Master Carpenter’s tools holding a conference:

Brother Hammer presides, but several suggest he leave the meeting because he is too noisy.

Brother Hammer replies, “If I have to leave this shop, Brother Screw must go also. You have to turn him around again and again to get him to accomplish anything.”

Brother Screw speaks up. “If you wish, I’ll leave. But Brother Plane must leave, too. All his work is on the surface. His efforts have no depth.”

To this, Brother Plane responds, “Brother Rule will also have to withdraw, for he is always measuring folks as though he were the only one who is right.”

Brother Rule then complains about Brother Sandpaper: “He ought to leave, too, because he’s so rough and always rubbing people the wrong way. Brother Sandpaper speaks up “If I go so should Brother Duct Tape, he sticks out like a sore thumb and after a while starts sticking to the wrong things.”

And so goes the discord.

In the midst of all this discussion, in walks the Carpenter of Nazareth.

He has arrived to start his day’s work.

Putting on his apron, he goes to the bench to make a pulpit from which to proclaim the gospel.

He uses Brothers Hammer, Screw, Plane, Rule, Sandpaper, and all the other tools.

After the day’s work, when the pulpit is finished, Brother Saw arises and remarks, “Brethren, I observe that all of us are workers together with the Lord, if we have unity, then He can use us.”

Saints, might I suggest that this workshop can be us sometimes, bickering back and forth with discord for what ever reason. Whether some else got to do what we wanted to do, or the wrong person gets the pat on the back for doings something for the Kingdom, or feeling left out, or mistreated or that you don’t belong, and the list goes on. But as ‘Brother Saw’ said, to be part of the body of Christ we must work together, that is why Psalms 133 says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”