Introduction

Good morning, Church! We are going to dive into some powerful truth today from the book of Mark, specifically Mark 12:30-31.

These passages say, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

C.S. Lewis once said, "The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time." We are meant to become like Jesus, to live out His love and His teachings in our daily lives.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we ask that you open our hearts and minds today as we explore Your word. Teach us, guide us, and mold us to be more like Jesus. Help us to understand what it means to be the church, Your body, in this world. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Now, let's dive into the Word together, shall we?

The Church is the Body of Christ

The Church is not a building or a place: It is not a Sunday morning gathering or a midweek Bible study. The Church is the Body of Christ, a living, breathing entity made up of individuals who have chosen to follow Jesus.

What this means: When we say that the Church is the Body of Christ, we are saying that we, as believers, are united with Christ in a profound and intimate way. Just as a body is made up of many parts, each with its own function and purpose, so too is the Church made up of many members, each with their own gifts and roles. In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul writes, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." This means that every believer, regardless of their role or status, is an integral part of the Church. We are all connected, all important, all needed.

This unity does not mean uniformity: Just as a body has different parts that perform different functions, so too does the Church have different members with different gifts. Some are called to teach, some to serve, some to encourage, some to heal. Yet, all these gifts come from the same Spirit and are given for the same purpose: to build up the Body of Christ.

We are Christ's physical presence in the world: In the Gospels, we see Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the brokenhearted, and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Now, as His Body, we are called to continue His work. We are His hands, reaching out to heal; His feet, going to those in need; His mouth, speaking words of hope and love.

We share in His life, death, and resurrection: In Romans 6:5, Paul writes, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." This means that we share in His suffering, but also in His victory. We die to our old selves, our old ways of thinking and living, and we are raised to new life in Christ.

Not always easy: It requires humility, love, and sacrifice. It means putting the needs of others before our own, just as Christ did for us. It means working together, despite our differences, for the common goal of glorifying God and making His love known.

We are not alone: Christ is our head, our guide, our source of life. He is the one who gives us our identity, our purpose, our strength. As Paul writes in Colossians 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

We are the Church, Christ is the Head

Understanding the concept that we are the church and Christ is the head is fundamental to our Christian faith ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO