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Members Of The Body
July 31, 16
Citizens of the kingdom of God are members of the body of Christ. That spiritual body consists of baptized believers who are said to be parts, or organs, in that body. As members of the same body, we love one another, care for one another and see that we build each other up and make each other strong. We must mature the body to fit the mature, spiritual head, which is Jesus Christ. - Bernie Parsons
Members Of The Body
A sermon by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 07-31-2016
Presented to Load church of Christ on 08-07-2016
We studied about the ekklesia,
called out of sin and the world, sanctified to do God’s work, as the
spiritual body of Christ. Let us now examine how we are members of that
body.
Romans 12:4 "For as we have many members in one body, and all members
have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to
us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of
faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on
teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it
with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy,
with cheerfulness."
Like members, or parts, of the human body have different functions to
make the body whole and well, so it is with the members, or parts, of
the body of Christ.
We ought not to think that every person can be the same part, or must
have the same function, in that body.
1 Corinthians 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would
not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols,
even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit
of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which
worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal.”
As parts of the body are different, have different functions and
accomplish different things, so it is among those in the body of Christ.
We are all different, but work together for the body’s good.
1 Corinthians 12:8 “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing
by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another
the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to
every man severally as he will.
12 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.
13 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.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.”
The one Holy Spirit of God works in all of us to bring about the health
and growth of the spiritual body of Christ, the
ekklesia, or called out. Just
as the human body consists of many parts working together for the good
of the whole body, so it is with the church of Jesus Christ. We are all
part of one another, and we are all a part of Christ, yet we are each
different.
1 Corinthians 12:15 “If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I
am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 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?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole
were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it
hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 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.”
If our body had been brought into this world as a single organ, or
member, how would we survive – and what good would we be? We could not
survive. Each member of the body of Christ has a job to do, but we are
not all the same member, but members of the same body. We need each
other in order for the body of Christ to function in a healthy, mature
manner.
1 Corinthians 12:22 “Nay, much more those members of the body, which
seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 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.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members
should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one
member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
We must not look down upon those parts of the body that we think to be
lowly in function, perhaps even embarrassing. Each part is needed for
the body to be healthy and whole. God created the parts of the body to
work together for the good of the whole. When one part of the body
suffers, the rest responds to restore health and vigor. So it is with
the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:28 “And God hath set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers
of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all
interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more
excellent way."
God has put us into the body of Christ -- the called out -- to
accomplish different functions. This includes those who can recruit new
members, those who can take the gospel to strangers, those who explain
the word of God, those who work to heal the body of Christ, and those
who maintain the called out congregations of God to see to the health
and work of that body.
In shorter form, the same basic message was given to the Ephesian
Christians.
Ephesians 4:11 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love."
We, as different “body parts” in Christ, work together for the good of
the whole body, to build it up and bring it to maturity so that the
Lord’s work might be done here on this earth. We must function correctly
together, increasing our spiritual knowledge until the body of Christ is
mature, matching the maturity of our head, which is Jesus Christ.
This means that we must be stable, secure in our knowledge of Christ and
God, rooted and grounded in the truth and trust of those two holy ones.
We must not be frightened by the fabricated prophecies and man-made
predictions that cause us to bend first in one direction, then another.
There are people who manufacture doctrines and create fear in order to
extort us.
Our method is to lovingly speak the truth in order to obtain growth of the body of Christ so that it matches the maturity of the spiritual head, which is Christ. By receiving direction from this head, we fit one another perfectly, working together to bring about growth through love of the truth, and love of one another as parts of the same body. We build one another up.
