A Body Built by God
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We are mixing things up about in our study.
We were supposed to talk about discipleship this week and next, but we have decided to switch that to the end of our time.
The purposes overlap some, plus we are still doing some thinking and planning, so it made sense to switch our talk about discipleship to the end.
Instead, we are going to dive into the topic of ministry and service.
Where evangelism is focused on reaching people outside the church, ministry and service is focused more on what happens among the people of the church.
To do this, we are going to take a look at a big chunk of a chapter - 1 Corinthians 12. If you have a Bible, go ahead and turn over there.
As you are turning there, let’s get a picture of what is going on at the church in Corinth that Paul is writing to.
The church is a mess. They are divided and following different people, they aren’t addressing sin like they need to, and people are using their giftedness as reasons to be proud and look down on others.
In this chapter, Paul is writing to let them know that this isn’t God’s design for the church at all.
As we will see, God doesn’t intend the diversity of gifts in the church to lead to division.
Instead, the church is described here like a human body—a diverse set of pieces that God brings together to accomplish things they could not on their own.
As we think about where God would have us to go as a church, we want to become a church that lives like Jesus and leads others to do the same.
That involves making sure that every person God has put in this church family finds ways to grow and use their unique giftedness to serve Christ and his body.
We are going to talk next week in more practical terms about finding how God has uniquely gifted you.
This morning, though, we are going to look through 1 Corinthians 12 to draw out three over-arching truths about how God has and is building his body here.
These truths form a foundation for us to build on as we think about our own unique giftings and how they fit into the body as a whole.
The first truth we see is that...
1) God gives different gifts to different people. (4-11)
1) God gives different gifts to different people. (4-11)
Although there is a lot in this first section, I want us to focus on one main truth in it: God is the one who equips church members.
Reading through this, I was struck by some repeated ideas. Look in verses 4-6:
Different gifts, but the same Spirit – Speaks to the ability to exercise the gifts as empowered by the Spirit
Different ministries, but the same Lord –
“Ministries” = position of service
“Lord” – Points to Jesus, emphasizes the one to whom we report
Different activities, but the same God works all of them – Points to the Father, and emphasizes his role in the outcome of the events.
I believe this points to several things for us:
God is intimately involved in equipping you for what he has called you to do. In fact, this passage seems to point to all three members of the godhead working together on this!
You are to do what God has called/equipped you to do, no matter what that may be! We’ll see this more later, but you see here that God has given the gifts as he chooses.
Look in verses 8-10. Here, you have one of four main lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament. Each list is drastically different, with very little crossover between them.
We will spend some time next Sunday talking about the different spiritual gifts, so make plans to join us and find out more about this topic that trips up some people.
However God has equipped you to serve, he has done it according to his choice. He knows who he needs you to be, and all the members of the godhead are involved!
Let me ask you, then: do you think it’s important to use the gifts and talents he has given you?
Think about it: God looked through history and said, “I want to use this person to bring me glory at these times in these ways, so I will equip them to do this thing.”
Don’t cast that aside!
God has personally equipped you to do something only you can do!
He wasn’t a believer, but Dr. Seuss may have been on to something when he said:
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” (Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You)
God has made you you, and there’s no one alive more youer than you!
God has equipped you for something that he can do through you.
You may have heard it said this way: “If you have a pulse, you have a purpose!”
God has equipped you and you alone to fulfill that purpose, which will ultimately bring him glory!
He has given you specific gifts so you can do that.
Since He gives the gifts as he chooses, we also see that...
2) Every person is important.
2) Every person is important.
Verses 12-13 point to the fact that we have all been brought into the larger body of Christ.
Remember the tricky thing about the word “baptize” – Although this does allude to the picture of what we think of as baptism, in Greek, the word was literally “immerse”. So when he says we’ve been “baptized” into Christ, we have been brought into relationship with him in a very real way, so much so that it is right to say we have been immersed into him.
This is speaking of the “Spirit baptism” that causes much confusion today. This is not an event that happens after salvation, but rather that happens when we are saved. It is at the moment of salvation that an individual is indwelt by the Spirit of God. If this were something that happened later, Paul could not say that “we were all baptized,” because some would not be!
So, when you and I got saved, we were all baptized (immersed) by the Spirit into a right relationship with Christ, which makes us all a part of the same body. Regardless of your race, status, or anything else, you have been baptized into his Body.
There is more in view here, though, starting with verse 14. Not only does God place us in the larger, broader body of Christ at salvation, but he also places us in a local church where we are to get plugged in and serve!
Although we have one God who has called us to one central purpose, we each have a unique and vital role to play in the church.
We cannot look down on others because their gifting is different than our own; instead, we need to recognize that each person functions in a different way to make the body whole.
Beyond that, look carefully at who is behind all of this. Look at verse 18...
God not only gifts people as he chooses, he also arranges the parts in the body the way he wants.
That changes our understanding of church some, doesn’t it?
If God has called you here, he did it because he has a role he specifically designed for you to fill in the life of his church.
Being a part of a church isn’t about making sure my needs are met; instead, being a part of a church is recognizing that God put me here to use my gifts to build up body as he wants me to.
You may not do the same things I do. Your gifts, your background, your life stage are all different than mine.
However, if God has placed you here, then the body needs you!
If you aren’t using your gifts as God has called you to use them, then the whole body suffers.
We know this with our own physical bodies, don’t we?
You know that if one thing is out of whack, it throws everything off.
Without getting gross, I have been dealing with this spot on my eye for a couple months now.
In the grand scheme of the totality of my body, it is a pretty minor thing.
However, at its worst, it impacted my vision, got really painful, and was bothering me so much I could barely concentrate.
This small spot was causing a big problem.
Ever had back trouble? All it takes is for a little tiny disc, about a third of an inch thick to get a little out of whack, and suddenly, you can’t stand up straight, twist, bend, or pick anything up.
When even a small part of the body doesn’t work, it can throw off the entire thing!
The same thing happens in the body of Christ. If the members of the body aren’t serving like they should, it can hinder the entire work of what God desires to do through this church body!
If you are a member here, or God is drawing you to join, and you know this is where you are supposed to be, your role in this church is vital because it is the role God gave to you and you alone.
Without you, the church can’t grow into maturity in Christ-likeness like he says we are supposed to in Ephesians 4.
Our ability to reach out with the gospel and help others live like Jesus and lead others to do the same will be impaired without each of us doing what God has called you to do.
So why does God place you in the Body? What is it that he is seeking to accomplish?
God’s ultimate purpose is to expand his kingdom and his glory, but as he does that, you also see that...
3) God builds a body for our good (7, 24-26)
3) God builds a body for our good (7, 24-26)
What is the one purpose for why he has put us all together? Look again at verse 7...
He has given us spiritual gifts for the common good; so that we will build each other up.
Look at what is supposed to happen...Verse 24ff
There is to be no division, no discord, even though there are many different gifts, ministries, and activities.
That can only be accomplished by God, so isn’t it great that he’s the one that started it all in the first place?!
Not only will there be no division, but there will be genuine concern. We have to care about each other because God has put us together!
That plays out in verse 26...
You know, it’s interesting. Typically in life, we do a decent job of suffering with each other, at least to a point.
If someone passes away, we will rally around their family and support them. If someone has an illness, we’ll come alongside to take care of them as best we can...at least to a point.
You know what happens, though? We go do our thing, bring them a meal, whatever, and we get back in the car saying, “Whew...glad that’s not us,” and then we go on our merry way.
However, can you say that you have suffered with someone, or have you just offered enough help to make yourself comfortable?
I kinda wish the verse stopped there, though, because that’s actually the easy part.
What about the next part...When’s the last time you were genuinely happy for someone when they were honored instead of you?
What do you say to yourself when you see someone at church get another promotion or another house or another job or someone talks about how great they are?
God says that since he has put us in this body together, we have a responsibility to not only suffer with each other, but to rejoice with each other.
Do you believe God put you here on purpose, or is this just where you go on Sundays? If this is where he intentionally placed you, then you need to find out what part he wants you to play in the Body.
Until you do, the entire life of the church will be thrown off kilter because the body is out of whack.
You may be the key person that God wants to work through in a particular area that will dramatically change what accomplishes through his church here, but you are too afraid of what it will cost.
You may be the person who makes the phone call that God uses to keep someone from taking their life or from making some other rash decision that would hurt.
Wouldn’t you want the same? Wouldn’t you expect God to provide someone to come alongside you and help you when your life falls apart?
That’s what God is doing...putting together a body of broken people who He is equipping to come together and build Him up as we care for each other in His name.
Let’s finish up with a look at verse 27.
You and I are a part of the body of Christ. This is not the First Church of Sean, or Mike, or Tim, or anyone else—this is Jesus’s church.
Why? Because Jesus is the one who bought it with his blood.
He is the one who loved us so much that he would die in our place, rise from the dead, and offer us life and hope in his kingdom.
He is the one who has uniquely equipped you to serve him in a place and way that he designed for you.
That’s why it is our goal to live like Jesus and lead others to do the same.