The Driving Force of the Church, Pt. 2
The Purpose of the Church: Edify the Saints • Sermon • Submitted
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What is the Purpose of the Church?
What is the Purpose of the Church?
Well good morning everyone and welcome to Burr Oak. If you are visiting for the first time today, or viewing this online I am Pastor Ben and it is my humble joy to bring you God’s word today. One quick announcement, next week Corey and I will be out of town for a few days. We will be leaving on Friday and returning on Monday. If there is an issue during that time please contact one of our other elders, either Dick Rensner or Steve Conrad.
So, last week we began to look at the driving force of the church. The element that sets the church apart from any other societal organization. We are taking the next few weeks to look at this element in relation to the second purpose of the church. Which what are the purposes of the church say them with me; exalt God, edify the saints; evangelize the lost.
Any of you have this phrase show up in your dreams yet? If not then we are not saying it enough. Let’s say it again; exalt God, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost. Good. Everything the church does needs to flow through and from these purposes. And as we assess what we are doing, we need to look and see if we have an equal emphasis on each of these. If not we will get off track and become an unhealthy church. And that is not where we want to be because an unhealthy church is an ineffective church.
As we began to look at this new element last week, we are seeking to discover and grow in our understanding of the force that makes the edification process even possible. That process in which we are inspired and equipped to continue in our walk with Jesus. That element is understanding how the Holy Spirit operates in the life of the Christian and the life of the Church. As Christian many of us know that we have some union with the Spirit and that he is important in our lives. But we just really do not understand. It seems very mystical and vague. Yet, we cannot ignore it. Especially when you consider the fact that as a professing Christian you have gone through a spiritual rebirth. Look what Jesus said in John 3.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
If you are a professing Christian you are of the Spirit. We have to have some even entry level understanding of what this means. Now do I think 5 weeks is going to be enough to answer all the questions about living and walking and being a part of the Spirit? No, it cannot answer all those questions. But it can get us started as we seek to continue to grow in our understanding and encounter his presence.
Before we go any further let us have our hearts and minds brought to attention with our focus verse.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Please pray with me.
Father we thank you for this day and the ability to gather together with the saints. May you bless our gathering today and this message. May you soften our hearts and open our minds to receive your word. Cause us to grow to honor you more with our lives as we seek to understand more of you. But Lord do not let it set as just head knowledge. Lord we want to encounter you. This is your church and your service. May we honor and glorify your name, but may we be sensitive to the moving of the Spirit. May you be amongst us this morning.
In Christ name we pray, amen.
Last week as we began this short study through 1 Corinthians 12-14 we discovered a few things. First we saw that while this section does give significant teaching on the Spiritual gifts, that is the secondary issue compared to the issue of the presence of the Spirit in the life of the Christian. While addressing issues of division and immaturity within the Corinth church, Paul’s exhortation to them is to understand how the Spirit operates. This operation of the Spirit draws the individual Christians together rather than causing divisions.
The next thing we looked at was the fact that as a culture we are blind to the things of the Spirit realm. Whether they be holy or demonic, we tend to be ignorant to that aspect of existence. This does not mean that they do not happen, it just means that the majority of us are ill-equipped or unpracticed in being able to discern them. This spiritual blindness has led to a disintegration of the American Church. David Prior has a few comments here regarding this.
He states,
The Message of 1 Corinthians 4. Unity in Diversity (12:12–13)
We need today to point one another with expectancy to Jesus the baptizer as the person who longs to take us all deeper and deeper into the reality of the Spirit’s power and presence.
The Message of 1 Corinthians 4. Unity in Diversity (12:12–13)
This expectant openness to experience the Spirit more and more on the part of every Christian will unite the body in eager dependence upon Jesus. We must not allow fear of wrong or superficial experiences to keep us from the birthright of the church from Pentecost onwards
The Message of 1 Corinthians 4. Unity in Diversity (12:12–13)
It is worth pointing out that people in cultures less dominated by the analytical and cerebral emphasis of western education seem far more free to enter expectantly into such experience of the Spirit.
Finally, we looked at how these gifts of the Spirit are to draw us closer together in oneness, because they are given to us for the common good. This is why it is vital for all members to learn what their gifts are and to use them. When we do not it as if we are walking with a limp, maybe we are even dragging one dead limb. The whole body is hindered when one part does not operate as it should.
The title of our message for today is The Driving Force of the Spirit, Pt. 2: The Spirit that Unites. For this we are going to pick up where we left off last week in 1 Corinthians 12. We will start in verse 12 and work through the first part of verse 31. If you brought your own Bible or want o follow along on your device please pull it up now. If you want to use the blue pew Bible it is on page 1061. Or you can follow along on the screen.
Let us hear the word of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 12:12–31 (ESV)
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.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot should 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.
And if the ear should 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.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single member, where would the body be?
As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
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.”
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
May the Lord bless the reading of his word.
As we work through this portion today there are four aspects to being in the Spirit that we will consider. That We Are One In Spirit, Diversity Within Unity, Unity Through Compassion, Seek To Serve.
We Are One In Spirit
We Are One In Spirit
Last week we looked at how there is only one Spirit that moves, and works in the Christian. This Spirit is the Spirit of God that matches his character and desires. The thing that indicates that a Christian is truly walking with the Spirit is that their lives demonstrate those same characteristics. This week we are going to look at how in this one Spirit we are made one.
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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
As Christians one of the fundamental doctrines that we probably wrestle the most with is understanding Spirit Baptism. We know it’s a thing. We read the Scriptures and we see it talk about and know it is something that is to take place. But what really is it? How do we know when it happens? What is the purpose of it?
When looking to understand what Spirit baptism is, first we need to understand what baptism is. At it’s very basic sense baptism means to be immersed. The LJS lexicon goes as far as to define it as to be drowned, flooded, or overwhelmed. Supporting this Prior cites an example from a first century secular Greek source that describes a sunken ship as having been baptized. What Prior points out is that the ship was not merely initiated into the water, but fully overwhelmed by it. His point here is that when a Christian is baptized in, with, or by the Spirit, it does not mean that the Christian is simply in the Spirit, but it marks the point that the Spirit is in the Christian.
So when does this take place and what is the marked signs of it? There is question and debate as to whether Spirit baptism happens at the moment of salvation or if it comes later. For those that tend to argue for it to come as a secondary experience, they preface it on the gift of tongues being the indicator that one has been baptized in the Spirit. They tend to argue for this position based on what happened at Pentecost, with Cornelius’ household, and with Paul in Ephesus in Acts 19. Now while the speaking in tongues is a sign, the questions we need to ask is, is it the only sign, and does it happen after conversion.
I believe the current passage we are working through points to the fact that tongues is not the only sign. Supporting this point Thiselton makes this comment.
“Any theology that might imply that this one baptism in 13a in which believers were baptized by [or in] one Spirit might mark off some postconversion experience or status enjoyed only by some Christians attacks and undermines Paul’s entire argument and emphasis. Paul’s constant use of ἕν, one, and πάντες, all, constitutes a direct onslaught against categorization or elitism within the church.”
Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 997–998.
If this were a postconversion experience Paul’s whole argument to the Corinthians would be under minded. The other aspect that we need to consider is Paul’s teaching to the Romans.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the baptism and indwelling of the Spirit does come secondary at some unknown later date that would seem to create this limbo state that believers would belong in. Since nowhere in the Scriptures is this state taught, it must be rejected. You are either of the flesh or of the Spirit, there is no in between. The only way you can be of the Spirit is if you have the Spirit. See Spirit baptism happens at the moment of confession. When you believe that Jesus is your Lord in your heart and confess this with your mouth, you are baptized in the Spirit. Meaning the Spirit indwells you. Now what we cannot leave out is that the Bible teaches that this is often demonstrated not with the speaking of tongues, but rather with the symbol of water baptism.
See water baptism symbolizes a few things. It symbolizes being buried and raised again with Jesus. It symbolizes being immersed or overwhelmed with the Spirit. It symbolizes God washing away what was wicked and making a new creation as in the days of Noah. Peter argues that by this we can then operate with a free and clear conscience. Now no, water baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is that initial demonstration that you are one with Jesus, and a participant in the Spirit.
So what is the purpose of Spirit baptism? Is Spirit baptism only necessary to produce the miraculous gifts? No, I would actually argue that Spirit baptism, is necessary for us to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God over performing signs and wonders. Galatians 5 is the clearest teaching on this in that the work of the Spirit int he life of the believer is to produce the fruits of the Spirit. Namely a personal character that brings honor and glory to God as we seek to live in a way that pleases him. John supports Paul’s teaching in his first letter.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
See the purpose of the overwhelming indwelling of the Spirit is not to primarily preform signs and wonders, but to help us live in accordance to God’s ways, so that we may do what pleases him. And this is what we need to understand about revival, or a concentrated out pouring of the Spirit on the church.
First, this is not a baptism, or a filling. It is better described as a turning up of the torch. It is the Spirit going from pilot light to full flame. When this happens it is to cause us, the church, to be refined of all the sins that we have become complacent about. It is to cause us to be holy, for he is holy. While signs and wonders have accompanied revivals from the Biblical times through today. More markedly is the confession of sins and sincere repentance.
Having the Spirit dwell within us causes us to be able to accomplish all that God desires for us. Not just as individuals, but as a corporate gathering as well. Let’s look to our next point.
Diversity Within Unity
Diversity Within Unity
Having instructed the Corinthians that it is in fact one Spirit that they are in and partake of, Paul now moves to the meat of what he is want for them and for us to understand. That while the Spirit may gift people in different ways, we are all one.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should 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. And if the ear should 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. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 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.”
The primary point through this section is that as a body, every part is needed for proper and full execution of the work we are to be doing. Paul tried to make his point as simple as possible for them to understand by comparing the gathered church tot he human body. He states that just because we serve in different capacities does not mean that we are of any less value. It requires all of us. He makes his point very direct in verse 17.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
We need every aspect of the body to accomplish our purposes, to exalt God, to edify the saints, to evangelize the lost. We are not to look down on someone who does not serve as we serve, we are not to question why one does not serve in the same capacity that we do. It takes all of us with our many different gifts.
As Paul continues through his teaching what he informs them is that God is responsible for our differences. God is the one that has brought all of us uniquely gifted individuals together as one body. That if we were all gifted in the same manner, the beauty and functionality of the whole body would be missing. We are not to compare our giftings to that of another. We are to celebrate that our different gifts bring a fuller glorification to God.
See when we come together corporately our responsibility is to be growing into the one likeness of Christ. No one person amongst our gathering is to be the standard by which we measure ourselves. We can be examples but that example must be pointing to Jesus.
And this is where many Western Churches take a wrong turn. They tend to make it all about the few rather than the collective. There tends to be one group rather than the whole. It requires each and every person that shows up. And this can leave us with a couple questions. What is this to look like? How is this to operate when we all come together?
First thing we need to understand is how the church is to operate within the framework of our purposes. See the church is not to exists for the entertainment of those that come and pay their ticket through their tithe. We are not simply to be consumers. The church is to be a hospital for the spiritually hurting and a training ground for the saints. If you are lost and hurting, the church ought to be able to be a place where you can find relatability, hope, and healing. If you are a professing believer, the church ought to be a place where you can be inspired and equipped to serve God.
So what does this equipping look like? Well first and foremost, the church ought to point you to Jesus. After that we ought to be able to help you discern the gifts you have been given by the Spirit and point you in the direction you can use them. We ought to be aware of needs that need to be filled so we can point people towards a direction of service.
Now when it comes to not serving in the church there are a couple things we need to understand. If you as the attendee of this church are content with showing up each week and not contributing. Now by that I mean that you are not giving of your time, your talents, or your finances, if you are simply receiving and not giving anything. Then you being in lack of service to your church is on you. That is not on the church.
If you are showing up, you are wanting to invest in this place and the others around you, but for whatever reason after having gone to the leadership, the church is unable to find anywhere for you to serve, that is on us. That is a responsibility we need to bear. Now I can attest that we have many areas open for service. We have room for people to try different areas to seek out what their gifts may be and to grow in them. If you feel you are being underutilized in this church please come see me.
When it comes to serving in the church their can be this hesitation of feeling as if we do not know enough as an individual. On the church leadership side it often looks as being hesitant to use someone in a certain aspect of ministry because of lack of experience. This will take us to our next section.
Unity Through Compassion
Unity Through Compassion
As we read through this next section we can have a vague sense of what Paul is saying, at surface level we understand the idea of covering the unpresentable parts of our body. But how does this relate to the corporate gathering of the church?
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
To fully understand what Paul is teaching here it is important for us to understand the whole Bible narrative. If we go back to Genesis to the Garden of Eden we see that at the completion of Creation when God saw that all he had made was very good that there was no shame.
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
The sign of no shame was the nakedness that they could dwell in. What this represents is the fact that they were fully known. A chapter later we see this dynamic change.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
The realization that they were now fully known to each other brought shame and humiliation due to their nakedness, so they sought to cover themselves up. Yet, their sin did not only create their desire to hide themselves from each other but also from God.
And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Our sin and short comings leave us feeling vulnerable at best, and humiliated and ashamed at worst. Shame is a powerful emotion that can be onset by the conscious perception that we have failed or are unworthy.
Speaking on shame, Sam Storms states in his book Understanding Spiritual Warfare that,
“Shame has innumerable effects on the human soul. Those in shame have a tendency to hide and create walls of protection to hide their true selves. They are terrified that if they are truly seen and known, they will be rejected by others.
So they put on a false face and adopt a personality or certain traits they think others will find acceptable. They are led to be less than they could be, less then they are, and they deliberately stifle whatever strengths they have.”
But how does this relate to the corporate church. If we look to Paul’s teaching what we see is that when comparing to the parts of the body that are weaker or require covering, God’s has bestowed a great honor. This in turns create a unity amongst the body. But is there an example of what this looks like?
I believe there is. In chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians Paul mentions that part of the division is over who the Corinthians claim to follow.
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
Paul, Apollos, Cephas (who is Peter), and Christ. We know 3 of these but who is Apollos? We meet Apollos towards the end of Acts 18.
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Apollos went about speaking the things of Jesus, but appears to be unknown to Paul and the apostles. He is sharing the message of Christ in accordance with the Scriptures but his teaching is not entirely correctly. Now we need to look at see how Apollos is handled.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Priscilla and Aquila a husband wife team, took Apollos aside and corrected his teaching. They corrected him in such a way that he was edified, inspired and equipped, to continue on mission. How do we know this?
And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
He was inspired and equipped, he was welcomed in and given room for his gifts to work and be used for the advancement of Christ. He was not shamed for not knowing accurately to begin with. He was handled with care and edified. See often times when the church is faced with those who may be lacking in understanding, but they have a desire to serve, instead of equipping them to be able to continue further on, we tend to squash their zeal, we tend to shame them for their inadequacies. We fail to come alongside.
This was the mess in Corinth. A division amongst people, with only some being worthy. See shame should not be something that has room amongst God’s people. Why? Because God has provided a covering for it. Just as he did in Genesis for Adam and Eve, he has provided a covering for us.
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
See to get a garment of skin it meant that blood needed to be shed. See through Jesus’ shed blood you can be covered for your shame. You do not need to feel ashamed, you do not need to feel worthless. See Jesus thought you worthy enough that he willingly shed his blood for you so that you may be covered. You no longer need to hide. You no longer need to put up the walls of protection. Come to Jesus and know his grace. Come to Jesus and find rest from your troubled heart. There is no depth of sin that he cannot rescue you from. Come and taste of his wondrous love.
Seek To Serve
Seek To Serve
1 Corinthians 12:27–31 (ESV)
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
As Paul closes this section out he comes back to his main point. That the gifts can very, but each gift serves the church body as the church body needs each and every gift. Paul leaves us with an exhortation that we are to seek the higher gifts. What makes these higher is that they are others focused rather than self focused. They seek to serve those around them rather then serve themselves. This will be further explained through chapter 14. But before that Paul is going to explain to us a more excellent way. This will be your message for next week with Pastor Dick.
You want to honor God with the gifts that he has given you? Seek to care for the welfare of those around you with them. Do not put people to shame, rather show them a more excellent way.
END IN PRAYER