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The Body of Christ
We are in the midst of a series about the Church.
In particular, we are emphasizing the benefits of being a part of the Church.
The way that the Scriptures speak of the Church reveals her special relationship with God and how she reveals the nature of God to the world:
As the People of God
As the Body of Christ
As the Temple of the Holy Spirit
As the people of God, we are called out and chosen by God the Father as His special treasure.
Like the Moon that reflects the light of the Sun, the people of God reflect His holiness to the world.
We receive His blessing and out of the overflow of that blessing, bless others.
Christians Are His Body
Collectively, we are the body of Christ.
Christ is the Head.
Jesus is the Head…He rules the church.
The church, the collection of each individual member, is His body.
The Church is essential to the way He speaks and acts in the world.
There are two principles that the use of body as a metaphor point to.
The first is about our relationship and the second is about our responsibility.
The first relationship is to Christ.
He is the head, which means that He is the first in authority.
He rules the affairs of the church and directs its life.
This is one of the most wonderful truths: that you and I can have a relationship with God through Christ.
This is offered to the Church.
And this relationship isn’t a secondary one like Boss to worker, or Master to servant.
This is a special relationship; one with direct access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
It is a relationship that is intimate and close, where God hears us and God reveals His heart to us (1 John 5:14-15, 1 Corinthians 2:8-16).
Illustration: Difference between having a key to the house and visiting a house.
A person with a key has direct access.
The person without the key needs to wait to be let in.
We have direct access to God.
This is because we are connected to Jesus the Head (cf.
John 15:7).
We have access to the One who has all authority.
We have access to the Source.
This is the privilege of the church.
Secondly, relationship to the church, i.e. the members of the Body of Christ, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.
In other words, our order of relationship goes from Christ, to the church, to the world.
A Community to Belong To
The word for church in the Greek can be translated literally as assembly.
The Scriptures show us just what kind of assembly it is.
Illustration: An assembled, functioning, lego car vs. lego car parts on a table.
In the New Testament, the assembly (local church), was made up of believers in Jesus.
There were those who recognized and even respected the church but didn’t join them (cf.
Acts 5:13).
Only those who believed, and ultimately who were baptized, joined the church (there’s no evidence that non-baptized church members existed in the NT, see also Acts 2:38).
The church was always organized with leadership as soon as possible (cf.
Acts 14:23).
This implies that an unorganized gathering of believers did not constitute a local church.
The church worked to preach the gospel (evangelize) and serve one another in love.
The local church was a community of faith whose members had publically confessed Christ, were baptized, and had organized meetings.
They did the work of sharing the gospel and serving one another.
They were united in this pursuit.
They had a “common unity” — a common purpose, common values, lived together in unity.
Not only does being a part of the Body mean that we have a relationship with Jesus, it means that we have a community that we are a part of.
It means that we have a place to belong.
Connected to Others
The body is united in purpose and growth by the Head.
But that life flows through the tight connections—joints and ligaments—between the members.
The Wuest NT translates “knit together” as “being constantly compacted together.”
Being a part of the Body of Christ means that you are being constantly compacted, united, and connected to other members of the Body.
In other words, one of the main benefits of being a part of the church is that you are not alone.
God intends to connect you to others.
He places the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6).
He joins you to others so that you no longer have to face life alone, but that you have other brothers and sisters with whom to share burdens and blessings.
A Place for Each One
In the Body of Christ, there are no useless parts.
Every member is important.
Each person has a place set apart for them.
This is another benefit of being part of the church—there are no unimportant members.
Every person is important to the whole.
Illustration: Despite not being attractive and being hidden, nose hair is important to your well being.
It prevents pathogens from reaching your lungs.
It acts as a shield between your lungs and pollutants.
You are important.
You have a place.
You are special.
Being a part of a church is being an important part of something greater.
Without you, something is missing.
A Part to Play
Not only does being a part of the church give you a community to belong to, through it God offers you a part to play.
In other words, kingdom purpose will always have some connection to the local church.
Purpose is related to function.
God gives you a function in the church.
To accomplish that function, He gives you ability—spiritual gifts.
The the purpose of those gifts is to build and strengthen the body (see also 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, 1 Corinthians 14:26).
Notice what the working of each member is focused on.
Is it making the world a better place, or is it for the growth of the body?
Remember that it is first Christ, then the church, then the world.
The purpose of the gifts of Jesus is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying (building) of the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:11-12).
Being a part of the church means that you have a part to play.
God connects each saint and gives them a purpose.
As the world notices our love for one another, expressed in our unity and our service, they will know that we are His disciples (John 13:35).
Conclusion
The church is the body of Christ, connected to Jesus in a special relationship.
He directs us and ministers life through us.
We have direct access to Him and through Him all things.
And He directs us to minister His blessing among the body and to the world.
The church is so much more than a meeting.
In the local church you will find community and calling.
In the local church you have been given a place and purpose.
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