Members One Of Another - (One Another Series #2)
1 Corinthians 12
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.
27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1. We are one body.
Each of us is an individual member, but we are members of one another,
because we are members of the same one body.
A. We cannot all be the same. We can't all serve the same purpose or
supply the same function.
1 Corinthians 12
17 If the whole body [were an eye, where were the hearing? If the
whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
We have to be different in order to be a complete body.
B. Though we are all different, we are still part of one and the same
body.
1 Corinthians 12
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.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
2. Are there some members we can do without?
Do you have any parts you don't need?
1 Corinthians 12
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.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more
feeble, are necessary:
Even the least members, the smaller and less important we deem
necessary.
3. The body has to stay together.
Do your body parts go in different directions?
What if one goes somewhere he shouldn't?He drags the whole
body with him.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members
should have the same care one for another.The same care one for
another - we've got to watch out for each other. Now that doesn't
mean that we get nosy and busybody our way into each others
private lives. It just means that we encourage one another to
good works and discourage each other from evil works. It means
that we pray for one another, particularly if we see another
drifting away.
3. Deeper than caring - we feel one another's pain.
1 Corinthians 12
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it
or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
If we are properly connected as a body, we will feel one another's
pain. We will share one another's joy. We will truly care for one
another.
To be properly connected to one another, we have to be properly
connected to the head.
5. The body of Christ
A. We are His body.
1 Corinthians 12
27. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
B. He places us and gifts us as He sees fit. It's His ball game.
1 Corinthians 12
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body,
as it hath pleased him.
C. Though we are many, we are one.
1 Corinthians 12
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
D. See how God diversifies His body:
1 Corinthians 12
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.
E. The purpose of the diversity is that all the needs are met.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal.
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.
F. You must understand, if you are not functioning in your gifted areas,
the body is missing something. In order to serve, you must be led
and gifted by the head (Christ), and you must work with the nervous
system (Pastoral Leadership). Serving when and where you are not
asked to is as bad as not serving when and where you are asked to.
Never get ahead of the head or the nervous system. God does
everything in order. Any body member that works on its on apart from
the body is a spasm.
1 Corinthians 12
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.
The church body is just like a human body. It must work together, and
it must work through the head.
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?
Be careful thinking some people don't belong.
If there is infection in the body, the head will discern it and the
nervous system will be led to deal with it. But sometimes we get
tunnel vision, and we think that our point of view is the only point
of view.
Illus. You have probably heard the story of the blind men who were
asked to describe an elephant. One grabbed his tail and said, "An
elephant is like a rope." Another grabbed his leg and said, "An
elephant is like a tree." Another felt his side and said, "An elephant
is like a wall." The last grabbed an ear and said, "An elephant is
like a piece of clothing."
They were all right and all wrong. The elephant was a combination of
all of those things. Each one was seeing only from his own perspective.
This can happen when the Pastor thinks the church exists to provide
him a platform from which to speak, and the special singers think the
church exists to be a stage for them to perform on, and the RR leader
thinks the church exists for Rangers, etc.
Conclusion: The point is this -
We are one body - one unit.
We have varying functions and stations in the body.
All parts are equally important and necessary.
No part is expendable. (Do you know what I mean expendable?)
We must care for, protect, and watch out for one another.
When one member suffers, the whole body suffers (sooner or later, one
way or another.)
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