Jesus’ Body - Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-27
One day I visited with a farmer who was outstanding in his field. As we talked I mentioned that the Bible is full of metaphors. He agreed, but I wasn’t sure he knew exactly what I meant. So I asked him, “What’s a metaphor?” He replied, “It’s to keep cows in.”
The Apostle Paul used metaphors to describe the church. He wrote to the church in Corinth, “You are the body of Christ.”
I showed the children the new USDA nutrition pyramid. Most of them had seen it before. They knew that a good mix of foods help make a healthy body.
God wants us to be health and strong. I asked them what we need to produce a healthy spiritual body. To grow up as health and strong Christians we need Bible reading, obedience to parents and other adults, prayer, church and Sunday School attendance.
Sometimes we pay attention to our physical needs more than our spiritual needs. It’s all important.
The first Christian churches were very different than ours. They had folks from very diverse backgrounds. 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us that slaves and their wealthy owners were together in the church; Jews and Gentiles were sitting side-by-side. Even men and women gathered together for worship – something most religions of the day didn’t allow. There were rich – poor, urban – rural, educated – illiterate, Jewish – folks who formerly worshiped all sorts of Roman and Greek gods. The only thing many of them had in common was – Jesus.
I can understand why they would have a hard time working together. Many of them didn’t socialize in society, but they came together in the church. That’s a remarkable thing! They were the body of Christ.
They didn’t become the body of Christ because they had carefully worded by-laws or study groups to come up with catchy and inspiring mission statements. No, they became the body of Christ by being organically integrated with one another. They were one body.
History tells us that they didn’t always do it well. I’ve hear some people say, “I’d like to go back to being the early church.” Well, I’ve ready Paul’s letters to the Corinthians – divisions, factions, infighting, theological differences, marriage problems, immorality – they had plenty of problems. I think the church today has enough problems; at least I understand them.
Paul wrote at length to the church in Corinth, more than to any other congregation. Leading up to today’s passage he had just given instruction about worship, the Lord’s Supper and a talk about spiritual gifts. (It’s interesting that every passage about spiritual gifts in the Bible is followed by a passage about getting along together.)
We are the Body of Christ.
How is Jesus doing these days? How’s his body holding together after more than 200 years?
We like diversity and choices. Think about:
- A school orchestra with only trombones
- A grocery store with three items
- TV with only one channel
- A restaurant with only one item on the menu.
We love diversity and choices … everywhere, but in the church.
Here at Maple Grove, everyone is welcome. We don’t intentionally exclude anyone from worship or church activities. Why? Because God wants everyone to be part of the church!
The Bible begins with variety. Just look at God’s creation: bunnies and butterflies, tropics and snow capped mountains, rivers and deserts. God must have had fun creating all those different things.
The Bible ends with diversity. In Revelation 7:9 the Apostle John has a vision of what the Kingdom of God is going to look like. There will be a multitude of people from every tribe, nation, people, language; all gathered together to praise God. Only God can bring all these folks together in harmony.
The Apostle Paul writes to a church in Corinth that‘s pretty much fractured. They’re struggling with bringing together people from a wide variety of backgrounds. What does Paul tell them: “You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (verse 27)
Paul gives them a course in spiritual anatomy, how it all works together.
A. Working together as the Body of Christ is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
In the human body, every part needs every other part. The parts are different, but complementary and interdependent. The Body of Christ should work the same way.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’”
What if Michelangelo only used the color green to paint the Sistine Chapel? It probably would have been painted over years ago. If the body was all eyes, it could see great, but it wouldn’t get anything done and it wouldn’t go anywhere. That’s a debilitating handicap.
The Body of Christ needs to work together.
B. Working together as the Body of Christ doesn’t happen by chance.
It’s not by accident; it’s not serendipitous. Look at verse 24: God has combined the members of the body. It’s God’s work. Just like God created the complexity of the human being; God creates the complexity of the church.
It’s God’s design that all of the very different people come together in the church. If God can put the universe together and make it work in harmony, we shouldn’t expect less from the church. God can help us to work together in harmony; that’s what God wants. Human free will sometimes makes it difficult.
Greek culture and Hebrew culture are like night and day. One has a western world view, the other eastern. The Greeks were people of the head; the Jews were people of the heart. Greeks think linearly; Jews think poetically. Yet God put them together. It caused problems – that’s what the discussion was all about in Acts 15 – but, God did it.
The Body of Christ needs to let God work in our midst. At a very difficult moment, Jesus said, “Not my will, but your will be done.” If it’s going to work – it has to be God’s work.
C. Working together as the Body of Christ helps us to appreciate each other. Diversity doesn’t mean conformity.
Let me put it in baseball terms. What would happen if the pitcher said to the shortstop, “I don’t need you?” How about if the center fielder told the others that he was the most important player on the team? What if, the first baseman said to the second baseman, “I don’t need you?” They wouldn’t win many games; they probably wouldn’t last long as a team.
Paul talks about the pride we have in our identity. That’s all well and good, but we need to appreciate and understand how we work together with the others.
What if the building committee decided to contract only stone masons to build the addition? It would look nice! But we probably wouldn’t have electricity or heat. Don’t even think about the restrooms.
God calls us to appreciate the part that each one has in the church. It’s all important to the overall functioning of Christ’s Body.
D. Working together as the Body of Christ means we look after each other and work for the mutual benefit of everyone.
A number of years ago Newsweek magazine interviewed Stacey King of the Chicago Bulls. They asked him, “What’s been your greatest moment in the NBA?” He said, “No question. It was the night, a glorious night, I’ll never forget the night, when Michael Jordan and I combined for 70 points.” What Stacey King did not tell the interviewer is that Jordan hit for 69 points that evening and King only scored one point.
The point is that they did it together. The team won the game. They were a part of the same team. God wants us, as Christians, to fully realize that we’re all on the same team.
At Maple Grove we all work together for the mutual benefit.
The Body needs nurturing and feeding. That’s why we have a Christian Education Commission. The Body needs to celebrate. That’s why we have a Worship and Music Commission. The Body needs a place in which to function and plan. That’s why we have a Finance Commission and a Building Committee. The Body needs to reach out to others – Evangelism and Service Commission; the Body needs to care for others during moments of crisis – Care team. Spiritual needs – Elders and others. Every part is important and appreciated.
We’re all working together for the same goal – to be a living, breathing vision of Christ in this world!
Next Sunday evening, we will get together and talk about how we are joined together and how we function as the Body of Christ. It’s going to be an important meeting because it’s at the core of who we are and what we do.
Paul told the church, “You are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
How’s Jesus looking these days?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
May 20, 2007 Sermon Synopsis
Jesus’ Witnesses - Scripture: Acts 1:6-11
I have it on good authority that God is left handed. A child told me this one day. I asked him how he knew that God did everything with his left hand. He told me, “The Bible tells us that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God.”
Thursday, May 17 was Ascension Day; it’s 40 days after Resurrection Day (Easter). It’s the day we remember that Jesus left the disciples to go to heaven. It’s also a day of promise – Jesus will return!
During those 40 days following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus continued to instruct his followers. He appeared to a number of people. The Apostle Paul tells us he even appeared to a group of more than 500 individuals (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus was all alive; all the words he taught, all the promises he made, must be true.
The scripture passage tells us about Jesus’ last meeting with his disciples. They were on the Mount of Olives.
The disciples were waiting for Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom. After all, Jesus had spoken at length about the Kingdom of God. It is a government that is fair, just, peaceful, good and equally looks after the benefit of all its citizens. We’ll all have enough of everything; there’s no crime, nobody will get sick, and nobody will die. Sounds good to me.
The disciples wanted to know if this was the moment they had all been waiting for. Is this the time when God’s Eternal Kingdom will be established?
What did Jesus tell them?
A. Jesus told them not to worry when he (Christ) will return. (Acts 1:7)
Many people have made predictions about when Jesus would return. Each time the day passed and Jesus didn’t show up. I think we can be pretty confident that Jesus will NOT return then.
One of the most tragic moments in Mennonite history has to do with such a prediction. Melehior Hofmann predicted that Christ would return in 1533, Munster, Germany would be the New Jerusalem. John Leiden and John Matthys let a violent revolution to take Mennonite control of the city. After 18 months of dictator like rule, the Mennonite revolutionaries were defeated and most all of them were killed in the process.
This was a defining moment. Some historians claim that this was a strong lesson for the Mennonite movement to fully learned that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly political movement.
An earthly kingdom cannot stand forever. Archaeologists study the remains of the once great kingdoms of Egypt, China, Persia and Rome. Someday, probably they’ll study the remains of the Kingdom of the USA.
Jesus taught his disciples, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It’s in the world, but it’s not of the world.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells his disciples “Don’t worry about when I will return. Don’t worry when God’s Eternal Kingdom will come in power.” (RSV – Revised Steve’s Version)
The scripture says:
Jesus will return when you least expect it (Matthew 24), like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36)
B. Jesus told them not to worry about having the power or the will to do God’s work while we are waiting for the Kingdom to come. The Spirit of God will provide us with everything we need. (Acts 1:8a)
Jesus wants us to know that it’s not our struggle – it’s God’s struggle. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to provide everything we need to live as Citizens of God’s Kingdom in this world.
I asked the children what happens at their house when they are going to have visitors. At my house we clean it up. There seems to be a relationship with the amount of cleaning and the importance of the visitor, the more important the visitor, the more thorough the cleaning. Jesus is coming back – is there anyone more important in your life than him?
God’s Spirit living in us helps us to get ready for Jesus’ return. We can be sure we’re ready for Jesus to come back.
When we invite Jesus into our lives, God’s Spirit takes up residence in us. Immanuel – “God with us.” Jesus want the disciples to know the God’s Spirit needs to be in control of our lives; we shouldn’t be trying to do things on our own.
C. Jesus wants his disciples to be WITNESSES. (Acts 1:8b)
This is what we should be concerned about! Don’t worry about when Jesus will return. Don’t worry about having what it takes to wait. Be witnesses!
What’s a witness? A witness is someone who tells what they have seen, heard, lived, experienced. If you don’t have Jesus in your life and you haven’t lived the Christian life in this world – you don’t have anything to talk about.
To be a witness means you have experiences with God to tell others about.
Being a witness can be dangerous. I talked about a man in the church who was in the federal witness protection program. There were people out to get him because of what he knew and because of who he might tell.
The powers of evil in this world want to stop us from being witnesses for Jesus. God’s Spirit is with us. It’s the heavenly witness protection program.
How did the disciples respond to Jesus leaving? They stood there staring into the sky. God had to send messengers to tell them, “Don’t just stand there looking into the sky – get busy for God!”
God calls this church, every individual, to be a faithful witness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to do this so that when Jesus returns, there will be no surprises.
What’s the bottom line?
Are you being a faithful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ?
I have it on good authority that God is left handed. A child told me this one day. I asked him how he knew that God did everything with his left hand. He told me, “The Bible tells us that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God.”
Thursday, May 17 was Ascension Day; it’s 40 days after Resurrection Day (Easter). It’s the day we remember that Jesus left the disciples to go to heaven. It’s also a day of promise – Jesus will return!
During those 40 days following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus continued to instruct his followers. He appeared to a number of people. The Apostle Paul tells us he even appeared to a group of more than 500 individuals (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Jesus was all alive; all the words he taught, all the promises he made, must be true.
The scripture passage tells us about Jesus’ last meeting with his disciples. They were on the Mount of Olives.
The disciples were waiting for Jesus to establish God’s Kingdom. After all, Jesus had spoken at length about the Kingdom of God. It is a government that is fair, just, peaceful, good and equally looks after the benefit of all its citizens. We’ll all have enough of everything; there’s no crime, nobody will get sick, and nobody will die. Sounds good to me.
The disciples wanted to know if this was the moment they had all been waiting for. Is this the time when God’s Eternal Kingdom will be established?
What did Jesus tell them?
A. Jesus told them not to worry when he (Christ) will return. (Acts 1:7)
Many people have made predictions about when Jesus would return. Each time the day passed and Jesus didn’t show up. I think we can be pretty confident that Jesus will NOT return then.
One of the most tragic moments in Mennonite history has to do with such a prediction. Melehior Hofmann predicted that Christ would return in 1533, Munster, Germany would be the New Jerusalem. John Leiden and John Matthys let a violent revolution to take Mennonite control of the city. After 18 months of dictator like rule, the Mennonite revolutionaries were defeated and most all of them were killed in the process.
This was a defining moment. Some historians claim that this was a strong lesson for the Mennonite movement to fully learned that the Kingdom of God is not an earthly political movement.
An earthly kingdom cannot stand forever. Archaeologists study the remains of the once great kingdoms of Egypt, China, Persia and Rome. Someday, probably they’ll study the remains of the Kingdom of the USA.
Jesus taught his disciples, “My kingdom is not of this world.” It’s in the world, but it’s not of the world.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells his disciples “Don’t worry about when I will return. Don’t worry when God’s Eternal Kingdom will come in power.” (RSV – Revised Steve’s Version)
The scripture says:
Jesus will return when you least expect it (Matthew 24), like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36)
B. Jesus told them not to worry about having the power or the will to do God’s work while we are waiting for the Kingdom to come. The Spirit of God will provide us with everything we need. (Acts 1:8a)
Jesus wants us to know that it’s not our struggle – it’s God’s struggle. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to provide everything we need to live as Citizens of God’s Kingdom in this world.
I asked the children what happens at their house when they are going to have visitors. At my house we clean it up. There seems to be a relationship with the amount of cleaning and the importance of the visitor, the more important the visitor, the more thorough the cleaning. Jesus is coming back – is there anyone more important in your life than him?
God’s Spirit living in us helps us to get ready for Jesus’ return. We can be sure we’re ready for Jesus to come back.
When we invite Jesus into our lives, God’s Spirit takes up residence in us. Immanuel – “God with us.” Jesus want the disciples to know the God’s Spirit needs to be in control of our lives; we shouldn’t be trying to do things on our own.
C. Jesus wants his disciples to be WITNESSES. (Acts 1:8b)
This is what we should be concerned about! Don’t worry about when Jesus will return. Don’t worry about having what it takes to wait. Be witnesses!
What’s a witness? A witness is someone who tells what they have seen, heard, lived, experienced. If you don’t have Jesus in your life and you haven’t lived the Christian life in this world – you don’t have anything to talk about.
To be a witness means you have experiences with God to tell others about.
Being a witness can be dangerous. I talked about a man in the church who was in the federal witness protection program. There were people out to get him because of what he knew and because of who he might tell.
The powers of evil in this world want to stop us from being witnesses for Jesus. God’s Spirit is with us. It’s the heavenly witness protection program.
How did the disciples respond to Jesus leaving? They stood there staring into the sky. God had to send messengers to tell them, “Don’t just stand there looking into the sky – get busy for God!”
God calls this church, every individual, to be a faithful witness of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to do this so that when Jesus returns, there will be no surprises.
What’s the bottom line?
Are you being a faithful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ?
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