The Body of Christ
Romans 12:5
5so we, (K)who are many, are (L)one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Ephesians 1:22
22And He (BM)put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as (BN)head over all things to the church,
23which is His (BO)body, the (BP)fullness of Him who (BQ)fills (BR)all in all.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12For even (W)as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, (X)so also is Christ.
13For (Y)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether (Z)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to (AA)drink of one Spirit.
14For (AB)the body is not one member, but many.
15If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
16And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18But now God has (AC)placed the members, each one of them, in the body, (AD)just as He desired.
19If they were all one member, where would the body be?
20But now (AE)there are many members, but one body.
21And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
22On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
24whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,
25so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27Now you are (AF)Christ's body, and (AG)individually members of it.
Ø When the Lord was on Earth He had a body that he used to serve God. Through His healing, through His teaching, through his serving the disciples, the multitudes, washing the feet, hanging on the cross, He manifested the Glory of God. ¡°The Word became Flesh, and we beheld His Glory¡±
Ø After His resurrection, he appeared to the disciples and instructed them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit? Why? After His ascension, He no longer would be around. But the great mystery was that He would continue His work through the Church, or His Body.
Ø On the day of Pentecost, 120 individuals in the upper room were baptized into one Body. Before they were separate and distinct, but now they were baptized into one Body
Ø Paul was the one that highlighted this to us, that Christ is the Head and we are the Body?
Ø How did Paul see this? On the way to Damascus,
Ø Acts 9:2-6
2and asked for (C)letters from him to (D)the synagogues at (E)Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to (F)the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and (G)suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
4and (H)he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
6but get up and enter the city, and (I)it will be told you what you must do."
17So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after (AA)laying his hands on him said, "(AB)Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be (AC)filled with the Holy Spirit."
Ø When God created Eve, He put Adam to sleep, and out of his side formed Eve. Eve came out of the life of Adam.
Ø On the cross, God did a similar work. When the Lord Jesus died, though much more of violent death, a soldier put a spear into the side of the Lord. Out of His side flowed forth water and blood. From that, God formed the Church. Blood speaking of salvation through sacrifice, and water speaking of life.
Ø One the day of Pentecost, the 120 were baptized into one Body. That one body was formed through the Spirit of life. They were one because of the Body of Christ.
Ø So the Church is not an organization, it is not formed through the hands of man, it is not a synagogue, or a club. There are many of these. But the Church is the Body of Christ. We may have many preconceptions and traditional ways of thinking about what the Church is. We often say, ¡°I left my umbrella in the Church¡± But if you read in the Bible, the Church is something very special in the heart of God. It is His Body.
Ø The Church is an living organism. 1 Cor. 12:12 goes so far to say, ¡°so is Christ¡±. The Body cannot be detached from the head.
Ø Why is there chaos in the Church? Because the body has lost it¡¯s connection to the head, it is like a chicken without a head or a paralyzed body, where the members are not able to respond to the Head.
Ø But if this Body holds fast to the Head, it will grow up, it will mature, it will be made ready as helpmate suitable for the Bridegroom.
Ø The purpose? To manifest the Glory of the Head.
Ø E.g. of concert musician and soccer player
Ephesians 1:9-10 9He (Y)made known to us the mystery of His will, (Z)according to His kind intention which He (AA)purposed in Him
10with a view to an administration suitable to (AB)the fullness of the times, that is, (AC)the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.
Ø Ephesians 1:9-10 echoes back to Ephesians 1:22
Ø What are we to do?
Ø Hold fast to the Head
Colossians 2:19
19holding fast to (AY)the head, from whom (AZ)the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
1 Corinthians 6:15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Romans 12:1
1Therefore (A)I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to (B)present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Ø When we present our bodies a living sacrifice, and say here Lord, we then function in the body of Christ. We will fulfill our purpose as the member of the body of Christ.
Ø The Lord has given us talents to be used in ministering to the body
Romans 12:6-8
6Since we have gifts that (M)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if (N)prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
7if (O)service, in his serving; or he who (P)teaches, in his teaching;
8or he who (Q)exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with [a](R)liberality; (S)he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with (T)cheerfulness.
Matthew 25:15-30
15"To one he gave five (M)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he (N)went on his journey.
16"Immediately the one who had received the five (O)talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
17"In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
18"But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and (P)settled accounts with them.
20"The one who had received the five (Q)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'
21"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and (R)faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will (S)put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
22"Also the one who had received the two (T)talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'
23"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and (U)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
24"And the one also who had received the one (V)talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
25'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
26"But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
27'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
28'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
29"(W)For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30"Throw out the worthless slave into (X)the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10
8For to one is given the word of (M)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of (N)knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9to another (O)faith by the same Spirit, and to another (P)gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10and to another the effecting of (Q)miracles, and to another (R)prophecy, and to another the (S)distinguishing of spirits, to another various (T)kinds of tongues, and to another the (U)interpretation of tongues.