1Corinthians 12:27
It’s Really Huge
That is a simple but powerful statement. The Apostle Paul used the
term, the body of Christ, to describe to us who we are in Jesus
Christ. Like Jesus and His parables, Paul was using an earthly
truth—our bodies—to explain a deep spiritual truth—who we are in
Christ.
This morning, let’s skim the surface of that thought by considering
three bodies: the ALL BODY, the YOU BODY, and the US BODY. I know
those terms do not make much sense right now; but hopefully, they
will when I am finished.
I. The ALL Body
A. We are part of a body that is bigger than we can see.
1. That is Jesus Christ’s body. Christians need to
understand Jesus’ body.
2. Paul spoke of the body of Jesus Christ in books written to
the Romans, the Corinthians, the Ephesians, and the
Colossians.
a. So also did the writer of the book of Hebrews
\\#Heb 13:3\\.
b. And he told everyone that he wrote to the same truth:
You are part of Jesus’ body.
c. That makes for a big body for that would cover a space
of thousands of square miles.
3. However, the body was not limited to those locations or to
the first generation of Christians.
a. It includes every Christians from the cross to the
rapture, from Israel where it was birthed all around
the globe.
(1) That is every born-again believer all across the
globe for 2,000 plus years.
(2) It’s really huge! It’s all the believers in all
the ages.
(3) By the way, death does not remove you from
Christ’s body.
(4) Death removes your on-earth responsibilities but
the dead in Christ are still part of the body.
b. All of us together form ONE huge body.
1Co 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.
4. All of this means that you and I are a part of that large,
eternal body.
B. It is somewhat difficult for some to get the concept of being
a part of something so big.
1. I will confess, we are only a small part; however, we
should never think we are insignificant part.
2. Every believer has been indwelt with the Holy Ghost of
God, enabled to fulfill their role in the body, and
placed in a spot where they can fulfill their God-
ordained role.
a. God has selected you, YOU, to do something and He has
equipped YOU to do it.
b. That to me is absolutely awesome.
c. Don’t minimize that.
(1) Some of you have been very gracious to me to say
that you feel I have been blessed by God with a
gift to discern and share the Bible.
(2) Suppose I had minimized my gift and not developed
it?
(3) Would I be the man I am today? Would I be the
pastor of this church? Would you be here?
(4) No gift that God gives can even begin to be
understood until we accept and develop it.
(5) But I will tell you that God does not give
useless gifts to anyone!
(6) All Christians are part of the body and all
Christians are important to the body.
(7) Listen to the words that Paul spoke:
1Cor 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:
C. Being part of this large body of Christ is part of the plan of
God and His salvation—and it is a stupendous and amazing
plan.
D. So first, I speak of the ALL body.
II. The YOU Body
A. The All body is big, too big for us to see and perhaps too big
for some to comprehend well, but God gave us each a smaller
picture.
1. It is the body that we live in right now.
2. I could call that the ME body but I will call it the YOU
body.
3. The body you live in is a picture of the body of Christ.
B. For example, we know that for YOU to function properly, all of
the members of your body must be doing their part.
1. John Moore fell yesterday. He shared that he fell because
his left leg did not do what it was supposed. (He is
91!) He got up to walk and lead with his right leg and
when it was time for him to shift his weight to the left
leg, it was still sitting back where it was! Some can
identify with that.
2. Just like the body doesn’t work properly if all the
members are not working, neither does the body of Jesus
Christ work properly if all of the member are not
working.
a. Some would argue that.
b. They would say, "God does not need me to accomplish
His work."
c. I did not say that God needed you. I said things are
not working correctly without you—and that is
different.
(1) The souls you are supposed to win, to grow, and
to encourage will not be won, grown, or
encouraged if you do not do what God has gifted
and called you to do.
(2) That is not speculation. That is Bible.
Eze 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word
at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely
die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest
to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save
his life; the same wicked man shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine
hand.
d. I am not here to offend or insult you, but some of you
have the wrong idea about your responsibilities in
God’s body.
(1) You do not HAVE to assume your responsibilities.
You can excuse yourself if you want. You can
say, "I don’t know how" or "God doesn’t need me"
or "Let someone else do it" or "I am too busy."
(2) But just because you excused yourself, don’t
think God has!
(3) You are part of the body and nothing but death
will relieve your of the calling that God has
put on your life.
Ro 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance.
(4) You might say, "God did not call me."
(a) He did.
(b) If He saved you, He gave you the Holy Ghost
and the manifestation (a gift of Him) to
serve God by.
(c) Just because you did not listen to Him or
seek out your gift or develop your gift
does not change anything.
3. We learn an important lesson from the YOU body. We learn
that unless all of the members are working properly the
body does not work properly.
III. The US Body
A. Just like God has given us the YOU Body that reflects the ALL
Body, God has also given the US Body to teach us something
about the ALL BODY.
1. The US BODY is the local church.
2. It is US, the Green Pond Baptist Church.
a. There are many US BODIES.
b. Any gathering of two or more believers in Christ
becomes a US BODY.
Mt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst
of them.
3. The US BODY is not as large as the ALL BODY.
a. Neither does it have the duration, the reach, or the
ability of the ALL BODY.
b. But each one reflects the ALL BODY as it follows and
serve Jesus Christ; and we can learn lessons about
the ALL BODY from the US BODY and about the US BODY
from the ALL BODY.
B. For example, both the ALL BODY and the US BODY must be under
the control of the Holy Ghost.
1. Notice the emphasize that Paul placed on the Holy Ghost
in this chapter—a chapter about the body of Christ.
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit.
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;
11 But all these worketh that one and the
selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as he will.
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.
2. All of these are references to the ALL BODY, the body of
all believers from the cross to the rapture; but it
emphasizes the necessity of the body relying on the Holy
Ghost.
3. In fact, this is also reflected in the YOU BODY.
a. You have heard me say it before, but it is worth
repeating.
b. You have a body, but you are a spirit.
c. You can see your body.
(1) It may be large, small, pretty, ugly, in shape,
out of shape, but that is all right.
(2) Your body is not who you are. It is just where
you live.
(3) Granted, we should take care of the body so that
we can live longer and serve Jesus better, but
no matter what you do, your body will die.
d. You will never die because you are not a body. You
are a spirit.
e. But once your spirit leaves your body, your body will
die because a body without a spirit is dead.
4. Here we have an amazing truth: For a body to live—any
- body—it must have a spirit living inside of it.
5. The Green Pond Baptist Church to be alive, we must have
the Holy Ghost.
a. Sadly, I am not sure we really comprehend that truth.
b. Question - How strong is the Holy Ghost in the Green
Pond Baptist Church?
c. Another question (which actually partially answers the
first question - How strong is the Holy Ghost in you?
6. I do not want to get too deep into this issue because of
time, but did you know the Holy Ghost must be sought?
a. I don’t mean that you have to have a "2nd blessing" as
some teach.
(1) No. You got the Holy Ghost when you got saved,
but His presence on you and His power must be
sought.
(2) By the way, the manifestation of the Holy Ghost
is not primarily an unknown or some religious
experience in a church house.
(3) The primary manifestation of the Holy Ghost is
that He separates you from sin and into service
for Jesus Christ, compelling you to behave like
Jesus Himself.
c. That is call "being filled with the Spirit."
d. How is He sought? Several things.
(1) Remove yourself from sin.
(2) Give yourself to God.
(3) Seek His presence in prayer.
e. Have you ever sought the Holy Ghost?
f. If not, your level of the Holy Spirit’s presence in
your life is weak and you lack of Him is causing His
presence to be weak in the church.
g. We are connected both by in ALL BODY and in the US
BODY.
Paul made a simple but profound statement in our text verse. You are
the body of Christ. May God help us to understand the importance of
that position.
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