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Preached in Markham Baptist Church, November 25,  2007

Isn’t God’s Word wonderful?  I find this passage to be delightful – so vivid and so easy to understand.  What a great word picture is presented to us as we think this morning of the church and what God has called us to be.  The church is compared to a body – and this passage is both poignant as it speaks of the unity of the body – and humorous as it speaks of oversized eyes and ears – all to describe the diversity of the church within that unity.   

It is a word of correction. The Corinthians were a church behaving badly and they needed to be corrected.   And as I see it there are three areas of correction – their perception of the church, their role in the church, and the function of the church. 

I want to start at the punch line – verse 27 – because it really helps us in our perception of the church, “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.” 

That just astonishes me.  Do you hear that?  “You are the body of Christ.”  It is truly remarkable.  We would be quite content to call ourselves a “body of believers”.  Or to say that we are “Christ followers” or  “disciples of Christ”.  We would be satisfied with those descriptions

But The Word of God goes all the way and pushes our meagre estimations of ourselves to the very height.  Scripture says you are not merely a body of believers - you are the body of Christ!

Now just wrap your mind around that, if you can.  You are the body of the One who is called the Alpha and the Omega.  You are the body of the One who has been given the name above every name. You are the body of God incarnate.

Be sure you don’t get to thinking that you ARE God incarnate.  A lot of people fall into that trap.  This is not what the text is saying.  You are the BODY OF Christ.  Just as your body is a vessel which carries your soul, so we are vessels which carry Christ to the world.

We are the visible representation of Christ in this world.  We are the living testimony of the reality of Christ.  We are the working, moving, serving, giving body of Christ. We are the body of Christ.

That’s remarkable!  Now several things follow from this – first, in terms of perception.  This is a great privilege.  Every time I say it I am in awe – that we are the body of Christ.  We have the great privilege of being the arms, the legs, the mouth of Jesus Christ.

He has not kept ministry to Himself - but has called us, as weak and frail as we are to be His body – His vehicle through which He will reach the world.  This is a great privilege.  Thanks be God for trusting us with that. 

There is also great responsibility here. I mean if we are the visible representation of Christ in this world, then the primary means for the world to see Christ is through the church – through you and me.  That’s a great responsibility.

Philip Yancey in his book entitled Disappointment with God tells of how many people complain to him that they can’t see God, that they want some kind of visible affirmation that God is real.  But Philip Yancey says that if people haven’t seen God we, the people of God, need to ask why, because we are the physical representation of our Lord here on earth.¹

And we know that those who have not seen yet believe are blessed  (John 20:29).  And we know that some people are spiritually blind.  God could show up raining manna down from heaven and they still would not recognize Him, but what this text is saying to us today is, “Hey, YOU are the body of Christ. There is a great responsibility here. Stop focusing on minor stuff!” For the Corinthians it was all about gifts. Some were complaining, “I don’t have that person’s gift so I’m not going to participate in the church!” 

For us it might be something just as trivial, and the Word of God says look, will you get down to the business of being the church – of caring, of worshipping, of discipling and proclaiming the Word of God because you are the body of Christ! 

It’s a great privilege – and a great responsibility. 

But something also follows from this verse. You are the body of Christ – still speaking of perception here - and for me it really elevates my estimation of the church.   This isn’t just any organization, this isn’t just any social grouping.  The church is the body of Christ.  Every time I say it, it just blows me away.  You are the body of Christ. 

Sometimes we have such a low view of the church.

“We can take it, we can leave it.  We can ridicule it, we can abuse it. We can ignore it, we can choose to be a part of it sometimes and choose not be a part of it.  We can skip in and skip out. We can seek to dominate it and seek to control it.” 

Wait a minute – the church is the body of Christ.  And you know who Christ is, right?  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is the one who holds the title deed to the world in His hand.  He bought this world with His own blood.  He is the one who will come again as judge of all people.  He is the one before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. 

And the church is His body.   And there’s only one attitude toward the church that is appropriate and that is R-E-S-P-E-C-T – respect!

I’ve told you I’ve been working out at the gym lately, and there are some people there who have massive muscles.  Their arms are massive, their legs are powerhouses.  And you know how I treat them?  I don’t whisper behind their back.   I respect them.

My friends the church is the body of Christ.  You don’t ridicule the body of Christ, or ignore it, or seek to dominate and control it.  We respect the body of Christ.  We respect one another – women, children, teens, seniors, single parents – every one is held with respect.

Because the church is the body of Christ.  You are the body of Christ.  

Now let’s think of our role in the body.  Now there are some who will say, “Yeah that’s neat, but it doesn’t include me.  I’m not a part of the body of Christ.  The pastor and the deacons and the Sunday School teachers and the worship leaders – they are the church – they are the body of Christ.  It doesn’t include me.” 

And the Word of God looks you in the eye and says, “Not!”.  You are the body of Christ and that verse continues, doesn’t it? What does it say?  Verse 27, “And each one of you is a part of it.”  Look at the person beside you and say to them, “Wow!  You are part of the body of Christ.” 

Now this is what our passage makes clear in verse 27 and it is what is being said in verses 14 through 20.  You are part of the body of Christ. 

The Corinthians were having difficulty with division in their church.  Part of their disunity focused on spiritual gifts.  There were some who were saying that their spiritual gift was less important than another’s and because of that they didn’t feel a part of the church.  They felt that they didn’t belong. 

Now let me make it clear that when you received Christ as Saviour and Lord you received a spiritual gift. Some of you received more than one and some received only one but regardless, we all have been given a spiritual gift by the risen Lord for the building up of the church.

It may be a gift of teaching, it may be a gift of encouragement, it may be the gift of generosity, or faith, or mercy or administration.  Whatever the truth is you have at least one.  Verse 7 through 11 of chapter 12 outlines a number of the gifts, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4, also give lists of the Spiritual gifts that are given.  These are partial lists.

The point is every one of us by virtue of God’s redemption has received a gift to exercise for the building of the kingdom, for the good of the body.  So the Corinthians were saying, “If I’m a part of the body of Christ then why don’t I have the same gift as her? I would really like that gift.”

And God’s Word says at verse 15 and 16 of our text, “Think of the body, just because the hand is not a foot it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t belong to the body.  Or if the ear would say I am not an eye it cannot say I don’t belong to the body.”

That thinking is ridiculous, right?  This point is made at verse 17, “What would happen if the body was one big ear. Where would the sense of smell be?” 

Makes sense, if we were all given the same gift of teaching how would the body of Christ offer help to those in need?  How would the body of Christ carry on?  Of course it’s ridiculous.  So each one of you is part of the body of Christ.

You are part of the body of Christ.Verse 18:  “in fact God has arranged the parts in the body every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

You see, God has equipped you to do a task which no one else can do.  Some of you are the ears of the body, listening intently for a word from God for the direction of the body, some of you are voices of the body as you exercise your gift of encouragement and teaching, some of you are hands of the body, building the body up through the gifts of hospitality, generosity and service.  Some of you are eyes of the body calling us to dream dreams and hold on to our vision for the glory of God.

Now take note of the words here – you are part of the body of Christ.  You as an individual are not the body itself.  You are part of the body of Christ.  There are many people who never realize this. 

They think that they are the body of Christ.  They have some gift and they think that everyone should have this gift and that if everyone just had this one gift then the body would just fine.  But that’s wrong.  Look at verse 19: “If the body were all one part, where would the body be?”  And verse 20: “We are many parts but one body.”

So, it follows from this that every one of us needs to be patient with people who are not like you.  You may be a great ear. You hear the word the God clearly. He speaks to you ever so clearly and regularly, and sometimes you wonder why others don’t hear God like you do.   Well you need to be patient with us because some of us are hands and we are good at doing, serving, helping in the church but we don’t hear so well – and we’re sorry we don’t hear as well as you – but be patient with us, won’t you? 

And you hands – good at service and doing. Be patient with the ears. “Those ears are always sitting around listening to the word of God all the time. Why don’t they get up and do something?”  Be patient. We are many parts – each different – one body.  We are not all ears, we are not all hands. 

Doesn’t this speak to the need for cooperation in the church?  The echo through out this passage is “one body.” (verses 12, 13, 20)  Sure there is diversity in the body, but it is to be united.  We are diverse in our gifts yet unified in our goals and vision and objectives.   That’s the way it should be.   But all of this requires cooperation.  

The right hand does not say, “I think everyone should do the right hand thing because I don’t believe in what the rest of the body is doing.  I think everyone should be doing right-handed things.  And that left hand! That left hand is way out there, man!” 

My friends, what needs to happen? The right hand has got to sit down with the left hand both need to realize that they are part of the same body – they need to work together.  Tasks would get done much quicker, much more efficiently if the left hand and the right hand worked together for a common goal.

So the church – let’s make sure we are all on the same page.   We are many parts but one body -  the board of Christian Education isn’t to be going in one direction, while the Board of Management is going in another direction and the board of Deacons going in another.  No every part of the body works together for a common goal. 

Here are the four goals of our church – we need to be worshipping together, exalting the name of Jesus.  We need to be equipping one another so that we grow in our faith. We need to be caring for one another. And I’ll say more about this in a moment –we need to be sharing the faith with those around us.  All of this is done in a spirit of prayer.  That’s what we are about as a church.   Those are our goals as a body.  And as members of the body we are calling each person to participate and support those goals.

So, what have we learned?  The church is the body of Christ – you part of the body of Christ – It’s a great privilege and a great responsibility - we are to be united in our purpose and goals - and then this you are needed.  This is what is said in verses 21 through 24: “The eye cannot say to the hand, I don’t need you.  And the head cannot say to the feet, I don’t need you. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be  weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour.  And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while are presenatable  parts need no special treatment.”

Part of what is being said here is that you are needed.  If you have been given a gift, and you have, and you don’t exercise it, then you are hindering the body, you are making the body weak.  The body is made up of many parts and every part needs to function if the body is to work properly and the body is to be built up. 

Here’s a conversation that my left leg had with my right leg just a little while ago.  “My left leg said, “Well, I’m going to stop walking for a couple of weeks.” 

My right leg stood at attention and said, “What?”  What do you mean you are going to stop walking?

“I’ve had enough.  Walking, standing, running, the whole deal, I’m out of here.  I’m going to take it easy.  I might show up for the odd stroll, but you know this whole body thing – I’m just not sure I have much to offer.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the other day someone bumped into me with a shopping cart.  The eyes locked on to the offender, and the ears picked up the apology – the person said sorry for running in to me the leg.   And do you know what the mouth said?”

“No, what did the mouth say?”

“The mouth said, ‘That’s okay, I have another.’  I got to thinking, he’s right.  The body can do without me.” 

“Wait, wait!” said the right leg to the left leg.  “You play a vital role in the body.  You support the whole left side.” 

“Well, let’s try it for a bit.” said the left leg. 

And the left leg leaves.  And the right leg has to support all the weight of the body.  It was very difficult for a couple of days – all I could do was hop.  And the whole function of the body was thrown off.  And instead of getting stronger the body got weaker. 

Listen – you are part of the body of Christ and you are needed.

People say to me, Well the church is just like any other institution – a small percentage of the people doing all the work.  And I respond the church is not like any other institution – we are the body of Christ.   And everyone is needed and everyone has something to offer for the building up of the body. 

And if you don’t offer it, the body suffers. And this is great because it really does save people from burning out.  When everyone is exercising their God-given gift there should never be a time when we allow our leaders to burn out. When everyone realizes that they have a gift to exercise in the body of Christ, our leaders don’t have to carry the responsibility of doing every job, because people are exercising their God-given gifts.

Our leaders don’t have to worry about hospitality because someone with that gift is practicing it.  They don’t have to carry the burden of evangelism because someone with that gift in the body is practicing it.  They don’t have to carry the burden of helps because someone with that gift is calling the people in need.  Our leaders are free to lead and practice their own spiritual gift.  And there is no such thing as burnout.

I don’t think there is a leader in all of Scripture who burns out and takes a year off.  They come close but it never happens, the body doesn’t allow it to happen.  Here is Moses, leading God’s people. He’s trying to do everything, he is judge and lawmaker, he is visionary and provider, he is priest and leader and writer and worship leader.  He’s doing it all.  And here come Jethro, his father-in-law and says, “Moses you are doing too much. There are other capable people here who can do some of what you are doing.”  And he saves  Moses from burnout.

It happens to the apostles too, and you can read about it in Acts chapter 6.

You see, everyone is needed. And please don’t belittle your gift.  You may think that your gift is small – your ability to help is minimal in your eyes – but look what the word of God says, “God has given honour to those parts of the body which we think are less honourable.   Every part of the body is vital for its functioning.” 

I must move on. The church is the body of Christ. You are part of the body of Christ. We are to be united in our purpose and goals. You are needed.  And then these last verses 24 through 26 - we are to care for one another.  Let me just read this passage and then I want you to turn to your neighbour and talk about what you think it means practically for us as church.  “God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured every part rejoices with it.” 

Think about what that means for us practically as a church.  We seek to care for one another.  We look out for one another.  No one is left behind.  We have equal concern for newcomers and longterm members.

You are the body of Christ.   I pray that the wonder of that truth will penetrate your hearts.  May we be united in our purpose to live for God and may each one of you know that you are needed. 

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - November 2007

ENDNOTES:

1. Yancey, Philip, Disappointment with God (New York: Harper Paperbacks, 1988) page 160-171.