“Together as One”

Today I’d like to talk about the body of Christ.  Although this is supposed to sum up our existence on earth, I’m sad to say this has been put on the back burner by most Christians today, and I would go as far to say at least 90%.  There are too many distractions that surround us today and this is Satan’s dream.  Through the internet, social media, entertainment, the news, the love of money, and the pursuit of happiness we have been steered off course and God’s Will for our lives is floating in the metaverse, which makes us unaware and vulnerable for demons to be our tour guide on the earth.  It is Satan’s subtleness that gets us mislead and off God’s path.

Open up your bible, if you will, to 1 Corinthians 12-12-31 and we read:

 ¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

Let’s stop here and take a look.  The human body does have many parts, in fact, like trillions if we were to break it down from bone and muscles to the very cells, neutrons, and neurons that make it up.  The human body is a complete “internet database” of living organisms.  Now the parts we will actually see and discuss in this section are the hands, feet, arms, legs, fingers, toes, mouth, nose, ears, and eyes.  If we just examine these few parts and what they have to offer the body, and in turn, think of what they do as what the body of Christ should be doing, we would be one busy body for the Lord!  Our human body and its few parts that we actually see are so busy in a day it really is incomprehensible to us.  Just keep that in mind, that our human body is so busy and works as one to make life possible and just think if the Body Of Christ worked in the same way, the miracles we would see.

Okay, moving on to verse 13, let us keep reading.

 ¹³ Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Regardless of who we are, what we are, what we do, or who we think we are; that does not change the fact that those who are in Christ Jesus are one body, all working together for good and doing the will of our Father in heaven.  That is explained like this, just as God sent Christ to this earth with a purpose and a mission of which He lived out perfectly, by dying to His flesh and being crucified on the cross, Christ left us here on this earth with a purpose and a mission and we too are to die to our flesh and pick up our cross.  If you look at Luke 9:23, He says, “If anyone wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take your cross up daily, and follow me.”  You see, taking up your cross daily means we die to our fleshly desires, deny what we want.  We must do that and that alone in order for us to fulfill the Great Commission which is to spread the gospels to the ends of the earth and spread the Good News to all we encounter, to be part of one body performing miracles, healing, teaching, preaching, and loving on this dying world, a world that’s on one big cruise ship destined for hell, with Satan as its captain.  Jesus asked us to do these things, which may seem difficult, but He did think ahead and planned for it.  I say that, to say this, that He left us His Word and the Holy Spirit that will dwell in us to help us along our Journey, a journey that is to be down the narrow path.  The narrow path is a difficult path, in today’s society people don’t like difficult and that’s why becoming part of the body is a hard decision for most, it’s the reality of difficult that is the preventing factor.  Just imagine if Christ gave up.  Well, He did not have that luxury, He was sent here with one purpose and that was to fulfill God’s plan, a plan to die, so that we may be saved through Him by believing and obeying.  Our flesh is a strong force to contend with if we don’t have Christ living in us. Why do you think the world is so messed up and sinful?  Because it’s ruled by Satan and it’s filled with all that is against God and Christ.  Yes, it is a battle, for the Bible says in Ephesians 6:12:

¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

If we are to say we have the same spirit as Christ did and want to believe we are part of the body of Christ, then we as a believing obedient Christian must have the same desires and intentions that He had and most of all, that our actions would be pleasing to God our Father in heaven so through Christ and with His spirit, we can do all things because He has empowered us to and we should because that’s what we are commanded to.

The bottom line is that if we are to be sharing the same spirit, this should not be open for interpretation although many might seem to think so or even have an opinion, but God’s word is His Word.  It says in Hebrews 4:12:

 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

And being one with Christ is the same as sharing the same spirit and that’s the spirit of Christ who was sent by God to take away our sins so that we might follow Him, which requires being obedient to His Word.  As it is stated inJohn 3:36:

And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Being of the same Spirit = Being obedient to Christ = Dying to self and living for His Purpose not ours

We can all agree that we can all be doing better, Amen!  Okay, continuing on in 1 Corinthians vs 14 it reads:

¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

So we read that God has placed all the parts of the body right where He wanted them because that is where they were created to be and placed to work according to His plan.   The human body functions perfectly all on its own, trillions of parts, parts we can see and parts we cannot all working perfectly in synchronicity, beating to one heartbeat, doing as it was created to do.

                If we believe that, than why do we not believe He has a plan for the body of Christ?  Because the body of Christ could also be made up of trillions of parts, doing as it was planned with a specific purpose for all parts.  But we have fallen short and have been grafted in to the world’s desires and ways, and we were warned of this, so it should come as no surprise.  It says in Romans 12:2:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

And in 1 John 2:15-17 we are told:

 ^“15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

Living in this world with all its lust and desires has blinded many and lead them down the wrong path, this too is in the word of God and He warns us again in Matthew 7:13-14:

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Wow! Just wow…only a few ever find it!  Are you serious?  What is He saying here, yes that’s right and you heard it correctly, that the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few EVER find it.  If this is so, how can everyone be a Christian doing as they all please, dictating to the world their beliefs as if they have all the answers and telling us that this way of life is okay?  That’s why the Word of God warns us of this in 2 Timothy 3:1-5

The Dangers of the Last Days

3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

You see being part of the body of Christ, it separates, it divides and it singles you out to the world, but it also saves, it changes, it helps, and it fulfills so you can be in the world.  Take a look at these words from the Bible in Ephesians 4:17-24:

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

These things we must accept and start to live out.  We will never experience the abundance of God until we do so.  If we are not in Christ, we are only experiencing a fraction of the portion He has for us.

Moving on to verse 22-26 we read:

²² In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. ²³ And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴ while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. ²⁵ This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

This holds true for the body of Christ and in the same manner of speaking, it too has parts that may seem weak.  Take for instance intercessory prayer, these parts are in continual prayer for the body and most people don’t even know this.  Or how about the missionary that’s in a 3^rd world country living on in orphanage on a farm and has to rely on the food from the farm to feed the children?  Seems difficult, it’s out of site and hidden, but a necessary part.  Or how about the evangelist that preaches on the street or knocks on your door just to get the word out?  They are ridiculed, mocked, and sometimes abused for the sake of the cross.  Then there are those church office jobs or food pantry workers you see.  There are so many parts and jobs for the body to do and some may seem weak, some may go unnoticed, or underappreciated.  Some are easier and some are more difficult, but the Lord sees them all and has created His children for different roles.  But, He also made us one body so that we all work together for good, lifting one another up when needed, praying for one another.  And just as it says in verse 26 the same rings true for the body of Christ ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

We’re not to be envious of what others are doing.  God did not create us to do different things as part of the body, and then look down on the seemingly less important ones.  We are all equal, but have different rolls and/or functions just as the human body, some seen, some not, some hidden some in the spot light, some get dirty some require strength and some require dignity, but all very, very important and all have purpose perfectly selected by The Maker.  So don’t be discouraged if you’re not on a stage preaching or on a stage singing, but be encouraged that God chose you for a specific task that the body needs. Does it matter if you’re an eye or the cells that make up the blood?  It shouldn’t matter, all that should matter is that you do accept Christ and become part of His body, as we all are crucial and needed to fulfill His purpose.

Let us continue on in verse 27 as it reads:

²⁷ All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. ²⁸ Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.

²⁹ Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? ³⁰ Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! ³¹ So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.

Among the parts that make up the body of Christ we can break it down a bit further as we all have different gifts from the Lord, some are as follows:

ADMINISTRATION: The ability to help steer the church, or a ministry, toward the successful completion of God-given goals, with skills in planning, organization, and supervision.

APOSTLE: A person sent to new places with the gospel. You may have heard of missionaries going to different countries to help spread the Word; they could be described as apostles.  An apostle can also provide leadership to other churches or ministries and offer advice on spiritual matters. The Apostles in the bible were followers of Jesus and were given specific tasks to do by Him; they were in close communication with Him directly.

DISCERNMENT: The wisdom to recognize truth from untruth by correctly evaluating whether a behavior or teaching is from God or another, ungodly source.

EVANGELISM: The ability to successfully communicate the message of the gospel, especially to non believers.

EXHORTATION: Competence in offering encouragement, comfort, and support to help someone be all that God wants them to be.

FAITH: People with this gift have such great confidence in the power and promises of God that they can stand strong in their belief, no matter what may try to shake them. They can also stand up for the church and for their faith in such a way as to defend and move it forward.

GIVING: Those who have this gift are particularly willing and able to share what resources they have with pleasure, and without the need to see them returned.

HEALING: A capability used by God to restore others, be that physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.

HELPS: Someone with this gift is able to support or assist members of the body of Christ so that they may be free to minister to others.

HOSPITALITY: A natural ability to make people—even strangers—feel welcome in one’s own home or church as a means to disciple or serve them.

KNOWLEDGE: This is the gift of someone who actively pursues knowledge of the Bible. This person may also enjoy analyzing biblical data.

LEADERSHIP: This aptitude marks a person who is able to stand before a church, to direct the body with care and attention, and to motivate them toward achieving the church’s goals.

MERCY: This is the defining trait of a person with great sensitivity for those who are suffering. It manifests itself in offering compassion and encouragement, and in a love for giving practical help to someone in need.

PROPHECY: The ability to speak the message of God to others. This sometimes involves foresight or visions of what is to come. This skill should be used only to offer encouragement or warning.

SERVING:  A talent for identifying tasks needed for the body of Christ and using available resources to get the job done.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES: The supernatural ability to speak in another language (one that has not been learned).

TEACHING: The skill to teach from the Bible and communicate it effectively for the understanding and spiritual growth of others.

WISDOM: The gift of being able to sort through facts and data to discover what needs to be done for the church.

It should be noted that not every Christian believes all these spiritual gifts are still given by God. Some think that there were certain gifts, such as speaking in tongues that were handed down only for a time when they were needed in biblical history and are no longer needed now, but God still uses all gifts for the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1:9:

 “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”

And in Romans 8:28:

 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

You now should get a better picture of the body of Christ; as compared to our human body it has many, many parts, all with different functions but all necessary and vital for the completion of the mission.  Think about this scripture in Matthew 9:35:

 “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

Why do you think Jesus said this to His disciples?  Well, just look at the current situation; Jesus and His 12 are traveling about teaching, preaching, and healing and for that small crew the harvest was big and the laborers were few and yes they had their work cut out for them.  Actually, it was never-ending and the same holds true for today.  As we just read, the scripture says that nothing under the sun is new, so it’s true even more so now in today’s age.  The harvest is actually exploding and has over run the world and yet the laborers are still few and that is why we as the body of Christ need to recognize our gifts and see just what part of the body we are and get ourselves busy!  For the time has come for us to do as we were commanded by our one true Savior Jesus Christ and we all must be doing, we must be doers of the word, not just hearers as it is written in James 1:12:

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

The body of Christ was made with a purpose, for a purpose and that is to carry out the will of God which is to spread the gospels to the end of the earth so that everyone can hear the truth and have an opportunity to repent and come to Christ.

Just look at the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20:

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him but some of them doubted!18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Is the picture starting to become clearer and into focus for you?  After Jesus has resurrected, He goes and meets up with his disciples and lays out the plan and this wasn’t just for them, because they were told to go teach new disciples to obey His commands just as they do, meaning the cycle will just continue and repeat forever.  We too are His disciples and if we are His disciples than we are part of the body and this Great Commission is for us, as well and so as His disciples, we are to go and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  We do this by being part of the body, finding our part, and through using our gifts and talents, be part of the labor force that tends to the harvest, Amen!

I know for some, this all sounds a bit overwhelming, but I want you to look at it like this: this Christian body that we are supposed to be a part of, can be looked at and compared to an organization of a business, a sports team, or the military.  They all have bosses.  They all have many members and team players.  Some have different roles; all have training and all require the job to be done proficiently and in some cases perfectly leaving little room for error.  Here is the changing factor that causes these situations to be done and done well by all of them and that is money.  Everyone gets paid to do these jobs and some spend a lifetime perfecting their skills and talents so they can even get better and climb higher.  The only problem is that these pursuits have gotten in the way of the Great Commission because the reward for the Great Commission will come later and is not visible today.  But the rewards for the world are.  The world bathes in those rewards and with all the social media and entertainment available to us, we see the rewards that worldly careers will bring, which has blinded most of the true noble pursuit of which is Christ.

This study is a calling, a calling on all Christians to check themselves and make sure you’re attached to the body of Christ, make sure Christ is living in and through you.  Make sure you have answered the Great Commission and are out in some shape or form making disciples and doing your part for the Kingdom.  Remember the harvest is mighty and the laborers are few, so be a part of the few. If you have been disconnected, my suggestion would be start reading your Word, dive deep, and pray to the Lord for His direction, His wisdom and His mercy because He is faithful to forgive and helps us turn things around.  The more we read and digest His Word, the more He will live in us, which in turn will make us want to please Him more.  It’s the obedience He so desires from us.  I will leave you with these few verses to meditate on and they are:

Matthew 7:21-23

 ²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 22:14

¹⁴ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

John 3:36

³⁶ And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Matthew 7:13-14

13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Please don’t be one who finds themselves in these categories, be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer and if you’re not, become part of the body and do your part.  Just remember that Jesus says this:

 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28

Amen and Amen