2011-05-29 (pm) 1 Corinthians 12.

12-26 One Body

In the past, when Ive preached on this text, I was preaching to only one congregation. If anything, this passage is even more important, the truth and its message more applicable now tonight knowing there are many congregations gathered as one group. This gathering, though smaller than if all the people who come in our morning worship services came, wouldnt that a true testimony, if we all gave up a Sunday morning to get together as one body of believers! Yeah, I know, I doubt itll ever happen. Well have to wait until Christs return! This gathering, though made up of many congregations, is still just a tiny part of the incredibly huge body of Christ which spans the globe and time and history. And yet, what our passage teaches us is to look beyond our usual borders. Were more than the Edson-Peers CRC, the Edson Baptist Church, the Edson Alliance Church, Bethel Pentecostal, Sacred Heart Catholic, Grace Lutheran, St. Catherines Anglican, New Hope Family Fellowship, Carrot Creek Christian Fellowship, Niton Cowboy Church, Edson United, Edson Mennonite Churches. Were more than all of these, and more! Lets not forget the all the other congregations in other communities. To begin, lets first consider what being a member of Christs body is and means. There are two components to faith in Christ, which all churches agree on, though some emphasise one component more than the other does. The first component is Gods sovereign work in the hearts of people. God calls whomever he chooses.
1

If youre familiar with traditions in Great Britain, then you know that when certain children are born into certain, well connected and wealthy families, they will immediately be registered at one the prestigious schools like, Eaton. Youll hear the phrase, Of course hes going there, his names been down at Eaton since he was born. In a similar way, God chooses people, it says in Revelation that Gods chosen people have had their names written in the book of life from the creation of the world (Rev. 17.8). Now, prestigious parents can register their children at schools at their birth, long before theyre able to go to school. With us, God has written our names down, not at our birth, but at the or before the birth of the universe! The second component is human responsibility. It is one thing to be a child of privilege and have your name down for a school, it is still another to actually go. We who have our names written in the book of life, still respond to that, we take responsibility, we respond in faith to Gods promises. The mystery comes in that we dont know exactly how that works. We dont see things from Gods perspective, we can sense his work in us. Still and all, we must respond. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, we need to be born from above, born again. Just as Nicodemus came seeking Christ, we seek, knock and ask. Christ comes first, letting us know hes here, hes brought peace and reconciliation. So, then, as Gods people, chosen by God, choosing God, what defines us as a people? God defines us. Were his children, adopted by him. Were his body. We all together form the body of Christ.
2

Now, the body has segregated itself, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes tragically. The unity we share though, is in Christ, Christ alone. We dont need to generate unity, rather, we need to recognise the unity that exists already! So, this is why these gatherings are so important and so great, for in them we recognise the unity we have in Christ. As to the main things, the good news, salvation, forgiveness, were united. As to some of the other things, not huge doctrinal things, where we argue about who is right and who is wrong, we need to be very careful. Most helpfully, we focus on the Gospel, that is centre, that is key. Read the beginning of Genesis to see how Paul felt about the gospel and those who challenged it, or tried to make up a new gospel! What we see in the various churches in Edson is not a division of Gods people (though some might see that) but rather, the diversity of parts of Christs body. Would it be possible, if the context of these verses is usually understood individually, to apply them to individual congregations, indeed even denominations? Listen to how this passage speaks to us: The church is a unit, though it is made up of many congregations; and though all its congregations are many, they form one church. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one churchwhether Jews or Greeks, slave or freeand we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the church is not made up of one congregation but of many. 15 If the Pentecostals should say, Because I am not Baptist, I do not belong to the church, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the church. 16 And if the Lutherans should say, Because I am not Baptist, I do not belong to the church, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the church. 17 If the whole body were CRC, where would the Alliance be? If the whole body wereAlliance, where would the Pentecostals be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the congregations in the church, every one of them, just as he wanted them to
3

be. 19 If they were all one congregation, where would the church be? 20 As it is, there are many congregations, but one church. 21 The Roman Catholics cannot say to the Anglicans, I dont need you! And the Mennonite cannot say to the United, I dont need you! 22 On the contrary, those congregations of the church that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the congregations that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the congregations that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable congregations need no special treatment. But God has combined the congregations of the church and has given greater honor to the congregations that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the church, but that its congregations should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one congregation suffers, every congregation suffers with it; if one congregationis honored, every congregation rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the Church of Christ, and each one of you is a congregation of it.

So what this means then, is that we ought first to focus on who we are in Christ. Where there are differences among us, we ought to speak in truth and humility, seeking to understand and encourage one another to follow Christ as faithfully as we can. We need to hold fast to the very important things such as the Gospel, and be freer with the less important things such as style of service, and music and so on. We ought to have this attitude, that we are members of Christs body, we are not Christs only body. Together, with all the differences we have, there are significant similarities. We do need to be as clear as possible, preserving Christs integrity as communicated in the Bible. Where there is error, we speak the truth in love. But let us not allow minor differences to separate us any longer, if any such separation exists. Though I will confess that we sometimes joke about having two ministerials, two fellowships of congregations. This is, I think, dishonouring God and not in keeping with this passage as I understand it.
4

So, what we shall strive to do is remain in fellowship as we are. We need to remain working together, and God in his grace has worked amonst the pastors, and thats the start. We already have tremendous fellowship in the Thrift shop. We also have community and unity in the Habitat project. In this we see that Christ is indeed working through all of us. And yet, I believe that our witness could be greater. That we could be in even deeper fellowship and partnership with the other members of Christs body. Can we work toward that? Can we reach out the hand of fellowship to those who perhaps, for whatever reason, feel less welcome? Let us humbly consider one another. Let us strive to see each other as Christ sees us. As it has been written, you are not your own, you were bought at a price. The precious blood of Christ which redeems us and purchased us all, demands more from us. Amen.