Images of the Church- The Body

I.               Introduction

A.  Interesting[1]

1.    Did you know that human bodies give off a tiny amount of light (biophotons) that is too weak for the human eye to see? We literally glow (not talking about infrared heat emissions)!

2.    The average person has 67 different species of bacteria in their belly button!

3.    Your left lung is about 10 percent smaller than your right lung.

B.  Background

1.    The Corinthian church was facing several issues that could lead to major divisions.

2.    Among the issues they had involved how they viewed the miraculous spiritual gifts that had been given to them by the Holy Spirit.

3.    As Paul addressed the issue, he reminded them of principles that are still important to us today.

4.    As we examine this image of the church tonight, I want us to discover valuable lessons that still apply today.

II.            Body Building

A.  (1 Corinthians 12:14-20)

1.    One of the most important things this image of the church teaches us is the of every person in the church.

a.    In the section where Paul addresses the individual gifts each person received, he mentions that each part is valuable in the body simply because of what it is designed to do.

b.    READ 1 Corinthians 12:14-20

2.    Illustration: New view on vestigial organs/parts

4.    Every part of the body has and should be treated like it has .

B.  (1 Corinthians 12:21-25a)

1.    The image of the body emphasizes the of each person to and one another

2.    Illustration: Gay Street Bridge

3.    The body of Christ is meant to function so that each person contributes to the of the whole.

4.    READ 1 Corinthians 12:21-25a

5.    Value and Visibility

6.    Most of the church’s work is not visible from the front stage. Some of the most important work happens .

7.    We should encourage each other to find ways to work so everyone in the Lord’s church can feel connected.

C.  (1 Corinthians 12:25b-26)

1.    The body is designed such that someone else’s supplement my areas of .

a.    The body is designed to work together as a unit. If you’ve ever had an injury, you understand how vital an obscure muscle, tendon, or bone can be.

b.    READ 1 Corinthians 12:25b-26

2.    The devil loves to divide us from one another. If he can convince us that someone isn’t all that important, we will let them stray away. If he can convince you that you aren’t important (no one will notice you’re gone), he can convince you to walk away.

a.    We would never get paper cut on a finger and decide it would be better just to get rid of that finger because it hurts than find a way to heal it.

b.    There are so many parts of our body that hurt in ways that you may never understand, but it doesn’t mean we them.

c.    This week, I want you to reach out to someone in this congregation. Call, visit, or text them to let them know you notice them.

d.    There are shut-ins, the grieving, the missing, the hurting, etc., that need to know that someone cares.

III.         Conclusion

A.  Body Image

B.  Invitation