1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Good to see you this morning.

Would you turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 12?

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

We've been working our way through the book of 1 Corinthians in the New Testament,

and today we come to chapter 12, verses 12 through 31.

That's page 959 in the Pew Bible, if you want to turn there.

Page 959, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 12 through 31,

1 Corinthians 12:12–31

12 through the end of the chapter.

All right, let me read this for us.

Paul writes this.

He says,

Jews or Greeks, slaves or free,

and all were made to drink of one spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member, but of many.

If the foot should say, because I'm not a hand, I do not belong to the body,

that would not make it any less a part of the body.

And if the ear should say, because I'm not an eye, I do not belong to the body,

that would not make it any less a part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing?

If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as he chose.

If all were a single member, where would the body be?

As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you.

Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable,

we bestow the greater honor.

And our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,

which our more presentable parts do not require.

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,

that there may be no division in the body,

but that the members may have the same care for one another.

If one member suffers, all suffer together.

If one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ.

And individually, members of it.

And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,

then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating in various kinds of tongues.

Are all apostles?

Are all prophets?

Are all teachers?

Do all work miracles?

Do all possess gifts of healing?

Do all speak with tongues?

Do all interpret?

But earnestly desire the higher gifts?

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Let's pray together.

Let's pray together.

Lord we are grateful

for the fact that you are a God who reveals yourself to us

Lord apart from your own self revealing

we would remain so in the dark as to who you are

and what it means to know you and love you and be created by you

and to be redeemed by you

Lord so we stand just in gratitude and gratefulness this morning

that we have Lord not just impressions or sensibilities

but God we have your own words that you have spoken and preserved

for us

Father we pray that by your Holy Spirit we'd be able to understand

this word this morning

that you would speak to us afresh through these words

and Lord that we would be changed as a result

we ask this in the name of Jesus our Savior

Amen

well friends I think you'll agree

that the human body

is an amazing thing

I needed to do some research on the human body

to prepare for this sermon

so I did what every good researcher does

I Google searched some things

that's a joke

that's not how you're supposed to research things

apparently the human body has

you medical professionals can correct me on this

apparently the human body has 206 bones

640 muscles

and nearly 100,000 miles of blood vessels

the human body is a stunning diversity of organs and limbs and parts

of all sorts and shapes and sizes

and yet for all its diversity

it functions with an incredible unity and symmetry doesn't it

so incredible in fact I think we rarely think about it

after all when was the last time you stopped

and really pondered the beauty and complexity and necessity

of say your pinky finger for instance

in fact you might even ask as you think about it

do we even really need that little thing

I mean is it anything more than kind of a decorative accessory to your hand

something that you put a pinky ring on if you're Italian

something to sort of extend daintily while drinking your tea

I mean the Simpsons got along just fine with only four digits

why do we need this fifth one

in the New York Times a while ago

there was an article in the health section

written by someone who had broken their pinky finger

apparently she fell directly on it while jogging

and she sort of was stunned by how much she had

you know relied on her pinky finger

and apparently according to the occupational therapist that she interviewed

you actually lose 50% of your hand strength

when you lose the use of your pinky finger

50%

the human body though made of an incredible diverse array of parts

is at the same time an amazingly intricate unity

it all sort of works together doesn't it

now the point of our passage this morning is pretty clear

Paul wants us to view our life together as a church

like a body

you are the body of Christ

and individually members of it

now we're so familiar with that sort of language

that we don't stop and really think about the real meaning of it

we call the church the body of Christ all the time

and it's not as if we really think about fingers and toes and eyes and ears

we just think about a group of people

in fact the word member today

means kind of nothing more than that

someone who belongs to a particular group

right

I was in the Lego store in the West Farms mall on Monday with my kids

buying Legos of course

and at the checkout I was asked

if I wanted to become a member

of the Lego VIP club

I thought VIP wow

I'm only buying two Lego sets

what if I buy a third

apparently I could get a

$10 gift card for every like

$3 million worth of Legos that I bought

they even gave me a membership card

and I'm sure they'll send me lots of emails

telling me of all the Lego sets I need to be buying

but such is the meaning of membership today

right

you sort of belong to a group

there are some maybe some minor kickbacks

but nothing real serious

but you know for Paul

the word member

hadn't sort of picked up those watered down connotations

the word member really meant

body part

a limb

an organ

you are the body of Christ

and individually the fingers

and toes

and limbs

and organs

of it

so our text today wants us to really meditate on this reality

that in Christ we are a

body

and that's what we're going to do

what does being a body in Christ

mean

first thing

being a body

means

that we all have a common experience

that unites us

no matter what our background

being a body means that we have a common experience

that unites us

no matter what our background

look again at verse 13

Paul says

for

in one spirit

we were all baptized

into one body

Jews or Greek

slaves or free

and all were made to drink

of one spirit

what is the common experience

that makes us

into one body

Paul describes it like this

we were baptized

in the Holy Spirit

we were made to drink

of the Holy Spirit

okay that sounds a bit weird

right

what is he talking about

well Paul is describing here

not some event

that happens

for some people

who are particularly

spiritually elite

but what happens

to every believer

at conversion

what Paul is talking about

in verse 13

did you notice

is true of all Christians

two times in that verse

all

all of you

all of you

when you come to believe

and trust

in Jesus

as Lord

as Savior

what happens

in another place

Romans 5 5

Paul will say

that the love

of God

has been

poured

poured

into our hearts

by the Holy Spirit

and in John 7

that Jeff read

for us earlier

Jesus himself says

let the thirsty

come to me

and drink

and whoever believes

in me

out of his heart

will flow

rivers

of living water

which John adds

was a reference

by the way

to the Holy Spirit

which those

who believe in him

receive

and you know

this is just

the fulfillment

of what God

had always promised

the Old Testament prophets

talked about it

like this too

when the Spirit

would come

after God

had done his great

work of redemption

when he would send

the Spirit

to cleanse our hearts

of all that defiles us

when the Spirit

would come even

and give us

new hearts

taking out

the heart of stone

and giving us

a heart of flesh

and so friends

you see

when we come

to Christ

in faith

turning from sin

and placing our trust

in him

something radical

happens

the Spirit

washes us

of our stains

and quenches

our thirst

uniting us

to Christ

so just to be clear

the baptism

that Paul's talking

about here

isn't water baptism

water baptism

is an outward symbol

of this inward

spiritual reality

the reality

of the union

that we have

with Christ

and the Spirit

that cleanses us

and makes us new

and the drinking

that Paul's talking

about here

isn't necessarily

a reference

to the Lord's Supper

no it's what

Jesus was talking

about back in John 7

that quenching

of our hearts

thirst for God

that happens

when we come

to Jesus

and are filled

with his Spirit

at our conversion

this is the common

experience

that unites us

now let me say

if you're here

and you're new

to Christian things

or if you're exploring

things spiritually

we're glad you're here

we're glad you came

you're always welcome here

and let me say

I think it's important

to see this point

that Paul's making here

if you're figuring

things out

about Christianity

because it's important

to see that Christianity

is very different

at this point

from other religions

and other sort of

spiritual paths

and programs

because Christianity

after all

doesn't say

okay

here's a spiritual

regimen

here's a spiritual

program

here's a set of rules

or activities

to follow

and if you follow

them perhaps

one day you'll achieve

the filling

of your soul

with God's

cleansing

satisfying presence

Christianity

doesn't say that

in fact

surprisingly

what other religions

or spiritualities

present as the goal

Christianity presents

as the starting point

this is where you begin

a plunging

into the reality

of God

a drinking

deep

of his heart

satisfying

streams

now how can

Christianity

do such a thing

you might wonder

does it just sort of

waive the requirements

okay anybody

gets to come

fine

actually no

it doesn't just

waive the requirements

other religions

might possibly

be on to something

there

that there are

a set of standards

that need to be kept

because God

in his beauty

and his goodness

demands something

of us

the standard

for knowing him

and coming to him

is still perfection

yes

Christianity

doesn't actually

waive those

requirements

rather it says

that the requirements

were met for you

by one who loved you

and died for you

and rose again

so that resting

in him

you might be

brought to God

now Paul's point

here

is that this

soul

cleansing

this thirst

quenching

union

that we have

with Christ

in the spirit

is at the same

time

a union

with others

in Christ

as we are

connected to him

in his spirit

so we are

connected

to one another

so you see

being the body

of Christ

is more than

a mere metaphor

friends

it is a deep

mysterious

even spiritual

reality

we are truly

vitally

connected

to one another

in Christ

by his spirit

and first off

that means

that I can

no longer

look

at a fellow

Christian

and size

them up

in terms

of the

categories

by which

we usually

divide up

the world

as Paul

says here

for example

Jews are

Greeks

slaves are

free

that is

their racial

background

or their

socioeconomic

class

what unites

us in

Christ

is infinitely

greater

than what

makes us

different

you see

have you ever

had an

experience

of that

with another

believer

I was at

a wedding

not so long

ago

and at the

reception

I was seated

next to a

person that

I had

practically

nothing in

common with

he was

older than

me

he was

from a

different

nationality

from a

different

city

a different

socioeconomic

upbringing

our first

languages

were

different

and yet

we shared

Christ in

common

you see

we had

both come

to know

what it

was like

to have

our sins

cleansed

and to be

indwelt by

his soul

satisfying

presence

and you know

though our

differences

were real

though our

differences

were real

they were

not as

important as

what united

us

we were

part of

the same

family

the same

body

and though

I just

met him

and we had

nothing in

common

we had a

great time

talking together

until they

cranked up the

music and then

we couldn't

hear what each

other was

saying

so you see

friends

first being a

body

means that we

have a common

spiritual

reality

a common

spiritual

experience

that unites

us

no matter

what our

background

second

being a

body in

Christ

means that

no one

can say

I don't

belong

look again

at verses

15 and

16

if the

foot should

say because

I'm not a

hand

I do not

belong to

the body

that would

not make it

any less a

part of the

body

and if the

ear should

say because

I'm not an

eye I do

not belong to

the body

that would

not make it

any less a

part of the

body

now here we're

getting into

Paul's central

burden or

concern with

this passage

it seems that

in the

Corinthian church

some members

were made to

feel inferior

because they

didn't exercise

certain spiritual

gifts

as we'll see

in chapter 14

the Corinthians

seem to have

elevated

one particular

spiritual gift

speaking in

tongues

and made

that one

the mark

of being

really

indwelt

by the

spirit

and being

really

spiritual

and so

those who

didn't have

it

were made

to feel

like second

class

citizens

you see

they were

starting to

feel in

their hearts

well

maybe I

just don't

belong here

and Paul

wants to

speak to

those believers

who are

feeling that

way and

say ah

but remember

you are a

body

and in the

body not

only do you

have full

possession of

the spirit

by virtue of

faith in

Christ

that's verse

13

but in

addition

whatever

particular

gift the

spirit has

given you

no matter

what limb

or organ

you happen

to be in

the body

you are

critical

to the

body's

health

after all

imagine a

body

made of

nothing

but ears

or noses

that would

be sort

of gross

and such a

body would

also have a

hard time

eating

or seeing

or walking

it wouldn't

be much

of a

body

at all

at least

not for

long

so Paul

is helping

them to

see that

you do

belong

regardless of

what others

are telling

you

in fact

you are the

farthest

thing from

being an

afterthought

in the body

or a

second-class

citizen

no

you

have been

divinely

arranged

to play

a critical

role here

look at

verse 18

God

arranged

the members

in the

body

each

one of

them

each

one of

them

as he

chose

so fellow

Christian

if at

times you

start to

question in

your heart

here at

Trinity

do I

really

belong

here

perhaps

you could

speak this

question back

to your

heart

if all

were a

single

member

where would

the body

be

God has

given you

a valuable

part

to play

and that

means

you

must be

who you

are

be who

the spirit

has gifted

you to

be

bring your

gifts to

bear

don't try

to be

someone

you're

not

yes

emulate

the

Christ

like

character

of

believers

that you

look up

to

but don't

necessarily

try to

imitate

their

gifts

you most

likely have

a different

yet essential

part to

play

by being

you

you see

being a

body in

Christ

means no

one can

say

I don't

belong

now for

Paul's third

point

being a

body in

Christ means

no one

can say

I don't

need you

if verses

14 through

20 spoke

to those

who are

being made

to feel

inferior

in verses

21 through

26 he

addresses

those who

see

themselves

as

superior

and here's

the real

razor's

edge of

the paragraph

here he's

talking to

the self

proclaimed

spiritual

all-stars

the

Allen

Iversons

of the

church

who rarely

if ever

think they

need to

pass the

ball in

order to

win the

game

sorry

my wife's

family's

from

Philadelphia

I only

know

Philly

sports

teams

Allen

Iverson

hasn't

played for

the

Sixers

in a

decade

I know

fill in

the blank

with your

ball hog

that you

know

but Paul

is saying

stop and

consider

you see

when you're

thinking I

don't need

others

have you

thought that

the church

is

a body

do you

really not

need your

hands

do you

really not

need your

feet

of course

not

Paul says

they're

indispensable

verse 22

well what

should their

attitude be

instead

not I

don't need

you but

rather

Paul says

I delight

to honor

you

verses 23

24

think about

the parts

of your

body

that are

weaker

or the

parts

that are

unpresentable

even

yes Paul

is talking

about those

parts

what do we

do with

those parts

of our

body

do we

say we

don't need

them

no

just the

opposite

we show

them greater

care and

attention

we protect

them

we clothe

them

and why

do we

do that

with certain

parts of

our body

in Paul's

mind it's

not because

they're inherently

shameful

that's not

why we

cover them

up

no you

see for

Paul the

body the

human physical

body with

all its

members is

God's good

creation

Paul couldn't

be more a

body affirming

in this

passage

God arranges

it and God

composes it

so why do we

act this way

towards certain

parts of our

body why do

we cover them

up why do

we show them

that attention

not because

they're shameful

but because

they're too

precious

to just be

put on

display for

everybody to

see

we honor

them

we treat

them as

more special

and more

valuable than

our hands

or our

noses

which are

just out

there in

public

so you see

what Paul's

doing here

look again at

verses 22

and 23

even if

some members

seem to be

weaker in

your eyes

or if you

think they

are less

honorable

you need

to remember

that you

are a

body

and you

should show

them all

the more

honor for

being so

and of

course what

seems weak

in the world's

eyes

is of course

not so

in God's

eyes

and what

humans think

to be less

honorable

well friends

God thinks

differently

in fact God

chooses what

is foolish in

the world to

shame the

wise and

what is weak

in the world

to shame the

strong and

what is low

and despised

in the world

to bring to

nothing the

things that

are

that's chapter

one verses

27 through 28

of this same

letter

have you

forgotten the

gospel Paul

says

God gives

his honor

to those who

lack it

how

ultimately

through the

cross

where Jesus

takes the

shame that

our sins

deserve and

in exchange

we receive the

honor his

righteousness

deserves

and so

there can

be no

division in

the body

every

single one

of us

is the

recipient

of sheer

unmerited

grace

even the

spiritual

gifts that

we possess

are just

that aren't

they

gifts

not

something

we've

earned

not

something

we've

merited

but

something

we've

been

freely

given

you see

friends

life in

the spirit

life in

the church

is not

like

an

MMORPG

video game

where if

you play

long enough

and you

build up

enough

experience

points

you can

level up

and earn

new powers

and new

weapons

it doesn't

work that

way

God

gives

graciously

and often

he gives

gifts to

those whom

we would

least expect

from a

worldly

point of

view

anyway

after all

who would

have thought

that God

would make

the apostolic

foundation

of his

church

the very

pioneer

of the

new

creation

who would

have thought

that God

would make

that foundation

out of a

few Galilean

fishermen

a tax

collector

some other

guys we

frankly know

nothing about

and last

of all

a self

righteous

religious

zealot

namely

Paul

before he

met

Jesus

God

indeed

gives

honor

where we

least

expect

it

so that

the members

may have

the same

care

for one

another

if one

member

suffers

all

suffer

together

if one

member

is

honored

all

rejoice

together

that's

what it

means to

be a

body

no longer

saying I

don't really

need you

the total

opposite

I'll

suffer

with you

in your

sufferings

I'll

rejoice

with you

in your

successes

what

could be

more

intimate

than that

friends

and you

know

with our

physical

bodies

this happens

quite

naturally

doesn't

it

I

break

my

toe

and

suddenly

my

whole

leg

stabs

with

pain

and

for

the

next

month

or

so

I'm

on

crutches

and

my

whole

body

suffers

right

and

on

the

other

hand

someone

compliments

my

new

haircut

if I

had

hair

that

is

and

suddenly

I

stand

up

a

little

straighter

I

smile

a

little

broader

I

walk

a

little

lighter

my

whole

body

rejoices

to be

the

body

of

Christ

means

we

do

this

for

one

another

what

comes

naturally

to

our

physical

bodies

we

strive

to

make

natural

in

our

spiritual

body

you

see

without

a

second

thought

when

a

church

member

loses

a

job

or

loses

a

loved

one

or

gets

discouraged

because

their

efforts

at

sharing

the

gospel

with

their

friends

seems

to be

so

fruitless

their

fellow

members

are

there

not

just

to

help

practically

but

also

even

to

suffer

with

them

to

grieve

to

limp

alongside

to

absorb

some

of

that

cost

to

be

present

with

them

in

the

pain

of

it

suffering

reverberates

through

the

community

and we

face

these

things

together

because

we

are

a

body

on

the

flip

side

honor

reverberates

through

the

community

instead

of saying

I

don't

need

you

we

delight

to

notice

the

ways

in

which

even

the

most

unseen

gifts

are

contributing

to

the

common

good

of

the

church

and

we

honor

them

now

friends

what

gifts

in

our

context

might

go

unnoticed

gifts

in

our

church

I

think

at

times

the

ability

to

speak

eloquently

or

to

have

articulate

words

or

having

a

formal

education

can

be

overly

exalted

maybe

not

on

purpose

or

intentionally

but

it

happens

and

so

those

who

happen

to

have

those

gifts

need

to

work

doubly

hard

to

honor

those

with

other

gifts

gifts

that

our

culture

might

not

think

so

highly

about

gifts

like

serving

and

helping

administrating

gifts

of

mercy

gifts

of

giving

we

want

to

honor

these

gifts

and

thus

let

honor

reverberate

through

our

whole

body

we

rejoice

in

it

we

stand

up a

little

straighter

we

smile

a

little

broader

we

walk

a

little

more

lighter

and

friends

we

need

to

recognize

too

that

the

polish

of

the

speech

doesn't

come

even

close

in

importance

to

the

substance

of

the

message

we

need

to

be

willing

to

hear

the

spirit

speaking

through

our

brothers

and

sisters

who

may

not

be

eloquent

or

polished

but

who

are

speaking

words

of

wisdom

and

knowledge

that we

need

to

hear

you

see

are we

listening

for that

for the

timely

scripture

rich

spirit

empowered

words

that will

build up

the

church

even if

the

speaker's

style

doesn't

conform to

the typical

sorts of

people

we happen

to like

or listen

to

and

friends

as we

think

about

suffering

together

rejoicing

together

as members

in a

body

let me

just

say

do

people

know

that

you're

a

member

of

this

body

do

people

know

that

you're

someone

that

belongs

here

to

this

fellowship

of

Christ

that's

the

value

of

formal

membership

after

all

it's

a way

of

just

saying

yes

I

am

a

part

of

the

body

I

want

to

do

this

life

together

so

friends

if

you're

a

follower

of

Jesus

and

you're

not

a

formal

member

of

a

church

yes

you're

an

organic

member

of

the

body

of

Christ

whether

you

like

it

or

not

but

let

yourself

be

known

as

a

member

so

that

we

can

start

doing

this

together

intentionally

you see

being a

body

in

Christ

means

no

one

can

say

I

don't

need

you

to

any

other

member

each

member

needs

each

other

and

so

being a

honor one

another

in

all

our

varied

gifts

our

passage

concludes

then

in

verses

27

through

31

with

Paul

just

bringing

things

home

for

the

Corinthians

as if

this

sort

of

thinly

veiled

analogy

wasn't

obvious

enough

Paul

just

sort

of

jams