Being the church in an individualistic culture

We're reading from 1 Corinthians 12, 12 to 27.

And just to give an intro to this passage,

we're at a point in Paul's ministry

where the Corinthians are having a bit of a problem

with their community.

There's individuals, lots of individuals in the community

that are trying to big note themselves

by talking about their spiritual gifts.

And Paul's really trying to bring everyone together

as a community and try to focus not on the individual

but on the whole body of Christ.

For just as the body is one and has many members,

and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,

so it is with Christ.

For in one spirit we are all baptized into one body,

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 am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,

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

If the ear should say,

because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,

that would make it no less a part of the body.

It would make it no less a part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye,

where would the sense of hearing be?

If the whole body were an ear, where would 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 honourable, we bestow the greater honour.

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 honour 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 honoured, all rejoice together.

That you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Well, good morning everyone.

Why don't we pray as we come to God's word.

Father, I pray that you would increase each one of our understanding of who we are.

And I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, what's in it for me?

What's in it for me?

I've used this illustration before.

I can't find a better one, so I'm going to reuse it.

But have you noticed what the recruitment messages on the Australian Defence Force website is like?

Whatever advertising you see.

The first thing you see when you open the webpage is,

find your ideal role in the Australian Defence Force.

Find your ideal role.

Another spot in the website says,

in the ADF, you will enjoy a rich and rewarding blend of career and lifestyle opportunities,

plus fulfilling, well-paid work, job security, and numerous benefits.

Now, I can't think of a job that should be more self-sacrificing than being in the Defence Force.

But it's not saying, what can you do for your country?

It's not even saying, protect the ones you love.

It's like, look at how it's going to help you.

What's in it for me?

I just want to use that as an illustration that we live in an individualistic culture.

And that is a big challenge to being the church God has created us to be.

Now, I want to clarify that if we lived in a different culture,

if we lived in a more collective, group, family-minded culture,

many cultures in Asia, for instance, we would need a different sermon.

Community built on hierarchy and social rank can create other problems.

Sacrificing the individual for the sake of the group,

or a person's value is based on where they're ranked in the group,

or you're doing all things for the sake of honouring those who are at the top of the group,

or the tribalism between families and groups.

There's lots of things that would be a problem

and would need a totally different sermon if we were in a different culture.

I'm saying that in the hope that you don't hear me say in this sermon,

we just need to be more community-minded.

Because the Bible gives us a totally different understanding.

Please don't hear me say,

you need to sacrifice self for the sake of more service in the community.

That's not the main thrust of this message.

And I'm hoping that's a bit of a surprise to you.

And hopefully I can demonstrate that in God's word.

So we would need a different sermon if we were in a different culture.

But the threat for us today in our individualistic culture is that

we're either going to succumb to this individualistic thinking,

what's in it for me, as we engage in community based on that,

or we have the opportunity to just be a compelling difference

to a world that's absolutely, a society that's so starved of community.

It's a big threat or a big opportunity.

I want to spend a few minutes just pointing to a few symptoms,

touching hopefully on some sore spots of where I think we can see some symptoms

of this mindset in the church, in our society.

It may not be totally within our church, but there's probably bits and pieces of this.

Let me try and, oh, let me start with church leaders.

I think this topic we can just aim at congregation.

I want to start with leaders.

How can leaders think what's in it for me?

Well, if dominant motivation as a pastor and as a leader is what's in it for me,

if my personal success as a pastor is all in measurable categories,

measurable metrics like increasing in numbers in this church

or the number of programs we're running

and the number of staff we're putting on

and the number of events reaching our community

and the number of services and church plants we're doing

and so on and so on,

my identity and value as a leader could be bound up in all these things.

And there's problems with that

because character issues in leaders can be dismissed

because look at all the ministry fruit, look at all the success.

Individuals changing churches,

there can be competition between churches.

As if it's a marketplace for consumers,

as if we're competing.

Someone might come into the church and I go,

excellent, we're building,

rather than going, should you be here

or should you be going back to the church you came from?

Is it spiritually good for you?

Is there another church in this area that's better for you?

Decisions on how to operate as a church

can be based on what works rather than what God calls us to be?

If it's all about what I'm getting out of it.

I think we see it with leaders

when the validation for ministry isn't coming

and leaders give up and change congregation

to go find somewhere where they feel more validated.

Leaving too soon.

So I don't know what you think about all that,

but I want to start with leaders

that even those seeming to be sacrificing a lot for community,

can it be driven by what's in it for me mentality?

What about symptoms for the congregation generally?

Well, I think a what's in it for me mentality

can be seen in the unspoken answer,

well, not much.

There's not much in it for me.

So I'll just turn up here and there

when it fits in around the rest of my life

that there's much more in those things.

I think we can engage in community

based on things other than Christ.

It's common needs.

What's in it for me is friendship.

I can find people like me.

And when that's going well, church is great.

When friendships, for whatever reason,

dislocation, whatever,

your interest in church drops off.

Maybe community based on

this is a great place for my children.

A moral environment to grow up in.

Mutual support as parents.

It can be a consumer mindset

that it's the clergy who give you the spiritual ministry

and I'm the consumer.

I think we can engage in ministry roles

according to,

is this volunteering convenient?

Am I being appreciated or not?

Am I feeling important by doing it?

Or when I'm thinking of leaving a church,

do I see it as my decision alone?

Or do I get the input

of brothers and sisters and pastors

to know,

is it right to dislocate

from this church family?

So I've just sprayed a bunch of symptoms,

both leaders and congregation,

and I'll let you weigh those up.

But I think this

fundamental driving

principle in our culture

can be driving us

as we engage in church.

What's in it for me?

It can look okay

for times

on the surface,

but

it will erode

the church family.

I think we see it

eroding biological family,

don't we?

What's in it for me?

So what's the antidote

to viewing yourself

and viewing the church

individualistically?

What's the antidote

to this sort of thinking?

Well,

we're going to look

at 1 Corinthians,

so if you can open to,

and stay open to,

1 Corinthians 12.

We're going to look

at the fundamental problem.

And our fundamental problem

is our understanding

of our personal salvation.

Here we see

who we now are.

So,

just for some context,

the original situation

Paul is speaking to,

the Corinthian church

was characterised

by division

and envy

and competition.

They had a very narrow

definition of gifting,

and

they were prioritising

the more showy

and spectacular gifts,

and they thought

the capabilities

that they had,

they were using them

to validate themselves.

It was a very

individual approach

to gifting.

Now,

in their case,

they were prioritising

the so-called

spiritual gifts,

the gifts of the spirit.

I don't think

we're in danger

at this present moment

to do that,

the speaking in tongues

and the healings

and such,

but

we might be tempted

to equate belonging

and importance

in the church

with a narrow

definition of gifting.

We might

prioritise

teaching gifts

over other gifts

or ability

to pray.

We might

prioritise

having authority

in positions

and office.

or

we might

be tempted

to evaluate

people's belonging

and importance

based on worldly

criteria.

If there's

measures of respect

out in the world,

they're the measures

we use in here.

So we still

can have this

mentality,

even if it's not

the particular

problem they had.

The foundation

Paul lays

is crucial

for us

to understand.

Yes,

God saves

us

individual

by individual.

He saves

us

individually.

But what

it means

to be saved

is that

I am now

vitally

connected

to Jesus.

I'm not

an individual.

The essence

of salvation,

we might

see it

by asking

this question,

whose are you?

Whose are you?

Are you

your own?

No.

Are you

the groups,

the families?

No.

You are

Christ.

Who you

are has

fundamentally

changed.

You belong

to Christ.

Now,

of course,

he created

us.

We always

belonged to

him in that

sense.

But now

we actually

know it

and love

it and

believe it

and we

are connected

to him.

Paul loves

the phrase

that a

believer is

in Christ.

Christ is

in us

by his

spirit and

that's what

verses 12

to 13

are about.

That our

baptism

pictures this.

The water

baptism pictures

the spiritual

reality that

occurred when

we had faith.

That we

are now

joined to

him and

he is

in us

by his

spirit.

We are

not

individuals.

We are

individuals,

aren't we?

But we

aren't alone.

To be

saved is

to be

joined to

Jesus

forever

into

eternity.

So then

Paul goes

on to use

the metaphor

of a

body

to help

us

understand

what it

means to

be joined

to Jesus.

Now as

we go

through this

passage,

I want to

first ask,

are you

coming at

it thinking

that the

primary message

is Christians

act like a

body?

I don't

think that's

the primary

emphasis.

I think the

primary emphasis

is,

Christian,

you are

a body.

Do you

hear the

difference there?

It's not

saying you

need to act

like it,

it's

saying,

look at

what God

has done.

He has

created a

body.

That's the

primary emphasis

here.

It's about

what God

has done.

The basis

of your

belonging

to Jesus,

belonging to

this church,

if you're a

believer,

is what

God has

done.

God

arranged the

members in

the body,

each one

of them,

there's the

individual,

each one

of them,

as he

chose.

He

arranged.

We come

into this

church for

all different

motivations,

but sovereignly,

God is the

one who's

chosen how

we are

arranged.

It may

appear very

random,

not how you

might put it

together,

put us

together,

but he has

sovereignly put

us together as

we are.

Again,

verse 24,

halfway through

the verse,

it's God who

has composed

the body.

That word

can mean

blended,

not to

eradicate

distinction,

but there's

just harmony,

there's a

composition of

the body.

He

harmonises

the diversity.

He's not

after vanilla

flavour,

he's after

unity with

all our

diversity.

And it's

the spirit

filling this

body.

Again,

it's what

God does

primarily in

this passage.

It's the

spirit who

apportions

gifts.

We can

look at

verse 7.

To each

is given

the manifestation

of the

spirit for

the common

good.

It's the

spirit who

apportions

gifts and

functions in

this body to

each member.

If you're a

believer, you

are spirit

filled.

spirit

filled.

You might

doubt that

because you

have a

narrow

definition of

what that

looks like.

We'll come

to that

later.

But

understand

that we

are all

spirit

filled.

We are

given a

function to

perform for

the common

good.

and we

all have

the same

Lord.

Verses 4

to 6,

it's a bit

of a

Trinitarian

comment.

We all

have the

same

Lord Jesus

motivating

us.

Ultimately,

I'm to

serve you

because that's

how I

serve my

Lord.

I think

Paul puts

it in his

letters in

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:5

4 verse

5.

What we

proclaim is

not ourselves

but Jesus

Christ as

Lord with

ourselves as

your servants

for Jesus'

sake.

I'm

serving for

Jesus'

sake.

We have a

common

Lord.

So this

body,

it's

assembled by

God.

It's the

Lord driving,

motivating and

directing all

of us.

It's the

spirit filling

and empowering

us to

function

differently,

to serve

for the

common

good.

It's

what God

has done.

We are

in Christ.

We are

to be

one body.

So what's

God's

purpose in

creating the

church body

like this?

We see

that in

verse 25.

Here's his

purpose,

that there

may be no

division in

the body,

but that

the members

may have

the same

care for

one another.

That word

care,

it's also

the same

word used

for anxiety,

concern.

God has

so assembled

his church

that we're

not equal.

There's

huge

differences,

but he's

so created

us that

there's no

division,

but equal

concern for

every single

member in

his body.

that's

his goal,

that's

what he

wants,

that's

what he's

going to

produce.

And we

see that

especially,

verse 26,

when one

member suffers

or one

member is

honoured.

Like how

can my

body be at

peace if

one part

of me is

hurting?

You can't,

can it?

even if,

like I had

an infected

finger recently

and it's

just like,

it's just,

it affected

my whole

mentality.

It's just,

I have to

deal with

my little

finger,

I've got to

deal with

it.

You can't

be at

peace.

If one

member is

suffering,

you feel

that,

you are

concerned

about it.

And when

one is

honoured,

it doesn't

say we're

all honoured,

it says we

all rejoice.

Imagine that.

Someone preaches

better than

me and I

go,

oh,

that's not

a threat.

The body

is being

built,

fantastic.

It's an

incredible

thing that

God creates.

He wants

a community

that is

like him

and is

unlike

anything else

in this

world.

Because

that's

what gives

him glory,

as we

saw in

Ephesians

3.

So

understanding

with the

body,

we've got

to understand

his goal,

this unity.

And

secondly,

we've got

to understand

what is

the main

thing that

keeps this

body alive.

It's not,

giftedness is

important,

but I

ordered the

sermon this

way because

I want to

prioritise what

Paul prioritises.

what God

prioritises through

Paul,

which is

Isaiah 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13.

His main

point is for

them to

understand that

love is all

that matters,

is the main

thing.

Verses 1 to 3

of chapter 13,

if I speak in

tongues of men

and angels but

have not

love, I'm a

noisy gong or

a clanging

cymbal.

If I have

prophetic powers

and understand

all mysteries and

all knowledge,

and if I have

faith to remove

mountains but

have not love,

I am nothing.

If I give

away all I

have and if I

deliver up my

body to be

burned but

have not

love, I

gain nothing.

It's

pointless.

Love is the

essential thing

here.

I think

even in the

church we

talk about

playing to

our strengths

or we

talk about

being called

to a very

narrow,

defined area

of ministry

and I just

wonder how

much of that

is for

our own

self-validation

when we're

called here to

share the

love of

Christ.

Any

strength I

have, if

there's any

need, I

will try and

meet it,

whether I

feel strong

or not.

And if I

can't meet

that need,

I'll push

that person to

someone who

can meet

that need.

It's not

about playing

the strengths,

I don't

think.

Corinthians,

Paul is

saying, you

want to be

spiritual?

Stop looking

at your

giftedness,

although it

is given

by the

Spirit and

we'll come

to that

next.

But what's

truly spiritual,

what's truly

great is

having the

love of God,

having the

love of

Christ.

an example

of this

might be,

to contrast,

someone could

come up the

front and

pray

confidently,

eloquently,

and as

Jesus says

in Matthew

7, it

could all be

just so that

you look at

them.

And God

looks at

that and

goes,

that's just,

you're a

hypocrite.

But then

in private

conversation,

you're talking

to someone

and they

just don't

understand God's

word or

they're

struggling,

really

struggling,

and you

want to

help them,

you don't

feel confident

at all,

you try and

pray and

you fumble

through it

and you're

not sure

if the

prayer reaches

the ceiling,

let alone

God.

And God

looks at

that because

you're doing

it in love

and goes,

that's great.

Because it's

motivated by

love,

for Christ's

sake.

love flowing

through this

body is what

is going to

keep us

alive.

So having

established

that,

now let's

look at

giftedness.

The Spirit

empowers each

individual for

the good of

the whole

body.

So verses

14 to

19 deal

with people

who feel

like they've

got nothing

to offer,

and then

verses 21

to 24 deal

with people

who think

they're pretty

independent,

that they

don't need

the others.

So first,

what if you

feel like you

have nothing

to offer?

By the way,

I don't think

you're meant

to identify

what am I?

Am I the

little finger?

I don't think

that's the point

of this

metaphor.

but pretending

that you're

imagining

yourself as

the foot,

perhaps you're

more lowly,

you're in the

dust,

you're less

capable than

the hand,

and you look

at the hand

and you conclude,

I'm not like

that,

so I don't

belong.

I can't get

up front

and serve

in public

music,

I can't play

music,

I'm not

extroverted

and able to

speak to

lots and

lots of

people,

I'm not

sure what

else we

narrowly

define gifts

as,

but to

have a

narrow

mindset,

it can

create this

division and

it can make

us even

start doubting

whether we're

spirit-filled

or not.

And I

think we

can have

two common

errors,

I think we

can talk

about gifting

in terms of

formal roles,

and I

think we

can look

at gifting

as if it's

fixed rather

than dynamic

and growing.

Verse 17

to 20,

verse 17

tells us

one part

can't do the

part of

another,

like this

church would

be seriously

unhealthy if

all the

behind-the-scenes

ministries

suddenly stopped,

if all the

little conversations,

all the meals

being sent,

all the

prayers

being offered,

like this

church would

wither.

We need

each part

functioning

to be

interdependent.

Verse 18

encourages,

God arrange

the members

in the body,

each one of

them.

Don't wait

to feel

confident,

trust,

he's put

you here,

he's got

purpose for

you.

verse 19

to 20,

to reinforce

again,

he wants

diversity

in the

body.

He's not

after

uniformity,

but unity.

You are

spirit-filled.

If you

trust Jesus

as your

Lord,

that's your

starting point,

you are

spirit-filled.

How do you

know what

God calls

you to?

I'm going

to suggest

whatever need

you see

for people

to live

for Jesus,

to know

him,

to be

encouraged,

to be

comforted,

whatever need

you see,

that's a

great starting

point to go,

okay,

God wants

you to

meet that.

I really

love a

quote by

William

Wilberforce

who,

he's probably

such a

common name,

I don't

need to

say this,

but who

helped to

bring down

slavery in

England,

but he's

got a

really good

quote that

if you

have the

health and

the ability,

he says,

no person

has a right

to be idle

in such a

world as

this,

such a

broken world

as this,

that you

may not

find some

ignorance

to instruct,

some wrong,

to redress,

some want

to supply,

some misery

to alleviate.

I kind of

like that,

I'm trying to

expand our

idea of

ministry.

Yeah,

anyway,

I've probably

said enough.

Let's move on

to those,

verse 21 to

24,

those who

feel that

they are

gifted and

don't need

others.

as soon

as the

attitude of

not seeing

a person

as needed

in this

church,

maybe you

see someone

as a

burden,

that is

difficult.

Any

superior

attitude

means that

whatever

gifting you

think you

do have,

however busy

you are,

it's

unchristian.

if you're

using your

function to

bolster your

own self

importance,

rather than

using it for

the function

for Christ's

sake to

build up

others,

it is

unchristian

because it's

lacking,

chapter 13,

the love of

Christ.

Our

attitude to

people who

seem less

important should

be God's

attitude.

Here's

verse 22.

On the

contrary,

the parts of

the body

that seem

to be

weaker

are

indispensable.

They've

got a

little bit

to offer,

just

appreciate

the little

bit they've

got to

offer,

they are

indispensable.

That's

God's

attitude.

I think

in verse

23 and

24,

using the

body metaphor

again in

clothing,

he teaches

us how to

think of

people

who are

different

than us.

The

unpresentable

parts of

our bodies,

I assume

that's

talking about

the sexual

organs and

the excretion,

but I

assume that's

what it's

talking about.

Now how do

we treat

that in

our own

body?

We give

special

attention to

it.

We clothe it

especially.

we treat

it with

more honour

than we

do our

presentable

parts like

the hands

and stuff.

I don't

need to

cover my

hand,

but that's

the kind

of attitude

we should

have.

More

concern,

more

special

regard for.

I don't

think it's

about covering

up and

hiding away

from the

world.

your attitude

towards it.

The person

who I don't

think I

need,

I should

be treating

especially

as someone

who's loved

by God

and needed

in this

church.

I think

people who

like that,

I think

their very

presence

reminds us

that we

are a

community

created by

grace and

not by

effort.

There's

probably a

million other

ways all

of us are

indispensable.

Hopefully the

conversation will

continue after

this sermon.

So if we

preach church

asking what's

in it for

me, at

best we're

going to be

just this

organisation

built on

transactional

relating.

It's going

to be a

community that

you can find

anywhere in

the world.

But the

solution is

not about

don't be

less selfish.

That's not

the solution.

The solution

is understand

who me is.

Who are you

now?

You're

united to

Christ.

You're

arranged in

the body

by God.

You're

spirit-filled

to serve

your Lord

by serving

his people.

people.

I am

part of

something so

much bigger

than me

now and

it's by

being part

of something

so much

bigger than

me that

I flourish

as an

individual.

It's a

community that

doesn't

sacrifice the

individual but

we're the whole

community sacrificing

for the

individual and

one another.

Equal concern

and anxiety

for one

another.

No envy

and human

criteria for

different value

but all loved

by grace.

Now that's a

community I

want to be part

of.

I'm glad I'm

part of.

I am part

of.

So the

solution here

is not we

need to be

more community

minded.

The solution

is know who

you are.

We are in

Christ.

We are his

body.

We are his

body.

We are his

body.

I want to

pick up an

example to

help kind

of test

whether we've

grasped this

oneness with

Jesus and

oneness with

one another.

I could talk

about seasons

of sickness

but for the

sake of time

I'm just going

to talk about

those times

where we feel

guilt and

shame.

I think

that's another

reason we

disengage from

the church

is when we

feel we've

sinned again

and we

feel like we

don't belong.

And I'm

going to say

that's independent

thinking.

That's

individualistic

thinking.

Because Jesus

united himself

to you and

you to him

knowing full

well of all

your sin having

died for it.

You are

united to

him even

in those

moments of

feeling ashamed.

And what

do you need?

You need the

ministry of the

body.

Don't wait

at home until

you feel

spiritually good

again to come

back to the

church.

You need the

body.

And can I

say I think

you've got lots

to offer.

I've got lots

to offer when

I'm feeling like

that.

Because it's

when I confess

my sin to

someone I

trust that it

actually reinforces

the grace of

God.

It actually

encourages that

person.

If I'm

wanting to be

good with

God and one

another again.

You're even

serving by

needing to be

served.

Anyway,

that's my

attempt.

Even when

we're feeling

ashamed like we

don't belong,

know you're part

of the body and

you're even an

important part of

the body by

confessing that.

And I want to

finish by four

important areas

that we need to

know we are the

body of Christ.

The first is so

that we are a

taste of heaven to

our community.

Why would

people want to

come in here?

And why would

we be motivated

for people to

want to come

in if all

they see in

here is just

a religious

version of

what they can

get elsewhere?

Envy and

pride and

conflict and

clicks.

People just

using as a

platform for

their own

self-importance.

That's not

going to be a

witness to the

gospel.

gospel.

But if

people come in

here and see

that there is

incredible value

of one another

that doesn't

make sense to

the value system

we have out in

the world and

there's just a

sacrifice for one

another without

trying to get

something in

return.

Across young and

old and rich and

poor and all the

different individual

and collective

culture mindsets

that are here

all the cultures

between authority

of leadership and

those following

up.

We might well

expect then

people to come

in and go

God is really

among you

because there's

nothing like this

out in the world.

So God's

honour is at stake.

We need to know

we are body so

that we can be a

taste of heaven

for those separated

from Christ and

from one another.

The second

reason we need to

know we are the

body is because

it's going to hurt

if you believe

this.

To relate

vulnerably and

deeply

relationally

it's going to

hurt this side

of heaven

because

our love for

one another

has not been

perfected yet.

Trust will be

broken at times.

Servant

hardness will be

exploited at

times.

Well what

then?

Is that

reason to

sit on the

sidelines?

Well I

think it's

crucial to

remember that

it's Christ

you're serving.

It's for his

sake that we

lean into the

brokenness and

harm.

The third

implication of

knowing we are

the body is

I think at

this season in

our church life

is that we're

in a time of

change.

As Dave

Corderwood

looks to

serve in

We War for

the rest of

this year

that's a time

of change.

And for

those who

know David

well that

could be quite

unsettling.

There's going to

be a proper

sense of loss

for his

ministry among

us and

that's right

like any

part of the

body there's

a proper

sense of

loss but

I think it

would be

wrong.

For us to

think that

this church

was dependent

on David's

ministry.

He would

hate for

us to

think that

that it

ever was.

It's always

been the

body.

Every person

ministry.

And as

we release

Dave to go

to We War

do we have

a sense of

partnership in

that?

We're not

trying to

build our

own kingdom.

We War

doesn't have

a pastor.

Okay, let's

release Dave

to go serve

there.

Are we

sharing in

that?

In that, the

body of Christ

being built up

somewhere else?

And a huge

part of what I

think will help

us transition

with Dave

not being

here is if

all of us

know we are

the body.

all those,

every joint

and ligament

doing its

bit.

The final

thing I want

to say is

maybe you've

only known

this church

and you've

been in this

church maybe

for years,

maybe your

whole life,

I don't

know, but

you see it

from that

perspective of

what's in it

for me.

I want to

ask, who's

the me you're

referring to?

Do you

yet know

the me of

being united

to Jesus?

Do you

know the me

of being part

of that family

Don was talking

about in the

kids talk?

Do you know

that me of

being one

with his body

at the church?

Have you

tasted that

yet?

If you

haven't

come to

Jesus,

it's a

taste of

heaven.

Why don't

we pray?

Let's pray.

Oh Lord,

one day

when you

return,

we will

see your

body,

the church,

in all

its glory,

totally under

your lordship

and beautifully

displaying that

mutual concern

and love

for one

another.