We Are the Body | Viny Costa

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting.

Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org.

Alright, good morning.

Good morning.

Alright, you guys are here with me.

I love that.

Good morning, you watching online.

My name is Vini.

I'm one of the pastors here at Celebration Church.

I'm thankful you are here this morning, and I'm also thankful for the opportunity of sharing God's word with you all today.

We are in our fifth week of our Corinth series.

And by now I think it's clear to all of us that this church in Corinth was a mess.

Not great.

Paul wrote three letters to help them out, but unfortunately the first one is missing and didn't make it into our Bibles.

So when you read 1 Corinthians in your Bible, it's actually the second letter Paul wrote to that community.

Corinth, in what is now Greece, was an intellectual city, but also morally corrupt.

The sport city had a reputation for being one of the most immoral places in the ancient world.

On top of all of the out-of-control sexual behaviors, there were many internal divisions.

This is believers fighting and arguing with each other.

Can you believe that?

Crazy.

There was also confusion about marriage, sex, misunderstanding about Christian freedom and liberty.

There was confusion about spiritual gifts.

And the list goes on.

The church had plenty of knowledge, but was missing love.

The church in Corinth had charisma but no character.

Essentially, it was an immature church heavily influenced by a culture and practices that were not aligned with the word of God.

So Paul wrote three letters to call them to live holy lives, to build community, and to glorify God.

So the practical advice in First Corinthians is still highly relevant for us today.

Studying First Corinthians is holding up a mirror to ourselves and realizing that we are still dealing with the same problems.

Today I want to talk a little bit about the importance of having a correct understanding of what church is.

What church is.

Many people think that the church is just a place we go on Sundays.

Some people think that church is a place to go to develop relationships.

Others might say that the church is the gathering of the saints.

Some will say that the church is the bride of Christ, the church is the hospital for the sick, or a place I go when I need help.

But in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 13 and 14, Paul shares a deeper revelation of what is the church.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

Paul wanted that church in Greece to understand, and Paul wants this church in downtown Orlando to understand that the church is not only a hospital for the sick, the church is not only a place we go on Sundays, the church is not only a place to develop relationships.

Paul wanted us to understand that the church is the body of Christ.

The church is the body of Christ.

Would you please open your Bibles in First Corinthians chapter 12?

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

If you don't have your Bible with you, it's fine.

We have it here for you.

We're gonna start by reading one verse, but we will read a lot today.

1 Corinthians 12, verse 27.

1 Corinthians 12:27

This is what Paul says.

You are the body of Christ, each one of you is a part of it.

You are the body of Christ.

Each one of you is a part of it.

If you are taking notes this morning, I have titled this message We Are the Body.

Let's pray.

God, thank you for this morning.

Thank you for your presence here.

Thank you because we are ready to worship you.

Thank you because we met our brothers and sisters here.

And now we are so ready to receive what you have for us.

So we open up our hearts, we open up our ears so you can speak to us, plant in our hearts the eternal seeds that I will glorify your name and create convictions.

Please be here with us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Alright, my wife and I, we got married in 2011.

And right after our wedding party celebration, we went on our honeymoon.

We flew from Sao Paulo to Punta Cana.

And when we arrived at the hotel, we were just amazed by its size.

I have never been, I've never seen something like that before.

It was just crazy.

The beach was incredible, the pools were amazing, the entertainment was spectacular, and everything was available to us.

It was an all-inclusive type of hotel, so everything was already included in a package we purchased.

All the meals, all the shows, the little trips to the around areas, all the drinks were part of the stay.

I remember the amazing feeling of eating a lot of food in restaurants and then just leaving without paying because it was already covered.

And uh incredible.

And sometimes I wish I just could go to you know, Lazy Moon or Black Bing Delhi, just eat and leave, and you know, good.

Each day at the hotel, we discovered something new and wonderful that was already at our disposal.

Everything was included in a package.

Well, when I think of salvation in Jesus, I like to think that it's similar to this.

It's a package that it's available and has already been paid for.

In this package called salvation, there is reconciliation, regeneration, forgiveness, sanctification, lots of things.

But sometimes we forget of something that it's very precious and it is also in a package, something called adoption.

Are you guys here with me?

Adoption.

So when we are saved, God brings us into his family.

So when we go to church on Sundays, like this one, we are actually going to a family gathering, right?

Right?

I meet my brothers and sisters, we worship God together.

So listen, this is this is very important.

Through salvation in Jesus, we have been added to God's family.

Now we call part of this family celebration church Orlando.

That's us right here.

We're just part of the family, and we call it Celebration Church Orlando.

But Paul calls us body of Christ.

He doesn't call it celebration, he calls us body of Christ.

Corinthians chapter 12, verse 27, he says, You are the body of Christ, each one of you is a part of it.

I find it it's interesting how Paul uses something we are very familiarized with to explain something very complex.

Since we understand the reality of our physical bodies, we can grasp this analogy.

The church is called the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the body.

That's what he's trying to explain.

The church is called the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the body.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, chapter on chapter 4, verse 15: this is what he says.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, so we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ.

Christ is the head of the body.

So we, Celebration Church Orlando, we are actually the body of Christ.

And Christ is the head of the body.

So if we, the church, if we are the body and Jesus is the head, we need to understand that the body cannot survive without the head.

We need to understand that a body without a head is a cadaver.

If the church is the body and Jesus is the head, the survival and health of the body of Christ are directly related to how connected we are to him.

If the church is the body and Jesus is the head, we need to understand that it is Jesus who controls the church, not the government, not the budget.

We need to understand that Jesus is the owner of the church, not the pastor, not the leader, not the elders, not the board.

We need to understand that Jesus is the one who controls the church.

The body obeys the commands of the head.

We are the body, he's the head.

Are you guys here with me?

Okay, we're going deep, we're just starting.

Paul explores this idea of us being the body of Christ even more in 1 Corinthians 12, 12.

This is what he will say.

There is one body.

How many?

There is one body, but it has many parts.

How many bodies?

One body, but it has many parts.

But all its many parts make up one body.

It is the same with Christ.

If we, the church, are the body, Paul is saying there is just one body.

The question that pops up is okay, I got Paul.

The church is the body, but there are millions of churches around the world worshiping God right now.

So how is that possible?

If the church is the body, we have millions of churches.

How?

I don't understand how we are just one body.

Well, the answer is kind of simple.

We are mixing up the body of Christ with denominations.

Denominations is based in different theological views and ministry focuses, which is why we have Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and so on.

And to be very honest with you, this is important.

To have many denominations is important because church is also finding where you feed.

So if you like a loud and expressive type of worship, you might come here.

But if you are into very, very, very, very deep theological teachings, you might go there.

If you are looking for the fire of God, you might check out another place.

Churches might look different, but we are all part of the body of Christ together.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 16, 18, he says, I will build my church.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

That's what Jesus says.

Interesting.

He never said, I will build my churches.

I will build my church.

It's just one, not multiple.

So yeah, there are lots of different churches and denominations with their own vibes, but they all make up one body.

Let's talk about Victor, for example.

He was playing guitar here two seconds ago.

He's the young adults pastor at Vida Church.

He will be there tonight.

Two services here, two services there.

He serves there.

His home church is Vida Church.

Different name, different denomination, but he's here this morning blessing us because he understands multiple churches, one body.

What about Julia?

She's from Vida.

She's the youth pastor of Vida Church.

She will be there tonight.

She was here this morning.

Do you know why?

Because she understands multiple churches, one body.

Are you guys here with me?

So let me summarize what we what we talked about so far.

Paul says that the gathering of God's family is called churches, and all churches together form the body of Christ.

But he also says this body has many parts.

And now he's talking about you and me.

Many parts.

It has many parts.

That's me and you.

Each of us different accents, as you can clearly hear, experiences, different talents, strengths and weaknesses, different backgrounds and stories.

Each of us makes up a part of this church, which is part of the body of Jesus.

So the conclusion that Paul is trying to make us understand here is you are a member of the body.

You are.

Yes.

Who said that?

Yes.

God has shared that with you.

It was the spirit.

Yes.

My favorite fruit is mangoes.

And let me tell you something.

We have more than 30 different types of mangoes in Brazil.

30.

It's fantastic.

But I have two favorites.

We have the ones I love: pink mango and palmer mango.

Let me tell you something.

I was sharing that with Steph the other day.

When we're talking about red fruits, like berries, strawberry, blueberry, all the berries, you guys are great.

You guys have the best fruits.

But if we're talking about yellow fruits, banana, pineapple, mangoes, passion fruit, we destroy you guys.

I'm not trying to no competition.

But I love mangoes.

And then when I see a mango, huh?

When I see it and I want it, my eyes need my hands to go grab it.

And my hands need my mouth to eat it.

The different parts of my body working together in harmony in order for me to eat the mango.

All members of my body is connected.

After the pandemic, a lot of people decided not to return to church.

They reevaluated their lives and started believing that they can be part of the body of the Christ without being connected to other members.

This is a dangerous lie.

It is impossible.

It is impossible to be part of the body and not be connected with other members.

This is what Paul says in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25.

Hebrews 10:25

He goes, and let us not give up meeting together.

Some are in the habit of doing this.

Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope.

Let us do even more as you see Christ's return approaching.

What Paul is saying is, it is impossible to live well with God if you are not connected with the other members.

Let's not do that.

That's why we as a church we encourage you to join a group.

Join a group, don't do life alone.

Because the only way to survive is leaning on each other.

Don't do life alone.

We know the importance of this.

This is not in my script, so I don't need this right now.

But myself and my wife, we know how important that is because when we got here in 2017, we were by ourselves.

And we were like, you know what?

We need other members.

Because if not, we will die.

So we started attended celebration 2017 and we saw joined a group.

And do you know how we felt?

Uncomfortable.

We said, ugh.

We checked the website, we found a group far uh close to us.

We used to live in Windermere, so there was just one group kind of close.

The group was in Winter Garden.

We reached out to the leader, hey, can we come?

She said, Absolutely.

And I remembered the 2017 versions of myself and my wife with the very, very rusty English standing in front of the door of that house thinking, what are we doing?

Who are they?

I don't know who is the craziest.

If it's us coming in or if it's they then welcoming welcoming us in.

They welcomed us.

Do you know how many people show up for the group tonight?

Just us.

And do you know what the lady said?

I'm so happy you guys are here.

I believe God has a calling in my life, and my call is to connect people with people.

I think I want to connect members with members.

Can you guys come back next week for a dinner?

We said, sure.

Next week we were there.

And we met a lovely couple, Kara and Dimitri.

They were there.

Do you know what he did?

They were just connecting members.

That's why we are here today.

Because we need each other.

Join a group, friends.

Members need to be connected to each other.

Are you guys here with me?

Another valuable lesson Paul teaches us is that not only the members are connected, but every member is important.

Look to your neighbor, the one you ignored the first time, and tell you every member is important.

Tell him.

Every member is important.

Look what Paul says on verse 15.

He said, Suppose the food says, I am not a hand, so I don't belong to the body, by saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.

And suppose the ear says, I am not an eye, so I don't belong to the body.

By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear?

If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell?

God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be.

If all the parts were the same, how could that be there be a body?

As it is, there are many parts, but there is only come on.

Again, Paul saying just one body formed by many members, and they are all equally important.

Somewhere along the line, people in church started valuing certain talents over others.

This is a lie.

This is unhealthy.

We are equally important.

So let me tell you this: singing on a stage isn't more important than taking care of kids.

Taking care of kids isn't more important than serving on production.

Serving on production isn't more important than those who is in a welcome, connect, and care team.

Each of us with our individual talents does different things in the body, and this diversity is beautiful.

Eyes, ears, mouth, nose.

So some will take pictures in the service, and some will lead a group.

Some will go to OCC on second Saturdays, and some will help with setup and breakdown.

Some will preach the word or try to, and some will handle security during service.

We, the members, we are different from each other, but we are equally important.

Where is he?

Not here.

Probably in the back.

Joan Stevens, he's a man of many talents.

Every time we need something built out of wood, we call Joan.

Sometimes it's to build a cross, sometimes it's to build a mobile studio, sometimes it's to build Christmas stuff.

But every time we need, we call him.

And he always helps.

Her name is Moniz.

I'm sure you you will meet her.

She is the opposite of being shy.

So if out of nowhere you see somebody kissing you on a cheek is Moniz, probably she has a gift of hospitality.

Her willingness to be a member of the body blesses other members.

Can you guys do me a favor?

Can you all look at Joe?

That guy right there.

Look at him.

Sorry, Joe.

Do you know what Joe is doing right now?

Joe is running cameras and controlling audio at the same time.

That member is overloaded right now.

And I pray that you understand that you are a member of a body of Christ, and when you don't do your part, other members suffer.

He could be just running cameras, and someone else could be running audio, right?

The excuses can be endless.

Hey Vinny, there are already plenty of people serving.

Hey Vinnie, listen, there are so many skilled people already doing the work.

Vinny, I don't know how I can help.

Let me tell you this.

You are just as important as the other members, and what you bring to the table is unique and valuable.

So if you are ready to share who you are and what you have, we can help you take the next step.

If you understand that you are a valuable member of the body and you are ready to serve, stop by the tent and we will help you out.

I'm almost done.

Are you guys here with me?

Let me summarize again, okay?

We're talking about a lot of stuff, so let me summarize again.

There is only one, and Christ is the.

This body is made up of many or members, good.

I had members here.

This body is made up of many members, and that's you and me.

Each member needs to be connected to the others, and no member is more important than the another.

After this, you can stop at the 10 and get your theology certificate.

You have passed the test.

Now that we understand what Paul is teaching in these chapters, I want to wrap up by talking about the care we need to take with the body.

Just like you and I take care of our physical bodies, at least we try, we need to pay attention and take care of the body of Christ as well.

So the first essential thing for the body is food, the body can't thrive without being fed.

Brianna is with me.

I see it.

The body can't thrive without being fed.

You've probably noticed that no matter how much you have eaten in your life, and some of us have eaten a lot, if you stop feeding your body, it will eventually die.

The body of Christ also needs nourishment.

And that nourishment is the word of God.

Come on, after Jesus being baptized by John, he fasted for 40 days.

During that time, the devil tempted him in the desert.

And the devil said, Hey, hey, Jay, listen.

Jesus, you must be hungry.

Why not turn these stones into bread?

But Jesus replied in Matthew 4:4.

Matthew 4:4

This is incredible.

This is what Jesus said.

Man must not live only on bread.

So Jesus is talking about our physical bodies, right?

Man must not live only on bread, but he must also live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

The body needs bread.

The body of Christ needs the word of God.

Are you committed to reading, studying, and applying God's word in your life?

Can you imagine how much stronger the body of Christ would be if every member in every church dedicated just 10 more minutes to the Word of God each day?

The second essential thing for the body is growth.

The body needs to grow.

It would be weird if Amelia is 37 years old looking like a 10-year-old girl.

The body needs to grow.

I look at my five years old daughter, and sometimes it is hard for me to believe how quickly she's growing.

Not just in size, but also in maturity.

The body of Christ needs to grow too.

And for that, we need the Holy Spirit.

We need the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit pours out what we need to mature and become stronger.

In chapter 12, starting on verse 7, Paul says that the Spirit is available to pour out spiritual gifts on the members of the body.

And these gifts will help us mature and grow.

Let me tell you this for many years, and even here in the Corinth church, these nine gifts have been used as a way to show off spirituality.

People would say, look how spiritual they are.

They interpret tongues and or perform miracles.

But in reality, folks, the gifts of the spirit are meant to bless the body.

To make us strong and mature.

For the what?

It's for us.

To one there is given through the spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same spirit, to another, faith by the same spirit, to another, gifts of healing by that one spirit, to another miraculous power, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirit, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and he distributes them to each one just as he determines gifts for the body, so we can grow and mature.

This tool is available to us, and Paul encourages us to seek these gifts.

Can you imagine how mature the body would be if all members of all churches dedicated time to seek the spirit and receive the gift?

Not to show off spirituality, but to bless the body.

Last thing.

Third thing.

The third essential thing for the body is health.

The body needs to be healthy.

Last month we had an amazing opportunity to go to Utah.

What a weird state.

We love it.

It's amazing, it's very unique.

We love it.

And then my wife said, I think we should go to the Zion National Park.

And I was like, I have no idea what that is, but since you said, we're going for sure.

And when we got there, I had an encounter with God.

It was it was incredible.

It was beautiful.

And she was very exciting, excited for this very specific hike called the Narrows.

Come on.

It's a trail that goes through the river.

So we're excited.

I'm excited.

She's excited.

First time hiking.

Serena is, come on, we're ready.

But when we got to the trailhead, there was a big sign saying there is a harmful bacteria in the river that's dangerous to your health.

But we are Brazilians.

But my wife was like, I don't know if we should do this.

Serena is excited, I'm excited.

No, forget about it.

We'll be fine.

It's a bacteria in this gigantic river, thousands of people crossing the river.

Come on, we'll be fine.

And after debating, do you know what we decide to do?

We decided not to do the hike because we didn't want to risk contaminating our bodies with the bacteria.

The body cannot be contaminated.

There are many things that seek to contaminate the body and make it sick.

Can I give you some examples?

Gossip.

Lies.

What about members hurting other members of the same body?

Envy.

Things that want to contaminate the body.

That's why when we're here together, before doing anything, we need to ask ourselves is this healthy for the body?

What I'm doing right now is healthy for the body.

Can you imagine how healthy the body of Christ would be if all members of all churches dedicated time to not allow contamination in the body?

I want to end with this.

Now I'm ending.

Worship if you want to come.

Worship if you want to come.

I want to end with this.

Pay attention.

If we are all members of the body of Christ, we just need to do what Christ did.

Christ performed miracles, Christ multiplied loaves, he raised the dead.

Jesus worked, Jesus took care of his family, Jesus made disciples.

But if I had to sum up what Christ did on earth in one phrase, I would say he reached the lost, he equipped the found, he helped the hurting.

This is what Jesus did.

May God help us understand that as part of his body we are called to do what he did.

May He help us realize that all the different denominations are united in one purpose to be one with Him.

And though we are one body, we're all different members of this body.

We need each other, we rely on each other, and no one is more important than the rest.

Let's nourish the body, let's seek the gifts so the body can grow.

Let's keep the body healthy so that together we can reach the lost, we can equip the found.

We can help the hurting, whether in Corinth or Orlando.

Do you receive this word this morning?

God, thank you so much.

Thank you so much because you adopted us into your family.

Thank you because you made us new.

Thank you, Jesus, because there are lots of denominations out there, but we are all together in this purpose of being one body.

Thank you because we are all members of the body and we need each other.

It's impossible.

Survive if we are disconnected.

God, thank you because we understood that we are different members of the body, but we are equally important.

Thank you, Jesus, because we understand that the body needs food and that's your word.

Thank you, Jesus, because we understand that the body needs to grow, and that's the spirit and the gifts.

Thank you, Jesus, because we understand that the body needs to be healthy and we want to avoid contamination, Jesus.

Thank you because with you we will reach the lost, we will equip the found, and we will have the help the hurting.

To your glory, we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting.

Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.