The Body of Christ

(1Cor 12.12-27)

Test printed on a sheet for the congregation.

Those of you who have been coming to the Lent Course will know that we've been thinking about "What's the Church like? ...and what's the church for?"

For the benefit of those who've not been coming, I want to summarise one or two things we've been thinking about.

1. The church is primarily about PEOPLE and not BUILDINGS. When the apostles first started the church, they didn't have a word for 'church' in their vocabulary. ...imagine that the word 'church' didn't exist in English, what would we call ourselves?

Well the first Christians, took a an ordinary word from everyday use, ...the Greek word "ECCLESIA", ...which meant "a gathering of PEOPLE".

That's what the church is, ...not the building, but a gathering of people.

2. The New Testament writers uses a variety of analogies to describe the church. ...and on the course we've been thinking about what each of them tells us about the church.

Jesus described the church as a plant, ..."I am the vine", he said, "and you are the branches".

Peter described the members of the church as "living stones", which are put together to built something useful.

When Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, he described the church as "the Bride of Christ", ...which says something about how we are meant to be pure and holy.

And, as we heard in our Epistle reading this morning, when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth, he described the church as the 'Body of Christ'.

That's the passage that I want us to focus on this morning, and to go into a bit more depth than time permitted on the Lent Course.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Sermon text here...

Paul begins, not by pointing out our differences, but by emphasising our unity. In that paragraph, he uses the word "One" four times.

People talk about the inequalities in our society, ...the North - South divide, ...racial inequalities, ...male - female inequalities, ...but 2000 years ago such divisions were even greater.

Jews and Gentiles were poles apart, ...slavery was accepted as the norm. And so if Paul could say to the Christians in Corinth: "we are all one ...whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free" ...then it must certainly be true of Christians today.

And why are we all one? ...because we all have the same Spirit. If we are Christians, then the Holy Spirit lives with in us, ...and that Spirit which unites us is far more important than any superficial differences that divide us.

It's a tragedy that the world-wide church has allowed differences to become so important to us. When people look at the world-wide church, do they see Unity?

Sadly, often they don't, ...just look at Northern Ireland.

My perception is that the situation is slowly changing. During the past 20 years, churches of all denominations have started to work together in a way that they've not in the past. Take, for example the J. John Mission that's happening in the Cathedral during May. It's a joint project by Christians throughout the City, ...of all denominations. And that's how it should be.

And when people look at St Christopher's Church, what do they see? I hope and pray that they will see a group of people who are working together to bring about God's purposes in the community and beyond.

And our unity is symbolised by us coming together each week, and especially through the breaking of bread together. As we say in the communion service:

"Though we are many, we are one body,

because we all share in one bread"

[And incidentally, I'm thrilled to say that there are over a dozen adults in our church who want to be confirmed later this year, ...so that they too can share in the bread and wine. If you you've not been confirmed, but want to find out more, please have a word with me after the service.]

But just because we are all one body, does not mean we are all the same. Life would be very boring if we were! We all have, different gifts, different interests and different views.

I like the cartoon of a jury that has retired to the consider the verdict of a trial, and the foreman is passing the lunch order to one of the court officials. And the caption says: You can tell that the jury is going to be out for a long time, when you hear the order: "Eleven cheese-burgers and one hot dog. Eleven coffees and one hot chocolate. Eleven fruit pies, and one cheesecake."

God not only made us to be one, he also made each of us to be unique. There's no-one else like you in the whole world. ...And so Paul continues:

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be 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 be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

If you are a Christian, then you are part of the Body whether you like it or not!

Do you ever feel that you don't quite fit in?

Do you ever feel that everyone else is having a great time on a Sunday morning, but you're not? ...That everyone else in the church knows each other really well, but you feel a bit on the outside?

Or that everyone else has got all sorts of useful gifts to offer the church, ...but you haven't got any.

If you ever feel that you don't quite belong, then read this passage again.

If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

In other words, ...if you are a Christian, then you ARE part of the body, whether you like it or not.

I think that the Devil has two main tactics in this world. His first tactic is to do his utmost to stop people from becoming Christians. But if he fails with that, his next tactic is to make people doubt that they really belong.

How we look upon ourselves has an enormous impact upon the things we do.

At the moment we are trying to teach Jennie how to ride a bike. She is certainly strong enough to ride a bike, ...she's got the physical skills to ride a bike, ...but there's one problem. At the moment she doesn't believe she can ride a bike.

As long as she know's that I'm there behind her, gently holding onto her seat, she's fine, ...but as soon as a step away she starts to wobble, because she doesn't yet believe that she can ride a bike on her own. ...But soon she will.

In the similar way, the devil sows seeds of doubts into our minds. And one of his favourites is to make is double that we really belong.

I'm convinced that God called me and my family to this church for a reason. And I'm very grateful to everyone of you for helping us to feel that we belong here.

But I'm equally convinced that God has called you to this church for a reason. I believe that you belong here, ...do you believe it?

If you don't, then please take this sheet home with you, and read this section again, ...and ask God to show you why you belong.

But we belong, not just for the 'feel-good factor', but for a purpose. The 'Body of Christ' exists not just to enjoy it's relationship with God, (although that is part of it), ...but for a special purpose.

And the purpose is to do those things that Jesus did when he was living on earth. That is why we are called, 'The Body of Christ'.

And this passage tells us that we each have a part to play.

And that's really exciting, because from my own experience, I've discovered that there is nothing more satisfying in life than doing the things that God has called you to do.

And again, from my one experience, you will know that you have found that part to play because:

- it is something that you are good at; and,

- it is something that you enjoy, and that you find fulfilling.

For some of you, it might be something that you've always wanted to do, ...and God has put this desire in you.

For others, it will be something that you never imagined doing, and God will really surprise you.

20 years ago I never thought I would be a vicar.

For all of us it takes a bit of trial and error. Over the years I've tried some things that I've been hopeless at, ...and other things that I've been good at, but hated doing.

Neither were right. I was a foot trying to the job of a hand.

As a church we need to give each other permission to try things, and to give things up if we find that we've been trying to do something that's not right for us.

But for us as individuals, the motivation to have a go comes from the belief that each one of us IS part of the body, ..and that God has called us here for a purpose.

So if that last paragraph is all about how we see ourselves, the next paragraph is about how we are to see one another.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

If my ideal church is one where people are encouraged to feel that they belong, ...and where people have the freedom to experiment with what God is calling them to. Then the opposite is a church where people are given the message "We don't need you."

It must have been happening in churches 2000 years ago, (or Paul wouldn't have needed to address this issue), and it still happens today.

Paul's main point is that everyone is needed, because everyone is unique, and then he goes on to address some specific issues:

1. When we have discovered our own part, we must be careful that we don't undermine other people. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!"

And yet it can be so easily done. When long standing members leave a church, it is sometimes because they think they are no longer needed, or wanted.

Often those who criticise others do so because they feel lacking in confidence. It is part of our fallen human nature, that when we feel undervalued, one of the things that can make us feel better is to pull other people down. Of you watch the soaps, they do it all the time!

One of the most important gifts in the church is the gift of encouragement, ...and yet it is also one of the rarest. Perhaps your role in the church is to help build other people up, by words of encouragement.

2. Those who work behind the scenes are just as important as those who have 'up-front' roles like me.

I for one are very grateful for the many things that get done in this church behind the scenes.

We all need one another. That is a fact.

We also need to demonstrate that fact by the things we do and say. And so Paul again reminds them.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.

Amen.