Blessing of Belonging in Christ

u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003eIntroductionu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson this week moves us into the final unit of lessons for this quarter.  The title for the third and final unit of lessons is:  Blessing of u003cemu003eGrace u003c/emu003ein Christ.  Grace, we know, is the u003cemu003eunmerited u003c/emu003e(undeserved) love of God.  What have you and I done for the Lord to love us?  God simply loves us for who we are; even when we were sinners He loved us.  Our lesson this week takes a look at how we should be thankful for the gifts God has given to us and how we ought to work together using those gifts.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading u002du002du003enu003ch2u003e The Body of Christu003c/h2u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennScripture prior to the scripture covered in our lesson today, speaks about u003cemu003espiritual giftsu003c/emu003e.  As Paul said, there are u003cemu003ediversities u003c/emu003eof gifts but the u003cemu003esame u003c/emu003eSpirit is the one that gives those gifts (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor.+12%3A4u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Cor. 12:4u003c/au003e).  Along those same lines, there are differences of ministries, but the same Lord (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor+.12%3A5u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Cor .12:5u003c/au003e).  Paul would go on to say that there are diversities of activities but it is the same God who works all in all for the purpose of uplifting (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor.+12%3A6-7u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Cor. 12:6-7u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSadly, what we find happening in the Church – the congregation of all that genuinely believe – is that envy and jealousy begins to raise their ugly head.  With the body of Christ, there are some who envy the gifts that others have received from the Lord, and when they do this, they end up looking down on their own gift.  This is something that should u003cemu003enot u003c/emu003ebe happening in the body of Christ, as we will see Paul say here in our lesson this week.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eAll parts are significantu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennOur lesson opens with Paul speaking about the body and how there are many parts to the body (v.14).  At this point, Paul is speaking figuratively of the body of Christ by beginning to speak about our physical body.  Our bodies are made up of multiple parts, right?  There’s our head that has eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth.  Then we have our neck that turns our heads, our arms for holding and carrying, our legs for walking and running, and our feet hold all of it so that we actually can stand up.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, when we think of our physical bodies, we could not say that one part is more significant than the other can we?  Some would certainly try to argue it but that would simply be a foolish argument to get into.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWith that understanding in mind, look what Paul brings up in the next few verses.  He covers the foot talking to a hand with the foot thinking it’s not part of the body (v.15).  Then the ear spoke to the eye and felt that because it wasn’t the eye, it wasn’t part of the body (v.16).  Of course, if we heard the parts of our body saying these things to each other, we would tell our parts to stop being silly because each are u003cemu003eequally u003c/emu003eimportant, right?nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThis is what it was like for Paul as we see in his letter to the Corinthians; it was likely some people felt that they were not a significant part of the body of Christ.  Why would anyone feel that way?  As we will see in the later verses of our lesson today, it came to the role some were serving, u003cemu003eor not servingu003c/emu003e, in the body of Christ.  Again, there were some who were jealous and envious of the gifts that others had, but they did not have.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThere were some that wished they were an apostle or a prophet, but the Lord placed them in the body to do something else that they felt was not significant.  You and I should never think this way.  As Paul says here in our lesson, God is going to place us in the body of Christ where He pleases (v.18).  We must remember what Paul said in his second letter to Timothy:  when the Lord has sanctified us, either way He uses us, we are still a vessel of u003cemu003ehonoru003c/emu003e for every good work (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Tim.+2%3A21u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e2 Tim. 2:21u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eYou are needed, you are importantu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennTo speak to each vessel’s importance in the body, Paul again, speaking of our body, talks about how the eye can’t say to the hand, “I have no need of you (v.21).”  We would not be able to touch, hold, or carry anything without our hands; we could only admire but at some point in time, we love to be able to touch and hold, rather than just see.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAgain, the point that Paul is making is that none of us would look at any part of our body and think that no part is needed; we need our feet, our legs, our stomachs, arms, hands, neck, and heads.  Not only that but we need our muscles, joints, tendons, and skeleton or we would just fall apart.  Every single part of our body, we know and learn, is of the utmost importance (vss.22-23).  For all of us who have our working parts, we should be thankful for it.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWhen it comes to the body of Christ, the Lord understands that every single true believer (member of the body) is u003cemu003eimportant u003c/emu003eto the body.  Paul writes, “God composed the body, having given u003cemu003egreater honor u003c/emu003eto that part which lacks it, that there should be no u003cemu003eschism u003c/emu003ein the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another (vss.24-25).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSome of us go to church and we think to ourselves, “u003cemu003eI wish I could sing like u003c/emu003ethat person does; why didn’t God give me that gift?”  Some of us watch the preacher preach and instead of heeding the word of encouragement and the teaching, we think, “I wish God gave me that gift, but God didn’t give me anything at all.”  Paul is essentially looking at you and telling you to stop thinking or feeling that way.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Parable of Talents (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.+25%3A14-30u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003eMatt. 25:14-30u003c/au003e) comes to mind u003cemu003eevery time u003c/emu003eI discuss this passage of scripture about the varying gifts.  In that parable, Jesus speaks of a certain owner that gave to one of his servants 5 talents, to another 2 talents, and to another he gave 1 talent.  The two servants that had received 5 and 2 talents, invested in and used their talents and u003cemu003egrew u003c/emu003ewhat they had.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe servant that received the one talent did u003cemu003enothingu003c/emu003e with his talent because he didn’t think much of it; it wasted away and the owner got frustrated with him.  So, the owner gave the one talent to the one that initially was given five talents and doubled them.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe lesson I have always learned from the parable of talents is that you should never think u003cemu003elittle u003c/emu003eabout what the Lord has given to you (blessed you with); this is the absolute worst thing that you can do.  Paul was trying to teach this same lesson to the Corinthians when it came to how they were treating their blessings from the Lord — don’t think little of your blessings.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:heading {u0022levelu0022:3} u002du002du003enu003ch3u003eA more excellent wayu003c/h3u003enu003c!u002du002d /wp:heading u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennNow, there is a word mentioned here in this statement that I also want to focus on as well as I believe this was also the main purpose for Paul writing.  Paul, again, wrote, “God composed the body, having given u003cemu003egreater honor u003c/emu003eto that part which lacks it, that there should be no u003cemu003eschism u003c/emu003ein the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another (vss.24-25).”nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSchism:  division, separation; discord, disharmony.  Last spring, we learned about the divisions that had been taking place in the church at Corinth; one such division, you might recall, was over only going to listen to one’s favorite preacher rather than just heeding the sound doctrine from those teaching it (u003ca href=u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Cor.+1%3A10-17u0026amp;version=NKJVu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003e1 Cor. 1:10-17u003c/au003e).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennWell, I believe we can add something else that had been causing divisions in the early church – spiritual gifts and callings.  I believe that there were some who were not pleased with the idea that their gift was not great or that God simply did not give them a gift and they envied others.  This envy and jealousy is the stuff that leads to divisions; to schisms.  I have seen this stuff personally happen and heard of it happening in congregations as well and this should u003cemu003enot u003c/emu003ebe happening in the church at all.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Lord has honored every single member in the body of Christ to where we should not look down on ourselves nor should we envy the gifts and callings of others.  Paul asked, “u003cemu003eAreu003c/emu003e all apostles? u003cemu003eAreu003c/emu003e all prophets? u003cemu003eAreu003c/emu003e all teachers? u003cemu003eAreu003c/emu003e all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret (vss.29-30)?”  Absolutely not.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennThe Lord has blessed me with and called me to preach and to teach; I do both to the best of my ability.  Do I teach or preach like my dad?  No.  And I tell you, it is completely fine that I do not teach or preach like my dad did.  I also tell you that it is completely fine that I do not have the gift of singing.  I literally just finished speaking with my mom and telling her she has far better patience with dealing with certain people than I do because my limit can be short with certain people.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennAll of us have been blessed with different gifts and all of us have different callings.  From a worldly perspective, we would try to place these gifts and callings into some sort of ranking system.  However, spiritually speaking, as Paul said, I show a more excellent way.  The excellent way that Paul is speaking of is that the Lord has placed each member where He has for the purpose of u003cemu003eedifying u003c/emu003e(uplifting and profiting) the entire body of Christ (v.31).nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e u003c!u002du002d wp:paragraph u002du002du003ennSo, never think little of yourself, your gift, or calling from the Lord.  As the title of our lesson for today says, it is a blessing to belong in and be a member in the body of Christ.nnu003c!u002du002d /wp:paragraph u002du002du003e