The Body of Christ

Scripture: Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. – 1 Corinthians 12:12

In God’s word, the Apostle Paul describes the church not as an Organization, but an Organism – the “Body of Christ.” He goes on in this passage to explain what this means in practical terms:

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being 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 stop being part of the body. (1 Corinthians 12:15-16)

Each member of Christ’s body plays a different yet important role, and is a critical part of the whole.

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!” (1 Corinthians 12:21)

None of us should consider others (or ourselves) to be less important than another. Different does not mean better or worse. The one part that IS supreme is the Head, which is Jesus Christ Himself.

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:26)

If someone steps on your toe, you don’t say, “The toe hurts.” You say, “MY toe hurts.” When you look in the mirror and see pimples, you don’t say, “The face is breaking out,” but “MY face is breaking out.” In the same way, when your brother or sister in Christ is suffering physical or emotional pain, you don’t say, “That’s not my problem.” You go to that person and see how you can help. And if you can’t change the situation, it may be enough just to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

There are two distinct, but equally important, meanings of Christ’s body, the church. One includes every believer in the world, and is commonly called The Church. When you became a Christ-follower, you became part of The Church. But at the same time, every believer is called to become part of a local body or church. It’s in that context that all these relationships happen, and it’s where personal ministry takes place. Next week we will look more closely at relationships in the Body of Christ and what they mean in daily life.

The Power of Prayer

Scripture: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16

Prayer is just lovingly, reverently talking to God. Have you ever heard of the A.C.T.S. of prayer? Each letter stands for one kind of prayer. It is not the only or "right" prayer model, but it can help remind us of some of the basic things to cover when we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer:

A = Adoration (praise)
C = Confession (of sins)
T = Thanksgiving (being grateful to God)
S = Supplication (requests)

Adoration and Praise

Our Creator God is wonderful, and He deserves our praise! That’s why it’s good to start by praising Him. It also gives us a right perspective -- God’s greatness and power compared to our smallness. Jesus began The Lord's Prayer by acknowledging God's fatherly love, goodness, and rule over the earth: "Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10).

Confession of Sins

"Everyone has sinned, [and] we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" (Romans 3:23). "Your sins have cut you off from God" (Isaiah 59:2), but we want to be close to Him! If we confess our sins to the Lord, "He is faithful and just to forgive us" (I John 1:9). Holding onto our sins builds a barrier between us and God. Confessing and repenting of them breaks down that wall.

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

How has God blessed you? How has He shown His love for you? Of course, we are thankful for His blessings. But we can even be grateful for problems and hardships, because He can use those to bring us closer to Himself. The Bible tells us to "be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Supplication and Requests

Jesus taught that we can ask for what we need, and to be persistent in asking: "keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). We can trust that "if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14).

The Gospels record Jesus turning to the Father in prayer time after time, day after day. We are to follow His example and "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

The Power of the Bible

Scripture: Jesus told him, "The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4 Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, 'You must not test the Lord your God.'" Matthew 4:7 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.'" Matthew 4:10

In the Beginning

God has made an amazing universe. We read that "the Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. ... When He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command" (Psalm 33:6, 9). In His account of the Good News, Jesus' friend John declared, "In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone" (John 1:1-4). Jesus was no ordinary man, but actually took part in creating the universe.

Power of the Word

God's people had been told long ago about the power of His Word: "'It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it'" (Isaiah 55:11). Because of that power, God knows all about everything He has made: "the Word of God is alive and powerful. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all Creation is hidden from God. And He is the one to Whom we are accountable" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Trust in the Word

The Apostle Paul taught the young pastor Timothy the importance of being grounded in Scripture: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, we rejoice in knowing that "The instructions of the Lord are perfect, the decrees of the Lord are trustworthy. The laws of the Lord are true; they are more desirable than gold" (Psalm 19).

Teach Them

Scripture: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 

Do you have children? If so, you might know that the Bible instructs us to "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). Taking a new Christian on a path of discipleship can be compared to teaching or training a child. Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it" (Mark 10:14-15).

Faith Like a Child

Jesus taught, "unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3). He said, "anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf is welcoming Me" (Matthew 18:5); your service to a new believer is an act of service to the Lord! But we must be careful to teach only what is in God’s Word. Jesus warned that it would be better to die than to "cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin" (Matthew 18:6).

Gift from the Lord

God loves and highly values every person. His Word tells us that "children are a gift from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3). Your disciple, believing in God with faith like a child's, is also a valuable person to the Lord. Like a child, they can turn to you to gain knowledge of the Lord. If you teach your disciple the ways of the Lord while he or she is "young" in faith, they may be more likely to follow the Lord all their life. Be encouraged: "Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, 'You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings'" (John 8:31).

The Power of a Friend

Scripture: The Lord now chose 72 other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places He planned to visit. Luke 10:1

"I also tell you this: if two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you." Matthew 18:19

 

Next to Jesus, the Apostle Paul is the most prominent character in the New Testament. His story is told in the book of Acts, and his instructional letters (epistles) to his spiritual children make up about half the New Testament books. Being an educated Jewish man and a Roman citizen, Paul had many privileges, including freedom to travel. This enabled him to spread the Gospel across the Roman Empire, preaching and teaching to establish new churches everywhere.

Did He Do It Alone?

Of course, Paul was accompanied and guided by the Holy Spirit. But was that his only support? No! He traveled and worked with different partners and friends throughout his ministry.

First, one day while Christian prophets and teachers in Antioch "were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.' So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way" (Acts 13:2-3). As a team, Paul and Barnabas effectively shared the Gospel and established several churches.

As Paul began his second missionary journey, his team included Timothy, a young disciple whose mother was a Jewish Believer. "They went from town to town, instructing the Believers to follow the decisions made by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day" (Acts 16:4-5).

Silas was yet another ministry companion, and suffered imprisonment with Paul. Through this trial, the Lord used Paul and Silas to lead others, including the jailer, to salvation. And when Paul and Silas rejoined their team, "they met with the Believers and encouraged them once more" (Acts 16:40).

Are You Alone?

Saint Paul was one of the most gifted evangelists ever. Time after time, God provided him with "faithful helpers who served with [him] in the Lord’s work" (Colossians 4:7). If the Lord allowed Paul to rely on partners, you can be sure it can be good for you! Ask the Lord to send someone to join you in the ministry He has for you.