THE CHURCH:
ONE BODY OF CHRIST WITH MANY MEMBERS. YOU AND I ARE MEMBERS OF IT
(1 Corinthians 12:12-20) [12]For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ.
[13]For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit.
[14]For the body is not one member, but many.
[15]If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand,
I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
[16]And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the
eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
[17]If the whole body were an eye, where were the
hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
[18]But now hath God set the members every one of them
in the body, as it hath pleased him.
[19]And if they were all one member, where were the
body?
[20]But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD AND FOUNDER OF HIS CHURCH.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the
head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
( Matthew 16:18-19 ) [18]And I say
also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
[19]And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
*
Christ bought His Church with His own precious blood:
( Ephesians 5:25-27 ) [25]Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
[26]That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word,
[27]That he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.
* ( 1 Peter 1:18-19 ) [18]Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
[19]But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot:
2. THE CHURCH IS ONE BODY OF CHRIST, COMPOSED OF MANY MEMBERS .
( 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ) [12]For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being
many, are one body: so also is Christ.
[13]For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit.
[14]For the body is not one member, but many.
*
Every Church member is saved, baptized, and added to the Church:
( Acts 2:46-47 ) [46]And they,
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
[47]Praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
* ( Acts 2:41 ) Then they that
gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto
them about three thousand souls.
3. THE CHURCH, AS ONE BODY, WORKS TOGETHER ACCORDING TO THE GIFTS AND
TALENTS GOD HAS GIVEN THEM.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31 [27]Now ye are
the body of Christ, and members in particular.
[28]And God hath set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
[29]Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all
teachers? are all workers of miracles?
[30]Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?
[31]But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I
unto you a more excellent way.
*
Every Church member who receives a particular gift or talent is ready to
participate in the work of the Lord as one body of Christ:
( Romans 12:6-11 ) [6]Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
[7]Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he
that teacheth, on teaching;
[8]Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that
giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that
sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9]Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which
is evil; cleave to that which is good.
[10]Be kindly affectioned one to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
[11]Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit;
serving the Lord;
4. THE
CHURCH IS ENTRUSTED WITH ONE GREAT COMMISSION FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO
FULFILL.
( Mathew 28:19-20 ) [19]Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20]Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world. Amen.
* The Lord Jesus Christ is our prime model in
fulfilling the Great Commission of God:
( John 9:4-5 ) [4]I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man
can work.
[5]As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the
world.
*
Paul is also a good example of fulfilling the Great Commission of the
Lord Jesus Christ:
( I Corinthians 9:19-22 ) [19]For though
I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might
gain the more.
[20]And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might
gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might
gain them that are under the law;
[21]To them that are without law, as without law,
(being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain
them that are without law.
[22]To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain
the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
*
Peter is also a good model in fulfilling the Great Commission of the
Lord Jesus Christ:
( Acts 2:36-41 ) [36]Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
[37]Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and
brethren, what shall we do?
[38]Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[39]For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
[40]And with many other words did he testify and
exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
[41]Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls.
*
The Jerusalem Church is also a great example of fulfilling the Great
Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ:
( Acts 6: 4-7 ) [4]But we will
give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
[5]And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and
they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch:
[6]Whom they set before the apostles: and when they
had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
[7]And the word of God increased; and the number of
the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the
priests were obedient to the faith.
5. THE
CHURCH IS PROMISED TO BE WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AT HIS COMING.
( I Thessalonians 4:13-18 ) [13]But I would
not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14]For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
[15]For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep.
[16]For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17]Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.
[18]Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
*
Christ commanded His Church to be ready at His coming:
( Mathew 24:45-47 ) [44]Therefore
be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
[45]Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his
lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
[46]Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he
cometh shall find so doing.
[47]Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him
ruler over all his goods.
God bless
you always!
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