The Body of Christ

Text related to this week's sermon/discussion at The River: 1 Corinthians 12:4-27

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

So... if you've ever read Paul's epistles (letters to the churches) in the New Testament, it soon becomes apparent that he really believes that everyone in the body of Christ has a role in serving God's kingdom. No one is a spectator in church... if they have been baptized into the family, then God pours out His Spirit to empower them for service. And it's not an option to hesitate or contemplate... all believers are expected to participate in building up the church.


After 17+ years as a Christian, and a decade in pastoral ministry, I can say without hesitation that it simply don't work that way in good ole' America. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave... and quite frankly, the place of arm-folding unwillingness to get involved or become overextended. I don't think Paul would be able to relate to our time-honored rule of 80/20... do you?


Anyway, I don't know how many churches existed in the city of Corinth when Paul wrote this letter - probably just the one - but in our world churches are pretty numerous to say the least. With so many choices I suppose, combined with a society that is radically-individualistic and consumeristic... churches don't really tend toward diversity in our country. Oh sure, there is some level of diversity in church congregations... but for the most part, we've kind of divided ourselves into various groups of people with shared interests, beliefs, and socioeconomic lifestyles. Me, in all my idealistic beliefs... hmmm,  I just think that's a sad commentary on God's people. I think Paul might agree.


In a somewhat related manner... I guess because of the more-or-less market driven economics of churches today, many if not most people do quite a lot of "shopping around" (in a Goldilocks kind of way) for the church that seems "just right". And, when they find that perfect church that doesn't seem to small, or too big, or too political, or too liberal, or too charismatic, or too doctrinal, or too whatever... they also tend to dip their toes in the water for a very, very long time before they decide to dive in to the community - and therefore find a place to serve God within His body. Unfortunately though, some folks never really come to that place of trust (and obedience)... so instead of getting involved and finding a place to serve... in all practical terms they function as nothing more than permanent visitors over the weeks, months, and years. I don't think they intend to come across with a "serve me" attitude, but that's exactly what they convey when they habitually come late, listen, nod (or shake their head), enjoy a bit of fellowship, throw a few bucks into the offering... and then leave as soon as the service is over... without another thought about church (or kingdom work) until the following Sunday.


That's not participation - especially over time - it's mere observation.... and it's not what Christ wants for His children. Everywhere you go in the New Testament, you hear the same message over and over: When you give your heart to God through Jesus Christ, He transforms your mind and - if you're willing to receive it - gives you an unyielding passion for participation in His glorious kingdom. In fact... in order to demonstrate that He sets our soul on fire and equips us to jump in to this awesome (if not wholly dangerous) new adventure, God generously pours out His Spirit on us and gives us a whole new meaning and purpose - one freed from this world and made fit for His kingdom. And He does not just do this for the beautiful people either... or the rich people... or the popular people... or the brilliant people. Nope, God freely gives His Spirit to anyone and everyone who cries out to Jesus and proclaims Him to be Lord and Savior... to anyone and everyone who has the faith of even a mustard seed!


So imagine how God feels when He gives this precious, heavenly gift to His new creation... only to see them waste it by never even attempting to unwrap it. Instead, it just gets placed in a religious closet and never taken seriously.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Hmmmm... so here are my questions, Christian believer: What gift has God given you? What is your role in building up the body of Christ? Are you using it for His glory?

Bring the Fire

Over the next two weeks at The River, we'll focus on a portion of the prophet Elijah's story found in 1 Kings 17-18 (TM).  Elijah was a man of extreme faith, and he walked with God in an incredibly powerful way.

The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, "So it's you, old troublemaker!" "It's not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government—you've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals."    -1 Kings 18:17-18

Okay, here's the deal: Ahab was an evil king... a very evil king in the northern kingdom of Israel who led his people into worshipping Ba'al, representing the false gods of the people who previously dwelled in Israel's promised land. Ahab also supported worship of the "whore goddess" Asherah, yet another false deity, glibly and stubbornly embraced by the Israelite people.


The sin of Ahab and the whole Israelite community was so bad that Elijah, as God's messenger, confronted Ahab and told him there was going to be a severe drought in the land for the next several years. Then, being the smart man that he was, Elijah hightailed it out of Ahab's presence, and hid a cave until God told him to come out.  :-)


Eventually, Elijah confronted Ahab again... prompting the quote referred to above in 18:17-18. By this time, it had been 3 1/2 years since it had rained on the land, and people were desperate for water - both for themselves and for their livestock. So, in a bold act of faith, Elijah challenged Ahab to see who was the true god of Israel, Ba'al, or Yahweh. He told the king to assemble the people of Israel, especially the 450 prophets of Ba'al, and the 400 prophets of Asherah - and challenged them meet him on top of Mt. Carmel for a dramatic contest between deities.


I particularly love what Elijah had to say to the Israelite people just before the contest began... he definitely wasn't a man who minced his words!

How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!

How long indeed! If you want to know the details of what happens in the contest, you'll have to read about it in 1 Kings 18... but suffice to say Yahweh rather graphically demonstrates that He alone is the One True God in Israel!


Wow... it's a good thing we're not like the Israelites, huh? I mean, how stupid could they be bowing down to objects they had made with their own hands. How primitive to erect a pole on their property dedicated to a supposedly fertile goddess named Asherah! How stupid that God had done so much for them... had proven Himself over and over again, and yet they turned away from Him at the drop of a hat! How crazy is that? Why in the world would people not worship the One who made them... the One who gave them the gift breath and life... the One who watched over them... the One who rescued them from their enemies... the One who fed them, and kept them clothed, and gave them water to drink (that is, except when Elijah prayed for the drought)??? How could anyone... ANY group of people be that hard-hearted and stubborn in rejecting their Father in heaven? Utterly insane, huh? Geez, I'm glad we're not so dumb.


Anyway... gotta go now. ABC's Wipeout will be on in awhile, and I absolutely can't miss an episode! Then, after that I have to update my Twitter account, and check on my friends' activities on Facebook... after that I need to get to the store to buy a lotto ticket... then, oh, I gotta check out the latest Castle eipsode on Hulu, then finish the night off by watching Hawaii Five-O on our DVR then playing a few hands of poker on my smart phone. Busy, busy, busy...! (Hmmm, what book in the Bible were we supposed to be reading this week again?)