The Body of Christ

Well, it does feel good in the presence of the Lord, doesn't it? Amen. It also feels good in the presence of the people of God. We're going to focus on that today in this lesson. Good to see faithful saints here today. And thankful that you are able to hear God's word. Come together. And if you're joining us online, we invite you to tune in and listen to what the word of the Lord has to say this morning. Going to be reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Brother Carden took the first part of the chapter for us and I told him I was going to do the second half.

So we're going to begin at verse 12. Begin reading there. Paul says, "For as the body is one and hath many members, and all members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we bond or free. We've all been made to drink into one spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. And if the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand, I'm not the of the body, it is there is it therefore not of the body.

And if the ear shall say, because I'm not the eye, I'm not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? If the whole were hearing, where would you smell? But now God hath set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleasth him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet one body? And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Neay much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our uncumbly parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need. But God hath tempered the body together having giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked. that there should be no schism or division in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. Obviously, we're going to talk about the body of Christ today.

Paul used the word one 27 times in first Corinthians and 13 of those were in chapter 12. So, he just keeps hammering on this idea. We are one. We are one. We are together. In fact, he used another Greek word that could be translated one or sometimes one another. And he used that another word. He used the word together some 12 times in the book of first Corinthians as translated in the King James. So these two Greek words together could also translate to assist to to struggle together to cohabitate to work together to labor together.

So I think what we get at is Paul is emphasizing here to this very divided church the essential need for unity in the in the Corinthian church and certainly he had reason for drilling that principle of unity into their heads because as we have read and as we've studied as we've gone through this chapter there were very many divisions among them a lot of things that separated them and drove them apart from from who they almost worshiped those that they came under whether it was Paul or Apollos or Peter or Jesus. And and so they divided into factions that way.

They divi divided into social economic factions. We talked about how at times of communion they would separate into the wealthy that would feast and the poor that would go hungry. And and so there were just all these different divisions in that church. And if Paul knew that if he didn't get that straighten out, the church just wouldn't last. We have to come together as a unified body church. If we're all on a different page, it just doesn't work. Whether in Corinth or in our own churches, the body of Christ must strive for a unity. In fact, Paul said it this way in verse 13 that we read.

For by one spirit, we're all baptized into one body, whether Jews, Gentiles, bond or free. In other words, it really doesn't matter what we are, our our nation we come through, our bond free. He's talking there about slaves which is very common there. Basically, wherever you are in life, it does not matter. He said, "We have all been made to drink into one spirit." So, the thing that binds us together first off is the spirit of God. God is one and there's only one spirit that he pours out. There's only one Holy Ghost. I've heard people say, "Well, they don't have the same Holy Ghost I have." Well, they either have the Holy Ghost or they don't.

And if they do, it's the same one. Now, they may not be living all they may not be walking after the spirit. They may not be following it like they need to, but the Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost. And when you receive that spirit, it needs to be and it intends to be a unifying force in the church. And so Paul taught that the purpose of the Holy Ghost was ultimately to change us to become like Jesus, right? To become more and more like him. You see, he he's not interested in every Christian being identical, but he does desire for the spirit to work in us, to change us, to produce a unity of the spirit, and to help us to grow into what we need to be in him.

And so, the body is made up of believers. The Bible talks about in Revelation where it's going to be every tribe and nation and tongue and kindred. So, it's going to be from everyone. It really does not matter. This Holy Ghost is the spiritual DNA if you will that is common to each and every one of us. So it doesn't matter our nationality. It doesn't matter whatever we all are one in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 4:3 Paul talked to the church about unity and he endeavored them keep the unity the spirit and the bond of peace.

He he understood and you see this all throughout his writings. You see it throughout the words of Jesus. This need for us to love one another and to come together and that shared salvation experience in the book of Acts where people from every nation and from from all around had come to Jerusalem uh demonstrates this common denominator. They were all filled with the same spirit and God's desire is to have his church be one by receiving this same Holy Ghost. It's also evidence that they were baptized into one spirit. Paul emphasized that oneness in Ephesians 4 and 6.

And I guess he really liked this word one because he uses it over and over. He used it in Corinthians. In Ephesians, he said, "There is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. There's one Lord. There's one faith. There's one baptism. There's one God and father of all who is above all. He's through all and he is in you all. Aren't you thankful to know him today? Aren't you thankful to know that the Holy Ghost working in your life is the same in everyone else in this place that has the Holy Ghost that emphasis on one that unity of the body of Christ.

We all have the same hope, the same Lord, the same faith, same baptism. That word hope there it means an expectation or a confidence or looking towards something that with confidence. You know if you have no hope you're really not confident it is ever going to happen. But when there's hope you say I'm holding on to this hope. I'm holding on to what what God has placed in our hearts. Christians have a hope. We have an expectant confidence. God is going to work in our life. That spirit is going to guide us. It's going to lead us.

We have a hope that Jesus is going to come again. And we have a hope that one of these days we are going to be either raptured or resurrected. And we're going to bodies are going to be changed and we're going to live forever with him in that heavenly place. So there is a hope that we share. There is one Lord. One of the strongest themes from both the Old and New Testament is there's one Lord, right? There's one God who is above all and he is through all. He has authority above all. So Paul writes to these Corinthians because they had so many different divisions and everything else.

And he wrote to the Ephesians to encourage them to endure and continue in the unity of the faith. And each book abounds with scriptures, both of them, confirming and exhorting us to stand on the truth that there's one Lord. And so the body of Christ, regardless again of race and nationality, social stat, it's under the authority of one Lord. We're all serving Jesus Christ. He said one faith in that word would refer to what we believe. The things that are convictions, the truthfulness of God, reliance on Jesus for salvation really are what we what we profess, what we believe in.

Whatever place you have in the body, wherever you are in the church, the the parameters for authority and power, it's the same for all of us. The principle is true because we have one set of doctrine. There not many roads leading to heaven. There aren't many different ways. It does make a difference what we believe. There was only one way then. There's only one way now. And so unity of doctrine assures that this salvation is for everyone. And so he begins to talk about the us as being members of the body. And so he he uses this term body and and I think he's he's given us an analogy here of the physical body and talking about a spiritual body, the church.

When we look at the natural body, David said this, "I will praise thee, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and cur curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see all my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written." I think that's important that he chose that word. all my members, hands, toes, feet, ears, all of it, which in continuence were fashioned. In other words, it was a process of time when yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts to me, oh God, how great is the sum of them. So if it's true of the physical body, how much more is that true for the body of Christ? Every member God sees. every member. Although not yet perfect, he's got it all written in his book. I think he has you written in his book in a spiritual sense. Every member of the body is joined together. It's not yet. He said they were in continuence. They were they were growing together. That's what we need to do is to grow together into one body in Christ.

And that scripture Paul is referring to is the body of Christ is the church. Church Corinthians is not unlike churches today in the sense that members are all unique, aren't they? We're not all the same. We don't all bring the same thing to the kingdom of God. We come from different backgrounds, different education levels, different social economic levels, different nationalities, all these different things. And as we study chapter 12, we have to keep in mind that there were problems and divisions within the Corinthian church. In fact, specifically in this book, and this is why Paul is addressing it, as brother Carden taught us last week, the division came from their perception of spiritual gifts.

To the Corinthians, they preferred showy gifts, if you will, stuff that that really stood out. the gift of tongues or the gift of miracles or maybe the gift of of wisdom and they thought they had a higher wisdom than everyone else and and they they gifts of miracles where they could go and the problem was they viewed their giftings as evidence of their spirituality. And so because this one spoke in tongues every service and because this one could work miracles, they would elevate these individuals and say, 'Well, they must be more spiritual than I am because I don't do this and I don't do that one.

And Paul wanted to stop that and say, "Wait a minute. God has placed us all in unique positions in different places, and not all are going to have those same giftings." And so, don't tear yourself apart for what God is trying to assemble and put together. The challenge for the church has always been we must first keep our calling, our focus on unity and submitting to one another. The strength of the church and ultimately in each individual but the church itself relies in this relationship with Jesus Christ. And no person is stronger than the strength of his relationship, not the excellence of his giftings.

It is our relationship with God regardless of your spiritual gifts. Now, he will use people and he will use them mightily, but as brother Cardon Pur pointed out last week, he's used donkeys, too. Didn't make that donkey more spiritual, just made him more available. So, it is about our relationship with Jesus Christ. And here's what we know. You cannot have a relationship with Jesus Christ if you don't also have a relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. How shall you love the Lord whom you've not seen when you can't love your brother whom you have?

It asks. So the body of Christ is most effective when it allows the source of its life, the love of God, the spirit of the Lord working in us and holding us all together. All of our members are necessary. While the body is one, we understand that it is, yes, made up of many parts. In theological circles in the last several decades, they've been referring to this as unity and diversity. You've probably heard that term. Paul then, he gives us some examples of our physical bodies. We read about that. He said, "The body is not one member, but many." In other words, it's not just one part.

This is not the body, it's my hand. this is not the body, it's my elbow. And he said, the foot can't say, well, I'm not the hand, so therefore I'm not of the body. Can't say that. It's still a part. And if the ear says, well, I'm not the eye, so I can't see. I can't do what they can do. Well, I'm not of the body. He said, isn't it still of the body, still attached? And he said, and it's almost comical. If the whole body were an eye, that looked strange, wouldn't a bunch of eyeballs walking around?

He said, "How would it hear?" If the whole thing were hearing, how would it smell? Takes off. Now, I don't think Paul's intent was to connect every single physical part and say, "Well, you know, the ear means this and the nose means this and the finger means this." And I know we we talk about the finger of God and the hand of God and we talk about different things, the eyes of God. run two and throw. We talk about all those things. I don't think Paul was necessarily drawing that type of an analogy throughout all of what he is talking about there.

But he did use a few and and because of that we'll just kind of touch on he talked about the foot. The foot can't say to the eye, well the foot is important. It's how we get around, right? Got to have those. Cut them off, you're in trouble. It's different from the other parts of the body. But you know what? It needs the rest of the body. They can propel us forward, but we need the eyes to see where we're heading. Feet can be really good, but if you got your eyes closed and you're walking through your house, you could end up in trouble.

Can't see. You need the brain to tell them where to go. It all needs to work together. And so, by using certain parts, he to explain this necessity of unity, Paul is showing us that we need every member functioning as was intended by God. He's designed this body so that every member working together brings glory and purpose to the whole body. It works when it's all working right when every part is working. There's very little glory when the individual members get a part from the body. Try to do it themselves. In the Bible, the hands, pure hands speak of pure motives.

Dirty hands represent cruelty and guilt. Jesus used his hand to touch people and bless him. He used used his hands. And so for the body to work efficiently, there has to be those to reach out and to touch, there has to be those kind of people. The ear is significant. It's tied directly to growing in faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We have to hear that the very act of hearing the word of God will inspire us to do what God wants us to do. And so wherever he has placed us in the body, it is the responsibility of us to fulfill our part and not wish we were something else and not look for something else.

It is not only made up of many members, but they all dependent on one another to work the way God intended. And so that's why he said in verse 18, now God hath set the members, every one of them. And I think we need to grasp this as it hath pleased him, not me. Because if it's me, then flesh gets in the way. Well, I should be doing this or I should be allowed to do that or I should be doing what they're doing or I should have that person's job. Oh, God put you where he wanted you.

And I'm not saying that at some point he may put you in a different position or put you in a different place. But we need to learn to be comfortable where God has placed us because if we're not then we become disunified and that's when strives and Indians and and become a Corinthian becomes because we're following after what we want to do and and what empas what lifts me up. Then Paul begins to talk about some of those less honorable members. We usually don't think of those till you have an appendic attack or an abscess tooth or something like that that that goes a pinch nerve and suddenly, oh yeah, it's still there.

We pay attention to it. We only realize how important those parts are when they go astray or they go arry. The Greek word translated uncumbly parts there could be translated shapeless. You know we always notice the way things are shaped. You look at people what do you look look at their face just to see how it looks and we categorize and we say this is pleasing to look at and that is not pleasing. And the shape of something adds to its desiraability. And so in Corinthians, the shape of someone giving that message in tongue or reaching out and doing miracles just really looked impressive to people.

But maybe those gifts of administration where somebody swept the carpet. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Doesn't really jump out at us. And so we say, well, I'd rather be doing this or I would rather be in that. And so co Paul makes the case for the less honorable if we will parts of the human body. They're important. We have to have them. And he applies the same idea to the body of Christ. The church members may be less prominent and less visual, if you will, are still ordained by God for our purposes in Christ.

It's always working to bring the spirit is always working to bring about the right composition in the church. I think if if we let God work, he will put us in a place where the church can be what it needs to be. Now, there may be a church down the street. God's working on that church. Now, where we get in trouble is when I say, "Well, I just don't think I fit good here, so I'm going to go down there and see if I fit any better." Wait, let God place you where he wants you.

The spirit is always working there. He He places us as we read in the body where it pleasth him. That's what it's about. This this working of the body. It's dependent on the operation of each part supporting the working of the whole. You think of an army. You know, we always think of soldiers fighting, but look at the support, the logistics, if you will, that is behind all that. Before they ever send a bunch of soldiers forward, they've got people bringing supplies and lining them up. And they've got people that can cook and people can build bridges and they've got people doing this all just so that those who fight can go fight.

It takes all of it. Well, what were you in there? Well, I was a cook. Great. I wouldn't want to be fighting, not have food. It's important. Whatever it was, every member of the church, if we're working together, increases the effectiveness of the body as we support the church and our giving and our worship and our participation in there's no end to the influence of God's spirit working through the church and it will strengthen us and make us what God wants to be. But we have to be comfortable with where he's placed us. And we have to understand his power is not confined to those more influential or conspicuous members.

It's working through every one of us. The scripture confirms the importance of each member and it it precludes the idea there is no class division within God's body. potential of any member to be used to bring God's glory should cause us don't focus on the outward things, natural talent, intellectual prowess, all those things God has put where it pleased him. Sometimes the least conspicuous members of the church perform vital services and they contribute to the smooth conduct of all the church ministers effectively. For example, some some prepare meals for events. Some, as we already mentioned, take care to make sure the facilities look good, everything's in good working order.

Some work behind the scenes, turning knobs and making sure that you can hear me today, and all those kind of things. Others work, you know, behind the scenes in ways that are never unknown. Whether it it's through sending a card or a phone call or a text or maybe a simple I'm thinking of you or or a secret prayer that that you know, God impressed me and I'm praying for some. Maybe you never even know that, but they're vital to the health of the church. And if we think that's not important, it's going to it will not be the church that God intends it for it to be.

It's impossible to underestimate the importance of every person in the kingdom. Acts chapter 6, the church was was increasing in the number of the believers and the apostles found themselves was just too much for us. you know, we're trying to preach and we're trying to reach the world and trying to evangelize and and we got to worry about who gets fed. So, they appointed out deacons to take care of the church and the day-to-day business. Well, that's not a spiritual thing. That's not important. Yes, it was. It allowed the church to grow. So, they were free to do what they could do as long as the deacons did what they could.

And that's why the church grows and how the church grows. And so he said this in verse 27. Now you are the body of Christ. So you're all part of the body, but you are members in particular. He confirmed that every member is unique as an individual. And at the same time, we are tied to this body of Christ. He taught that every member was essential to the well-being of the whole body and to the spiritual well-being. and he attempts to show them how much harm can happen to the body when when you allow this disunityity among you.

We're all part of one another and we have a responsibility. Now, usually we look at this passage and we take it from there and say, "So, we need one another. Let's love one another and we join together." And that is a good thing to do. How pleasant it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity. the Bible says. And so, usually this can be a a you're my brother, you're my sister kind of time. Or often we just see it as a reminder that I need you and you need me. And and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that.

But I want us to take a step further beyond just a feel-good time of supporting one another. And I want to dig a little deeper in this passage. And I think this is where Paul really wanted to go with this, particularly in First Corinthians, maybe not elsewhere. This one concept that is often overlooked and I think we need to focus on is that the body of Christ, the church if you will is a local thing. Yes, it's universal. There are churches all over the world and we're all one with each other. But God has placed local assemblies, local groups of believers to represent Christ to their community.

We're here APC. Yes, we can impact the world in a lot of ways, but our primary purpose is to impact where we are at. And if we will grasp that, it is a powerful influence on the mission and the effectiveness of a church. Well, every church will be blessed. No doubt God does bless as we further the gospel. And this church is known for that beyond its local borders, through missions, through church plantings, through other means. Yeah, every congregation must first focus our purpose on in the place in which it's planted. So Paul's statement in verse 27 is this.

Now ye are the body of Christ. Now he's talking to Corinthians. He's not talking to Romans. He's not talking to the Ephesians. He's not talking to the Colossians. He's talking to the Corinthians when he says you are the body of Christ. your local assembly. The same concept was expressed in our lesson a couple weeks ago when Paul talked about those that we need to discern the Lord's body. We need to understand and I I think what he's getting at here is we need to understand who we are, church. And this is why it's so important that we are unified and work together because we are the body of Christ.

We know that Jesus walked this earth in the flesh. We also know that now he walks this world, this earth in the spirit. Or more precisely, he does so in those that walk after the spirit. He manifests himself to this world through his people. And I think that idea aligns with Paul's thought process here better than any other interpretation. He uses this concept of body in Romans. He uses it in Ephesians. He talks about it in Colossians as well. But only here does he do it in this context of talking about spiritual gifts and administrations.

We've repeatedly observed that Corinth was divided with many divisions. And we saw earlier in this lesson how some of those divisions involve these spiritual gifts. But in the view of what we've just discussed, I think more weight can given be given to Paul's rhetorical question that he asked in 1 Corinthians 1:13. Is Christ divided? If a physical body is indeed one, one unit, one body, how much more should Christ spiritual body be the church? It is not God's will that spiritual gifts, that administrations, that all these things operate independently, but rather that they work together.

And when each member exercises its role, the work of Jesus can be done. And I think that's what Paul's getting out. The gifts are good, but when you learn to work them all together and not elevate this one and push this one down and ignore that one. When you it all works together, you represent Jesus to your world. That concept isn't unique to Paul, although he develops it probably further than any other writer. I want to give you a couple examples from Jesus' teachings and then we'll finish. Uh we'll pull in Paul and kind of fill in in the meantime.

Matthew 18:20, very familiar verse. You could quote it as soon as I start. Where two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst. You know, when we use that, there's not too many people that show up. Well, just a couple of us here tonight. That's okay. Jesus still here because we're two or three. I don't really think that was the intent of the passage. To be sure, Jesus uses that statement. He's in fact in context, he was talking about discipline. He's talking about when there's a problem uh when two or three are gathered.

In fact, Paul uses that same thing when he talked about the man that was in fornication. And he said, "When you come together and I in spirit and the spirit of the Lord there, too." What he's saying is Jesus will be there when you make the decision to take care of this problem. He wasn't using it in the context of revival. But I think the application beyond that application, there's also this truth. When we gather together in his name for any reason, he is here. And here's why he's here. Because spiritfilled believers are the body of Christ.

So in a very real sense, Jesus is in the house because you brought him with you. But not just because you brought him, but because others brought him. So this member that's Holy Ghost fililled, this hand comes to church and this foot comes to church and this eye comes to church, if you will, and it comes together to create the body of Christ because that one spirit pulls them all together. What does that mean in the context of what Paul is saying here in Corenth? When we come together, we are, as he said, the body of Christ to do the work of Christ.

Now, that concept of many members starts to make more sense. It's been observed that when Jesus walked the earth, he had all the gifts of the spirit operating at all times. He could heal, he could discern, he could give wisdom, he could do miracles, he had faith, he he could do all that all the time, anywhere he was. None of us had that ability. So it takes every one of us doing our part if the world is going to see Jesus. He never intended for one individual, I don't believe, to travel with revival in their suitcase.

He intended us to gather in his name and all to work together in unison to do his bidding. Now that doesn't eliminate the need for evangelists. Maybe it would focus their efforts encouraging the body work together. A lot of times when an evangelist comes to a church, he's got to work on getting things straightened out in the body. And then when that all gets straightened out, guess what? Revival starts happening. So it's not that he brings it with him, but he helps pull us together. But we can and should take this idea even further because Jesus said in John 14, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believes on me and the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my father." Now, how do we do greater works than Jesus?

It's not that we're going to be do more miracles individually and we're all going to do those things, but Jesus was limited by flesh. He was in one place at one time and so he could touch people and do miracles. Sometimes he would send his word like he did with the centurion. Go home. Your servant's been healed. Didn't physically go there. But I submit the church can do greater things because the body can be present in multiple places at once. Every community needs Jesus dwelling in their midst. And they get it through the church being in their midst.

And it's only possible as each part of the body functions proper properly. Let me give you a real ridiculous analogy. No one would have thought about dismembering Jesus and cutting him up in pieces and distributing across Israel here. Let let's just send them out. Let's just send a hand over here and a foot over here and an eyeball over here. We we'll and then everybody can have a piece. If they did, it would make little sense. And I know that sounds silly, but when all members of a local assembly aren't working together, we're offering the L the world a dismembered Jesus.

Come to our place because we got a great hand. So Paul asks in his test, now God hath set the members, every one of them in the body, and if they were all one member, where's the body? It's not there. I think it's now plain that you are church important to the body of Christ. Without everyone doing their part, we're not going to offer the world Jesus. There's a question that has resurfaced several times over the last hundred years or so. It makes its way probably today in memes at one time in in little stickers or pins would say, "What would Jesus do?" And we often use that as a check when we're tempted to do something we shouldn't.

Should I do that? Well, what would Jesus do? Let me give you a different slant. If we as the body of church would come together to worship, I think we should ask, what would Jesus do? What does he want to do in this service? And if we as his body of church come together and we ask that we come together with a mind that says let me do my part to represent the Lord to this world. I even say if I come to church just to get over my hang-ups then I'll probably never bring my spiritual member into its proper place in the body.

We need to come to church to minister to one another. The son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister. When you come to church, and I know there's sometimes I I need to come to church because the world's been hard on me. Things have happened and and I just need a touch. But if it's every service, am I ever fulfilling my part in the body of Christ? And I know that's a very sobering thought. I want to conclude with this idea. I already mentioned it earlier that each local church brings Jesus to that committee community and on that point I think he's in here but I commend pastor for his vision connect with God and with others.

There are two points to made on this this idea of a local assembly. One is if you're not part of a local assembly, you're not part of a church. The church does not exist in your home by yourself. And I speak to those that choosen have chosen to make YouTube, Facebook, some churches live feed, even this one. If you're staying at home, and I'm looking at a camera. If you're staying at home and forsaking to be in an assembly with God's people, you're not part of a church. And I didn't say that. The scripture said it.

You're a hand. You're a foot. You're an ear dwelling by itself. You need to join the body. Now, I I understand, and I'm not pointing a finger at anyone, but if you can't make it for health reasons or something else, you can't be here. We understand that. But if you're perfectly healthy, but you just don't want to go to a church, you're not part of the church. You're something that's been cut off. I'll remind you that while the church exists all around the world, it's only made alive in each local assembly. Maybe that brings greater work weight to the writer of Hebrews words.

Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together. I would even say thanks for watching today and you can tune in anytime. I don't have a problem with that. But I implore you, find a local church, become part of the body of Christ. And second, I encourage any pastor if you're listening, put your efforts into reaching your local community first. And I'm not condemning anyone or anything, but I don't see a need to change a sanctuary into recording studio to reach the world if you're not preaching your local community. This is where it's at, church. When we come together, we're representing Jesus, not what we send out over the internet.

And I'm thankful for that. People's lives are touched. People all the times, oh man, we watch that. It's a great We're all blessed by it. I watch other preachers and other teachers over the internet. It's okay. But that's not the church. The church is right here when we work together the way God wants us to do. Now, if I'm meddling now, let me use Paul words in 2 Corinthians 7:8. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I don't repent, though I did. We'll leave it at that. Paul did not want. In fact, he stresses it.

He spends chapter 12, he spends 13 talking about what really should operate behind the gifts. And he tap 14 about spiritual gifts and how they should work in the church. He didn't want Corinthians to be ignorant of spiritual gifts. He wanted them to have wisdom in using those gifts. But what his real emphasis says is, "It takes all of us. Church, find your place in the kingdom of God. Help us. Help one another to represent Jesus Christ to St. Louis." That's what it's all about. Is the Lord in this place? Yes, the Lord's in this place.

How is he in this place? He's in the place because his hands are here. His feet are here. His eyes, his ears are here because you brought it with you. When you find that place, don't that kind of change that all? Yeah, it's about feeling good and loving one another, but you're important. And you're thinking, well, how am I important? You are important to the kingdom of God and what he wants to do, wherever role you are in. Let's stand. lift a hand and just talk to your savior right now. Lord, in your name, you have set every one of us where it pleases you.

And it doesn't always please me. God, if I can represent you and help represent you and and to be a part of this body and work together for one purpose to reach you and to reach others and to focus, Lord, on making the body of Christ, what would Jesus do in this service? How would Jesus respond to this message? How would Jesus work when this person walks in? What would Jesus do when that happens? When I take that attitude as the body of Christ, Lord, we will work together and we will be the church that you want us to be.

Help us Lord in Jesus name. In Jesus name. Thank you Lord. Now we can have that feel-good time. Why don't you greet those brothers and sisters around you thankful that they are part of the body of Christ as you are.