Finding Where You Fit Part 2

The reason for us, looking to Jesus phone number for the local church you attend one small part of an enormous worldwide assembly that will never meet until eternity.

Until then we serve others where we are going with our present experience only foreshadows what lies ahead from church in Chicago. This is with Dr. Sir teaching sauce make it across the finish line delete certain body of Christ is both a spiritual reality and the practical necessity if the work of the church is to get done by actually like the way in which you put that the church is indeed a spiritual reality but also a very practical goal necessity as we think of that necessity. We think of the local church, listening to running to win today are tens of thousands of people and they attend different kinds of churches, but if they are born again, that is to save the people are. We are indeed all part of the body, and we should be making a difference in this world, let me ask you a question what is God's relationship to pandemics plagues and natural disasters. We think for example of COBIT. Should we interpret this as coming from God's hand or is he a bystander he's with us to help us but he had nothing to do with it what is God's relationship to earthquakes and indeed the locust plague that has been in Africa for the last several months. These are the kinds of questions I answer in the book, pandemics, plagues and natural disasters.

The subtitle is what is God saying to us, need to tell you I feel very deeply about this book because I think it will enhance people's faith and at the end. Even though we don't have all the explanations I want us to be better worshipers of the Almighty for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 1-888-218-9337 and now we open our Bibles. Once again, as we discussed the church and our role in our gifting within the body of Jesus Christ Bible is very clear that in Jesus we have a bond that is stronger than race in Jesus we have a bond that is stronger than economic opportunity, it is stronger than education.

It is stronger than geography because it is as strong as the body of Jesus Christ, God himself is that's how strong we are united in Christ there is no room for lack of acceptance.

When we came up with that 14 word statement, which we call the promise statement here at the Moody Church Moody church is a trusted place where anyone can connect with God and others. By the way, we worked on that for a while. Every single word of that is important but that word anyone. We did a survey, a number of years ago may have told you this recently in which we discovered 60 different nationalities a nationality being people with a common origin, tradition, and language, 60 different nationalities here at the Moody church. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were 100 nationalities here. Some people are going to have to have diversity training when they get to heaven heaven is going to be so diverse, so diverse people from every tongue language and can all united because of Jesus, all coming together because we belong to the same body. A bond that is stronger than color and all the other differences, so first of all, we have the unity of the body. Secondly, we have the diversity of the body. The diversity and thirdly the body is interdependent. Notice it says in verse 21 the eye cannot say to the hand. I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you on the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor and our presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which are more presentable parts do not require we don't come to church, covering our faces, but we do cover a part of our body, which nobody sees, but to God. Those parts are indispensable.

You have parts of your body that no one will see there absolutely indispensable. If I did not have a big toe. I'd had to sit down to teach you today. I couldn't stand up. That's what the experts tell us in terms of our balance system help intricately. It is made and so I speak to those of you today who are parking cars. Those of you who are ushers.

Those of you who work at the information desk and all of the different opportunities that Moody church afford you I speak to you today and say that your part is absolutely essential.

Where would we be without the main character's place.

We couldn't function.

And Paul is saying that every single part contributes to the whole and why is entered dependent so important that we might have the same care. I'm in verse 25. Now that there may be no division within the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another and if one member suffers, all the others suffer and if one is honored. Everybody rejoices together. Your body is one and the local church and the greater body of Christ is one as well and when one part hurts the other skirt with.

When I was growing up on the farm is helping my father build a building and that we were nailing huge spikes and I remember I was kind of having a contest with myself to see how many hammer blows it took to get those spikes in and I get my finger. I know exactly which one it is. It's this one here because the fingernail is a larger one than the others. I got a brand-new fingernail out of this whole thing and I didn't go to the doctor until the next day one of the things I noticed that evening was that all the other members of my body stayed awake to give my finger company. I'll tell you they were all there. You know the fingers a small part of the body, but it's not possible for you to be weak and it's not possible for you to be disconnected without affecting us without making the entire church weaker and that's why we're here to help you.

We are here to give you what we can do as a congregation to build those relationships and to build that community so that we may be strong. Maybe this is a habit from my days in Canada. Growing up, but even to this day I still have jumper cables in the trunk of my car don't need him very often. I remember the days when the cars didn't work and it was so cold that everybody had jumper cables but I still keep them there just never had the nerve to throw them away for five years ago in the parking lot that was next to the church. Somebody had left lights on and I thought of this is what I've been having these things in the trunk for the last 1015 year so I had jumper cables and somebody else knew how to hook them up. I mean, that wouldn't be my area of expertise. Blow the whole place apart. You know, we as Christians ought always carry some jumper cables you go along in life and you'll see people in the ditch believers hurt, discouraged, disenfranchised, for whatever reason, and it doesn't need the leadership of the church to give them a boost. If you have your own jumper cables.

Every member of Moody church out there looking out for others ministering to them, encouraging them, helping them out of the ditch to get back on the road. That's what it means to be a member of the body. You know that we have white cells in the bloodstream that that float along absolutely aimlessly.

They meander through their something or something like a college student who has made up his mind was majors going to be. They float along aimlessly.

Millions of them.

But the minute you get a pinprick. They come from all over the body. Nobody knows how they even know that's a mystery known to God, but they come with the same tenacity as a beagle on his way to get a rabbit and they will come and what they do is they gather at the point of the injury and immediately some of those white cells in case the bacteria and cover the bacteria with themselves, then they detonate and they destroy themselves and the white cells die to make sure that no bacteria comes into the body. Imagine that.

And then the body is able to function and if you get enough of these cells, we actually call it plus because it's white cells dying for the rest of the body. Could you imagine how strong the church of Jesus Christ would be today if we functioned as a body as well as my body and your body functions.

For example, the minute I trip my hands take the below the hands don't say hey we want to get all busted up and we want to break a wrist or get some fingers let him fall. Let him hit his head in his chest. My hands don't say that. In fact, when I begin to fall. They don't even pray about it.

Imagine a church in which we were as quick to protect and to guide and to help one another as the members of our body.

Just imagine a church like that. What are some of the transforming lessons we learn from this passage. First of all, when you belong to the body. You don't belong to a club you don't belong to a club in a club is is developed on the basis of a common interest.

For example, there are clubs for flyfishing and that really stimulate some of us, I'm sure there clubs for cars that are clubs for this there clubs for painters etc. etc. and what binds the club together is a common interest. Where is when it comes to the church that is entirely different entirely different because you see, if you belong to a club it doesn't affect the way you run the rest of your life. But the minute you're a member of the body of Jesus Christ.

It affects your marriage.

It affects the way in which you use your money. It affects the way in which Yuri leisure time is used, it affects the way in which you conduct your business and immediately affects the relationship that you have with your neighbors. Everything is affected by being a member of the body of Jesus Christ. Let it let me put it this way to you very clearly. If you belong to a club. It'll cost you do is you belong to the body of Jesus Christ and it cost your life cost your life. That's what Jesus is after is your life and that can only happen when we are a part of a community. It cannot happen in isolation, it cannot happen without a lack of commitment to be a contributing member you need loyalty and commitment and the willingness to sacrifice you see everybody is baptized with the spirit of Europe member of the body of Jesus Christ. People say to me, well, you know, where is church membership in the New Testament, it is everywhere in the New Testament everywhere in the New Testament. You cannot show me any Christians that did not belong to a local assembly and later on the apostle Paul and Timothy even talks about people being on the list and when one member went to a different fellowship. He received a letter so that he might be welcomed in good standing. Because there was no such thing as an individual Christian doing his thing at the ancient Starbucks and sang the line I'm, you know, part of a different fellowship. It's called the Fellowship of of the coffee drinkers that's an American notion, and that his greatly weakened the church to see the church. Oftentimes because it was under persecution could not afford the individualism that we have today. Dr. Dobson of Grand Rapids, wonderful pastor who resigned some time ago because of the Lou Gehrig's disease. Marvelous man just breaks your heart, but I remember him telling us how he knew that the disease was beginning and any said that the thing that he noticed as he was at his computer and he was doing some typing and he gave his fingers some directions and it took them a real long time to get around to following in a normally you just say finger press this key it's right there, but no heat say in effect press this key in the finger would just sit there for a moment and think oh okay I guess I should do it and said it would do it. See the problem with that disease. As I understand it, is that the head keeps giving messages in the rest of the body says hey were not going to do it. Imagine there being people today here at the Moody church you know that God is leading you here or to some other congregation. I understand that there are many places that have the marks of the New Testament church and someday I may preach on what those marks are. But the point is there other congregations, but imagine wandering through life and not being a part of any community you hurt yourself. You hurt others and you really grieve Jesus in your bulletin today you have a list of things you don't need to look at it now, but it's an insert title your call to serve. I counted this morning. I think there's something like 60 different opportunities to get involved in Moody church. But let me explain something please don't think that the reason for this insert is just that we have certain jobs that need to be done. You can do certain jobs at your local club. That's not is not the reason it's there. The reason is that in committing yourself. You then commit to a group of people and new friendships and new relationships in which there is a sense of accountability and friendship and strength that is developed through community it is that that makes us encourage you to become a part of what God has called us to do here becoming a part of the body and functioning within that body. I'm reminded of a story I once heard of a little boy who was lost in the woods you wandered out on his own, and they couldn't find them and they waited.

That whole night, the night of course they couldn't search and then the next day and then toward evening of the second day they said let's join hands as a community and let's just walk through the us just walk through the tall grass joining hands and he was found, but he was found dead and the father said, if only we had joined hands sooner we can touch this entire city for Jesus Christ, but we have to join hands to do it after join hands to God has called us to community he's called us to loyalty to the willingness to sacrifice sometimes hear the Moody church. It was that way you know we have parking difficulties eight you were working on that, by the way, or we have this challenger that challenge.

I know that sometimes there's a cause that is even greater in her inconveniences and becoming a part of what God is doing here is one of those causes. For those of you who have been listening and you've never trusted Christ as Savior. I need to explain something that when you see your need and you believe in Jesus all the things that I talked about here become true of you. You become a member of Christ body so you become a part of Christ, and Christ comes to live with in you, you're connected to us and the whole believing community throughout the world because there is such a thing as the church C that belongs to Christ and you become now a part of the community that is been called of God to transform its environment and that's what God has brought us to.

So if you feel today that you've been an outsider.

I encourage you to become an insider trust Christ alone with your sin and your need and you'll become a part of something that is much greater than you ever imagined. Let us pray now father we ask in Jesus name that you might make this body, this body healthy. We pray that you may give us a sense of community here.

Yes, we have our challenges because of geography but I pray that everyone may be a part of something here where they become acquainted with and involved in the life and the functioning of your temple of your body of your special nation, as we are called do that. Lord, we pray, we can't. The cat would not changed a single human mind yet. That's your work in Jesus name, amen. This is Pastor Luther in his neck.

Great to know that even though we cannot change people's minds.

God is able to do that. Let me ask you a question.

I have you been blessed as a result of this series titled a passion for the church. Maybe it has put some things in perspective that have been very helpful and you might want this sermon series for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours so that you can listen to it again and again. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the sermon series a passion for the church. It'll help you to understand your spiritual gifts and what the church of Jesus Christ should look like if we want to impact the world. RTW offer.com or 1-888-218-9337 right now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life some teachings in the Christian faith are not easy to grasp. Taiwan listens to running to win and has this question. I've heard it preached of the holy Trinity, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is what we worship as Christians I'm still confused. Could you offer a little clarity well Taiwan.

It is going to be a little clarity because the doctrine of the Trinity is not easy to grasp. But here's what happened the early church began to read their Bibles, especially the New Testament and they discovered that obviously God the father is God. Clearly, Christ is also God and the Holy Spirit is God and Jesus himself said that the disciple should baptize in the name singular in the name of the father son and Holy Spirit as they look at this.

They said there can't be three gods, so God must be three in one, and indeed he is and that is the doctrine of the Trinity.

Now, what makes Christianity so unique is this that because of the Trinity, God can be a redeeming God.

It is Jesus, the second person of the Trinity who came to earth to die for us and that in effect paid a ransom to God the father and in this way, you and I are redeemed but Taiwan. It's not easy to grasp but just remember that the best minds of grappled with this and that we do have examples of course in Washington we have three different branches of government and yet only one government, whatever illustration you use, it will have its limitations, but it is true that we worship God the father the son and the Holy Spirit. Thank you Taiwan for your question. Thank you Pastor Luther for your answer. If you'd like to have your question answered. You can by going to our website@rtwoffer.com and clicking on ask Pastor Luther or you can call us with your question. Just call 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Love is the glue that binds the body of Christ together makes it a place of civil service without love our best efforts are without true purpose. Next time I'm running to win.

We look at first Corinthians chapter 13 learn why love is the highest motivator of all thanks for listening. This is Dave Alister running to win is sponsored. The church