Unity in Diversity (Part 3 of 4)

Your body is the least. Is there any part you would be willing to just easily give up probably not today on Truth for Life weekend. Alastair beg uses a similar illustration to explain why diversity is just as vital in the body of Christ church were in first Corinthians chapter 12 verses 14 through 31 last time.

We said that in dealing with these verses from 12 and on the apostle had provided eyes with one of the best known illustrations from the New Testament in terms of the nature and purpose of the body of Christ, and we said, noting yet that it takes many different parts to make up one body. We then noted that these parts inevitably differ from each other. And thirdly, that the fact of their difference doesn't diminish in any way the body's basic unity. We then went from the illustration to the explanation and the explanation is right in verse 12, so it is with Christ, and we spent the remainder of our time last Sunday evening thinking about the fact that in order to accomplish his work on now if Jesus had a Bonnie made of flesh and blood and now in order to accomplish his work today. Jesus has a body that consists of living human beings and we said that we would go from the explanation which is provided to the application and it is therefore to that we now turn the biblical concept which is contained in these verses, although it is very understandable is frankly very alien to many office and certainly to many churches. The reason being that one of the things that is uniquely American is individualism. There is one thing that has been Brad and Brad well and very helpfully and successfully in so many cases is that the importance of being able to stand on one's own and to take the tasks that one is said and get on with life. The kind of spirit of the wild West that we saw in those early Western movies. However, individualism taken to an extreme, just with other things can begin to prove dreadfully unhelpful, harmful, indeed, and the individualism which is then matched with consumerism when it is baptized into orthodoxy, especially in church life makes it very very difficult for people to receive the instruction here in first Corinthians 12 many people have no concept whatsoever of what it means to belong to a family. The chaos that is obvious in the nuclear family is also prevalent in church families, and one needs only to look around and to listen and to learn to understand that people change congregations and move away from pastors as readily as they change their banks or switch their grocery stores and many times for those similar kinds of reasons. All they move the beans. I don't like it when they move the beams. I am not coming back here. I always like the beans in aisle three becomes a very significant thing. All such and such a Sunday school program change. I don't like that. It should always have been on aisle four eggs removed where here after all we are individuals.

After all, we have a right to choose. After all, that is part and parcel of our lives as American citizens by jingle. We're going to exercise our rights as best as we possibly can. Now when I'm kind of confused thinking produces itself in confused acting. Then all manner of chaos will be discovered within the body of Christ within local congregations. Therefore it is imperative for every church, and not least of all for our own church family tonight to if we're going to be effective as a church family. We need to make a fresh discovery of and a fresh commitment to the instruction which these verses contain now we get to the very heart of it.

If you look in verse 27 now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. Illustration the body explanation. So it is with Christ application. You are the body of Christ at each one of you a part of it now. How is this come about.

Well, it has come about as a result of God calling us to himself. Let's cross-reference this for a moment in first Peter chapter 2 and verse nine a verse that is well known to son. First Peter 29 you are a chosen people are royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter is writing here about the radical change which God has brought about in the lives of those who are his own. Not only has he redeemed us, but he has placed is within his family. We come to Christ individually, but we do not live in Christ Saul entirely and one of the greatest dangers of pressing upon people. The individualistic nature of saving faith which is unnecessary and a true and a biblical emphasis is that they then mistakenly apply that same individualism to every other part of their Christian expedience. We are brought to Christ as individuals we do not live in Christ as individuals we are placed into his body.

This is come about because he has called us to himself is not my purpose this evening to develop this but let me know that at least in passing that this is the great silliness of church membership without an awareness of Jesus as Lord and Savior like having a tracksuit with the USA team on it or a tracksuit bearing your favorite athletic team on it. You may be proud to wear the suit but you're not actually a member of the team you just have the suit now, if ever you were enlisted to the team.

If we were signed on and we sign a contract and we became a part of it than that which we wore bore testimony to what we had become. But without it, we were merely awaiting the externals and so it is that in for people to sign their names to lists of congregations and to identify in an external way with the church is actually to a great degree and irrelevancy unless they have come to an experience of having received mercy of having become part of God's chosen people of having been made to drink of the same spirit and having been baptized into that same body. So it is come about. Then, first, because God has called us to him.

And secondly, and were now back in first Corinthians 12. In verse 18 it is come about because God has arranged the parts as he wants them and fight.

God has arranged the parts in the body.

Every one of them just as he wanted them to be so. God has called us to him. God has arranged as in the body. And thirdly, it is God who has combined the members. Verse 24 God has combined the members of the body and is given greater honor to the parts that lacked so just as in our human bodies.

The reason that we have stuff where it is, is because of God's creative power in handiwork. We are not stuck together as a means of a committee.

We did not appear in this way. As a result of some evolutionary process but we are as we are because God determined that we should be this way. He and his manifold wisdom decided that this is how it would be and the marvel of the human body is a parent for all of us to consider when were thoughtful concerning these things.

So, too, says Paul, his body, his church is put together in the exact same way.

The part which the members of the body play is not as a result of human initiative deserves a result of divine invention, the place that God has for you is not something that comes about. Simply as a result of a bright idea on the part of a group nor is necessarily as a result of your desire to do something, at least not if we want to function effectively. The God who sets the parts in the body is a God who loves to put his children. At the very center of his riches and choicest blessings. That's what he wants to do. He wants the body and he wants individual churches to function at maximum effectiveness.

He knows that that cannot be, unless the members are prepared to submit to the score and bow beneath the conductor. He knows that it cannot be if individuals decide that they will order their own destiny that they will do their own thing that they will develop their own strategies to have died within the framework of the body is to baptize chaos into orthodoxy. Therefore, the part which God gives us to play matters and there is no part which he offers, which is irrelevant or insignificant. It is impossible in the purposes of God to be given a place in his body that is dispensable or irrelevant or insignificant of all places in all the world as men and women search for significance. It ought to be made obvious to us when we gather in the family of God. Now, in light of this, we might summarize the implications of this instruction, or the application of it by saying that, therefore, we are called to say no to isolation and to say yes to involvement to say no to isolation and to say yes to involvement.

There is an obvious kind of isolation which is external. That is where people just remove themselves from the framework and activities of God's people within context of an of a local church. There is an isolation which is obviously less apparent, and that is an isolation of heart and mind disengagement, which happens while people sit right in the pew disengagement from the direction and purpose of a church and it is at first very very difficult to detect.

We may continue in that way for some time undetected, but eventually it will become apparent under all kinds of reasons as to why some people would feel isolated from rather than involved with.

It seems clear as you read verse 14 and following the other was some to whom Paul was writing who sensed discouragement in their life's and they were expressing it to particular reasons. It seems to me are made playing in the way that Paul tackles this reason number one is inferiority or the feeling they don't need me now here they said all the time at Parkside church. So this is obviously relevant. People say it is clear that I am unneeded. If you feel that way then something's wrong either with you or with the leadership or with as both but nothing's wrong with the Bible and nothing is wrong with God's purpose. Nevertheless, people express themselves within the framework of church by saying I don't think that anybody needs me and comes out in different ways. I don't think if I didn't show up. I don't think it would matter if I wasn't involved. I don't think they'd care if I didn't make a fuss. No one would call me and so on. Clearly, some in the Corinthian contents were feeling that way they felt they were unimportant. He felt they were unneeded and they were clearly dissatisfied with the part that they had been given to play. They were unhappy with their gifts pursue often when you have gifts given I would sit as somebody get something that's a real bad one in his eye and is really embarrassing situation.

You know, because the person owns it up and you know instantly. They hate, and yet there got you know that in there. The context is such that I have to say something nice about there were some who if you like when they open up the gifts I got it given to them within the body of Christ were clearly unhappy with what they been given and when they began to look around as other people open their gifts. They were envious of what had been given to somebody else. They were envious of the part that somebody else and been given.

And so now that in deep trouble. One they don't like their part. They don't like their gift but they do like his part and they do like her get to how we gonna get out of because you don't have that part because you don't have that gift, but you do have your part related to your get and an inferiority complex is simply an expression of pride is very important to note because it sounds very humble to say in all of my gifts are really quite insignificant.

I really don't have much to offer. That sounds humble for about a second and 1/2. It's not humble itself focused.

It calls in question God's wisdom and God's power.

Where did these gifts come from.

We didn't invent them. God gave so if I see my gifts are irrelevant or unimportant or I have nothing to offer as humble as it may sound to untrained ears. It is actually a dreadful expression of pride and what we are seeing is in as is expressed in Romans chapter 9. Like the clay were seen in the pointer. You make me like this. I like this. I wanted to be a singer and I can say her notes. I wanted to be a leader and I'm frightened to speak. I wanted to be quiet and I can't shut up.

I wanted to know if you'd like to sit in a corner and only be asked questions I can stay in the corner and so inferiority disguises Sprite back again in first Peter.

Peter reminds his readers that it is only in the discovery of God's grace and he will be able to get to grips with who they are and what they are. Humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, immediately prior to that he is said God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

In other words, until we understand the magnificence of God's grace until we accept who we are and what we are as per his purpose and therefore the same time, except who are not, and what were not we are tempted to then spend an immense amount of time in the futility of wanting to change God's divine purpose and this is so common in the body of Christ. It's frightening. I don't like the part I have.

I don't like the gift of being given but I do like what somebody else got and therefore I want to try and get what they have now our children are better able to grasp this, and sometimes when we sing children songs it dawns on is a little better when sung it for a long time, but you remember the song if I wear a butterfly. I thank you God for giving me wings and if I were Robin in the tree. I thank you God that I can say and if I were a fuzzy-wuzzy bear I thank you God for my fuzzy was he here but I just thank you father for making me me out in all of the talk about self perception and self-involvement and selfless in self that is not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Christians of all people, both in terms of the physicality of themselves in the spirituality of who they are, ought to be able to come to terms with these issues. And until we do, we will never make a useful contribution to our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, because we will always be stuck halfway between where we are and where we think we really be better if you come to terms with yourself yet. Have you grown up enough to accept when you're not going to be to realize what you are perfections and imperfections gifts and abilities. The absence of certain things and if you realize that looking around that the reason God is done that is so that other people may fill in the gaps for you fill in the gaps for me that he did this purposefully in this church so that no one, no group would be able to be the body without the rest of the body of the statements in verses 15 and 16 are so obvious. The foot may very well be depressed at its inability to exercise the complicated function of the hand right if the foot should say because I'm not a hand, I do not belong to the body.

That's a silly idea Paul knows is a silly idea yet people still are saying that within the body. You know I don't thing that my part is really that important. I don't even belong to this body because I'm not a hand yet but your foot will look at your feet for a minute if you can pull them out from underneath the thing look are laid are they still attached to your ankles right so they're part of your body. Now they're not up here now do son trying to your car keys out of your pocket when your feet. Some bright sparks on the back row are already trying it all right but I am large nobodies going to pull that off some boys on the front having a go at it but is very difficult. Okay okay now your hands are very important in receiving upon your feet are very important plenty okay in the same way we think year and with the I if the ear should say because I'm not and I do not belong to the body.

It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. The interesting thing is presently on Morris as were prone to envy those who surpass is a little rather than those who are patently in a different class if you play golf you are prone to be envious and jealous of somebody was just a wee bit better but you're not going to be envious of you unless you've had a frontal lobotomy not going to be envious of pain Stuart or Jack Nicholas because they are so patently in a different class so the hands and the feet of a problem. The ear in the eyes of a problem. They've got a proximity. They've got a distinction amongst them. They know their place and when that goes on men and women are tempted to believe that the diversity which Paul says what the Bible says is vital is not actually vital Tolliver 17 if the whole body were an eye wear with a sense of hearing be now we can debate whether Paul's try to be funny there or not you decide whether you think it's funny or not but it's a wonderful picture. I just a complete eye for a body if you imagine just all eyes sitting out here just just single eyes just just being globs irises and stuff like that and the white some of you brown some of you blew some you green some you multicolor but just eyes. How would you smell it gorging on no notes just are not. It's so obvious.

I mean it.

It's really almost sad that the Holy Spirit had to go to this planet to try and get the church awaken is not anywhere sensible people. We are not to have to have this stuff, but we do because we are so prone to deny it in the way we spend our time. The question for all of us is, are we staying no to isolation and yes to involvement in our local church listing to Alistair Begg with a message titled unity in diversity and this is Truth for Life weekend were learning about how God's word strengthens and unifies the body of Christ.

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Sure to join us next weekend as we wrap up our series from first Corinthians chapter 12.

Find out why there's no such thing as an irrelevant role when God chooses you to be a part of his unfolding plan and purpose of the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life learning is prolific