1 Corinthians 12
God has not given us a manual on how to be Christians. I'm sure that there have been times when we wished that He had. Then we'd have something with clear statements on exactly what it means to follow Jesus. But He didn't do that. Instead, we have to think through the sometimes confusing life situations of believers – and others – who lived in other times and other places, and all of whom were quite imperfect. And that's what we have in our text. Paul wrote a letter to the saints at Corinth about some of the problems that they facing. In our text he gives special attention to what it means for Christians are to be a church. God willing, as we consider this text, we'll see more clearly what Jesus expects of us as His Church. And that will hopefully lead to more change.
Paul describes the Church as a human body with ears and feet and more. The Scriptures often use illustrations to clarify its message. Jesus does this with His parables. 'The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed', or 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour'. It's helpful when someone uses what we know to explain something that we don't know. So, having read our text, we might say that the Church is like a human body with all its different parts. But if we were to say that we'd be wrong. There is no 'like' in Paul's description. Listen again. 'Now you are[!] the body of Christ and individually members of it.' There is no 'like'! The Church is not like a body. It is a body. It is the body of Jesus. And that really does make a big difference. Listen again to verse 13. 'For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...' Paul teaches that we were baptized not into one Church but into one body, the body of Christ. Something unseen but very real has happened to us. As part of His work of applying salvation to us, the Spirit made us a part of Jesus' body. And that's a very big deal. All of this helps us to understand a bit better what the Church is. It's fine to say that a church is a social institution like the Elks or the Boy Scouts. That would be correct but so very incomplete. There is so much more going on. A church is also, and more importantly, the body of Christ. That defines the one Church around the globe and every local congregation. The body of Christ.
This leads to one implication that needs to be emphasized in our day. The Church is not some useful addition to a Christian's life. It's not an organization that is helpful but not essential to faithful living. Sadly, too many Christians think of it in those terms. The thinking goes something like this. 'If you can find a church, good. But if not, it's okay. You can still do fine following Jesus. You can enjoy good fellowship with your Christian buddies in your accountability group. And there are lots of good sermons on the internet. So, church may be helpful, but it's not essential.' No! The Spirit has baptized us into the body of Christ, the Church. This is an essential work of the Spirit in the life of every Christian. It is part of what it means to be saved. Of course, it's at this point that someone mumbles something about the 'invisible church'. I have yet to find one verse of the Bible that refers to this 'invisible church'. Part of the saving work of Jesus, applied to us by the Spirit, is our becoming a part of His body, the very visible Church.
What I just told you is very important, but it isn't the main point of the sermon. The main point assumes what I've just said, and then it asks this question. How are we, the members of Christ's body, to relate to each other? This was a big problem area in Corinth as you know. And so, Paul speaks to it in our text. He offers two thoughts that I want to point out to you. The first is 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."' It's pretty clear what the eye should not say to the hand or the head to the feet. But what should they say, instead? Paul's point is that they should say, 'I need you.' That seems to me to be a profound thought. Consider the language of 'need'. 'Need' is different from 'It would be nice if...' or 'I would like it if...' Those sound optional, and they are. 'It would be nice if you and I could help each other, but if not – well, what are you going to do?' But 'need' is not optional. I need air to breath, food to eat and water to drink. If these needs are not met, then I have a very serious problem. They really aren't optional. And so, you see, the eye should say to the hand, 'I need you'. Paul's point, applied to us, is quite simple. Each of us can and should say to each of the other people in this room, 'I need you'. Now there's something to ponder. 'I need you.'
There is also the flip side. Listen again to verses 15-18. 'If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.' There are those in the body, Christians in the Church, who tell themselves that they aren't really all that necessary. They aren't as important as others in the body. Paul exposes this for the garbage that it is. Each and every Christian is an important part of the body of Christ. So, each and every Christian can and should say to the rest of the saints, 'You need me.' And that is true of each one of you. You have a role to play – an important role to play – when it comes to us being the Church. We need you to fulfill your role as a part of the body.
Now, let me anticipate something here. Some of you might feel reluctant to even to think, 'You need me'. It just sounds proud. It's true that someone could say that in a very proud way. But it doesn't have to be that way. Someone could also say it just as a fact. After all, it is a fact. There are some who, afraid of becoming proud, deny what is true. But these need to see that just as being proud is a sin, so is lying about what is true. So, each of you can and should believe this simple fact when it comes to the rest of the group, 'You need me. I have something to add, something very important. You need me.' And that is also something that needs to be pondered.
Now a question. We need each other – to do what? How shall we answer that? You might be tempted to answer that in terms of one of the many areas of your life. 'Well, I need you in this area of my life or that one over there. But that's about it.' If you answer in this way, you've made a mistake. You've divided your life into sections that are more or less separate. And so, when this is played out, how could a history teacher at the local school be of help to a doctor who specializes in caring for sick babies? Or vice versa. Mutual helpfulness is limited. Oh, the one might help the other in some 'spiritual' matter, like praying for him every once in a while. But that's about it. However, even if you think of your life in terms of sections – vocation, family, hobbies, community involvement, church – they all have something in common, don't they? You. They are all an expression of who you are and who you are becoming; your character, your virtues, your personality, your sins and your weaknesses. Even assuming this fragmented life, you need the others and they need you so that you and they can become more like Jesus, and that's something that affects us in all that we do. You are a tool that the Spirit uses to change the others here so that we might be conformed to the image of Christ, and each of the others of us is also a tool to change you. I need you, and you need me.
So, what's a Church? It's not just some social club. It's not just some religious organization. It's not even a preaching center for weekly thoughts to ponder. A Church is a group of people who are bound together by the Spirit in some supernatural way and who are used by the Spirit for the mutual good of each and all to the end that they might follow Jesus well and thus change the world.
So, consider the people of Faith Reformed. Picture them in your mind, one at a time. As you see each picture, say to yourself, 'I need you.' And then say, 'You need me.' Then, picture the people of Faith Reformed as a group and say the same things. I need you. You need me. That is what the Spirit is telling us all from this bit of Scripture. And that is something to ponder.
Let's move on. I think that we all can agree that what I've said is the truth, God's truth. You know it's true because it came out of our text. As a result, it is to be believed. And if it is believed, it will show in our thoughts, our attitudes and our behavior. And it's here that we all face a problem. We've all been taught to be relatively independent. There is a spectrum. Some of us are very independent and others of us are less so. But we've all been taught the virtues of independence, of depending on ourselves. What the Spirit has just told us is that being depending on yourself is wrong, and it's wrong because it's based on a lie. And the lie is this. 'There are ways to describe our relationship but need isn't one of them.' Or to put it in terms of our summary statement: 'I don't need you, and you shouldn't need me.' But it's clear that that doesn't fit with what we've seen in our text. The truth is that we do need each other. It's the way Jesus has established His Church and the way that the Spirit does His work in us. This is a major part of what it means to be saved. So, we have a problem. We all, to a greater or lesser degree, believe in being independent, but we shouldn't. It's sin. And that's not good. However, apart from a miracle, we aren't going to wake up tomorrow completely changed, fully believing our text and living in ways that reveal that we believe it. So what do we do?
I have a few ideas. First, acknowledge what the Spirit is saying in the text. It helps to say things to yourself. It helps to look at the people in this room and say to yourself, 'I need you. You need me.' It's just admitting the truth, and we all need to yield to the truth. And telling yourself the truth helps you to yield to it. 'I need you and you need me.'
Remember that I get the sermon first. So, as I was working on it, of course, the question pops into my head, 'Do you believe the things that you are writing? Do you believe this I-need-you-and-you-need-me stuff?' Now, I am a solitary person. I am an introvert and rather private. There are parts of being solitary that I enjoy and parts that really stink. The parts that I enjoy tell me that I don't need you. Being solitary is less messy, less demanding. Being involved with people can be such a pain. And, of course, this part of me assumes that I can manage alone well enough. It's when I get to the parts that stink that I see life more clearly. I do need you – in lots of different ways, only some of which I am aware of. So, I do acknowledge the truth of these words of the Spirit. I do believe this I-need-you-and-you-need-me stuff. But changing who I am is hard. And quite frankly, I'm not sure how to do that. I have been solitary all of my life. It's not like there's a switch I can flick off.
And so, that leads to my second suggestion. The second thing to do is to pray. There are deep structures within us – certainly within me and I'm pretty sure within you – that need to be changed. It's helpful to me to know that there will be no solitary people in heaven. I will be changed. I will finally be freed from my fears that keep me from being as open as a part of me would like. And that gives me hope. But in the meantime change isn't something that I can do on my own. And neither can you. Changing people is the Spirit's work. So, we can pray that He will do that in our lives so that we will more firmly believe the truth of our text and live that way. Change is not something that happens overnight nor does it commonly occur by means of some Spiritual 'zap!' It is something that we'll need to pray about for quite a while. And as you pray for yourself, remember to pray for the others. We need to help each other in this. I do pray for you, and I hope that you pray for me. And let's be confident. Changing us is definitely something that the Spirit wants to do. We can be very optimistic about this.
Then there's a third suggestion. We're going to have to do things that we really don't want to. We're going to have to take risks. That means that I will need to do things with you that my solitary self doesn't feel comfortable doing. Needing each other is such a personal thing and it is so difficult moving in that direction. But we need to take the risks. And we need to do that because of love, for Jesus and love for each other.
I've done a lot of thinking and praying about Faith Reformed over the last year. And as part of that, I've asked myself what it is that I want. What do I want to happen at Faith Reformed? I find that a good question. 'What do you want?' Answering it helps to clarify things. I've come to a conclusion to that question. How would you answer that question? What do you want for Faith Reformed? It seems to me that if the answer to that question does not include what we've seen from this text this morning, then we're aiming at the wrong thing.
God has not given us a manual on how to be Christians. I'm sure that there have been times when we wished that He had. Then we'd have something with clear statements on exactly what it means to follow Jesus. But He didn't do that. Instead, we have to think through the sometimes confusing life situations of believers – and others – who lived in other times and other places, and all of whom were quite imperfect. And that's what we have in our text. Paul wrote a letter to the saints at Corinth about some of the problems that they facing. In our text he gives special attention to what it means for Christians are to be a church. God willing, as we consider this text, we'll see more clearly what Jesus expects of us as His Church. And that will hopefully lead to more change.
Paul describes the Church as a human body with ears and feet and more. The Scriptures often use illustrations to clarify its message. Jesus does this with His parables. 'The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed', or 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour'. It's helpful when someone uses what we know to explain something that we don't know. So, having read our text, we might say that the Church is like a human body with all its different parts. But if we were to say that we'd be wrong. There is no 'like' in Paul's description. Listen again. 'Now you are[!] the body of Christ and individually members of it.' There is no 'like'! The Church is not like a body. It is a body. It is the body of Jesus. And that really does make a big difference. Listen again to verse 13. 'For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body...' Paul teaches that we were baptized not into one Church but into one body, the body of Christ. Something unseen but very real has happened to us. As part of His work of applying salvation to us, the Spirit made us a part of Jesus' body. And that's a very big deal. All of this helps us to understand a bit better what the Church is. It's fine to say that a church is a social institution like the Elks or the Boy Scouts. That would be correct but so very incomplete. There is so much more going on. A church is also, and more importantly, the body of Christ. That defines the one Church around the globe and every local congregation. The body of Christ.
This leads to one implication that needs to be emphasized in our day. The Church is not some useful addition to a Christian's life. It's not an organization that is helpful but not essential to faithful living. Sadly, too many Christians think of it in those terms. The thinking goes something like this. 'If you can find a church, good. But if not, it's okay. You can still do fine following Jesus. You can enjoy good fellowship with your Christian buddies in your accountability group. And there are lots of good sermons on the internet. So, church may be helpful, but it's not essential.' No! The Spirit has baptized us into the body of Christ, the Church. This is an essential work of the Spirit in the life of every Christian. It is part of what it means to be saved. Of course, it's at this point that someone mumbles something about the 'invisible church'. I have yet to find one verse of the Bible that refers to this 'invisible church'. Part of the saving work of Jesus, applied to us by the Spirit, is our becoming a part of His body, the very visible Church.
What I just told you is very important, but it isn't the main point of the sermon. The main point assumes what I've just said, and then it asks this question. How are we, the members of Christ's body, to relate to each other? This was a big problem area in Corinth as you know. And so, Paul speaks to it in our text. He offers two thoughts that I want to point out to you. The first is 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."' It's pretty clear what the eye should not say to the hand or the head to the feet. But what should they say, instead? Paul's point is that they should say, 'I need you.' That seems to me to be a profound thought. Consider the language of 'need'. 'Need' is different from 'It would be nice if...' or 'I would like it if...' Those sound optional, and they are. 'It would be nice if you and I could help each other, but if not – well, what are you going to do?' But 'need' is not optional. I need air to breath, food to eat and water to drink. If these needs are not met, then I have a very serious problem. They really aren't optional. And so, you see, the eye should say to the hand, 'I need you'. Paul's point, applied to us, is quite simple. Each of us can and should say to each of the other people in this room, 'I need you'. Now there's something to ponder. 'I need you.'
There is also the flip side. Listen again to verses 15-18. 'If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.' There are those in the body, Christians in the Church, who tell themselves that they aren't really all that necessary. They aren't as important as others in the body. Paul exposes this for the garbage that it is. Each and every Christian is an important part of the body of Christ. So, each and every Christian can and should say to the rest of the saints, 'You need me.' And that is true of each one of you. You have a role to play – an important role to play – when it comes to us being the Church. We need you to fulfill your role as a part of the body.
Now, let me anticipate something here. Some of you might feel reluctant to even to think, 'You need me'. It just sounds proud. It's true that someone could say that in a very proud way. But it doesn't have to be that way. Someone could also say it just as a fact. After all, it is a fact. There are some who, afraid of becoming proud, deny what is true. But these need to see that just as being proud is a sin, so is lying about what is true. So, each of you can and should believe this simple fact when it comes to the rest of the group, 'You need me. I have something to add, something very important. You need me.' And that is also something that needs to be pondered.
Now a question. We need each other – to do what? How shall we answer that? You might be tempted to answer that in terms of one of the many areas of your life. 'Well, I need you in this area of my life or that one over there. But that's about it.' If you answer in this way, you've made a mistake. You've divided your life into sections that are more or less separate. And so, when this is played out, how could a history teacher at the local school be of help to a doctor who specializes in caring for sick babies? Or vice versa. Mutual helpfulness is limited. Oh, the one might help the other in some 'spiritual' matter, like praying for him every once in a while. But that's about it. However, even if you think of your life in terms of sections – vocation, family, hobbies, community involvement, church – they all have something in common, don't they? You. They are all an expression of who you are and who you are becoming; your character, your virtues, your personality, your sins and your weaknesses. Even assuming this fragmented life, you need the others and they need you so that you and they can become more like Jesus, and that's something that affects us in all that we do. You are a tool that the Spirit uses to change the others here so that we might be conformed to the image of Christ, and each of the others of us is also a tool to change you. I need you, and you need me.
So, what's a Church? It's not just some social club. It's not just some religious organization. It's not even a preaching center for weekly thoughts to ponder. A Church is a group of people who are bound together by the Spirit in some supernatural way and who are used by the Spirit for the mutual good of each and all to the end that they might follow Jesus well and thus change the world.
So, consider the people of Faith Reformed. Picture them in your mind, one at a time. As you see each picture, say to yourself, 'I need you.' And then say, 'You need me.' Then, picture the people of Faith Reformed as a group and say the same things. I need you. You need me. That is what the Spirit is telling us all from this bit of Scripture. And that is something to ponder.
Let's move on. I think that we all can agree that what I've said is the truth, God's truth. You know it's true because it came out of our text. As a result, it is to be believed. And if it is believed, it will show in our thoughts, our attitudes and our behavior. And it's here that we all face a problem. We've all been taught to be relatively independent. There is a spectrum. Some of us are very independent and others of us are less so. But we've all been taught the virtues of independence, of depending on ourselves. What the Spirit has just told us is that being depending on yourself is wrong, and it's wrong because it's based on a lie. And the lie is this. 'There are ways to describe our relationship but need isn't one of them.' Or to put it in terms of our summary statement: 'I don't need you, and you shouldn't need me.' But it's clear that that doesn't fit with what we've seen in our text. The truth is that we do need each other. It's the way Jesus has established His Church and the way that the Spirit does His work in us. This is a major part of what it means to be saved. So, we have a problem. We all, to a greater or lesser degree, believe in being independent, but we shouldn't. It's sin. And that's not good. However, apart from a miracle, we aren't going to wake up tomorrow completely changed, fully believing our text and living in ways that reveal that we believe it. So what do we do?
I have a few ideas. First, acknowledge what the Spirit is saying in the text. It helps to say things to yourself. It helps to look at the people in this room and say to yourself, 'I need you. You need me.' It's just admitting the truth, and we all need to yield to the truth. And telling yourself the truth helps you to yield to it. 'I need you and you need me.'
Remember that I get the sermon first. So, as I was working on it, of course, the question pops into my head, 'Do you believe the things that you are writing? Do you believe this I-need-you-and-you-need-me stuff?' Now, I am a solitary person. I am an introvert and rather private. There are parts of being solitary that I enjoy and parts that really stink. The parts that I enjoy tell me that I don't need you. Being solitary is less messy, less demanding. Being involved with people can be such a pain. And, of course, this part of me assumes that I can manage alone well enough. It's when I get to the parts that stink that I see life more clearly. I do need you – in lots of different ways, only some of which I am aware of. So, I do acknowledge the truth of these words of the Spirit. I do believe this I-need-you-and-you-need-me stuff. But changing who I am is hard. And quite frankly, I'm not sure how to do that. I have been solitary all of my life. It's not like there's a switch I can flick off.
And so, that leads to my second suggestion. The second thing to do is to pray. There are deep structures within us – certainly within me and I'm pretty sure within you – that need to be changed. It's helpful to me to know that there will be no solitary people in heaven. I will be changed. I will finally be freed from my fears that keep me from being as open as a part of me would like. And that gives me hope. But in the meantime change isn't something that I can do on my own. And neither can you. Changing people is the Spirit's work. So, we can pray that He will do that in our lives so that we will more firmly believe the truth of our text and live that way. Change is not something that happens overnight nor does it commonly occur by means of some Spiritual 'zap!' It is something that we'll need to pray about for quite a while. And as you pray for yourself, remember to pray for the others. We need to help each other in this. I do pray for you, and I hope that you pray for me. And let's be confident. Changing us is definitely something that the Spirit wants to do. We can be very optimistic about this.
Then there's a third suggestion. We're going to have to do things that we really don't want to. We're going to have to take risks. That means that I will need to do things with you that my solitary self doesn't feel comfortable doing. Needing each other is such a personal thing and it is so difficult moving in that direction. But we need to take the risks. And we need to do that because of love, for Jesus and love for each other.
I've done a lot of thinking and praying about Faith Reformed over the last year. And as part of that, I've asked myself what it is that I want. What do I want to happen at Faith Reformed? I find that a good question. 'What do you want?' Answering it helps to clarify things. I've come to a conclusion to that question. How would you answer that question? What do you want for Faith Reformed? It seems to me that if the answer to that question does not include what we've seen from this text this morning, then we're aiming at the wrong thing.
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