[0:00] 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29. It says, For he that drinketh and drinketh unworthily,!
[0:30] We're here today in a new church building. It's a new place that we can get together and worship God. It's just bricks and mortar, a place that we can fellowship in and worship the Lord. But this is not the church.
[0:42] This is not the church here today. This building is not the church. It's just a, similar to what Brother Daniel said, a tabernacle, isn't it? It's just a place like our fellow believers in Africa have sometimes met under corrugated iron.
[0:59] In fact, I had an email today from someone who's meeting under the shade of a tree. Brothers and sisters, this is just a place to meet. But the church is you. It's you and me.
[1:11] We that love the Lord Jesus. You are the church. And this verse says, Discerning the Lord's body. That means recognizing Christ's body on earth.
[1:22] And the Word of God tells us that every Christian man or woman is a part of the body of Christ. And we see that, if you'd like to turn to 1 Corinthians 12.
[1:35] Just to cover the theme of discerning the Lord's body. Recognizing where is Christ's body? And recognizing that today. You can see that from verse 12 onward to 1 Corinthians 12.
[1:47] 1 Corinthians 12.12-27 For as the body is one, and have many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
[2:04] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we could bind or free, and have been made to drink into one Spirit.
[2:16] For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?
[2:35] If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God sent the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, which were the body?
[2:48] But now they are many members, yet, but one body. And that I can't say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
[3:00] No, 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 honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
[3:17] For uncomely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another.
[3:32] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. For one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now here are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
[3:47] Friends, it's telling us the body is one. The body is one. Yet it has many members. Verse 12. Verse 14 says it's not one part, but many parts.
[4:00] We see there, as Paul wrote, if the whole body was an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the smelling be?
[4:11] Every part of your body does its work for the body to function. And likewise too, for the body of Christ. For the church of God. The church of God is called the body of Christ.
[4:23] Where is Christ today? He's living and breathing and walking in your shoes. As you go about, your day by day, your everyday. Christ in you. He's where you work.
[4:34] He's where you study. He's where you shop. He is in your shoes. You are the body of Christ. And members in particular. And every one of us has a job to do. Every one of us has different functions.
[4:45] Just like the different parts of the body have different functions. And he's set us in the body according to his plan. Verse 18. We're in the body as God has set us.
[4:57] As God has placed us. Different roles to play. Different work to do. Just like the different body parts have a different function. Verse 22. But all parts are necessary.
[5:08] Every part is necessary. The weaker parts are just as necessary as the stronger parts. The more visible parts are just as necessary as the parts you don't see.
[5:20] That are within your body. You know, how would you go if you didn't have a liver? Or you didn't have a kidney? You didn't have a heart? You know, those parts that you don't see. They're not visible to the eye.
[5:31] Yet they're very important, aren't they? Likewise too in the body. Sometimes those parts that you wouldn't bestow much honour on them. They seem like they're not very important. Yet they're critical and vital.
[5:43] Every part is vital and critical. And God has combined us together. The weaker parts, the stronger parts. Verse 23. The less honourable parts. The less beautiful parts.
[5:54] You know? There's parts of your body that you're not very proud of. You know? Especially as you get older. That gut. There's certain parts of your body. You don't want to show off so much.
[6:08] And yet they're all important to make your body work, aren't they? And it's like that with the Church of God. Sometimes in the Church, we can try to downplay one person above another.
[6:19] Or think less of another. But the Bible says every part. Every part is critical and important. And verse 24, it says that God has combined us together in a harmony.
[6:31] There's a sense of all those body systems. You know? The respiratory system. The circulatory system. The nervous system. All those different parts combined within your body. They work in tandem.
[6:43] They work together to make your body work. And to be healthy. And like us too, with the body. The Church of God. Christ's body. The body of Christ. He's combined us together. Verse 24.
[6:54] In a kind of harmony. That we can work together. He's tempered us together. As it were. And in verse 25, God's will is that his church will be united together. As a body.
[7:05] As a body. Imagine a body. If you decided to walk off and do something else. Or your feet walked this way. Or your body went that way. The body's got to work together. And it's like that with the Church of God.
[7:17] With the body of Christ. We need to be working together. And in accord with one another. It says in verse 25 that there be no schism. You know, God doesn't want us to be tearing away from each other.
[7:29] And tearing apart. No division. No discord. He wants us to be united. And in one accord. And in one mind. And in going in one direction.
[7:40] And verse 25 talks about caring for one another. Caring for one another. And then verse 26 it talks about if one part of the body suffers pain. We share that pain through the rest of the body, don't we?
[7:53] You know, you're hammering away. And bang! You hit one of the nails you're not supposed to hit. And the whole body feels that pain. That job of pain. And likewise too in the body of Christ.
[8:04] That we should have the same care one for another. That if one of our brothers or sisters is suffering. We share their pain. We feel for them. We care for one another.
[8:15] We should have that care for one another. We should have that care for one another. It says in verse 25. And we want to show that. We want to not just talk about it, but make it happen. Make it real. And verse 26.
[8:26] If one part suffers pain, we share that pain. And verse 27. We all have a place. It says there, he set us as members in particular. Every one of you has a place to occupy, a role to play, a part to play in the work of God.
[8:46] And so, recognize the Lord's body. Now some people think, just because you come to church you're a Christian. Not everyone who comes into a church building is a Christian.
[8:58] And not everyone who goes to church faithfully is a Christian. And you might be a very religious person who goes to church morning, noon and night. And in between.
[9:09] And mid-week. And yet still miss heaven. You still may not belong to the body of Christ. So it's important that we think about, am I part of the body?
[9:20] How do I become a Christian? And of course that is something that we all have to personally think of. Our state before him. And to consider. Am I, do I belong to the body?
[9:32] And you can belong to the body today by just simply in faith. Crying out and receiving his gift as he extends it. And you just need an open hand to receive it by faith.
[9:47] By faith. As simple. As you trust him. As you receive what he has done. And because we're thinking of Calvary today. It's a good time to be reminded of what the cross means.
[9:58] And how we can be saved. And so I'll call the ushers just now. Which are John Thier. John Thier here. I saw him before in the back.
[10:10] Yeah. Brother John Thier. And also perhaps I'll call Greg at this time. I'm wondering whether we might need a couple of extra ushers today. Maybe a couple of other fellows if you'd like to.
[10:22] He'll be first. We've got one. Another fellow if you'd like to offer. Anyone? Thanks, Daniel. Yeah. We're going to hold the bread. I'll do another bowl for the bread.
[10:33] That's a thought. That's a thought. We can use this. We can use it. You can use it. You can use it. Thanks. All right. Let's just pray before we get to the Lord.
[10:44] We're going to do this. We're going to do this. We're going to do this. We're going to do this. All right. Let's just pray before we pass the bread and cup. The Bible says to not partake unworthily, but to discern the Lord's body.
[10:57] Now, only you can really answer for your soul. I can't judge your soul. I can't judge whether you're saved today. But the Bible says to examine your heart.
[11:08] And in simple faith you can receive him in an instant, in a moment of time, and for all eternity as you realize what Calvary means. The Bible says Christ died for our sins, and he rose again.
[11:21] And he can come and live in your heart by faith, the Bible says. So, we'll ask a poet, John Pierre, to the praise. We think of the body of Christ that was bruised and wounded for us.
[11:33] Thank you, John. Thank you, John. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, because you are good. Thank you for the opportunity that you gave us this morning to be here. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the opportunity that you gave us this morning to be here.
[11:49] Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[12:00] Thank you. the world, so that he will receive the eternal life, Lord, you will be able to see you. Thank you because you will be with us, and you will be with us.
[12:12] Here is what I am going to bring in front of you. God bless you, Lord. God bless you, everyone who will stand. God bless you, who will stand with your heart pure, and be healed, Lord.
[12:28] I pray that you will be with us in Christ Jesus. Amen. I ask you to pray too, as we think about the body. Let's just pray again.
[12:39] We are so grateful, Lord, for the sacrifice that you did on Calvary for us. Our sins were as filthy rags, Lord.
[12:52] Through the blood of Christ, the diamond cross, he cleansed us. That we may be one with you, one with each other, one body as in Christ.
[13:05] We thank you, Lord, for the best hope that we can bring to remembrance the sacrifice of our Lord. We give glory to you, in Jesus' name. Amen.
[13:18] Well, I can pass the bread and cup. I hope you can take one of each either side. Thanks, fellas. And let's just be prayerful as we meditate on what the Lord Jesus has done.
[13:32] Think of what it means for us, eternal life. And of that wonderful heavenly home that awaits us that was read about early today.
[13:47] And in the context of that, it talks about the lamb's wife, the bride. Another picture of what the church is. It talks about the Alpha and Omega.
[14:03] And he says, And be their God.
[14:15] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain. For the former things have passed away.
[14:26] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Glory to God.
[14:51] It's all made possible by the blood of Christ, isn't it? Because he took our place on that hill where he was nailed, where the spikes went at his hands and the feet that held him.
[15:10] He did it for you. He did it for us that believe. And in faith we can receive what that means for us, eternal life.
[15:23] And be part of the body of Christ. Here on earth today. Walking around, living in us. We can discern the Lord's body.
[15:40] And we can acknowledge the Lord's body until he comes. Acknowledge the Lord's death until he comes. And be expectant for that wonderful everlasting home that he's made for us.
[16:00] So, let's just pray as we think about what God has done for us. Heavenly Father, we thank you for our fellowship. And Lord, that we can have the privilege, the great awesome privilege to be here today.
[16:16] But much, much more, the awesome privilege that it is to know that you died on the cross for our sins. That when that body was on that piece of wood, our sin was there.
[16:31] It was nailed there and paid for. Everything, every wrong thing we've ever done or thought. Or the good things we haven't done that we should have done.
[16:42] And even ahead of us, Lord, it's all paid for. We thank you for that payment of your precious, priceless blood that was shed for us.
[16:53] We thank you, Lord, so much for that. And we cannot do anything to deserve it. We just want to thank you so much, Lord, for everything you've done. In Jesus' name, amen.
[17:05] He says, take, eat, this is my body. Let us eat.
[17:24] And he says to us, this is the new covenant, the new testament. And we thank you for that, Lord, for the love of God. We thank you for that, Lord. We thank you for that, Lord.
[17:35] We thank you for that, that transaction that is eternal that can be made. Between sinful man and a holy God. Lord, that you can be that mediator that bridges the gap between sinful man and a holy God.
[17:50] Lord, we thank you for that. That blood that washes away our sin, makes our heart clean. We thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.
[18:02] Let us drink. I love to tell the story of haunting things above, of Jesus and his glory.