Word. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many,
they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one spirit into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part, but of many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand,
I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,
it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye,
where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you. And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you.
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
And the parts we think are less honourable, we treat with special honour,
and the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
while our presentable parts need no special treatment.
But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it,
so that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.
If one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ,
and each one of you is a part of it.
And in the church, God has appointed first of all apostles,
second prophets, third teachers,
then workers of miracles,
also those having gifts of healing,
those able to help others,
those with gifts of administration,
and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles?
Are all prophets?
Are all teachers?
Do all work miracles?
Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues?
Do all interpret?
But eagerly desire the greater gifts?
Well, the church is a body,
and there are many parts,
and one of those parts is Ralph,
and he's going to come and preach.
So, over to you, Ralph.
Thanks very much.
Thank you.
Now we come to hear your word preached.
And Lord Jesus, I ask that your spirit would take your word and cause it to be wedded deeply in all of our hearts to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
In just a few weeks, our very near neighbours in Britain are going to vote in a referendum.
And a referendum is this, whether to stay in or whether to leave the European Union.
This potential British exit is more commonly known or referred to in the media as Brexit.
And it's a defining moment for both the United Kingdom and for Europe.
Will one of the big countries of the EU choose to leave or will it stay?
So, as the British and the Northern Irish are munching over their cornflakes on Thursday the 23rd of June, it will be time for them to decide.
Now many folks, well, they feel like that they're more British.
British and yet want to remain part of this diverse body of nations.
While others, also feeling British, think it's time to opt out.
As they're really too different.
They're on a different track to the rest of everyone else.
And they no longer want to be part of the club of the European Union.
Now you're wondering, well, what does this have to do with the text that's before us this morning?
Well, I think in many ways the local gathering of Christians in the Church of Carn was facing a similar kind of decision point.
Similar issues of identity and belonging.
Just like when different countries come together, I think the gathering of these different Christians in Carn was starting to produce infighting.
It was producing factions.
It was producing doubts about the whole project of being a church.
So instead of finding order and a caring community when you went to the church in Carn,
it seems like it had become really a pit of one upmanship.
Everyone contending for themselves.
It almost feels like every single member was in conflict with every other member.
They were just tearing each other apart.
A body at war with itself.
And I'm sure you've noticed that.
I mean, we've gone through 1 Corinthians over a long time.
But just to remind you, if we go back to chapter 1, right at the beginning,
verses 10 to 12 in chapter 1, Paul, he's writing to them.
He says,
What I mean is this.
One of you says,
Well, I follow Paul.
And another,
I follow Apollos.
And another,
I follow Cephas.
That's Peter.
Still another,
I follow Christ.
And as we go through the pages,
as we flick through,
there's just example and example of this kind of factious behavior in the church.
Again, one of the most recent examples we looked at was in chapter 11 and verse 18.
In the first place,
talking of the Lord's table,
I hear that when you come together as a church,
there are divisions among you.
And to some extent,
I believe it.
Division within the church was common.
The church really is taking a battery.
And whether it's being the Lord's table,
or in this case,
it's really about the use of gifts,
or deciding which leader it's going to follow,
what kind of theology it was going to embrace.
It was just leading to division and argument.
And I believe in these verses before us this morning,
we get a sense of the real damage that that does to the body,
the real damage that does to the church,
this constant infighting and issues.
And some folks,
well, they were feeling disillusioned,
and were maybe feeling a little bit inferior,
and struggling,
while others were pushing the vulnerable,
members out of the church.
So Paul has a big task in his hand,
doesn't he?
To correct some of this.
And to combat this damage,
the church needs to see
what the church is.
The church needs to see what the church is.
The oneness that they have in Christ.
A oneness that is sustained
by the diversity of members
and by the diversity of gifts.
And I guess if that's one thing to take away from this morning,
it's that.
It's that idea that
the oneness that we have
is sustained by a diversity of members
and a diversity of gifts.
The oneness in Christ that we have.
And it's in this context
that Paul introduces the idea
of a physical body.
Look with me at verse 12.
The body, he says,
is a unit.
Though it is made up of many parts,
and though all the parts are many,
they form one body.
So Paul is going to help them
work through this issue
by using an illustration.
It's the illustration of the body.
Think about your body.
Well, it's just one body, isn't it?
You have one body,
but it's not just body.
What I mean is this.
The body, the one body,
is itself made up of different parts.
You see, it's the diversity of parts
that produce a unified body.
It's one body, many parts.
Or we can look at it the other way, can't we?
We can say many parts and one body.
And Paul is asking the Corinthians
to do this here, isn't he?
He says,
when you think of the one,
well, I want you to think of the many.
And when you're thinking of the many,
well, I want you to think of the one.
Do you see that?
You can't separate the oneness
of the church body
from the manyness of the church body.
This is how it is with Christ.
Christ has one body,
his church on earth.
Each of us has enjoyed
the same baptism in the Holy Spirit
into one body,
whether we're Irish or British
or Northern Irish
or young or old,
whether we're leading up the front
or whether we're singing at the back.
Verse 13,
for we were all baptized
by one Spirit into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks,
slave or free,
and we were all given
the one Spirit to drink.
You see,
there are to be no tiers
within the church.
The church isn't structured
in that way,
kind of hierarchically.
There's going to be no tiers.
We are not to divide the body.
We're not to divide the church
along ethnic lines.
We're not to divide
as long lines of, say,
clergy and laity,
that kind of idea.
We're not to divide
the church body
by saying,
well, they're spirit-filled people
and they're,
well, they're into the Word
and they're kind of Word-filled.
That's not how we're
to divide the body.
There are no first
and second tier Christians.
We are all one in Christ.
But Paul also says
we must not think
of the church
as being made up
of just one type of Christian.
Yes, there are no tiers
of Christians or Christianity,
but that doesn't mean
that there's no variety.
And if we go on
to the next verse,
we see that.
Now, the body
is not made up
of one part,
but of many.
You see, the body
is not just one thing,
but rather it's many things.
We speak of one body
and I'm going to repeat this a lot,
but I want you to understand
and hear from God's Word.
But when we do,
when we think of the one,
we need to think of the many.
We need to think of the variety
that has been pulled together
to make the one body.
The key thing in this then
is really who has pulled the parts
together to make the one body.
Who has done this?
Who has designed?
Who has made this one body?
And Paul repeats this
a number of times
again and again in the passage.
Now, we're just going to
scan through here,
but notice verse 18.
Start of verse 18.
But in fact,
God has arranged
the parts of the body.
Skip down with me
to verse 24,
in the middle part of 24.
It says,
but God has combined
the members of the body
and given greater honor
to the parts that lacked it.
And then finally,
verse 28.
Verse 28.
And in the church,
God has appointed.
Now, let's take that in
for a moment.
What it says,
across those three verses,
is that it is God
who arranges,
it is God
who combines,
and it is God
who appoints
in the body.
God does the arranging,
God does the composing,
God does the appointing.
And when we speak
of our lives
and when we speak
of the church,
we don't often think
in those categories,
do we?
We like to take
the spotlight
that Paul is shining
on God
and God's work,
and we like to
creak it over
a little bit
and put it
somewhere else.
And what that looks like
is, well,
we constantly just talk
about our choice
in coming to Jesus.
We talk about
our choice
in coming to this church.
It was our choice
to pick our seat
this morning.
It was our choice
about what we did
during the tea and coffee
and who we were
willing to speak to.
It was going to be
our decision
during this week
how much time
that we are going
to give to other people.
You see,
because it has to fit,
of course,
doesn't it,
into our schedule.
And we tend to pick
and to choose
based on our preferences,
our preferences
for people.
Oh, they're great folks
and, well,
I'm pretty awesome myself.
So, you know what?
I'm going to help them
out this week
with mining their children.
Well, you know,
because they'll return
the favour
and that's cool.
We get on really well.
Isn't that great?
And it is great.
I'm not to cast aside
all that we do
for one another.
But again,
where is the emphasis?
What are we saying?
You see,
in our hearts,
the tendency
is to treat
this church thing
like an
a la carte menu.
You know,
when you go to the restaurant
and you can kind of
pick and choose
from each course.
Pick and choose
as it suits.
That's okay.
Have we forgotten?
Paul is asking,
have we forgotten
that the gathering
is Jesus' gathering?
The people,
the people are arranged
in the body
by Christ
and for Him.
Is this not
the house of God
filled with the people of God?
This is the new humanity
of Christ
where He has shed
His own precious blood
to save us
and to bring us
into this family,
to bring us
into this body,
to be part of the people
of God.
You see,
the emphasis
is on
He has chosen
and we,
we would do well
to respect
His choice
in the matter.
Will we turn away
from those
that Christ welcomes?
This is what Paul
was calling the church
to embrace
and calling the church
to understand
about the church.
Their identity
as both a united
and yet a diverse body.
But it was too easy,
it seems,
for the church
in Corinth
to subdivide.
In Corinth,
it seems to me
almost as you read
through it,
that every time
an issue arose
that things began
to splinter
and fray
and some would start
to opt out.
They would start
to stand away
from being part
of the church.
Individuals,
they didn't feel
like they fitted in anymore.
They were feeling
maybe somewhat inferior
for some of the others
in what they were seeing
and this disconnect
was starting to happen.
We see that
in the next verses,
15 and 16.
If the foot should say,
well,
because I'm not a hand,
well,
I don't belong
to the body.
It would not,
for that reason,
cease to be part
of the body.
And if the ear
should say,
well,
because I'm not an eye,
I do not belong
to the body.
It would not,
for that reason,
cease to be part
of the body.
You see,
often comparison
is a thief,
isn't it?
Comparison is a thief
of joy.
Comparison with others
causes this discontentment
to set in.
And I'm not,
I'm not like that person.
Do I fit?
You know,
I don't really like it
in the church
because I just,
I don't seem to be
like anyone else.
It's easier then
just to step back,
to opt out,
to insulate yourself,
even ultimately
to leave.
But the word of God
is clear,
isn't it?
As God speaks
through Paul
as he's writing scripture,
the second half
of verse 15
and the second half
of verse 16.
You see,
if you didn't choose
to be part of the body,
it's not just the case
of simply opting out.
You can't just declare,
well,
I'm not part of the body,
and then cease
to be part of the body
because,
again,
it's God
who was chosen.
The word of God
that says
that such faulty
thinking about the body
is actually
quite comical.
You know,
there is humour
in the Bible.
Maybe we don't
appreciate it.
Verse 17.
If the whole body
were an eye,
where would the sense
of hearing be?
If the whole body
were an ear,
where would the sense
of smell be?
Imagine a body
that was just an eye.
An eye,
the size of a body,
and it was just an eye.
And imagine you
driving down to school
tomorrow to drop
the kids off,
and there on the cycle
lane is the eye.
Boing,
boing,
boing.
Person-sized eye
bouncing along.
It would just be,
it would just be ludicrous.
How strange and bizarre
to see a body
that was just an eye.
Or,
as we walk out
this morning,
there's this leg.
It's about the size
of a person.
And it's just kind of
slithering around
the car park.
You know,
we'd be,
well,
okay,
that's weird.
Maybe it's part
of a bigger body
or something,
you know,
where did that come from?
Ludicrous,
ludicrous imagery.
And the same way,
Paul is trying
to get us
to think here,
a body doesn't
look like that.
A body doesn't
behave like that.
You see,
we shouldn't want
to opt ourselves out
when we get discouraged
and disillusioned
with church
like somewhere
in Corinth.
And that is a very
real part
of church life.
Life together
does highlight
difference.
It does bring
tension.
It can bring
division.
This is very real,
but it's our reaction
to it and our
understanding of what
church is that's
going to help.
We might find it
hard at times
and our hearts
do begin to whisper,
I don't belong.
We might struggle
when we look around
in this church
and we don't see
many others
that are kind
of like us.
Maybe I'm the
only teenager here,
so why bother?
Surely I can just
follow Jesus on my
own.
Can't I have Christ
without the church?
Isn't that a solution?
Can't I just kind
of opt out
and do my own
thing?
No.
No, Paul says,
verse 18,
but in fact,
God has arranged
the parts in the
body,
every one of them,
just as he wanted
them to be.
Again,
if you were all
one part,
where would the
body be?
As it is,
there are many
parts,
but one
body.
You get it?
God has arranged
it.
It is Christ's
body.
It's not your
body.
Instead of
lamenting who
you are not,
we need to
switch our
thinking around.
The diversity
that God
brings about
in this church
is achieved
through you
being here.
Did you ever
consider that?
That you being
here is what
makes this
church,
Cargoline Baptist
Church,
a body.
Your diversity,
even if you feel
like you're the
only one,
the only one
that's like you,
that is
helping to
make this
a body.
And that has
amazing implications.
It means that
our decisions
about following
Christ,
being part of
his church,
should be
transformed.
And we should
think very
carefully that
when we begin
to opt
ourselves out,
when we begin
to separate,
and we can
blame others,
and yes,
life is
difficult,
church life
is difficult,
but really we
are taking
away from
the diversity
that Christ
has put
in place.
That is no
small issue.
To maintain
the unity
of the spirit
is what we
are called
to.
It is no
small issue
to separate
yourselves
from what
God has
put together.
You may
feel weak
and limited,
but God
has put you
here today.
You are
the body
of Christ.
Now,
this diversity
that each
believer
brings to
the body
has another
important
consequence.
It not only
affects how
we think
of ourselves
and how
we think
of our
place
within the
body,
but it
should also
affect how
we relate
to the
other parts
of the body
and how
we think
of others.
Because there
was another
aspect to
this,
and that
was the
issue of
superiority.
Verse 21,
the eye
cannot say
to the hand,
I don't
need you,
and the
head cannot
say to the
feet,
I don't
need you.
You see,
while some
were feeling
maybe inferior
and maybe
discontented
and were
opting out
because they
feel like
they didn't
belong,
there were
the others
in the
church that
were kind
of opening
the door
and watching
them leave
and giving
them a kick
up the
pants on
the way
out.
That was
their
approach
to diversity.
The attitude
in that case
really is one
of self-sufficiency
of arrogance,
you know,
I am the
all-seeing
eye.
I have
no need
of you,
lowly hand.
I am
the all-knowing
head.
Be gone,
little feet,
be gone,
out the
door.
And again,
if it wasn't
so tragic,
we could
just laugh
at the image
that Paul
paints for
us of
this warring
body that's
trying to
dismember
parts of
itself and
thinking by
getting rid
of these
bits that
somehow a
better body
or a
more real
body.
But make
no mistake,
this behavior
and this
attitude
was absolutely
tragic.
Absolutely
tragic.
Look at
who was at
the receiving
end of this
treatment,
verse 22.
On the
contrary,
those parts
of the body
that seem
to be
weaker
are indispensable.
And the
parts that we
think are
less honorable,
we treat
with special
honor.
and the
parts that
are
unpresentable
are treated
with special
modesty,
while our
presentable
parts need
no special
treatment.
Do you see
who was at
the receiving
end?
Paul talks
about the
weaker members
of the body.
He says the
less honored
and the ones
in need of
special treatment
protection.
these were
the ones
who were
being lined
up at
the door
for special
attention
by the
super gifted,
the up the
front,
the loud
and the
large crowd.
But the
special attention
and special
treatment was
this,
consignment
to the
thanks but
no thanks
pile in the
church.
Isn't that
tragic?
Doesn't that
make your
heart hurt?
But Paul
is clear
here,
isn't he?
The parts
that we
see as
weak,
as lacking
honor,
and in
need of
special help,
how are we
to treat
them?
Where to
see them
as
indispensable?
They are
to be given
special honor.
They are
to be given
extra dignity.
You see,
our natural
instincts,
our sinful
instincts,
if we put
it like
that,
is to
divide and
to shun,
to just
want more
and more
like me
and less
like the
other.
And Paul
says to
bind up.
Where we
want to
discard,
Paul is
saying to
pull
closer.
The author
is Kevin
DeYoung and
Ted
Cluck,
co-authored a
book a
number of
years back
called Why
We Love
the Church.
It's a
great title.
It's a good
book.
I read it
recently.
Ted Cluck,
one of the
co-authors,
he writes in
response to
the recent
trend in
Christianity
to try and
divorce,
and I
kind of
talked about
that,
to divorce
Jesus from
the church,
to kind of
distinguish
between the
two.
And the
argument and
the criticism,
and there's
merit in this
at times,
that's made,
is that
churches are,
by and large,
inward-looking
social clubs
that are more
concerned with
performance and
appearance than
living out the
Christian life.
And there is
some merit to
that criticism.
It's a real
criticism, and we
need to appreciate
that as churches.
But the answer
given by those in
what is called the
Emergent Church
Movement is that
in order to
follow Jesus
fully, we need
to leave the
church.
Do you see?
Because you
can have Christ
without the
church.
And what does
that look like?
Well, they
suggest all kinds
of variants.
One, you know,
you might just
meet up with
Christians at
Starbucks, or
on the golf
course, or out
on the ocean.
And that's
cool, where two
or three are
gathered.
There I am in
the midst of
us, the midst
of you.
Jesus is there.
We have a
church.
We hold each
other accountable.
We do kind of
cool stuff together.
We do kind of
social action stuff
and really care for
the body.
That way, you
know, we're able
to better serve
each other
organically and
do some good in
the world.
Now, Kevin
Young and Ted
Cluck are
regular, boring,
everyday kind of
church guys.
And one of the
things they do
in the book is
look at examples
of what this
regular and
somewhat mundane
and somewhat
plodding, long
haul church life
looks like when
it's been
properly, when
it's properly
being the body
of Christ.
And so they
look at some
other examples
in response.
And Cluck
speaks of the
church where
his brother-in-law
goes to, college
church in
Wheaton, Illinois.
And when he
went there, it's
in a kind of a
posh area, you
know, he
initially saw
it as one,
and this is a
quote, big
affluent churches
in that they
only care about
catering to the
whims of their
affluent clientele.
So they're only
kind of looking
out, that was
his perception
of the area and
what the church
building looked
like.
But then he
was convicted
of his
judgmental attitude
when he started
to speak with
his brother-in-law.
Because his
brother-in-law
told them about
this disabilities
ministry that
they had in the
church called
STARS.
It's a ministry,
and this is a
larger church than
us, so don't
be put off.
It's providing
various help to
hundreds of
people in the
Wheaton area.
And it started
back in the
1960s by a
woman in the
church named
Jean.
And Jean,
God bless her,
she saw a
child with a
developmental
disability and
was saddened
that there was
nothing in the
church that
was helping to
bridge to that
child.
And so Jean,
she lobbied the
elders, and she
was eventually
given a Sunday
school classroom to
start something with
this one child.
And today that
church serves 80
families in and
outside of the
church body.
They provide
disability-friendly
church events,
they provide
respite care for
parents, and they
give financial
assistance.
Clark tells us
that the ministry's
key verses are
these.
1 Corinthians
chapter 12
and verse 21
and 22.
Think of what
they're doing and
listen to these
words.
The eye cannot
say to the
hand, I don't
need you, and
the head cannot
say to the feet,
I don't need
you.
On the contrary,
those parts of
the body that
seem to be
weaker are
indispensable.
Isn't that
beautiful, folks?
Isn't that
beautiful to
think of the
work of the
body?
You know, when
it talks a few
verses later about
the presentable
parts and the
unpresentable
parts, I'm not
a Greek expert,
and I rarely go
for this kind of
thing, but the
underlying Greek
phrase or our
idea is this,
it's talking about
those that are
elegant in figure
and graceful.
Elegant in figure
and graceful.
So that's who the
presentable are.
And we can kind
of picture that,
can't we, being
elegant in figure
and graceful.
Those that need
no special
treatment, that
can carry
themselves around
without any
problems.
So then we can
begin to understand
what the
unpresentable are
like.
They're those
that are
inelegant.
Those that are
ungraceful.
Those that
naturally, and
not in a bad
way, we would
just notice them
and say, well,
they're a little
bit clumsy.
They're maybe
even somewhat
embarrassing in
public life.
We just notice
they're struggling
a bit.
And do you
know that in
our church, there
are people who
at times feel
like that?
In our church,
that feel
unpresentable?
Those that are
suffering from
depression at
times, from
lifelong disability,
developmental
delays as
they're growing
up, neurological
issues, physical
limitations, social
limitations.
There are people
that come here
that find all of
this quite hard.
Those people,
Paul says,
are worthy of
our special
treatment.
They are a
special and
altogether
worthy part
of the body.
Pull them
closer, God
says.
God is
really telling
us through
his word this
morning to
stop.
Where we
could decide to
opt ourselves
out or because
we don't fit in
and where we
want to opt
others out.
God says
stop.
He says stop
dividing.
Stop judging
one another.
Stop the
envy.
Stop the
condescending,
looking down on
others.
Be a body
with all of
its parts.
And follow
me as we
read through
the verses
from the
middle of
24 down
to 26.
But God
has combined
the members
of the body
and has
given greater
honor to
the parts
that lacked
it so that
there should
be no
division in
the body
but that
its parts
should have
special concern
for each
other.
If one
part suffers,
every part
suffers with
it.
If one
part is
honored,
every part
rejoices
with it.
So how
do we
stop?
How do
we address
this problem
of division
in the
body?
Well,
a surprising
part of
the answer
is actually
by embracing
more diversity
where diversity
can bring
tension
that lead
to division.
We need
a kind of
a God-given
diversity
that sows
seeds
that are
going to
lead to
unity.
We saw
that last
week in
verses 4 to
7.
There are
different kinds
of gifts
but the
same
spirit.
There are
different kinds
of service
but the
same
Lord.
There are
different kinds
of working
but the
same God
works all
of them
in all
men.
Now to
each one
the
manifestation
of the
spirit
is given
for the
common
good.
You see
spiritual
gifts
are given
by God
for the
good of
the church
and Paul
is going
to tell
us again
that
Christ
brings
both unity
and diversity
that they
fit together
and that
when we
think of
the one
we should
think of
the many.
I thought
you'd be
ready to
echo that
back at
this stage.
Verses
27 to
30.
Now you
are the
body of
Christ
one body
and each
one of you
is a part
of it
the many
and in
the church
God
is appointed
first of
all
apostles
second
prophets
third
teachers
then workers
of miracles
also those
having gifts
of healing
those able
to help
others
and those
gifts of
administration
and those
speaking in
different kinds
of tongues
are all
apostles
are all
prophets
are all
teachers
do all
work
miracles
do all
have
gifts
of healing
do all
speak in
tongues
do all
interpret
God has
appointed
diverse
gifts
in the
church
we are
not
all
the
same
praise
God
now we
spoke
last week
about
these
lists
and how
it can
be a bit
misleading
at times
that we
read a
list
and we
try to
pick where
we are
in the
list
but we
know that
this list
is different
from the
list in
verses 8
to 11
so we're
not meant
to do
that we're
not meant
to just
pick one
list and
think that's
everything
rather we're
to see that
there's a
diversity of
gifts given
to a
diversity of
members
and they're
not verse
28 they're
not given
in the
Christian
but he
talks about
them being
in the
church and
in the
church God
has appointed
so again
the key thing
here is
diversity
of gifts
to a
diversity
of people
in the
church
they're
primarily
for the
church to
build up
the church
now just
briefly one
of the
things that
comes up
here in
this list
is the
ordering
first of
all apostles
second
prophets
and third
teachers
and then
he goes
on to
list a
whole other
set of
gifts that
aren't
ordered
and this
order one
two three
can be
taken in
two ways
the first
is the
order that
they emerge
in the
early church
so initially
we have
Christ appoints
his apostles
to bring
the good
news
and to
build the
church on
that apostolic
teaching of
the gospel
and secondly
we have
those that
are prophets
that speak
the word
of God
within
individual
church
contexts
and declare
the word
of God
in an
authoritative
way
and then
there are
teachers
who continue
to explain
and apply
the word
of God
within the
body
so we
have
apostles
preachers
and teachers
now there is
a sense
of the
order they
come
and also
the relative
importance
to the
life of
the church
and I think
that's why
those gifts
are ordered
Paul writing
in Ephesians
2 puts
it like
this
we are
God's
people
and members
of God's
household
built on
the foundation
of the
apostles
and the
prophets
with Jesus
Christ
as a
chief
corner
stone
so there's
a variety
of gifts
given by
God
within the
church
and we
thank him
for sound
apostolic
teaching
that continues
today through
the preaching
of the word
of God
the Bible
preachers
and teachers
continue to
proclaim the
same gospel
as the
apostles
and we want
to thank God
for that
as D.A.
Carson puts it
we need to
thank God
for stomachs
so we're
talking about
the body
so let's
take that
as an
illustration
we need
to thank
God
for stomachs
and you're
going
what is he
talking about
well the
stomach
Carson explains
well it takes
in a lot of
food doesn't
it takes
in the food
and it
digests the
food and
then it
begins to
distribute the
food to
the rest
of the
body
and such
is the
role in
the body
of pastors
and teachers
they take
in the word
of God
they digest
it and
then distribute
it to
the other
members
so anyone
that's
teaching or
preaching in
any way in
this church
you're not
the head
that's not
the symbol
you're to
use for
yourself
you're to
use the
idea of
the stomach
and the
diversity
that God
gives like
this is one
reason why
organizations
outside of the
church
aren't the
church
so Christian
unions are
fantastic
I was
president of
the
CU for
a while
in
University
College
Cork
I met
my wife
in
UCC
so
Christian
union
has been
very good
to me
you know
I'm not
knocking the
Christian
union
the
Christian
union
is
fantastic
but
it's
not
the
church
it's
not
the
church
as
great
as
those
times
are
together
of
fellowship
and
friendship
and
staying
up
late
and doing
crazy
things
and witnessing
on
campus
it's
really
like
a lot
of little
legs
bouncing
around
the
campus
at
UCC
it's
not
a
body
it
doesn't
have
all
of
the
gifting
and
the
diversity
and
the
variety
that
a
body
demands
or
Bible
colleges
are
great
but
you're
all
really
just
a
bunch
of
stomachs
looking
at
each
other
so
we
go
to
NBC
that's
all
it
really
is
a
bunch
of
stomachs
only
the
church
is
the
body
of
Christ
how
awful
how
awful
it
would
be
if
the
church
was
only
made
up
of
middle
aged
white
married
with
kids
half
Irish
half
German
computer
programmers
who
study
at
NBC
and
like
Munster
Rugby
now
maybe
you're
all
thinking
that's
the
ideal
but
imagine
what
the
church
would
be
like
yes
there
are
moments
I
think
this
church
thing
would
be
a
whole
lot
easier
if
everyone
was
a
little
bit
okay
at
my
worst
moment
a
lot
more
like
me
wouldn't
it
be
so
much
easier
wouldn't
it
be
great
to
all
be
me
and
be
in
agreement
with
me
all
the
time
I
can
just
picture
you
all
nodding
now
yes
this
is
great
isn't
it
brilliant
stop
the
foolish
thinking
or
we're
back
to
trying
to
cut
off
our
own
arm
or
back
to
trying
to
discard
our
foot
out
the
door
it's
a
all
too
common
you
know
in
our
home
groups
as we
quietly
cringe
when
certain
people
start
talking
because
we
know
what
they're
going
to
say
and
we've
heard
it
before
and
it's
no
different
this
time
and
we
wish
they
would
stop
or
find
another
tune
or
something
like
that
well
you
stop
you
stop
and
you
remember
verse
27
now
you
are
the
body
of
Christ
and
each
one
of
you
is
a
part
of
it
you
stop
you
repent
and
then
you
smile
you
stop
and
you
repent
and
you
smile
seriously
stop
that
thought
repent
and
thank
God
right
there
and
then
that
fellow
body
member
is
different
thank
God
that
they're
not
just
like
you
as
faulty
as
they
are
and
as
faulty
as
you
are
we
are
both
placed
right
here
right
now
by
God
himself
to
make
unity
in
Christ's
body
that
comes
through
diversity
let's
pray
our
God
and
father
in
heaven
we
thank
you
for
your
church
we
thank
you
that
it's
not
our
idea
it
is
your
idea
and
in
your
goodness