Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Campus Pastor
1 Corinthians 12:12-20
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,[e] yet one body.
One of my favorite movies that came out when I was in junior high school was called High School Musical. The movie was basically about a high school student (Troy Bolton) who was a star basketball player at East High School, but also was big into the Theater Arts program there. If you were a basketball player at that school you were viewed as popular and cool, but if you were into Theater Arts you were seen as a loser. Troy ended up breaking the mold by participating in the big show and the big basketball game, and in doing so showed the whole school that at the end of the day, no matter what social club you were a part of, every person at the school was an East Wildcat! One of the last songs in the musical/film is called “We’re all in this Together” which displayed everyone in the school singing about the reality together. Though there was diversity in extracurricular interests and abilities, together they were the East Wildcats!
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul highlights this reality that as believers we too are “All in this together.” In verses 12-14 Paul compares the Church (all those who have a relationship with Jesus, not just Living Hope Baptist Church) to a human body. Paul says that the church consists of many members just like a human body does but also that we are one! He goes on to say in verses 15-20 that each member of the church is needed and has a unique role just like the body!
Paul highlights two main truths for ponder this morning:
1)The power of the Gospel! Listen friend, it doesn’t matter where you came from or what race/nationality you are, in Christ we are one! (Galatians 3:25-27) Hallelujah! You and that fellow brother may not have anything in common but the Gospel, but here’s the thing, you are family! So we ought to start loving and treating one another as such because we are in this journey together!
2) Hey, you are a vital part of the body of Christ! Be encouraged this morning. You may not have the gift to preach, but your gifting as a prayer warrior is vital to the Kingdom. You may not be a deacon, but listen, your willingness to serve as a door holder is vital to the Kingdom. Instead of comparing yourself to other believers and complaining because you are a foot and not a hand, or we’re an eye and not an ear like the churches in Corinth did, make the choice to be who God has called and gifted you to be and go make disciples.
As the church we are all in this together! Let us love each other and build each other up! Let us make the choice to get in the game and be the Church God has called for us to be, loving/serving God and loving/serving others with the gifts He has given to you and to me.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your love. Thank you for making a way through Your Son Jesus for me to become a child of Yours. I pray today that you help me to love my fellow brother/sister in the Lord. Help me to use the spiritual gifts you have given me to glorify your kingdom today and everyday.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.