God Is among Us: The Church

God Is among Us: The Church

1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 31.

Introduction

Some of you may feel a little torn this week.  Thursday of this week is the biggest patriotic holiday of the year—the Fourth of July, Independence Day, or the day we set aside to celebrate the United States of America and the freedoms we enjoy as U.S. citizens.  However, Fourth of July 2013 comes one week after the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a monumental decision about same-sex marriage.

On Facebook and Twitter this week, I read several posts from politicians and pastors about how this Supreme Court decision marks the end of American greatness, or even the beginning of the end of American civilization.  One post I read commented that this is the fulfillment of what the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1: 28 – 32…when people reject God, God then hands us over to our depravity.  A famous pastor with over one million followers on Twitter commented, “Why are you worried? God's Church has survived EVERY other culture that crumbled. It will outlast this one too.”

As a Christian and a pastor, I have strong convictions about what marriage is and what marriage is not.  Marriage is recognized by our state and our nation.  However, neither the state of Texas nor the United States of America “invented” marriage.  Marriage is older than our state and nation.  Marriage is also recognized by our church.  However, the church did not “invent” marriage either.  Marriage is older than the church.  In fact. Marriage was not “invented” by anyone…Marriage was “created” by God and has its foundation in the story of creation in Genesis 1 and 2.

In Genesis 1 and 2, we read that God created the heavens and the earth.  Then, God filled the heavens and earth with land and sea; plants and animals; birds and fish.  God also created the first man and soon realized that the man was lonely.  So, God created the first woman, placed them in relationship with each other and declared, “…a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Genesis 2: 24).”  This is the foundation of marriage.  Marriage was not invented by our culture.  Marriage was created by God when God created the first man and woman, brought them into relationship with each other, and united them together as one flesh.

For this reason, I will not perform a same-sex marriage; and, as long as I am pastor of this church, our church will not serve as the host for a same-sex marriage ceremony.  Of course I know that puts me at odds with the culture.  But, I believe I am in good company.  The church has always been at odds with the culture.  The church worships Jesus as Lord.  The culture around us worships self as lord (or freedom or government as lord).  The church defines and defends morality from the Bible.  The culture around us determines morality by what feels right or by Supreme Court decisions.  The church lives with a God-given purpose to redeem the world we live in.  And we live with the assurance that God still performs miracles and still has the power to change lives.

I do not always agree with the decisions the United States government makes.  But, I do not want to live anywhere else in the world.  We live in a free country.  We live in a pluralistic culture which consists of Christians, Jews, Muslims and “nones.”  We cannot force the rest of the culture to live as we live.  But, we can invite others to experience Jesus for themselves…to discover why we live the way we live…and trust in the power of God to change our culture one person at a time.

This is the work God has assigned to the church.  We are to change the culture by sharing the Love of Jesus with one person at a time.  Sometimes it seems like an impossible task.  But, there is some Good News.  God has not only given us the assignment.  God has also given us the Power we need to complete the assignment.  God has given us his Presence and his Power by giving us his Holy Spirit.

One of the places where we see God’s giving the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost.  When Jesus ascended into Heaven, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Spirit.  Ten days later, one hundred twenty men and women were gathered and waiting.  Suddenly, they heard the sound of a roaring wind (I like to think it sounded like an East Texas tornado).  They received the Holy Spirit, and the church was born.

It’s interesting to me to see a parallel with the birth of the church and the birth of Jesus.  Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and conceived by the Holy Spirit.  The church was born on the Day of Pentecost and (also) conceived by the Holy Spirit.  This tells me that the church is an extension of Jesus’ life and ministry.  Our job as the church is to continue doing what Jesus did.  We cannot do the work of Jesus by our own strength.  Therefore, God gives us the strength by filling us with his Presence and his Power.  The church has received gifts from the Holy Spirit.  Every church is gifted.  Every church member is gifted.  And, every member is a necessary part of the Body we call church.

1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 31.

12 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. 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. 

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 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. 16 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. 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? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,23 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, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 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. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret?  31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

One of the most beautiful aspects of this Scripture is the fact that everyone “gets it.”  It doesn’t require a lot of interpretation, because it is an illustration we can all understand.  Paul tells us that the church is the Body of Christ.  And, just like our physical bodies are made up of many different parts, the church is made up of many different parts.  Just as our physical bodies depend on the health of individual parts of the body, the church depends on every member doing what God has gifted us individually to do.

Perhaps this is a good time to reflect on how you fit into the Body of Christ.  Some people have been gifted with sensitivity or mercy and function as the “heart” of the church.  Other people have a desire to work or get things accomplished and function as the “hands and feet” of the church.  Still other people are more of a distraction or a nuisance and function as the “nose hairs” of the church.  (I actually made that up.  No one is supposed to be a distraction or a nuisance in the church.  Don’t be the “nose hair” of the Body of Christ.)

Paul’s point in this extended illustration is that there is both unity and diversity in the church.  There are many different gifts.  But, there is only one Lord who brings us together to function as one church.  There are no unnecessary parts of the body.  God has arranged the parts and brought us all together to function as a united body.

The world thinks differences are divisive.  God takes our differences and creates unity.  God does not create division in the church.  Division is the result of our own sinfulness and our worldly mindset that tells us differences divide.  God uses our differences to create unity and interdependence.  We need each other in order to function as a healthy church.

Paul tells us in this Scripture a few characteristics about a healthy church.  He tells us that a healthy church is the Body of Christ.  There are many different body parts which come together to form one, healthy, functioning body.  But, have you ever read the rest of 1 Corinthians?  This was NOT a healthy church!  They were divided and suffering the results of sin in the church.  Paul instructed the church of Corinth by holding up an example of an ideal church.  They weren’t an ideal church.  Paul wanted them to strive to become an ideal church.

How many real churches live up to this ideal?  I believe there are no ideal churches.  This is because real churches are made up of real people.  Since people are imperfect, churches made of imperfect people are also imperfect.  Yet, God continues to use imperfect people and imperfect churches to accomplish his purpose.  God could accomplish everything he wants to do without us…and could probably get it done much more efficiently.  Yet, God uses the church.

This tells me God has a plan for the church.  God has not given up on the church…And we should not give up on the church either.  Instead, we should strive to become more like the ideal by fulfilling God’s purpose for our church.

Toward God

One way to describe the purpose of the church is to think about our activity and purpose toward God.  We could use the word “worship” to describe this.

Each Sunday, we gather as a church to worship God.  There are many other things we could do on Sunday mornings.  We could mow the yard, watch football games, sleep, follow our children to their activities, or hundreds of other activities.  Why do we choose to worship God on Sunday mornings over all the other choices?  There is only one good answer.  It is because God is worthy of our worship.

God is the creator and sustainer of the earth.  This alone is enough to worship God!  But there is more.  The God who created us also Loves us.  He never stops pursuing us.  He wants to be in relationship with us and has provided the way for us to know him.  He sent his only Son, Jesus, to be our Savior and Redeemer.  The almighty God of creation also wants to be your intimate Savior.  He is worthy of our worship.

Of course, it is possible to worship God privately.  You do not have to gather in the Sanctuary alongside other Christians to worship God.  But corporate worship is different.  We are better together than we are when we are separate.

I can’t think of a better way to design a Sanctuary than what we have.  But, I think our architecture communicates the wrong message about corporate worship.  The way things are set up, it looks like you are the audience and I am the performer.  But that is wrong.  All of us are the performers, and God is the audience.

Toward Ourselves

Another way to describe the activity and purpose is to think of how we relate toward each other…The church focused on itself and all the members of the church.

One way to think about this is to return to Paul’s image of the Body of Christ.  No one completely ignores the health and well-being of their own physical body.  We eat when we are hungry, drink when we are thirsty, sleep when we are tired, and go to the doctor when we are sick.  In the same way, the church responds to the physical and health needs inside the body.  In many ways, this is when the church is at its best…responding when church members are suffering.  The biblical image for this is to “carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6: 1).”

However, we also respond to spiritual needs through Bible study and discipleship.  We participate in Bible study and discipleship to strengthen the church by helping church members grow in faith.  The church becomes stronger when individual members grow in our understanding of Jesus and grow in our dependence on Jesus to meet our daily needs.

Toward the World

It is true that the church is a place of refuge for Christians to escape from the scary world.  We leave the troubles of the world outside and retreat to a place of refuge.  But no one actually stays inside the church all week long.  We leave the church to go out into the world.  And that describes another activity or purpose for the church.  We have a responsibility toward the world…to tell people outside the church about the Love of God, the Hope of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Again, I think it is helpful to use Paul’s illustration about our physical bodies.  When our physical bodies are sick, we spend a lot of time concentrating on ourselves and trying to get healthy again.  But, once we are healthy, it is time to focus on other people.

The most important thing we can do for the world is to tell the world about Grace of God.  God Loves, not because we deserve to be Loved.  God Loves, because it is God’s nature to Love us and to pursue each of us for relationship.  Of course, talking about Grace is not enough if we are unwilling to extend the same kind of Grace to others that God has first extended to us.

And we are to show this Grace to the world the same way God showed Grace to us.  God demonstrated his Love and Grace through self-giving Love.  The only way we will ever make a difference in the world is by Loving others the way Jesus first Loved us.  Of course, I don’t mean to die on the cross…That is a one time event…Jesus died on the cross once and for all…  We demonstrate Love by giving ourselves away to others so that the broken world can be healed and so that people far from God can come to know Jesus the way we know Jesus.

Conclusion

In the late 1800’s, John Muir was an explorer who journalled about his experiences in the western United States.  He traveled from Alaska to California and wrote about what he saw in nature.  His journals are filled with Scripture references and praise to God who created the heavens and the earth.

In December 1874, Muir was visiting with a friend who had a cabin in the Sierra Mountains.  While Muir and his friend were enjoying to comfort and security of the cabin, a thunderstorm moved in from the Pacific Ocean.  Most of us would have been glad to be in the cabin during the storm.  Perhaps we would put another log on the fire and wrap up in blankets so we could weather the storm inside.  But, not John Muir…

Muir left the security of his friend’s cabin and went out into the storm to experience the wind for himself.  He even climbed into the top of a Douglas Fir and held on for dear life while the wind blew the trees back and forth (Eugene Peterson, “Foreword,” in Philip Yancey, Church: Why Bother? [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998], pp. 7 – 13).

Perhaps that is a good image for the church.  There are times when we retreat into the safety of the church to escape from the scary world outside.  But, we are not doing all of what God called us to do while we are inside the cabin.  We have to leave the safety of the church building and church meetings to go out into the world if we want to make a difference.