Members of the Body of Christ
Introduction
If I were to ask you the top 5 most important aspects to overall health, what would you say? We might mention diet, exercise, sleep, being outdoors, and sunlight? Anything else come to mind?
Well, according to the Surgeon General, there is another primary factor which we have not mentioned. Please understand, I have no pretense of believing the Surgeon General is a good source on his own, but I believe he and the department of health and human services have recognized an important truth about humanity. Listen to a quote from his advisory.
“Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.” Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, 2023.
Have you faced the darkness of loneliness? Whatever you think about personality traits and whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, we were all created for community. Based on cultural trends, I think this struggle will get worse and worse. This is not going away. The impact of loneliness on our well-being which the Surgeon General couldn't help but notice and address is this: We were created to live in community. God said in Genesis, the beginning, that it is not good for man to be alone. So God instituted marriage and family to give man community, and later local communities and nations to provide more community. Finally in the New Testament, God gives man the church as another, unique form of community.
As we look to the table, as our church thinks about the things we do and the money that we spend, it is important for us to think about what the church is. Why do we have the church? What are we supposed to be doing? We need a proper understanding of the nature and worth of the church.
And here is the bottom line: When we take the church too lightly, we miss out on all of what Christ has for us. And I want to show you what I mean by that from the text:
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 1 Co 12:12
Jesus so closely identifies himself with his church that we can use His name to refer to the church.
Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Ac 9:4
The Son of God calls the church His bride. That's got to mean something!
Too often, we treat the church like a club. But it is not. It is a body.
Today, I would like to examine Paul's teaching about the body, and figure out together what it means to belong to a church.
Members of the body have the Spirit of God. (vv. 12-14)
The text says that these people have been made to drink of the same drink and have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of complex ways to interpret this. But I do not believe we need to over complicate this. To me it seems that Paul is Merely trying to communicate that these people have been imbued in a thorough and deeply affecting way.
Friends if we are children of God, we all have the same Holy Spirit in us, not just residing within us in some perfunctory way. It is in an all encompassing And life-changing way.
In discussing our need for community and examples of shared experience creating community, Pastor Thomas brought up veterans. By the grace of God, the vast majority of us have never seen combat or even deployment to a major conflict. But for those who do have this experience, isn't it something that finds you together with someone in an irrevocable way there is a deep sense of community because you were both baptized so to speak by the most intense and impactful things in life.
I do not intend to make light of a veterans experience, but I think we need to understand that the Bible presents our conversion and the effects of the Holy Spirit in our lives as earth shattering moments for us that give us a shared experience with one another.\
Just think of this: one group of people working in unison, in humility letting go of all personal ambition for the mission, being empowered with the same power that resurrected Jesus and put Him on high at the right hand of the Father, and all of this happens by the very Spirit of God Who is God!
That church member sitting across from you or standing just a few steps away from you at a fellowship has the same Holy Spirit and that makes you a part of the same body, just as the nose and the belly button are. Ya they might have some lint. They might even be a, oh my!, a Redskins fan or even worse, an Eagles fan, (had to get that in there) but do you see what I’m getting at?
They might say things in a way that grates on you a little bit, they might be a little blunt, or they might sound a little too uppity. They might be very detail oriented, or they can be a diligent doer who gets the job done but doesn’t get held back by the details. We all have preferences and personalities but what brings us together is not really those things, it is the Holy Spirit infusing us to the core of our beings.
According to God, that is what matters. In other words, my foot is a part of the same body as my pancreas, not because it looks like it. Not because it is capable of the very same functions. It is because it has been “baptized” too. It has the same water flowing through it to imbue it with life. It has the same DNA.
Will you let other people in the church be Holy Spirit infused versions of what God made them to be for His glory?
Can you see how this is good, that different body parts have different shapes and functions and purposes yet are one body?
Our next truth that we find in 1 Corinthians 12 helps us to understand that more.
God places us in a church. vv. 15-19
This is a concept that we touched on when we discussed gifts in Romans 12. It was a theme in that passage that discussed the diversity of gifting in the church, and seems to be one here again.
Here Paul is helping us to understand something that should shape how we view ourselves in the church. God placed me here. However I physically got here, whatever the process was to make you a member of this church, however mundane and “normal” the circumstances, it was God moving and working.
What does that mean? It was no accident.
Something that we process as children is that God made our bodies the way we did. We learn to accept that and appreciate the beauty in what God has done. We learn to not judge His choices based on how rational we think it is to have our nose, our hair, our smile, etc. They are what they are, and God made them what they are.
So too is our church. It is not ours to regret that God has given us the body that we have; it is ours to trust in His wisdom and goodness.
The Corinthians seemed to prioritize certain gifts and prefer certain members of the body. For them it was speaking in tongues, which we believe is not a gift given like it was then, that was the really cool gift to have. That was what really mattered. And the people who mattered were the ones who could afford to have lavish feast, bringing all the best food and drink to the Lords supper fellowship. That was what really made it church.
What is it for us? What are we tempted to make the measure of importance and prominence in our church? Here is what God says should be our standard: did God place you into the body according to His pleasure? Do you have the Holy Spirit, infusing your entire being with His power and spiritual fruit? Then you’re a part of the body. That’s it!
No disposition, no personality, no income bracket, no playlist, no membership card, no skill or ability, no merit, it is all of God. Do you see how the Gospel is weaved into everything that the church does? No matter how much it looks like I can decide to join a church, (God does involve my free will; I must make a choice) but not matter how practical the choice looks, it’s really God doing something, not me. And it’s not my merit. I’m not bringing my resume to the table, though in my case a CV was involved. What was REALLY going on was that God was placing me in the body by His sovereign will for His purposes.
So now I would like to drill in to what God is doing in and through the church. What happens within the body, amongst the members?
What does it mean to belong to a body? vv. 20-26
The body needs every member. (1 Co 12:20-22)
This is a natural conclusion of what Paul has just is a reality just under the surface of all that we have been discussing. It has been bubbling just under the surface.
But I want us to consider this, what should the fellowship, the relationships among the members of a church look like if every member is necessary?
I understand we can have some friends that are closer than others, Jesus did! But each brother and sister is an essential part of Brookdale. God has given us each person that makes up our church body. And without any one of them, it would not be that.
How should we then treat one another? How should we support one another? Should we know one another? Pastor Thomas has challenged us recently to get to know people we do not know, and I really don't think we are anywhere near saying it too much! You do not have to be best friends with everyone but you should KNOW everyone.
What does it tell people when the pastor wants to get to know them? How does it make them feel? Wanted. Important. NECESSARY. Well they are those things because they are a part of the church, the bride of Christ, which Jesus died for! He shed His blood, yes to cleanse us from sin, but also specifically for the church!
Love the church! And that means loving the people! They are necessary (each one), not just for the whole body, but for you. Without the hand, how would the stomach get food? Pretty tough.
Weakness is welcome in the body. (1 Co 12:22-23)
The body has been designed by God to compensate for any weakness you bring to the table. It is all a part of the plan.
The weakness is not an obstacle to what God is doing in our church, it is the means by which he is doing it.
As a child, I was always fascinated by the story of Theodore Roosevelt. Whatever you think about the net effect of his policy on American politics to this day, he was a very successful man personally and a "larger than life" kind of president. He was involved in multiple wars and did much to make the United States the world power that it is known to be today.
As a child, he was sickly and struggled with severe asthma. He was able to overcome these weaknesses by pushing himself harder than anyone else his age. He figured out that pushing himself physically would mitigate his asthma symptoms so he dedicated himself to exercise. When he was bullied by other children, he took boxing lessons.
You ever seen the old cartoons of Teddy Roosevelt as a boxer? The man that he became was a result of his weaknesses.
His asthma gave him an indomitable mindset. His bullies gave him a warrior spirit. In Roosevelt we see something that is also true of the body, according to Paul. It is a glory to compensate for weakness. This is why it is welcome in the body.
We ought never to look down on someone for their weakness.
When someone is struggling, we are to help them. When someone comes and repents of sin to our body, this is to be one the most glorious times for the church! "Well, Pastor Will you do realize what they did. Everyone knows about that. Isn't that kind of embarrassing?"
Well, yes, but that's the point! We now get to bear that person up in love! They have turned away from that sin! God has saved them from that by the cross of Jesus Christ!
Weakness is welcome in the body of Christ.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Co 12:9–10
The members do not divide; they care for each other. (1 Co 12:24-25)
Friends, this is what the church is. This is what the church does. If this is not what you are looking for, then the church is not a place for you. But even if you struggle with these things, if your weakness is that you have a hard time dealing with other people's weakness, you are welcome here.
Whatever you feel like you cannot do, whatever causes you pain, you belong here. All that is required is repentance and obedient dependence upon God. We are not looking for strength. Can God provide that? Sure! But whatever strengths and weaknesses you bring to Brookdale, these things do not divide us, they bring us together because in them, we care for one another.
What does it mean to care for one another? To bear with our weaknesses together? Well, first we have to know one another. So introduce yourself, if needed. Have someone over for dinner. Go to a life group. Disciple someone and be discipled. Get into someone's life to make them more like Jesus.
The body suffers and rejoices as one. (1 Co 12:26)
If what we do is together, if our goals are not individual, but shared, our wins will be shared wins. Our victories will be group victories. But not just those, also our defeats, and our dark times will be shared too.
If you are a part of our church, your suffering is my suffering. Your pain is my pain. If any one member hurts, the rest of the body does too.
For some of us, that is easy. We are so ready to be helped by others. Some have no problem allowing others to get close enough to share in their pain.
But for some, this is not easy. And to those, I want to say that this does not make you bad. I am not saying that it is wrong to tend to be more private. But can I encourage you to trust God enough to allow the church to be the church?
Part of letting people into your life is showing up. Being present. Church gatherings, life groups, one on one mentoring. But once you're doing that, it means actually having some transparency about what is going on in your life. Telling people when a loved one passes away. Telling your life group about a scary procedure.
How does family feel when they have no idea about major difficulties in one member's life? I am not guilting you for not telling the church, but a good church does care about those things in a similar way. Will you let the church be the church?
This is what the church is. This is what it means to be a part of the church.
Can I put this in a somewhat blunt way that I pray is helpful for you?
If we merely read the New Testament, we cannot conceive of "church-less" Christianity. Is there good work that happens for God outside the church? Yes! Are there good Christian organizations other than the church? Yes! But all of this, the bearing with one another and encouraging one another can only happen as God intended it inside the church?
This is just what the Bible teaches. I'd like to share some practical takeaways for different people based on what we have learned here:
Conclusion
In closing, I’d like to read from 1 Corinthians 11. May the qualities described in these verses be true of our church all the time, especially during Communion.
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34
Discussion Questions
Life101
If I were to ask you the top 5 most important aspects to overall health, what would you say? We might mention diet, exercise, sleep, being outdoors, and sunlight? Anything else come to mind?
Well, according to the Surgeon General, there is another primary factor which we have not mentioned. Please understand, I have no pretense of believing the Surgeon General is a good source on his own, but I believe he and the department of health and human services have recognized an important truth about humanity. Listen to a quote from his advisory.
“Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.” Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, 2023.
Have you faced the darkness of loneliness? Whatever you think about personality traits and whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, we were all created for community. Based on cultural trends, I think this struggle will get worse and worse. This is not going away. The impact of loneliness on our well-being which the Surgeon General couldn't help but notice and address is this: We were created to live in community. God said in Genesis, the beginning, that it is not good for man to be alone. So God instituted marriage and family to give man community, and later local communities and nations to provide more community. Finally in the New Testament, God gives man the church as another, unique form of community.
As we look to the table, as our church thinks about the things we do and the money that we spend, it is important for us to think about what the church is. Why do we have the church? What are we supposed to be doing? We need a proper understanding of the nature and worth of the church.
And here is the bottom line: When we take the church too lightly, we miss out on all of what Christ has for us. And I want to show you what I mean by that from the text:
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 1 Co 12:12
Jesus so closely identifies himself with his church that we can use His name to refer to the church.
Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Ac 9:4
The Son of God calls the church His bride. That's got to mean something!
Too often, we treat the church like a club. But it is not. It is a body.
Today, I would like to examine Paul's teaching about the body, and figure out together what it means to belong to a church.
Members of the body have the Spirit of God. (vv. 12-14)
The text says that these people have been made to drink of the same drink and have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of complex ways to interpret this. But I do not believe we need to over complicate this. To me it seems that Paul is Merely trying to communicate that these people have been imbued in a thorough and deeply affecting way.
Friends if we are children of God, we all have the same Holy Spirit in us, not just residing within us in some perfunctory way. It is in an all encompassing And life-changing way.
In discussing our need for community and examples of shared experience creating community, Pastor Thomas brought up veterans. By the grace of God, the vast majority of us have never seen combat or even deployment to a major conflict. But for those who do have this experience, isn't it something that finds you together with someone in an irrevocable way there is a deep sense of community because you were both baptized so to speak by the most intense and impactful things in life.
I do not intend to make light of a veterans experience, but I think we need to understand that the Bible presents our conversion and the effects of the Holy Spirit in our lives as earth shattering moments for us that give us a shared experience with one another.\
Just think of this: one group of people working in unison, in humility letting go of all personal ambition for the mission, being empowered with the same power that resurrected Jesus and put Him on high at the right hand of the Father, and all of this happens by the very Spirit of God Who is God!
That church member sitting across from you or standing just a few steps away from you at a fellowship has the same Holy Spirit and that makes you a part of the same body, just as the nose and the belly button are. Ya they might have some lint. They might even be a, oh my!, a Redskins fan or even worse, an Eagles fan, (had to get that in there) but do you see what I’m getting at?
They might say things in a way that grates on you a little bit, they might be a little blunt, or they might sound a little too uppity. They might be very detail oriented, or they can be a diligent doer who gets the job done but doesn’t get held back by the details. We all have preferences and personalities but what brings us together is not really those things, it is the Holy Spirit infusing us to the core of our beings.
According to God, that is what matters. In other words, my foot is a part of the same body as my pancreas, not because it looks like it. Not because it is capable of the very same functions. It is because it has been “baptized” too. It has the same water flowing through it to imbue it with life. It has the same DNA.
Will you let other people in the church be Holy Spirit infused versions of what God made them to be for His glory?
Can you see how this is good, that different body parts have different shapes and functions and purposes yet are one body?
Our next truth that we find in 1 Corinthians 12 helps us to understand that more.
God places us in a church. vv. 15-19
This is a concept that we touched on when we discussed gifts in Romans 12. It was a theme in that passage that discussed the diversity of gifting in the church, and seems to be one here again.
Here Paul is helping us to understand something that should shape how we view ourselves in the church. God placed me here. However I physically got here, whatever the process was to make you a member of this church, however mundane and “normal” the circumstances, it was God moving and working.
What does that mean? It was no accident.
Something that we process as children is that God made our bodies the way we did. We learn to accept that and appreciate the beauty in what God has done. We learn to not judge His choices based on how rational we think it is to have our nose, our hair, our smile, etc. They are what they are, and God made them what they are.
So too is our church. It is not ours to regret that God has given us the body that we have; it is ours to trust in His wisdom and goodness.
The Corinthians seemed to prioritize certain gifts and prefer certain members of the body. For them it was speaking in tongues, which we believe is not a gift given like it was then, that was the really cool gift to have. That was what really mattered. And the people who mattered were the ones who could afford to have lavish feast, bringing all the best food and drink to the Lords supper fellowship. That was what really made it church.
What is it for us? What are we tempted to make the measure of importance and prominence in our church? Here is what God says should be our standard: did God place you into the body according to His pleasure? Do you have the Holy Spirit, infusing your entire being with His power and spiritual fruit? Then you’re a part of the body. That’s it!
No disposition, no personality, no income bracket, no playlist, no membership card, no skill or ability, no merit, it is all of God. Do you see how the Gospel is weaved into everything that the church does? No matter how much it looks like I can decide to join a church, (God does involve my free will; I must make a choice) but not matter how practical the choice looks, it’s really God doing something, not me. And it’s not my merit. I’m not bringing my resume to the table, though in my case a CV was involved. What was REALLY going on was that God was placing me in the body by His sovereign will for His purposes.
So now I would like to drill in to what God is doing in and through the church. What happens within the body, amongst the members?
What does it mean to belong to a body? vv. 20-26
The body needs every member. (1 Co 12:20-22)
This is a natural conclusion of what Paul has just is a reality just under the surface of all that we have been discussing. It has been bubbling just under the surface.
But I want us to consider this, what should the fellowship, the relationships among the members of a church look like if every member is necessary?
I understand we can have some friends that are closer than others, Jesus did! But each brother and sister is an essential part of Brookdale. God has given us each person that makes up our church body. And without any one of them, it would not be that.
How should we then treat one another? How should we support one another? Should we know one another? Pastor Thomas has challenged us recently to get to know people we do not know, and I really don't think we are anywhere near saying it too much! You do not have to be best friends with everyone but you should KNOW everyone.
What does it tell people when the pastor wants to get to know them? How does it make them feel? Wanted. Important. NECESSARY. Well they are those things because they are a part of the church, the bride of Christ, which Jesus died for! He shed His blood, yes to cleanse us from sin, but also specifically for the church!
Love the church! And that means loving the people! They are necessary (each one), not just for the whole body, but for you. Without the hand, how would the stomach get food? Pretty tough.
Weakness is welcome in the body. (1 Co 12:22-23)
The body has been designed by God to compensate for any weakness you bring to the table. It is all a part of the plan.
The weakness is not an obstacle to what God is doing in our church, it is the means by which he is doing it.
As a child, I was always fascinated by the story of Theodore Roosevelt. Whatever you think about the net effect of his policy on American politics to this day, he was a very successful man personally and a "larger than life" kind of president. He was involved in multiple wars and did much to make the United States the world power that it is known to be today.
As a child, he was sickly and struggled with severe asthma. He was able to overcome these weaknesses by pushing himself harder than anyone else his age. He figured out that pushing himself physically would mitigate his asthma symptoms so he dedicated himself to exercise. When he was bullied by other children, he took boxing lessons.
You ever seen the old cartoons of Teddy Roosevelt as a boxer? The man that he became was a result of his weaknesses.
His asthma gave him an indomitable mindset. His bullies gave him a warrior spirit. In Roosevelt we see something that is also true of the body, according to Paul. It is a glory to compensate for weakness. This is why it is welcome in the body.
We ought never to look down on someone for their weakness.
When someone is struggling, we are to help them. When someone comes and repents of sin to our body, this is to be one the most glorious times for the church! "Well, Pastor Will you do realize what they did. Everyone knows about that. Isn't that kind of embarrassing?"
Well, yes, but that's the point! We now get to bear that person up in love! They have turned away from that sin! God has saved them from that by the cross of Jesus Christ!
Weakness is welcome in the body of Christ.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Co 12:9–10
The members do not divide; they care for each other. (1 Co 12:24-25)
Friends, this is what the church is. This is what the church does. If this is not what you are looking for, then the church is not a place for you. But even if you struggle with these things, if your weakness is that you have a hard time dealing with other people's weakness, you are welcome here.
Whatever you feel like you cannot do, whatever causes you pain, you belong here. All that is required is repentance and obedient dependence upon God. We are not looking for strength. Can God provide that? Sure! But whatever strengths and weaknesses you bring to Brookdale, these things do not divide us, they bring us together because in them, we care for one another.
What does it mean to care for one another? To bear with our weaknesses together? Well, first we have to know one another. So introduce yourself, if needed. Have someone over for dinner. Go to a life group. Disciple someone and be discipled. Get into someone's life to make them more like Jesus.
The body suffers and rejoices as one. (1 Co 12:26)
If what we do is together, if our goals are not individual, but shared, our wins will be shared wins. Our victories will be group victories. But not just those, also our defeats, and our dark times will be shared too.
If you are a part of our church, your suffering is my suffering. Your pain is my pain. If any one member hurts, the rest of the body does too.
For some of us, that is easy. We are so ready to be helped by others. Some have no problem allowing others to get close enough to share in their pain.
But for some, this is not easy. And to those, I want to say that this does not make you bad. I am not saying that it is wrong to tend to be more private. But can I encourage you to trust God enough to allow the church to be the church?
Part of letting people into your life is showing up. Being present. Church gatherings, life groups, one on one mentoring. But once you're doing that, it means actually having some transparency about what is going on in your life. Telling people when a loved one passes away. Telling your life group about a scary procedure.
How does family feel when they have no idea about major difficulties in one member's life? I am not guilting you for not telling the church, but a good church does care about those things in a similar way. Will you let the church be the church?
This is what the church is. This is what it means to be a part of the church.
Can I put this in a somewhat blunt way that I pray is helpful for you?
If we merely read the New Testament, we cannot conceive of "church-less" Christianity. Is there good work that happens for God outside the church? Yes! Are there good Christian organizations other than the church? Yes! But all of this, the bearing with one another and encouraging one another can only happen as God intended it inside the church?
This is just what the Bible teaches. I'd like to share some practical takeaways for different people based on what we have learned here:
- Join a Gospel-preaching biblical church.
- Pursue deep relationships with others in the church regardless of differences.
- Apply this view of the church to your own thinking and feelings in the Lord’s table.
Conclusion
In closing, I’d like to read from 1 Corinthians 11. May the qualities described in these verses be true of our church all the time, especially during Communion.
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come. 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-34
Discussion Questions
Life101
- What are some specific ways in which the church has helped you when it comes to loneliness?
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- What role doe He play in the life of the Christian?
- What role does he play in the make up of the church (body of Christ)?
- Because of God’s sovereignty over the makeup of the body (the church):
- How should we think about and treat individual members?
- How should we think about and treat the church itself?
- What is the problem when a church unifies around a particular style or personality preference?
- Explain how Paul can say that God has given greater honor to the weaker members of the church? (Hint: he also writes in 2 Corinthians 12 that he himself glories in his own weakness.)
- What are the different areas of life in which members should be caring for one another?
- How do we do that in each area?
- How can we develop the kinds of relationships in the church where we can suffer and rejoice together?
- What are some specific ways in which the church has helped you when it comes to loneliness?
- Paul tells the Corinthians that all the members of the body have the Holy Spirit within them. How does the Holy Spirit’s presence in all members of the body practically help the body to maintain unity?
- What is the problem when a church unifies around a particular style or personality preference?
- Explain how Paul can say that God has given greater honor to the weaker members of the church? (Hint: he also writes in 2 Corinthians 12 that he himself glories in his own weakness.)
- What are the different areas of life in which members should be caring for one another?
- How do we do that in each area?
- If weakness is welcome in the body of Christ, then why would we ever correct someone who is in sin?
- How can we develop the kinds of relationships in the church where we can suffer and rejoice together?
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