The Working Body

Journaling for 1 Corinthians 12 – 14, September 8 through 22, 2010
Although our relationship with God our Father - through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit - is a personal relationship, we are also called to be a part of the corporate body of Christ (the Church) working together for the betterment of the greater community. Just as God is in relationship with His Son, His Spirit, man and His angels, we too are to be in relationship with others both in the body of the church and those not in the church.

Love God… love others

We’re each called to serve in a specific manner and God Himself equips us for that service. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Paul tells us how each aspect of God has a role in calling, equipping and connecting the effort.

The Spirit provides the gift(s) necessary – those gifts are tools. Jesus calls us to a specific service within the body and for the community. And God connects the gifted person to the service through the body of believers to produce a benefit to others; a benefit He ordained.

1 Corinthians 12 also explains what those tools, of enabling from the Holy Spirit, look like in visible reality – the proof of the enabling. These tools are given for the “common good” – the ordinary, regular, day-to-day service of the collective body. These tools are not simply for the church body’s benefit but also as part of the body’s service to the recipients. The body is to work together for the betterment of others and the Spirit enables each part with the ability to perform the service it has been called to perform.

Notice how these tools of the Spirit are not for self so a person can “better himself.” If the tools were to be simply used for self improvement, then pride and ego could set in as we might think we’re capable alone without God and that thought now becomes the catalyst for sin. All of the tools described are to be used outwardly to serve, assisting with decision making and acting in service so the body can perform with expertise achieving some aspect of success/betterment through the service process. The tools and abilities the Spirit gives to the body are:

1. The Message of Wisdom – the “communication of wisdom” – the ability to communicate wisdom to the body; to know from experience how to apply knowledge in a logical and reasonable manner – logic, proven theory, understanding. Based on personal experiences (this takes time of life), the ability to be able to communicate the application of knowledge for the betterment of an individual or group.
2. The Message of Knowledge – the “communication of knowledge” – to know something or someone in a familiar way based on learned experiences (this takes time of life). To be able to communicate knowledge of someone or something to the body.
3. Faith – the ability to have complete trust and belief in something beyond our limited knowledge and ability; to possess a steadfast commitment to promises and loyalty.
4. Healings – the ability to restore someone or something to its previous or intended state of well being; wholeness and inclusiveness.
5. Miraculous Powers – the ability to do something beyond our limited capabilities.
6. Prophecy – The ability to interpret or convey God’s message to meaning. To receive a message or understanding of a message from God and to communicate that to others to teach and/or express that revelation. To be able to connect the dots of God’s messages for a comprehensive understanding of its meaning and communicate that revelation.
7. Distinguishing between Spirits – To discern or judge rightly what is of God and not of God. To know God so well that you know what is and isn’t of Him.
8. Speaking in Different kinds of Tongues (Languages) – The ability to communicate in different languages; many times, these languages are not our native or learned language but a language that is foreign to us. We may or may not understand this foreign language.
9. Interpretation of Tongues (Languages) – To be able to understand a message in a foreign language and communicate the message to others.

For those of us who are saved by Christ and are now a part of the church body, Jesus calls us into service as part of the working body. The Holy Spirit equips us with one or more of the gifts, one or more of the abilities and, God causes the parts of the enabled body to work together for the betterment of the community at large. This process of working together causes believers to trust God more. We are encouraged by God as we realize His truths and promises becoming a reality in our lives. Our confidence in Him increases as we come to know more about God and His truths. The process or working together in public causes unbelievers to also recognize the reality of God. This will help unbelievers respond to God’s calling to salvation/redemption. The process of the working body gives glory to God.

If you notice, the gifts cannot stand alone and are meant to be paired in combination with others to become a working body. A person may have more than one of the abilities but generally he will not have all of them nor should he. If a person had all of the gifts then there wouldn’t be a reason for him to be part of a working body because he could do it all by himself. There would be no reliance of God through others in the community of Christ. There would be no iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)

Someone with the gift to communicate knowledge of something to the body needs the person equipped with the message of wisdom so that person can tell the body how to apply the knowledge. Those two parts – knowledge and wisdom – need the person of faith so that the body can continue to move passed the mental limits of capabilities (of reason) to the promises of God. Many times the promises of God seem to be beyond reasonable achievement.

People with the gift of healing need the person with miraculous powers and the person of faith so again the person wanting to restore someone is paired with the person who has the ability and paired with the person who knows God’s truths and promises.

The person of prophecy who receives a revelation from God needs someone with the ability to distinguish spirits to help discern the revelation is of-and-from God or not. Perhaps the revelation is a message of truth to the body then the person of faith who knows God by His truths and promises confirms the message as aligned to God’s truths. Perhaps the revelation is of God’s desire to restore a non-believer or believer to health. The person with the ability to discern spirits discerns the prophetic revelation is of God. The persons of healing and miraculous powers restore the non-believer’s health.

The person who can speak another language foreign to himself, needs the person who can interpret so that the language is recognized and the message is given to the appropriate person(s). The person of prophecy can confirm the message is a revelation of God. The person of discernment can confirm the message is of the Spirit of God. The person of faith confirms the message is of God’s truths.

If the message is for the body to move in a direction then the person of:

• Prophecy – receives the revelation and communicates it
• Discernment – confirms the message is from God
• Knowledge – says how the body should move
• Wisdom – tells the body the best/tested way to move
• Faith – encourages the body to move beyond its ability towards the direction God called
• Healing – restores the needed body parts so it can serve; includes those necessary
• Miraculous Powers – provides the body the ability to move beyond its current ability
• Languages – communicates the messages to all of the parts who each may speak a different operating language
• Interpretation – interprets the languages to all of the body’s parts so the entire body understands God’s call, whom to serve and the direction to move

Again, Jesus calls the body into service. The Holy Spirit equips and God has everything working together for His purpose. Romans 8:28

So what causes the body to fail its mission? Sometimes our problem is that we don’t like or recognized the role we are called to do.

With respect to recognition, many times we expect the enabling of the Holy Spirit to come with sensations and goose bumps – some sort of visible display that divine power has been transmitted to us. What we don’t realize is that what comes natural to us is most likely a gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to do something others cannot easily do.

For example, I am good at aspects of business management specifically understanding big picture context by connecting dots of information and discerning options for actions. I am also a strong communicator both verbally and visually and can interpret complex situation into languages the common group of lay people can understand. Although I can talk a horse to death, I can also boil complex messages down to a few main points and prioritize back-up points. I would get frustrated that people couldn’t see what I could see, thinking they simply weren’t applying themselves. Things were so obvious to me and since I’m not a highly educated person, I couldn’t understand how I could see things that people smarter than me couldn’t see. So I incorrectly assumed people were lazy and I judged and treated them that way.

I realized one day that people couldn’t see things I could because God enabled me to see these things. “I was blind but now I see” was a reality suddenly in ordinary ways. This realization has helped me appreciate this ability as a gift from God, helped me be more patient and gracious towards others. Whether this is the calling of administration, prophet or teacher or a combination, it doesn’t matter. It’s a gift and now I am trying to use it guided by God’s love, receiving it in appreciation and not disgust.

Others don’t want the gift given to them for whatever reason. Either they think their gift or role in service isn’t special enough – or prestigious enough – or they see another person’s role and want the authority that comes with that role or tool; authority not given to them. Perhaps as a church we are not teaching people how to properly recognize gifts. Or perhaps we’re not reinforcing to people how essential each role is to the body.

Paul said if every part was an eye, where would the sense of smell be? He also said if the foot said it didn’t want to be the foot, that didn’t change the foot’s role within the body to something else. It remains a foot.

So, if God knows best and God is working all things together for a purpose (Romans 8:28), then we need to trust that God is giving us our specific role and ability for His reasons and purpose. And if God ordained our role in service and ability to perform that role, then our effort is special to God and essential to the body’s health and mission.

In both of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Ephesians, he speaks to God’s delegation and enabling. 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 and Ephesians 4:11-16

Yet, there is one motivating factor for the purpose of the body to work that is more important than the ability to work – love; specifically God’s unconditional (agape') love. This agape' love is the reason why our God does what He does, is who He says He is, and is the catalyst for and definition of His being. God’s ability to love to the depths unfathomable and without condition on that which surrounds Him, is the definition of His being. God is merciful because He is Agape'. He is patient because He is Agape'. He is forgiving because He is Agape' and on and on and on…

So that’s why Paul says the greatest gift from God is the ability to love and love without condition. If we don’t have love, then the Spiritual enabling has no meaning to exist, no reason to cause anyone to act as God calls and desires. The process of acting together doesn’t bring us closer to God without the motivation of unconditional love whereby the revelation of God will be reinforced in us so that the knowledge “of” God becomes a reality to us. Without agape' love, the body has no reason to move onward in a situation where the conditions seem unfavorable or unwelcome.

Sometimes people confuse smooth sailing with God’s will and rough seas with being out of God’s will. Yet most times, when we’re growing in our relationship with God, He calls us into the boat that cruises over the rough seas because it’s better for us to sail onward maturing in our faith, knowledge and truth of God than to remain on the sunny beach with an immature knowledge of God. Matthew 14:22-33

That’s why Paul says to stop thinking like infants only wanting to be provided for and fed, and to start thinking like mature people. 1 Corinthians 14:18-20

Maturing requires unconditional love to motivate us to move forward with God and to move forward in God’s call to serve. Agape' love should define the working body and the working parts as it defines God Himself.

Then the fruit of the working body, the fruit of the Spiritual gifts, the fruit of the call to serve, the fruit of our lives becomes patience, kindness, not being envious but content, not being boastful and proud but meek and humble. Not being rude but respectful. Not being self seeking but being others focused and seekers of God. Not easily angered but showing self control. Not keeping a list of wrongs and infractions but being forgiving. We will rejoice in truth not succumbing to lies and perversions. We will protect the weak and vulnerable and not serve those who only benefit us personally. We will be trusting and trustworthy. Our hope will be in God and His promises so we will persevere onward because love never fails or ends.

When Jesus comes in the end, all of God’s promises will be fulfilled, His throne with men, we will be made new, complete and without man-made flaw as God intended. When we know the truth fully and see God face-to-face as He now knows us fully, when all reasons to persevere cease to exist and perfection reigns, then love will remain. (Revelation 21)

So, unconditional love is the most important attribute and reason to live, move, grow and work and the very reason to have an enabled working body of Christ serving God’s world as He calls us to do. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Love God… love others.

Be a Doer, Not Merely a Hearer by Nick Weston

The following is a lesson Nick Weston gave at the New Horizons Youth Ranch in Cristianapolis Brazil (Brasil). Nick went to the Ranch for a month-long mission trip and had the opportunity to share one day during Chapel; this is that lesson. I asked Nick if he would allow me to post his lesson as it is impressive. Plus, Nick’s lesson is where my heart currently is going – the evidence of our faith is how we live out our belief and trust in God daily. This is what a true disciple of Jesus does and this is what God is calling us to do beyond our moment of salvation. What is even more impressive is that Nick is a high school senior; he’s only 17 years old. To have this connection with God, His Word and have this understanding of God at age 17 is amazing. And yet Nick's friends in the Emerging Men's Group that meets with Chauncey are all growing strongly in Christ. If only all of us had been there at 17. Anything is a parenthesis was added by me for clarification. Enjoy and thank you, Nick!

Be a Doer, not Merely a Hearer

What I want to talk to you about today is one the most important parts of our walk with Christ. Yet it happens to be one of the hardest parts for us all.

There’s a misunderstanding when it comes to being a Christian. Most people believe that our religious practices are what make us Christians. It’s easy for to us believe that because we go to church, and we go to chapel, and we own a bible and say our prayers at dinner, that we are Christians. But that is not at all what defines us and that is not at all our purpose. Going to church is a way to get to our purpose, to reach our goal. Reading our Bibles and praying is a means to get there. But that is not the goal. The goal is that every day we look more and more like Jesus Christ. That doesn’t mean we have to grow our hair out and start wearing robes… but that does mean we are able to put other people’s needs in front of our own like Jesus did for us on the cross. That we are able to forgive the people who make us angry like Jesus forgives us. And you and I are able to love other people like Jesus loves us. That is our life purpose. That is why we are on this planet, whether we live in Brazil or in the United States, that is why we exist.

Now how do we do that? That is what I want to talk to you about today. We’re going to be looking at the letter Jesus’ brother, James, wrote to the Jews who were converted to Christianity. The Jewish people grew up going to synagogue, reading (and memorizing) the Torah, which are the first three books of the Old Testament. So these people knew God’s Word much better than most. Let’s look at:

James, chapter 1, verses 22-25.
22But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; 24for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.

Now imagine after eating breakfast this morning, I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and noticed I had food all over my face. Most of you have probably noticed I’m a pretty messy eater… so that’s a possibility. But what if after noticing the food on my face, I didn’t do anything about it and left and forgot about it and came up here. You’d be staring at me thinking, “What’s that all over his face? What’s wrong with that guy?”

What possible good does it do to check what you look like in a mirror if you walk away and immediately you forget what you saw? James says it’s the same thing. What’s the point of learning and studying God’s Word if you never put it into practice. If you don’t become a Doer of what it says.

As Christians we are to obey the Bible but a lot of times we read it, then once we go away we forget what we read and we don’t obey it. James tells us that if we only hear the Word, but do not actually do what it says, that we are not really Christians, and that we are just deceiving ourselves if we believe we are (Christians).

Now if we are going to be Doers of the Word, and not just hearers, then obviously we must first Hear the Word of God. James says we must be quick to hear in verse:

(James) 1:19
My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Hearing does not mean that someone has to verbally speak the Word to us – whether through someone’s preaching or through our own daily reading. (Hearing means) we must be exposed to the meaning of the Word. A lot of the time it is better for us to read the Bible on our own and let God speak (His meaning) to us rather than always waiting to be spoon fed God’s Word (by someone else).

But as we already know, just hearing is not enough. Paul tells us in:

Romans 2:13
For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.

If we want God to declare us righteous (in right standing), just hearing the law alone is not enough. If we want to be declared disciples of Jesus we must live out what we learn from the Bible. (A good student applies the knowledge learned.)

Not only do we have to hear the Word, we also need to know it; (understand it in a practical way). Reading the Bible is good, but how are we supposed to live it out if we can’t remember any of it? (If we don’t understand what it means to live it out?)

If after we hear God’s Word, we forget it. We might as well have not heard it at all. Just like if I were to look in the mirror and not do something about the food all over my face.

To Know God’s Word we must truly spend time reading and studying it. If you just quickly skim through the Bible just to get done with your daily reading, you might as well (have) spent your time on something more useful.

Just like if you are trying to get to know someone new. You could sit and stare at them for 45 minutes every day but, until you start asking questions and having conversations with them, you will never get to know them.

When we read our Bibles we need to ask God to speak to us through His Word. We need to ask God to use this Book to change us and to show us what we need to improve in ourselves. Don’t read this Book just to gain more information or to look like a Christian, but read this Book to change your life, to learn how God wants us to live.

Once we know God’s Word we are moving in the right direction, but we are told it is still not enough in:

Romans: Chapter 2, verses 21-23
21 You then, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal” – do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery” – do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Paul here is writing to the Jews who know the Word of God, but do not live by it. He tells them that they are dishonoring God by breaking His law.

We cannot dishonor God. We need to bring Glory to God in all that we do. So we need to keep moving forward. After we know God’s Word we must now Believe it.

Our Faith in God and his Word are essential to us becoming like Christ. It says in:

Romans Chapter 5 verses 1-2
1Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

We have faith that Jesus paid the price for our sins and this faith is what brings us in relationship with God. And with this faith, also comes the faith we have that God’s Word is living and effective, and is sharper than any two-edged sword as we learned in the Book of Hebrews.
We must truly (come to) believe that the Bible is living and is relevant to our lives today if we are going to do what it says.

Yet in James we learn that this still is not enough.

James 2:26
For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James again tells us that if we do not have works, our faith is dead.

Now if we know God’s Word and we believe that it comes from the Most High God, The Almighty One. There’s one thing left, we must Do God’s Word. (Those are the works James speaks of where our faith is proven as we live it out daily in our ordinary lives.)

James 1:25
25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.

Finally James tells us that the one who puts into practice what he learns from the Bible will be blessed in what he does, in all that he does.

Do you want to blessed by God? Would you like to know that everything you do pleases God and brings Glory to him? Then become a doer of His Word. Every day as you are reading your Bible, find at least one thing you can practice that day. As you spend time praying, ask God to show you what it is that you need to work on.

The thing we need to keep in mind is that God does not expect us to be perfect yet He still loves us. I know I personally thank God everyday for that, because as you all know I’m a long way from perfect. That is why He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins, so that we don’t have to (pay a debt we cannot pay). As long as we accept Christ as our Savior and choose to enter into His Grace.

I just want to say that over the past month you have shown me and the rest of us Americans that you are already Doers of the Word. Jesus said that we must love one another, just as He loved us. And over the last month we’ve all gotten to see this lived out by each and every one of you. To come together here from all different backgrounds, and to be able to become brothers, that is Christ’s Love. And that is how we are all supposed to live. I just want to encourage you all to keep growing in Christ, and never forget that God will always love you and be there for you. I’ll just close in prayer….