1 Corinthians 12:14-27 uses the analogy of a human body to explain that the Church is a single, unified body composed of many diverse members with different functions, all designed by God. No member is unnecessary or independent; rather, all parts must care for each other, sharing in both suffering and honor.
INTRODUCTION
In Luke 10:25-36, Jesus gave this little story in answer to two questions posed to him by a learned fellow, a Lawyer. Question one, Master, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life (vs 25)? question two, 'Who is your neighbour (vs 29)?'
Now the first mistake the Lawyer made was to think that there's something man can do to inherit eternal life. It is a product of grace. When Jesus told the ruler to "keep the commandments," he was not suggesting that perfect obedience is possible but rather using the Law to show that it is impossible for humans to live up to God's standard of perfection.
Now the second question he asked was this: "Who is my neighbor"? First my neighbour is the person who is close to me, of course. My boyfriend, my girlfriend, roommate, husband, wife, mother, father, person next door, your professor, your friends. But today we must take a wider look. Because of modern communication and modern technology, the whole world has become our neighborhood, and everyone is our neighbor that lives on this little planet.
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST
The church is a place where we should be built up - not a place to be hunted, broken down and rejected. The day of conversion is a day of spiritual birth. All believers are born the same way to the body of Christ but, unfortunately, we are not raised the same way. How we are raised to maturity will determine the kind of Christian we form. The information, knowledge, and experiences you consume and accept directly shape your character, mindset, and future self.
What informs you will form you. That is the principle of inner circle. Your environment reflects on who we become - lovely people, giver, holy, prayerful. You cannot be in MFM and you will know warfare prayer or in Celestial Church without knowing how to catch spirit.
First, every believer is a member of the Body of Christ. Christ is the Head of His Body (Eph. 4:15, 16).
The people of God are growing into a temple for the habitation of God. (Eph. 2:20-22).
If the Body of Christ is to become mature and the temple is to be built as a dwelling place for God, every individual Christian must be committed to building up each other. Edification is the biblical term for this process (Eph. 4:12).
Evangelism leads to spiritual birth. Edification results in spiritual growth. The goal of edification is spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.
HOW CAN WE EDIFY THE BODY OF CHRIST
Ephesians 4:29: "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
A genuine lover is not easily offended; it does not hold a grudge; it does not place expectation or demands on others; it is not conditional. "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Rom. 12:10, Phil. 2:4; Gal. 5:13).
Heb. 10:24-25: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works . . . encouraging one another."
Col. 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Rom. 15:14; Gal. 6:1; Matt. 18:15).
Gal. 6:2: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (Rom 12:15; 1 Cor. 12:26).
THE QUESTION IS, HOW THEN CAN WE DO THIS?
There are three principles. When you come across someone who is fleshy, who is sinning, who is not obeying the Word of God, not walking by the Spirit, we have a responsibility towards them.
Pick Them Up.
Galatians 6:1 stated, 'Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently'. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. That process is more highly defined, if you'll look with me to Matthew 18:15-17;
"If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
Would you please notice the words "brothers and sisters?" Paul is talking about those in the Church.
That is why the Church must function as more than a Sunday morning meeting where it stares at the back of people's heads. It must be more than that. There's much that can be hidden today. But when you know that a believer bound in any trespass, then you have to go into action. This is a mandate for the Church.
So, the point here is whenever you see a person caught in any sin, you who are spiritual do - what? - restore. We have to help each other. Now, how do we help? We restore. That basically means to pick them up, lift them up. That is the responsibility that we, as believers, have.
The verb to restore - katartizo - means to mend or repair. Something is broken. Something isn't right. Something isn't working properly. Something isn't functioning, and it is their spiritual walk. So, we're to come along and strengthen that.
You don't discipline in the church to put people out; you discipline in the church to lift them up. That's the purpose. So, you restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. You're not to be overbearing. You're not to be ungracious. You're not to be unkind.
2 Corinthians 2:7-8: 'Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him'.
2 Thessalonians 3:15: 'Yet do not regard them as an enemy but warn them as you would a fellow believer'.
Our first responsibility: Pick them up. It starts with confronting sin. Now, how do you do that? What's the process? You go, first of all, and you help him to see sin as sin.
Hold Them Up.
You don't finish the work with the initial contact.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
This means to be patient to one another, put yourselves in service to one another and in that way fulfill the law of Christ. The law of Christ is the law read through the lens of Christ. Paul is telling that the law/Torah remains scripture for the gentile Christians. Paul is not nullifying the law.
The verb "bear" means to carry with endurance, to get under the load. You see, falling to the flesh is a result of an unbearable burden of temptation. The temptation load gets so heavy you just fall. You've got to help them carry it or else they may fall again and again and again.
Sin likes to have you alone; and the more alone you are, the more tempted you are; and the more isolated you are, the more tempted you are? And have you noticed that when you are among other believers, and when you are in a strong Christian family or in a strong Christian relationship, how you feel the strength of that relationship? How you feel the strength of that accountability in your life?
How Can We Hold People Up?
Develop a good relationship. Sometimes it means a relationship. I know in my own case there are people that I've tried to help carry their burdens, and we do that by meeting regularly or by having a regular one-on-one or phone conversation. You can actually help them carry the load by simply making them accountable.
Pray for them. One other element of that is to pray for them faithfully.
Encouraging them. Another element of that is to encourage them by writing to them or by giving them material to read or by teaching them. By God's grace, I am able to do that from the pulpit week after weeks and you a certain accountability to me.
Lead them to a mature minister of God. So, you carry the load. You don't just confront and then walk away. There is an ongoing responsibility that God gives to us to help that burden of sin.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO TAKE
1.
Become genuinely interested in other people. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
2.
Smile. If you want to draw others to you, light up your face with a smile.
3.
Remember names. A person's name is the sweetest and most important sound to that person.
4.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5.
Talk in terms of the other person's interests. Treat others the way they want to be treated.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
— Galatians 6:2
CONCLUSION
What a joy it is to belong to the body of Christ, to know that I don't have to live the Christian life by myself. Every day I am encouraged, exhorted, rebuked, loved and built up by individual members of the body of Christ. They are committed to help me become more like Jesus. I love those people God has put in my life, and I want to fulfill my responsibility to build them up, "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).
