One but Many

We'll take your Bible and turn back to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. That is where we were earlier in our scripture reading. We read verses 12 to 27 together. Quite a lengthy passage. There's a lot going on there. And like I said earlier, I'm going to reference some other scriptures. And you really need to go and study these scriptures on your own. Let's put all this together. And this is the foundation from which we are going to work. We're going to come back to these scriptures, this message, this teaching, and all that we look at in the next few weeks. So be good at taking notes and writing down maybe things you should study.

And if you need some assistance there, any of us will be glad to help you. We want to get all that we can get, not just on a Sunday morning, all through the week because we want to be who God wants us to be. Now, I have said the past few weeks that we are putting our series through the Sermon on the Mount on hold. Just personally, I have been a little disappointed. And what I mean by that is I'm looking forward to getting back in our series through the Sermon on the Mount. But we're going to take a few weeks and we're going to look at a subject or subjects that have really been on my heart for quite some time.

Some of this has been simmering in my heart and mind for a few months. As a matter of fact, some of this has been on my mind and heart for over a year. So the Lord has been forming this and working this out in my life for quite some time. And you know, there are times in the life of the church when the pastor feels compelled to address particular needs in the life of the church, maybe even needs in the lives of the people in the church. Sometimes we do need to look at things going on in the culture. We did that back in the summer when we took a little time and went through Romans chapter one.

Now the subject or subjects on my heart all have to do with living our lives in the church. This all pertains to how members of a local church live in that particular local church. Now some of you at this point could say, well, Pastor, I'm not a member of Grace Life Church of Brookhaven. Well, that's okay. I know that some of you are in the process of joining this church. That's a good thing. And some of you are praying about where the Lord would have you be. And wherever the Lord has you landing, all that we're going to look at will be good for all of us.

Because if you are a born again Christian, your life is to be planted and rooted in a local church. So the theme or the thrust of everything that we're going to study is life in the local church, a local body. I say it like this and you're going to hear me say this phrase quite a bit. It's all about life in the body. It's all about life in the body. That's the series title. And all of the particular subjects that I teach on the next few weeks will pertain to life in the body. Now there are three reasons, three reasons that I have felt burdened to deal with this subject of life in the body. Now the first reason really led to the second reason.

So let me say that again. The first, the first reason it leads to the second reason. And the third reason I'm going to give you at the end of the message. Now I probably confused a few of you. I think you'll get it. Just be patient with me. Now the first reason, first reason that we're going to look at these subjects, it all revolves around church difficulties. We have had a long series of difficulties in the life of our church. Before we moved our church, during the move of our church and even after we moved our church. And some of you are aware of all of the difficulties that we have faced. But some of you are not.

Some of you are new here and that's okay. But I don't want you to worry. Don't worry. I'm not going to beat you up for something that you did not do or even see. So don't worry. I'm not going to aim at you if you are in the dark about so much that has been going on here. Simply I'm going to exalt God's word and standard as they relate to the difficulties that we have faced. And in so doing, we will all be taught and we'll be equipped. Maybe we'll even be corrected. And I believe we will be better equipped, truly better equipped to live life in the body in the local church. Now the second reason comes out of all of this.

It is something that I have come to see more and more and more over the past few months. That's why sometimes it's good to just take your time and meditate over things like this. But I have come to the conclusion that many in the life of the church today do not know how to behave properly in the church. I believe that there are many. They just do not know how they should live and behave and live life in the local church. They serve the body as a member of that church in good standing with brothers and sisters in that church. And also in good standing with the leadership of that church. And to me, there are many causes for this ignorance.

I use that word on purpose, ignorance. Some folks are just ignorant and that's what it is. And ignorance can lead to many, many difficulties and even disobedience. Many today. Many of you here today come from very unhealthy church circumstances. Think about it. Many of you here today come from unhealthy church circumstances. Many of you come from dysfunctional churches. Really sadly, some of you have come from what I call non-churches. They might have a steeple on top, but they're a non-church. Many times these churches are led by carnal men. Many of them are even led by women. Many of these types of churches, the pulpits are weak.

They are not healthy. They're not preaching faithfully the word of God. In many of these churches, evangelism is very weak, leading to multitudes on the roles who are truly not converted to Christ. And these churches have no church discipline, no church discipline to foster spiritual growth in the life of the believers and to protect the body. And most of the people are ignorant of some of the most basic and fundamental doctrines of the Bible in these churches. I could go on and on. But look, let's be honest, many of you have come from churches just like this. I have. We've all been victims of these types of churches.

But also many today have just not been taught. Many have not been taught what a Bible church truly is. Many today have no clue that the churches that they have been associated with are very unhealthy, even non-churches. And sadly, many do not even have a clue as to what a biblical church looks like and how it functions. And most have not been taught. Most have not been taught that they have a big responsibility to live biblically in that local church, even when there are problems and struggles in that church. And because biblical behavior has not been taught, many live out of their feelings.

Many make decisions based on their ideas and their desires, which ultimately hurts the witness of the church and hurts the people in the church. I got a couple of questions here I want you to reflect on. What happens when children come from a very dysfunctional family? Dysfunction breeds dysfunction. What happens when children don't even know what a healthy family looks like? Dysfunction breeds more dysfunction. What happens if children are not taught how to live in a family unit? Chaos. You see? Well, that's what we have in this Corinthian situation. And I'm pointing at my Bible because we've read these verses.

That is what we have in this Corinthian situation. The Corinthian church was very unhealthy with many serious problems. And the Corinthian church had many people that were just not behaving properly in the life of the local church. There were divisions on many levels in that church. Sexual immorality was permitted among certain people in the life of that church. They were abusing the Lord's Supper. And some were even suing other believers in the pagan public courts. And there was many more things that were wrong with the life of that church. It's just as simple.

In many ways, those in that local church there at Corinth did not know how to properly behave in the body in the local church. And they just weren't acting right, which brought about many problems and brought these sins into the life of the local church. And what was the result? An unhealthy church. An unhealthy church. Now the verses for our message are right in the middle of one of their problems. If you know chapter 12, you know that. This problem in teaching revolved around how they were dealing with spiritual gifts. We see that in verses 1 to 11 in chapter 12. And this was one of the problems that led to divisions in the church.

And these problems reflected great immaturity at best, but yet great sin and wordliness at worst. And I think it was the latter more than the former. And in verses 1 to 11, Paul was teaching on the reality of the great diversity of spiritual gifts, but he was continuously emphasizing the one source of these great spiritual gifts, and that was God. As a matter of fact, in verse 4, verse 5, 6, 9, and 11, Paul points to the fact that God is the source of the gifts. Paul then moves on to explain the purpose of these diverse gifts, all of the different gifts given to different believers were for the common good of the church.

We see that in verse 7. So it was about diversity in the body with spiritual gifts for what? For the common good for the church. And Paul then moves into verse 12. And following to explain and to illustrate the importance of unity in the people of the church and what that unity was to look like. And listen, there is a key for all of this to work. There is a key for all of this and then some to work. Unless each believer in this local church, the Corinthian church, understood that they were part of a whole, then there would be problems.

Unless these believers there in Corinth saw that the diversity of each member was a part of the oneness, the unity of the whole body, then there would be disunity. Then there would be selfishness. Then there would be disagreements and fights and so on and so on and so on. And the so on is what describes the Corinthian church. So I want us to turn our attention to these verses. Verses 12 to 27. Now I'm not going to read them again. We're going to read them as we progress through the message. But I want us to see what Paul is teaching here. And again, this is in the midst of a lot that is going on.

And I want us to see our first and our second major truth at the same time. First we see the unity of the body, but then we see the diversity of the body. Now this all comes out of verses 12 to 14. Let's go back and read these verses. Verses 12 to 14. Paul says, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all of the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews are Greek, slaves are free, and all were made to drink of one spirit." Verse 14, "For the body does not consist of one member, but of many." Now here in these verses we have two themes.

Here in these verses Paul is making two points. He is teaching two realities. We see unity in diversity. Oh, I'd love you to write that down. Unity in diversity, not unity and diversity. And we must get that. Paul does not divide these two realities. It is unity and diversity, and they cannot be separated. That's why I say unity and diversity. They are different realities in these people, but they are connected. And in many ways they are totally inseparable. Paul is saying that in this church, the Corinthian church, you have many members. Two times he says this in verse 12.

In verse 13 he mentions the Jew and the Greek as well as the slave and the free. And in verse 14 Paul again says that they are many. But Paul is also saying that the church is one body. Two times he says this in verse 12. But in verse 13 he says that they have the Jew and the Greek, the slave and the free. And he goes on to say that they are one. And then in verse 14 Paul says that the body is one. So what is Paul saying? This is all a great mystery. It even seems contradictory. In the Corinthian church you have the many, but they are one. He is saying you have the one body, but that body consists of the many.

See it's unity in diversity, diversity in unity. It's two realities, two themes, but yet it's all bound up in one lesson. Now how does this come to be? How can a Jew and a Greek become one and united? You know your culture, they were not very one. They really didn't like each other. How can a slave and a free man be united? See if you know their culture, you know that they were very, very serious divisions there just with the Jew and the Greek and the slave and the free. They were divided socially. They were divided economically. They were divided spiritually here. There was nothing in common spiritually between a Jew and a Greek.

So they were divided socially, economically, and spiritually. You know in light of our political situation I wonder if they were divided politically. But what do we see here? All is showing us that this unity in and from diversity, it happens, this great mysterious unity in two ways. First it's because of a spiritual union with Christ. It's because of a spiritual union with Christ. Let's go back to verse 12. It's really at the end of the verse, but I want us to read it. For just as the body is one and has many members, see it goes back and forth between the diversity and the unity.

And all of the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so it is. Here's the phrase, "So it is with Christ." Now I'm reading from my English Standard Version and it reads, "So it is with Christ." The New American, it reads, "So also is Christ." And it footnotes the same translation as the ESV. Now if you think about it, if you read that verse two or three times, that seems a little odd, we would probably say something like this. And this is my paraphrase. We would probably say something like this, "Just as the body is one and has many members, so it is with the church." Think about that. Doesn't that sound more plausible?

Doesn't that sound more realistic? But we need to see what Paul is doing here. By no means am I saying Paul is wrong. Paul is making sure that he identifies Christ with his church to the Corinthians. In Acts 20 verse 38, Christ bought the church with his own blood. And Colossians 1 verse 18 says that Christ is the head of his church. So Paul is making sure that these Corinthian believers see that Christ is connected to his church always. He is bound to his church. As the owner and Lord over it all, he is always present with his church to fulfill his work on earth, never to forsake her. Did we not sing that truth earlier?

And just like you can't separate a head from a body and have life, you can't separate Christ from the body or the church and have life. So Paul is saying that in the church there is great, great diversity, variety. But there is a deep, unexplainable unity, and this is all centered in and through and because of Christ. This is all made possible because of their spiritual union with Christ. It doesn't matter if there are Jews over here, Greeks over here, slaves over here, free over here. They are united with Christ. See? This is a spiritual union with Christ.

But this unity in and from diversity, it happens also because of a spiritual union with the body, the church. This also happens because of a spiritual union with the body, the church. We see this in verse 13. Really it's in the middle of the verse. Go back to the verse. "For in one spirit we were all baptized into one body. Jews are Greek, slaves are free, and all were made to drink of one spirit." That phrase into one body is what we need to key on here. Now really with verse 13, there are many that teach an error here.

Here's where some teach that Christians should experience and expect this second feeling or second baptism of the spirit after they are converted. But that's not what Paul is teaching here. But we do have two experiences. We do have two experiences. First Paul is discussing and sharing this experience that these believers were baptized into Christ. Now this is not a water baptism. This is not a second feeling. No. This speaks to conversion to Christ. They were spirit baptized by the spirit into Christ. And being spirit baptized into one spirit is synonymous with being born again or converted to Christ.

But Paul is also saying that these believers were baptized into something else. This is the second experience and that is the body. Look back at the verse. For in one spirit, we were all baptized into one body. You see? This speaks to a spiritual formation of the church. The Holy Spirit bursts individuals into the body, the body of Christ, the church. And it is important to see what Paul was pointing out here. This is not an event. This was an experience. This was an experience. Paul is saying that every true believer there in Corinth, they had experienced being spiritually baptized into Christ.

They were converted and they had experienced being spiritually baptized into the body, into that local church. So Paul is saying that Greeks and Jews, you had Jews over here, you had Greeks. He's saying that the slave and the free, they had all experienced being spiritually baptized into Christ as well as being spiritually baptized into that local body, the church. So really in just these two verses, there's a lot going on. And remember, the people in this church were struggling with unity. They were struggling with having any oneness. Their diversity had led to division. You need to get that. Their diversity had led to tremendous division.

Paul is teaching them that they have been supernaturally by the Holy Spirit of God, baptized into Christ and baptized into that local body. And they are one. They are many members, but yet they are one. Remember, it is unity in diversity, but yet it is diversity in unity. And all of this is made possible by Christ and in Christ. It's supernatural. Now what's the lesson here? First of all, for us, we must be totally convinced that this is God's will and plan for His people. You might not get that. You need to. You must be. We must be totally convinced that this is God's will for His plan and His people.

Unity in diversity, diversity in unity, one, one in Christ, by His Spirit, being supernaturally brought into the body, brought into the body of Christ. And with Christ there, we are bound together for His people, with His people, for His Word. And see, there isn't a different model. We must see that. There isn't a plan B. There is not an alternative model. I don't know why, but when I was studying through this, I thought about some of my experiences in the past. Years ago, when I took a step out of full-time ministry for a period of time, I worked with a contractor doing carpentry work.

And I happened to work for a contractor who worked for the other half. You know how the other half lives? I mean, he didn't build anything but million and two million dollar houses. But you know, I worked with a group of guys and men who were very good finished carpenters. And I don't know if you know anything about finished carpenters. They are very particular people. I'll never forget one day I was working there and they were building cabinets. And man, they started to fight. I mean, it wasn't a fist fight, but it was a verbal fist fight. They were arguing over who built the best cabinets. And they went on and on and on.

And I finally interrupted. I said, "Are y'all crazy? What's wrong with y'all?" I said, "We're building cabinets in the nicest houses in Lincoln County." I said, "Your way is good and your way is good. There's nothing wrong with it." You see, they all have their different model. They all have their different way. And they were saying, "My way is the best way." What you need to see is there might be different designs for cabinets, but there's no different design for the church in anything other than what we see here is alien to God's word and God's plan and God's standard. We must see that there is diversity in unity and unity in diversity.

And we must expect that and see that happening in the life of the church. See there are some of you here. Oh, you've come to faith in Christ, but your spiritual journey has been different. There are folks here. You came out of a charismatic background. You went through charismatic church after charismatic church, and oh, you learned some good things and you rejected some bad things. And God got you out of there. And you're gifted spiritually because of that experience. And, oh, you're gifted naturally as well. But you come to God's house and this word with all of that forming who you are.

Some of you here, you've been through tremendous trial, trial after trial. Some of you here dealt with infertility, marriage troubles, you name it. You've had tremendous trial, and you bring all of that into the life of the local church. And see, I could go down the list of different things that have formed you. Some of you here came to faith in Christ later in life. I mean, you came later in life. I've dealt with people who said, "Pastor, I got saved and I lived my whole life lost." But yet you bring all of that into the work of the church and who you are. Now what am I showing you? There's diversity in God's people.

And when God saves people and He plants them supernaturally in the life of a local church, what do we have? We have this wide variety of diverse people, but yet there are one in Christ. We have diversity in Christ, in unity because of Christ. And that's a total work of God, folks. Only God can do that. And I think maybe you see why I combine those two major truths there, because we really do not need to separate them in any way. Now I want us to see our third major truth. I want us to see this unity in diversity explained. We have unity in diversity and it is explained.

Now before we get into Paul's explanation here, because I do believe that's what he's doing, is explaining what verses 12 and 13 mean and look like. We do need to see the illustration that he's using, the human body. That's the illustration. Now if you did not see that already, you certainly will starting in verse 15. And this is not the only time Paul uses this illustration. He uses this illustration in his letter to the Romans, the Roman church, specifically Romans chapter 12 verses 1 to 8. That's one of those verses you need to go study. This is where Paul is teaching on spiritual gifts to the Romans. And what is he saying?

One body, many parts. Same thing. He's recycling his sermon. See? One body, many parts. He uses this illustrating when he's writing to the Ephesians. And Ephesians 2 verses 11 to 22. That's another one for you to study. Paul teaches that there is one man and one body, both Jew and Gentile. See? He's recycling that sermon again. And then Paul continues to use this same illustration of the human body really all through Ephesians 4. And of course he is using the human body to explain the design and the function of Christ. The Christ spiritual body, the church. And like I said, go study all of that and it'll all come together.

But in these verses, verses 14 to 27, Paul is illustrating. He is explaining this unity and diversity in the body, what it looks like, how it functions, how it shouldn't function. And this is very personal. There's lots of interconnectedness going on here. First, I want us to see that Paul illustrates the need for another. I want us to see that Paul is illustrating the need for one another. We're going to see this in verse 15 and 16. And then it's on down in verse 21. I want us to look at the verses. Verse 15. "If the foot should say, 'Because I'm not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would make it any less a part of the body.

And if the ear should say, 'Because I'm not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And then verse 21. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" Now here in these verses, Paul gives us a two-sided coin. I've used that illustration quite a bit in my teaching. I know. On one side, Paul speaks of an unhealthy independence. That's what we see in verses 15 to 16. There is this unhealthy independence. He says that there are certain parts of the body that feel that they should be independent of the body.

But on the other side of the coin, Paul speaks of an attitude of superiority from certain parts of the body. It seems that certain parts of the body are rejecting other parts of the body because they feel that certain parts of the body are lesser than they are. That's what we see in verse 21. So Paul is exposing two sinful and damaging attitudes in the body in that local church there at Corinth. There was this attitude of an unhealthy independence. There was this attitude of superiority and rejection. And both are great sins, and both cause great harm to the body. That was happening there at Corinth.

Paul is wanting these Corinthians to see that the body needs every part and every member. Paul knows that this is for the health of each member and also for the health of the whole body because for each member of the body and the whole body to operate and to reach its full potential, each member, what is needed. So Paul is really trying to help the Corinthians see that they really needed each other. The body as a whole needs each part of the body no matter what part that part may be. So first Paul illustrates the need for one another. And then second Paul illustrates the differences in one another.

Paul illustrates the differences in one another. We see this in verse 17 to 20. Let's read those verses together. 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? But as it is, God arranged the members of the body, each one of them as He chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. Now here in these verses we have a series of questions and a couple of statements. And with these questions and statements, it seems that Paul is making an argument. It seems that he's trying to prove a case.

Here Paul is arguing that if the body was nothing but one big eye, or if the body was nothing but one big ear, it would not be a body. I thought about it like this. It would be a freak show. One writer or commentator I read said it would be a monstrosity. Think about that again. He's saying that if the body was one big eye or one big ear, it wouldn't be a body at all. It would be a freak show, a monstrosity. And after making his case in verse 18, Paul makes a statement. He says that God has made the body as He chose. Each member is different and placed in the body as God saw fit.

Paul is saying to these Corinthians, God is the one who designed you and God has determined where you would be in the body. And again, if you progress, Paul makes another, asks another question in verse 19. It's as if he knows that he must push his argument with the Corinthians. And he's saying something like this. If we were all an elbow, where would the body be? If we were all an ankle or an eye, where would the body be? So Paul is explaining the great differences in the body. And the fact that God made those different parts and he placed them right where he wanted them to be. Why? Because he is the designer and he determines it all.

So first we've seen that Paul illustrates the need for one another. Then we've just looked at the fact that Paul illustrates the differences in one another. And then third, Paul illustrates that each should care for one another. We see that Paul illustrates that each should care for one another. Let's pick up in verse 22. On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. And on those parts of the body that we think less honorable, we bestow the great honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.

But God has so composed the body, giving great honor to the part that liked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together. And if one member is honored, all rejoice together. All through these verses, verse 22 to 26, Paul is saying that the body caring for the body, it is hardwired in the body. It's natural. It's a natural thing for the body to care for the body. It's instinctive for the body to care for the body. See the opposite would be unnatural. Isn't that right? The opposite would be subnormal. Really you could say it like this.

The opposite of the body caring for the body would be diseased. Paul is wanting these believers in Corinth to see how much they needed and dependent on each other, which will move them from their division to dependence. This will move them from casting each other aside to caring and loving for one another. Now Paul does several things here in the verses to illustrate how the body should care for the body. Paul says in verse 22 that the weaker parts of the body are indispensable to the body. That needs to be restated. Paul says that the weaker parts of the body are indispensable to the body.

And this is in contrast to the attitude of the superiority that some possess. Isn't that right? Back in verse 21, Paul then says in verse 23 that those parts of the body that some think are less honorable, oh, they should be given more honor, greater honor. And then he continues and he says that parts of the body that are less presentable should be treated with greater modesty, a modesty that more presentable parts do not need. And in this series of seeming strange statements, these seem strange.

Paul is explaining to the Corinthians the great need to care for and even honor the weaker, the seeming insignificant, those who seem to be dispensable. And Paul is saying these are the brothers and sisters who need great care and they need great love and they are vital to the health of the body, which is the church. Paul then goes on to explain how this care should be given. He says this love and care should be given in both suffering and rejoicing. Isn't that what we see in verse 26? Paul is calling these Corinthian believers to suffer and weep along with the members of the body who suffer and weep. That needs to be restated.

Paul is calling these Corinthian believers to suffer and weep along with the members of the body who are suffering and weeping. And then he is calling these believers to rejoice when others rejoice in the body. So Paul is explaining this natural instinctive care that these believers should be giving to one another. Of course the Corinthians were not, they were not loving and caring for one another, they were diseased. So in verses 17 to 26, Paul is showing the Corinthians their interconnectedness, their need for this interconnectedness. He is showing them a great dependence.

Just like the parts of the human body are connected to each part and dependent on each part, so it is with the body of Christ, the church. And they have a great responsibility in caring for every part of the body, oh especially the weak, especially those who seem indispensable. Now what are the lessons for us here? I said lessons plural because they are meaning. See we must see, we must see that we desperately, desperately need one another. And listen, any spirit of independence is sinful. Any spirit of independence from the body, from the church is sinful. And any spirit, spirit of superiority is sinful. You see?

And if you have a spirit of independence and superiority that is sub-normal, that is wrong, that is unhealthy, it is unbiblical. And we must see that God makes up the local body and each member is different by his choosing and by his design. Think about the Corinthian circumstance. Some of you know what was happening there. The Corinthian church was trying to be a freak show. They were trying to be a monstrosity. See one of their big fights was over the gift of tongues. Now that is a whole another sermon for another day. But that was one of their biggest fights over the gift of tongues. They all wanted the greater gifts.

They all wanted to do things like speak in tongues. What would that local body be like if they all did nothing but speak in tongues? It would have been a monstrosity. It would have been chaos. It would have been a freak show. And you see today there are some, that is just what they want. There are some today, they want to fill the church up full of nothing but people just like them. Oh they want everybody to have the exact same convictions and theologies just like they do. They want everybody to be able to articulate theology like they do, believe theology like they do, argue theology like they do.

Now listen, we should have solid, solid theology and doctrine. But oh there are some, they want everybody to be just the same way theologically. You know there are some, they want the church to be filled up with people who view the non-essentials the same way. Oh we are going to discuss that later on and assess a message. The non-essentials, those things that are a matter of Christian liberty. And there are some, they think that everybody in the pew should view the non-essentials, those things about Christian liberty just like they do. Now we have the essentials that we must center on, yeah.

But if you fill up the church with people who are just like you, it will be nothing but a freak show. It will be a monstrosity. See we got to remember. It's diversity. It's diversity. It is diversity. And everything we are and everything we have in is all for one purpose, it's for the common good, the unity of the body. You know one thing that the Lord has taught us, and when I say us, myself and Brother Keith as elders in the life of the church, one thing that God has taught us is trials. What is the purpose of a trial? I was counseling a fellow minister a couple of weeks ago in another state. He's going through a difficult trial.

Well what's the purpose of a trial? You might raise your hand and say, it's for me. It's to mold me more into the image of Christ. Well that's right, yes. But that's only part of the answer. You must see that God working in your life through trial or not, yes it's to mold you into the image of Christ, but it's for greater usefulness where? In the body. And any trial and any circumstance that comes your way is to mold you for greater usefulness in the body. And we must see these many, many lessons. We are dependent. We need one another. And we must see that God's designed us by His design, and He's placed us in the body according to His will.

And we must care for one another. And that means getting up on this side of the sanctuary and going to the other side of the sanctuary and caring for someone that you just might not have that much in common with. Why? Because they're part of the body. Now we need to step back from our verses and think big picture. Sometimes I ask you to do that. Take a few steps back and let's just look at the big picture. What was Paul trying to accomplish with the Corinthian church and people? You might say, pastor, they had a lot of problems. He's trying to fix it all. Well, yeah, that's true.

But Paul was trying to help these believers to see their proper place. You get it? Their proper place in the body. They were individuals, yes. He was not trying to take their individuality away from them. But most importantly, they were to see themselves as members of one body, Christ's body, the church. You see? He was trying to help them see their proper place. Yes, there's diversity, but it's in unity. Oh, but their unity comes from this diversity. They were in Christ. They had been supernaturally born into Christ. They were a part of his body. They were born into that local church and they were a part of this supernatural work.

He was trying to help them see their place. In all of their unhealthy, selfish, sinful, individualistic behavior, it would be cured if they saw their place and they got in their place. They were birthed spiritually in Christ and in the body. I keep saying that. And understanding and taking their proper place was the first step towards correcting this bad behavior in the church. For us, we've got to see unity in diversity, diversity in unity. You can say it either way you want, but you need to say it both ways. We must see our proper place, our proper place.

When God saves us, he supernaturally, spiritually places us in his son, yes, but he puts us in the body. And he does this work when he places us in a local church, a local church. And we cannot think and operate from an individualistic perspective, no. I thought about a good example. What does this ring on my finger on my left hand mean? What does it mean? Culturally, it means I'm married. I can go anywhere and everybody can see that and say, yeah, he's married. I never forget years ago when I went on a mission trip to Russia. I noticed that the wedding rings were worn on the right hand. Now, it took me a minute to figure that out.

As a matter of fact, I asked one of the missionaries there and he chuckled and said, yeah, in this culture, they wear the wedding ring on the right hand. But we understand what this means. I am married. And listen, after I am married, can I think of myself first and only? Can I think of myself first? Can I only think of myself? Can I only focus on my needs? Can I only worry about my wants and my desires? You're going to say no, because you know if I do, I'm going to have some marriage problems. It's because I am one with my wife. She is one with me. Don't ask me to separate that. Don't ask me to explain it. No.

And see, neither of us can think about first self and we must embrace our proper place in the marriage. Isn't that right? And listen, our first step towards learning how to behave properly in the church is understanding and taking our proper place in the body in the church. You see? And if we see our place, if we embrace our place in the body, we are one but meaning. We are one but meaning by God's design and decree. Then we are on our way. We're one step away. We're getting closer to behaving properly and more properly in the life of the church.

And as far as understanding some of these difficulties we face, as far as us understanding these difficulties that we've gone through, this is where we start. So many of the difficulties that we have faced, they would have been corrected if people would have understood their place and embraced their place. Now, what about that third reason? The first reason for this series is to deal with difficulties. The second reason comes out, that is to help us Christians understand proper behavior in the life of the church. And the third reason is this, many of you are new. And that's good. We're thankful. Some of you have not been with us that long.

And so you need to deal with some of these situations because these will help you become the better Christian that God wants you to be. Listen, studying these subjects, this all pertains to body life and this will equip you no matter where God may take you. Now I have said this to you before, I like titles. I'm not one of those preachers that has these catchy titles. I just doesn't work that way for me. But a title should really, really match. It should be the theme of what God is trying to say. And this title is real simple. One but many. It's all about one but many.

I want us to look at a couple of verses with this title and then we're going to dismiss. I want us to look at verse 14. What does Paul say? For the body, the church, this supernatural group of people in Christ Jesus. For the body does not consist of one member, but of many. And then our last verse, I haven't read it yet, verse 27. Now you are the body of Christ. See there's this supernatural work again. You're in Christ, you're in the body. Now you are the body of Christ and individually there's the diversity, members of it. There's the unity. So one but many.

And may our Lord help us understand our place in the body so that we can be more useful for his work here on earth. Let's pray. We'll commit this to the Lord. We'll sing a closing song of praise and then we'll dismiss until our time tonight together. Let's pray.