I. [1Corinthians 12:14-27]
Today more than ever before it’s cool to make fun of the church. It’s not only acceptable to criticize local churches, but there’s actually a growing movement of Christians who are leaving the ‘institutional’ church, starting house churches, and it’s considered progressive. It’s more spiritual. It’s closer to what Jesus had in mind. It’s what you need to do if you want to really experience Jesus. It comes from books like:
- Life After Church: God’s Divine Call to Disillusioned Christians;
- Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God;
- Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation
- Quitting Church: Why the Faithful are Fleeing and What to do About it;
- So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore;
- Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices;
- Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary;
- UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...And Why it Matters
- They Like Jesus but Not the Church
And in those books, you’ll read things like this:
II. Context:
The church in Corinth was a mess; they’re divided into two camps: the super-spiritual “varsity Christians”, and everyone else. And it showed up in a lot of conflicts they had:
III. Text
I would argue that the same mindset or attitude that was leading these so-called varsity Christians to divide the church at Corinth is alive and well today. In fact I’d say that the same attitude that led some of the Corinthians to look down on those who weren't like them is the same attitude that is leading some evangelicals to give up on church altogether.
To do that, I want us to look at 1Corinthians 12 (p.881) where Paul responds to the divisions by giving them a picture: a body. As messed up and as divided as they are, they’re still one. They’re still a church. In fact, not only are they a church, but they are the church according to (v.27). George Ladd comments:
“The congregation in Corinth was anything but a “holy” people in terms of life and conduct; …Still, it was a congregation of saints, of the sanctified, because in spite of the sinful conduct of many of its members and the worldly character of the church itself, it was still the church of God in Corinth.” George Eldon Ladd
*Goal: The greatest danger to the health of the Body of Christ is the cancer of pride.Let's compare and contrast what it would look like if you could have church the way you want it, with what it should look like when the church functions the way the Spirit wants it to. There are four things based on this passage that I think we should see in a church that functions his way…
1. Every member has a unique role
[vv.12, 14, 20 - one body with many parts / members] Explain: no single member of the body can claim to possess all that the Body ought to have. The Body should have eyes – eyes are great; but there should also be ears, hands, feet, noses, etc., etc. And we’re better off this way!
Paul explains it in [vv.15-16] Explain: Every member of the body belongs; not matter how insignificant they think they might be compared to other members.
He goes on: [v.17] Explain: The ability to see well is great, but good sight isn’t the only thing a Body needs.
Illustration: Your sight won’t protect the body from danger when the lion is hiding behind a tree. So seeing is great, but seeing plus hearing is even better. And being expert at hearing is great, but at mealtime it’s not your hearing that helps you enjoy food, but your sense of smell. So hearing is great, but hearing plus smelling is better. So in the Body of Christ, there are many, diverse, unique members, and each member belongs.
Why is Paul saying this? Because church is messy. I have a hunch that if we’re honest, most people like diversity in theory, but not in practice. On one hand, it’s great to be able to look around your church family and see people who represent all the races, languages, cultures, classes, education, spiritual gifts, etc. On the other hand, these diverse people bring with them diverse views and commitments that can make church life messy. But here, God’s Word is telling us that that’s not a problem – it’s the sign that this is truly the Body of Christ. Pride will lead us toward sameness; the Spirit of God will lead us to embrace and wrestle with our diversity.
“Paul’s vision of the body of Christ is of a unity which consists in diversity, that is, a unity which is not denied by diversity, but which would be denied by uniformity” James D.G. Dunn
You see, if I’m honest, and if I could have church my way, and if you could have it yours, it would be full of people just like me, right? Think of how much conflict and stress and meetings we could avoid if everyone just thought like I do. But here, Paul is saying that (Big Idea) In the Body of Christ, a church that experiences tension and mess because of its diversity is actually better off than a church that experiences none.
2. Every member is God-given.
Now at this point, you may be wondering if this is going to be one of those sermons where you come away feeling beaten up because the preacher thinks you’re too proud. And that’s not what I’m trying to do – what I do want to do though, is to hold up this passage as a sort of mirror, and invite you to look into it and ask is this Word for me? Not “ooh, I can’t wait for so-and-so to hear this.” But honestly: “Is there something that God might be saying to me?”
Have you never said to yourself or someone else “This would be a great church if the leaders would just…” or “We spend too much time on A, B, and C – we need to be doing more of X, Y, and Z!” And maybe those are all fine things, and maybe they’re even biblical, but what we’re really saying is that “I’ve got the vision for this church, and if everyone else would just get on board with my vision, then we’d be great.”
And there’s only one problem with that – you’re one person. And you think your vision is the one we should all follow, but so do we all! And I love that Paul answers that kind of pride with theology. He spells it out here: [v.18] Explain: It isn't an accident that there are all these gifts, opinions, and preferences. The Spirit did this on purpose. God placed the parts in the body just as he wanted. He says it again in v.24: “God so composed the Body…”
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, there’s something better than getting everything you want - it’s getting what he wants.
3. Every member is necessary.
Vv.21-22: Every member is needed. “all the more” (v.22)
Why does Paul need to tell the “eye” that it needs the hands too (v.21)? Why does he need to tell the head that the feet are necessary?
I think it’s because if you’re a head or an eye, you’ll tend to be busier than hands and feet. That doesn’t make them less important, but less busy. And if you’re a head and eye, it’s easy to get proud and look at the other parts and say “What do you do around here?! I’m an eye; I’m a head! You’re just a hand. You’re nothing but a foot. We could get along fine without you.” And Paul confronts that kind of pride, saying, “No. That’s wrong.”
There are times in the life of a body when the eyes are busier than the hands; and there are times when the head is busier than the feet. But that doesn’t make them dead weight; it doesn’t mean we can do without them. You know, if I could have the church just how I like it, if I’m honest, it would probably be full of people just like me who are active all the time in all the same ways…and anyone who isn’t involved in those ways would be dead weight. I could do without them. But here, Paul is saying that’s wrong. We can’t afford to lose any members. We can’t afford to be dismembered.
Illustration: Do you know what it’s like to lose a part of your body? It’s about the worst pain you can imagine. My friend’s accident: Chaos, panic, physical and emotional agony. He has prosthetic legs that help him get around, but they’ll never be as good as the real thing; he’ll never be as mobile in his chair as he was on his feet.
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, each member is absolutely necessary, so to be dis-membered is painful and serious.
4. Every member is responsible for every other.
[vv.23-24 ] I wrestled with what Paul means here, but I think I’ve got it. Illustration: being naked in front of a crowd. In a healthy body, you cover up those parts that aren’t presentable. But what happens if there are divisions in that body? The hands might say – “Forget it. You’re on your own!” and refuse to help out the parts that can’t help themselves.
You might think “Why are there any unpresentable parts on a healthy body? Why would the Holy Spirit want a healthy body to include unpresentable parts” If I’m honest, if I could have the church my way, there would be no unpresentable parts –it would be full of beautiful people doing beautiful things that get us all sorts of respect in the world’s eyes.
But Paul answers this when he says, [v.25-26]. Explain: i.e., these unpresentable parts actually help us to build unity. They make us more able to look after each other. Because that part is just as much a member of the body as you are, your own health as a member of the body is inextricably linked to theirs.
“As in a body, the pain of one member is the pain of all. If you smash your finger with a hammer, you may exclaim with equal appropriateness, I hurt my finger! or I hurt myself! …So must it be in the church. No Christian is to think in individualistic terms, but in terms of the body.” Don Carson
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, no member is truly independent; in reality, they are inter-dependent.
Sum: As you look at that list, maybe it seems to you crazy, if not a bit unrealistic. Every one of these four points runs counter to the way our culture works, and the way we would run the church, if it were up to us. A place where everyone belongs – matter how different they are? And it’s God’s idea? A place where every member is needed? A place where everyone supports each other – rather than kicking out whoever is the weak link? Come on! How can that even work?
Let’s be honest – Unless you only come around on Sunday mornings, church life is messy. Unless you only come around on Sunday mornings, you’ve probably had to serve alongside people you wouldn’t normally get along with. You’ve probably felt over-extended and tired. Maybe you felt frustrated because things aren’t happening as quickly as you’d like. I get that. But if what Paul says here is true, then the mess isn’t the problem – the mess is a sign that we’re getting it. And so we have a choice to make: when life in this Body isn’t going exactly how we’d like it, what will we do?
Dropouts: if you’re like the growing number of people in my generation, you’re going to drop out. You’ll leave your church, grab a handful of friends who are just like you, and you’ll start a house church. Now I have no problem with house churches in principle; but I have a big problem with people giving up on the local church – as though dropping out is for Varsity Christians, and ‘church’ is for the rest of us.
IV. Before you Leave: 5 heart-check questions:
Let me invite you to take a minute to do a bit of a heart-check. I hope you see by now that the real problem isn't with the church as an organization, or as an institution – it’s Christians. The problem is me. And it’s you. There may be a few good reasons to leave a church (I may blog about those later). But before you or someone you know drops out of a church, or if you know someone who has, let me invite you and them to wrestle with a few questions…
1. Do I only hang out with people like me at church?
I love the church. I hope you do too. I hope you can see that the church is worth keeping. I hope that after this, you have a bit more perspective, and that you can see that maybe the things that drive you crazy about the church are the very things that show that God is at work here. Look at it this way - at least we're not Corinth! But the Spirit of God was there. And he’s here – building this Body of Christ – out of imperfect people like you and me, and those who have been hurt by church people, and those who hurt church people.
One of the other metaphors that the Scriptures use to describe the church is the Bride of Christ. It’s the idea that someday, the church and Jesus are getting married. It seems to me that if anyone had reason to leave the church, it was Jesus. But not only will Jesus not leave her. While so many people in my generation are making fun of the church, Jesus is getting ready to marry her. She’s his fiancée, warts and all, and Jesus will never divorce her.
- “Rather than draw people out of the world and into a relationship with an institution, Revolutionaries demonstrate what it means to be the presence of God wherever you are.” –George Barna
- “A growing number of people are leaving the institutional church for a new reason. They are not leaving because they have lost their faith. They are leaving the church to preserve their faith.” - Reggie McNeal
- “If the local church is the hope of the world, then the world has no hope.” –George Barna
II. Context:
The church in Corinth was a mess; they’re divided into two camps: the super-spiritual “varsity Christians”, and everyone else. And it showed up in a lot of conflicts they had:
- · Over teachers: varsity Christians followed Apollos; everyone else followed Paul.
- · Over sexual rights (ch. 5) –there’s a guy sleeping with his mother or step-mother; some think he should not be welcome in the church until he repents; the varsity Christians were willing to put up with it because he seems to be someone of status (e.g., Brad Pitt), and maybe having him around will bring more people into the church.
- · Over civil issues; (ch.6); they can’t settle their disagreements through face-to-face discussion, so they take each other to court…they’re too proud to apologize, or admit their wrong.
- · Over marriage rights (ch.7) – some were spreading the teaching that marriage is for the weak; because if you’re a varsity Christian, you can control yourself; you don’t need marriage.
- · Over food rights (ch.8) – if you went to the market to buy meat, the best deal was on meat that had come from the bulls and lambs that had been sacrificed to the local gods. But the varsity Christians were saying, “No, no no – that meat was offered to an idol – if you eat that it’ll make you unclean.”
- · Over spiritual gifts (12-14) – The members of the church in Corinth had been given all kinds of different gifts by the Holy Spirit – but there grew this hierarchy of spiritual gifts. The varsity Christians spoke in tongues, and if you wanted to be as spiritual as they are, you should speak in tongues too.
III. Text
I would argue that the same mindset or attitude that was leading these so-called varsity Christians to divide the church at Corinth is alive and well today. In fact I’d say that the same attitude that led some of the Corinthians to look down on those who weren't like them is the same attitude that is leading some evangelicals to give up on church altogether.
To do that, I want us to look at 1Corinthians 12 (p.881) where Paul responds to the divisions by giving them a picture: a body. As messed up and as divided as they are, they’re still one. They’re still a church. In fact, not only are they a church, but they are the church according to (v.27). George Ladd comments:
“The congregation in Corinth was anything but a “holy” people in terms of life and conduct; …Still, it was a congregation of saints, of the sanctified, because in spite of the sinful conduct of many of its members and the worldly character of the church itself, it was still the church of God in Corinth.” George Eldon Ladd
*Goal: The greatest danger to the health of the Body of Christ is the cancer of pride.Let's compare and contrast what it would look like if you could have church the way you want it, with what it should look like when the church functions the way the Spirit wants it to. There are four things based on this passage that I think we should see in a church that functions his way…
1. Every member has a unique role
[vv.12, 14, 20 - one body with many parts / members] Explain: no single member of the body can claim to possess all that the Body ought to have. The Body should have eyes – eyes are great; but there should also be ears, hands, feet, noses, etc., etc. And we’re better off this way!
Paul explains it in [vv.15-16] Explain: Every member of the body belongs; not matter how insignificant they think they might be compared to other members.
He goes on: [v.17] Explain: The ability to see well is great, but good sight isn’t the only thing a Body needs.
Illustration: Your sight won’t protect the body from danger when the lion is hiding behind a tree. So seeing is great, but seeing plus hearing is even better. And being expert at hearing is great, but at mealtime it’s not your hearing that helps you enjoy food, but your sense of smell. So hearing is great, but hearing plus smelling is better. So in the Body of Christ, there are many, diverse, unique members, and each member belongs.
Why is Paul saying this? Because church is messy. I have a hunch that if we’re honest, most people like diversity in theory, but not in practice. On one hand, it’s great to be able to look around your church family and see people who represent all the races, languages, cultures, classes, education, spiritual gifts, etc. On the other hand, these diverse people bring with them diverse views and commitments that can make church life messy. But here, God’s Word is telling us that that’s not a problem – it’s the sign that this is truly the Body of Christ. Pride will lead us toward sameness; the Spirit of God will lead us to embrace and wrestle with our diversity.
“Paul’s vision of the body of Christ is of a unity which consists in diversity, that is, a unity which is not denied by diversity, but which would be denied by uniformity” James D.G. Dunn
You see, if I’m honest, and if I could have church my way, and if you could have it yours, it would be full of people just like me, right? Think of how much conflict and stress and meetings we could avoid if everyone just thought like I do. But here, Paul is saying that (Big Idea) In the Body of Christ, a church that experiences tension and mess because of its diversity is actually better off than a church that experiences none.
2. Every member is God-given.
Now at this point, you may be wondering if this is going to be one of those sermons where you come away feeling beaten up because the preacher thinks you’re too proud. And that’s not what I’m trying to do – what I do want to do though, is to hold up this passage as a sort of mirror, and invite you to look into it and ask is this Word for me? Not “ooh, I can’t wait for so-and-so to hear this.” But honestly: “Is there something that God might be saying to me?”
Have you never said to yourself or someone else “This would be a great church if the leaders would just…” or “We spend too much time on A, B, and C – we need to be doing more of X, Y, and Z!” And maybe those are all fine things, and maybe they’re even biblical, but what we’re really saying is that “I’ve got the vision for this church, and if everyone else would just get on board with my vision, then we’d be great.”
And there’s only one problem with that – you’re one person. And you think your vision is the one we should all follow, but so do we all! And I love that Paul answers that kind of pride with theology. He spells it out here: [v.18] Explain: It isn't an accident that there are all these gifts, opinions, and preferences. The Spirit did this on purpose. God placed the parts in the body just as he wanted. He says it again in v.24: “God so composed the Body…”
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, there’s something better than getting everything you want - it’s getting what he wants.
3. Every member is necessary.
Vv.21-22: Every member is needed. “all the more” (v.22)
Why does Paul need to tell the “eye” that it needs the hands too (v.21)? Why does he need to tell the head that the feet are necessary?
I think it’s because if you’re a head or an eye, you’ll tend to be busier than hands and feet. That doesn’t make them less important, but less busy. And if you’re a head and eye, it’s easy to get proud and look at the other parts and say “What do you do around here?! I’m an eye; I’m a head! You’re just a hand. You’re nothing but a foot. We could get along fine without you.” And Paul confronts that kind of pride, saying, “No. That’s wrong.”
There are times in the life of a body when the eyes are busier than the hands; and there are times when the head is busier than the feet. But that doesn’t make them dead weight; it doesn’t mean we can do without them. You know, if I could have the church just how I like it, if I’m honest, it would probably be full of people just like me who are active all the time in all the same ways…and anyone who isn’t involved in those ways would be dead weight. I could do without them. But here, Paul is saying that’s wrong. We can’t afford to lose any members. We can’t afford to be dismembered.
Illustration: Do you know what it’s like to lose a part of your body? It’s about the worst pain you can imagine. My friend’s accident: Chaos, panic, physical and emotional agony. He has prosthetic legs that help him get around, but they’ll never be as good as the real thing; he’ll never be as mobile in his chair as he was on his feet.
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, each member is absolutely necessary, so to be dis-membered is painful and serious.
4. Every member is responsible for every other.
[vv.23-24 ] I wrestled with what Paul means here, but I think I’ve got it. Illustration: being naked in front of a crowd. In a healthy body, you cover up those parts that aren’t presentable. But what happens if there are divisions in that body? The hands might say – “Forget it. You’re on your own!” and refuse to help out the parts that can’t help themselves.
You might think “Why are there any unpresentable parts on a healthy body? Why would the Holy Spirit want a healthy body to include unpresentable parts” If I’m honest, if I could have the church my way, there would be no unpresentable parts –it would be full of beautiful people doing beautiful things that get us all sorts of respect in the world’s eyes.
But Paul answers this when he says, [v.25-26]. Explain: i.e., these unpresentable parts actually help us to build unity. They make us more able to look after each other. Because that part is just as much a member of the body as you are, your own health as a member of the body is inextricably linked to theirs.
“As in a body, the pain of one member is the pain of all. If you smash your finger with a hammer, you may exclaim with equal appropriateness, I hurt my finger! or I hurt myself! …So must it be in the church. No Christian is to think in individualistic terms, but in terms of the body.” Don Carson
Big Idea: In the Body of Christ, no member is truly independent; in reality, they are inter-dependent.
Sum: As you look at that list, maybe it seems to you crazy, if not a bit unrealistic. Every one of these four points runs counter to the way our culture works, and the way we would run the church, if it were up to us. A place where everyone belongs – matter how different they are? And it’s God’s idea? A place where every member is needed? A place where everyone supports each other – rather than kicking out whoever is the weak link? Come on! How can that even work?
Let’s be honest – Unless you only come around on Sunday mornings, church life is messy. Unless you only come around on Sunday mornings, you’ve probably had to serve alongside people you wouldn’t normally get along with. You’ve probably felt over-extended and tired. Maybe you felt frustrated because things aren’t happening as quickly as you’d like. I get that. But if what Paul says here is true, then the mess isn’t the problem – the mess is a sign that we’re getting it. And so we have a choice to make: when life in this Body isn’t going exactly how we’d like it, what will we do?
Dropouts: if you’re like the growing number of people in my generation, you’re going to drop out. You’ll leave your church, grab a handful of friends who are just like you, and you’ll start a house church. Now I have no problem with house churches in principle; but I have a big problem with people giving up on the local church – as though dropping out is for Varsity Christians, and ‘church’ is for the rest of us.
IV. Before you Leave: 5 heart-check questions:
Let me invite you to take a minute to do a bit of a heart-check. I hope you see by now that the real problem isn't with the church as an organization, or as an institution – it’s Christians. The problem is me. And it’s you. There may be a few good reasons to leave a church (I may blog about those later). But before you or someone you know drops out of a church, or if you know someone who has, let me invite you and them to wrestle with a few questions…
1. Do I only hang out with people like me at church?
- Am I trying to welcome all newcomers, or only those who dress and think and talk like me?
- Do I want something else?
- Am I excited to hear of new implications of the gospel for my life, or am I ready for something “deeper”?
- There is nothing deeper. You don’t become a Christian by hearing the gospel, and then grow more mature by learning something else.
If you’re tired of hearing about Jesus, the cross, heaven, hell, forgiveness, repentance, then your problem isn’t with the church.
- Am I convinced that I’m the only one that knows God’s will for this church? Am I frustrated with my knucklehead pastors and elders who don’t seem to be listening to me? Or am I willing to humble myself and submit when we disagree over secondary matters?
- It may be that the thing that frustrates you about church is the very thing that God has gifted you to help change; it may be that the thing that you’re having a hard time accepting is the very thing that God wants to use to teach you patience, and perseverance, and commitment. And if you leave, you’ll miss out on that.
- Am I willing to commit in membership, or do I want to keep my options open?
- Have I given my brothers and sisters here permission to keep me accountable and help me grow in my faith, or would I rather keep them at a safe distance?
- Would my role be missed if I were gone, or do I leave it to others to do all of the ministry here?
- "We must grasp once again, the idea of church membership as being the membership of the body of Christ and as the biggest honour which can come a man's way in this world." -Martyn Lloyd-Jones
- "If the church is a building, then we must be bricks in it; if the church is a body, then we are its members; if the church is a household of faith, then we are part of that household. Sheep are in a flock, and branches on a vine. Biblically, if we are Christians we must be members of a church. This membership is not simply the record of a statement we once made or of affection toward a familiar place. It must be the reflection of a living commitment or it is worthless." -Mark Dever
- Have I made myself available for others to love me?
- Does anyone here know the sins I struggle with and pray for me, or am I critical because Christians are too superficial?
- Who would miss me if I were gone?
- And if I left, would I even tell anyone that I was leaving and why?
I love the church. I hope you do too. I hope you can see that the church is worth keeping. I hope that after this, you have a bit more perspective, and that you can see that maybe the things that drive you crazy about the church are the very things that show that God is at work here. Look at it this way - at least we're not Corinth! But the Spirit of God was there. And he’s here – building this Body of Christ – out of imperfect people like you and me, and those who have been hurt by church people, and those who hurt church people.
One of the other metaphors that the Scriptures use to describe the church is the Bride of Christ. It’s the idea that someday, the church and Jesus are getting married. It seems to me that if anyone had reason to leave the church, it was Jesus. But not only will Jesus not leave her. While so many people in my generation are making fun of the church, Jesus is getting ready to marry her. She’s his fiancée, warts and all, and Jesus will never divorce her.
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