1 00:00:01,900 --> 00:00:05,800 Hello and welcome to the Church. Newtown Square podcast. 2 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:10,600 If we can serve you in any way or if you'd like to learn more 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:15,600 about our church family or the x29 network, please visit us at 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:23,400 church NS Q dot org. That c h VR c h NS Q dot org. 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,400 And now let's listen in to today's teaching. 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:33,500 I doubt many of you were around to Member many uses Fable of the 7 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:39,500 body in b.c. 494 during the Roman Empire, the history of 8 00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:43,400 Rome is fraught with a history of battles between what was 9 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,300 known as the petition. The patricians and plebeians the 10 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:48,900 patricians were the rich benefactors in the plebeians 11 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:51,900 were the poor of the ones that depended on the patricians, they 12 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:57,100 were mostly old soldiers. That had gathered The Spoils of 13 00:00:57,108 --> 00:01:02,300 War and over time these patricians Factor into their 14 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:06,200 wealth, the work of the plebeians in the plebeians were 15 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,500 work for the patricians. And if a patrician wanted to 16 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,400 increase his wealth, he would hire plebeians and plebeians. 17 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,600 If they wanted to increase their wealth, they would be dependent 18 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,500 upon the patricians. In the early days of Rome, the 19 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:25,500 plebeians were very poor and they wanted to grow their land. 20 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:29,300 They wanted to kind of rise up into the class but what would 21 00:01:29,300 --> 00:01:33,200 happen is that That during the time of room, Roman law was very 22 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,100 hard on a man who was in debt. If you were in debt, if you 23 00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:41,400 cannot pay back what you were borrowed, your lands might be 24 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,100 seized. You might be thrown into prison. 25 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:47,400 Sold into slavery with perhaps your wife and children, 26 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,900 sometimes the creditors even would cut them into pieces and 27 00:01:51,900 --> 00:01:55,900 take their share. In history. 28 00:01:55,900 --> 00:01:58,700 One of these debtors was a man who was famous for bravery, and 29 00:01:58,700 --> 00:02:03,400 he was thrown into into jail and he was a centurion. 30 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:06,400 But what happened was he broke out of his prison. 31 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,400 They would have these prisons around the, The Forum and they 32 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,700 what would happen is you'd have the game's Roman games would be 33 00:02:12,700 --> 00:02:14,800 in the center and you're familiar with the chariot races 34 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,700 and Roman games. But what they would do is they 35 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:20,600 would house the centurions who were in jail and they would 36 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,500 house these prisoners, you've seen Gladiator right there in 37 00:02:23,700 --> 00:02:26,600 the Jail's below. So they could be brought up and 38 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,700 fed to the Lions or they would fight it out. 39 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,700 Well, one of these men was an old Centurion, he broke out of 40 00:02:31,700 --> 00:02:34,700 his prison and he ran into the forum and he had rags. 41 00:02:34,700 --> 00:02:37,700 And he had changed still hanging to his hands and feet, and he 42 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,100 showed them to his fellow citizens and said, is this how 43 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:44,000 Rome streets their beloved centurions who gave their life 44 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,600 and the centurions began to realize that the way that they 45 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,400 were treating, this man who had once been at the highest level 46 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,000 of military was now, a poor plebeian seeking seeking, Just a 47 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,600 step up in life and he was held down. 48 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:03,700 What at the same time, what happened was there was a tribe 49 00:03:03,700 --> 00:03:08,200 that came to war with Rome, and the Romans were called to arms, 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,000 and who is it? They call to arms. 51 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,400 But those who are the plebeians they call the poor to Arms to 52 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,800 defend Rome and what began to happen is in 494. 53 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,000 There was this tension between the plebeians in the patricians 54 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:27,500 and Civil War began to break. Gout and because this one, man, 55 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:30,800 cried out, this is how you're treating us, there was a man 56 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,300 named menenius, Agrippa, who was sent out to pacify a crowd that 57 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:39,200 was coming against the Senate to basically start a Civil War and 58 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:43,000 he told them a fable and he said that once upon a time all the 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,400 limbs of a man's body became disgusted with the service that 60 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,000 they had rendered to the belly, the feet, and the legs carried 61 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,300 it about and the hands worked for it and carried food to it, 62 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,800 the math. For it and so on they thought it 63 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,200 was hard The Saul to toil for just the belly and they all 64 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,200 agreed the parts of the body to do nothing for the belly. 65 00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:06,700 They would neither carry it about clothes nor feet it. 66 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:10,300 But soon all the parts of the body found themselves growing 67 00:04:10,300 --> 00:04:14,200 weak and starved and were obliged to own that all would 68 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:18,000 perish together unless they went on waiting on this seemingly 69 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,500 useless belly. So Agrippa told them that all 70 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:25,700 the ranks and States depended on one another and unless they all 71 00:04:25,700 --> 00:04:31,400 work together Rome would die. Now, I don't know if Paul had 72 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,900 that Fable in his heart and mind as he's writing to the 73 00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:37,900 Corinthians, no doubt. The Corinthians would have known 74 00:04:37,900 --> 00:04:43,800 this Fable because Corinth was, you know, Rome part to Corinth 75 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,900 was a place where Roman citizenship was held in very 76 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:51,500 high esteem. They, they considered themselves 77 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:55,200 Romans of all Romans. And so when Paul uses this 78 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,200 illustration of the this body illustration, the Corinthians. 79 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:00,600 No. Doubt are thinking about the 80 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,900 history of Rome in the importance of being united 81 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:05,800 together as one. And so Paul uses this metaphor 82 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,400 that is a simple metaphor to identify the fact that we as the 83 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:14,300 body of Christ are bound together by something that is 84 00:05:15,300 --> 00:05:19,200 ears Inseparable. It is it is a bond that glues us 85 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,200 together that is tighter than anything else much like our 86 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,900 body. The body is the body of Christ. 87 00:05:25,900 --> 00:05:29,600 The Gospel is the glue that holds us together and it is a 88 00:05:29,608 --> 00:05:33,500 fuel for our service, not only for God, but for one another, we 89 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,200 are different. We've seen that, we are 90 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,400 different, but we are not divided, we cannot be divided. 91 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,400 And so this morning, what I want to point us to is as we wrap up 92 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,400 chapter 12, the gospel. I need you to understand is the 93 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:52,400 foundation for which and the fuel for which we have not only 94 00:05:52,700 --> 00:06:00,100 a desire to be other centered. But also the ability to be those 95 00:06:00,100 --> 00:06:03,000 things that God has called us to be the gospel. 96 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,800 So, as we look through this text, I want to point us to you 97 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,000 3 things 1, in order for us to be others, centered, the macro 98 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,500 level of this attacks is that Paul has said, be open to the 99 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:16,700 spirit and the first few verses of this chapter, he's saying, 100 00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:20,200 here's what the spirit does. Now, we're in the section, where 101 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,000 he's saying now, we need to be others Centered for the common, 102 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,900 good. And just as we are one body, we 103 00:06:25,900 --> 00:06:28,200 need. To be others centered and then 104 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,600 he'll say we do this. Because in the next chapter, who 105 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,800 is say, because love is the main objective. 106 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,600 And then after we learn that, love is the objective. 107 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,100 How do we order ourselves and worship? 108 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:40,100 Which would be chapter 14, but this morning, we need to know 109 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:43,000 that one, we need to know the gospel. 110 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:46,900 We need to apply the gospel and we need to rest in the gospel. 111 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,700 Using this body image as a metaphor, look at verse 12, with 112 00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:54,300 me for just as one body, just as the body is one, and has many 113 00:06:54,300 --> 00:06:56,100 parts and all the parts of that body. 114 00:06:56,300 --> 00:06:59,900 You do many are one body. So also he says, is Christ 115 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,500 notice. He doesn't say that he doesn't 116 00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:04,700 say, he doesn't say that we are the church. 117 00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:07,900 He says, we are Christ. But when we see there that just 118 00:07:07,900 --> 00:07:11,500 as a body is one and he'll get into the illustration, he'll 119 00:07:11,500 --> 00:07:14,800 unpack that for us. And in a moment he alludes to 120 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:20,900 the idea that the body is Christ and Christ is the body and the 121 00:07:20,900 --> 00:07:23,600 body of Christ is the church, which is us. 122 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,300 We are the body of Christ. But the question is, how were we 123 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:33,400 made to be one with Christ? He says that we were baptized 124 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:34,900 into him. By the spirit. 125 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:37,600 Look at verse 13. This is one knowing the gospel 126 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,600 verse 13. To know the gospel. 127 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:45,000 This is what the gospel is for. We were all baptized by one 128 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:50,900 Spirit into one body, your translation might say by one 129 00:07:50,900 --> 00:07:54,700 Spirit, but I would argue that, I think that is the wrong 130 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:58,200 translation in the Greek. It Like this, it looks like it, 131 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:03,700 says, in one Spirit, we all in the body are baptized. 132 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,600 We all are in the spirit. We are not baptized by the 133 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,400 spirit. The spirit does not operate on 134 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,300 his own, Jesus Christ, who sends the spirit because he sits on 135 00:08:13,300 --> 00:08:17,900 the throne, sends the spirit and baptizes us in the spirit. 136 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,100 And so, in that translation, I understand why they say by one 137 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:23,600 Spirit, you might be like, hey, the spirit comes and baptizes 138 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,700 us, but the gospel is such that We were baptized in the spirit. 139 00:08:27,700 --> 00:08:31,300 When we what, when does the spirit indwells us indwells us? 140 00:08:31,308 --> 00:08:36,000 When we trust Christ, the moment we trust Christ, we are baptized 141 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,100 with the spirit. In other words, we are submerged 142 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:44,000 into and we are, let me use a fancy word ensconce tin. 143 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,600 You like that, just came up with that. 144 00:08:46,608 --> 00:08:50,200 We rinse constant, the spirit. We are baptized in here. 145 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,900 The Greek construction of the sentence makes it very clear 146 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:55,800 that we were baptized in the spirit. 147 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:03,000 Diet and this baptism represents Jesus baptism in which he is 148 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,400 fully affirmed by the father. When we see a baptism service, 149 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,400 we in the name of the father and of the son and spirit, we 150 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,000 submerged the believer and he raises or she raises up out of 151 00:09:13,008 --> 00:09:15,700 the water and they're completely soaking wet. 152 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,100 And it is the picture of the fact that there is no part of 153 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:19,600 us. That is not covered by the 154 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,800 spirit of God. Some might teach that there is a 155 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:29,300 second baptism that once we trust Christ we necessarily need 156 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:35,400 a baptism a second baptism of the holy spirit that there is a 157 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,900 gifting that is manifested to us. 158 00:09:38,100 --> 00:09:42,100 That is secondary to the primary baptism of the holy spirit. 159 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:45,300 This is not what this text is saying at all. 160 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:48,700 And notice that the text says that it is whether Jews or 161 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:52,200 Greeks, or slaves or free, it does not Matter who you are or 162 00:09:52,208 --> 00:09:55,000 where you came and your economic status, does not matter. 163 00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:59,900 We are one in Christ. We were all given one Spirit to 164 00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:03,500 drink that, that word there is what we use as imbibe, we imbibe 165 00:10:03,500 --> 00:10:06,900 or take in, we drink the spirit. That's just an image of say. 166 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:09,100 It is in us. It's now part of us when we 167 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:12,300 drink something, it absorbs into our body and nourishes, us, and 168 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:14,200 refreshes us. That's what it is. 169 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,800 To have the spirit, there's nothing better than a hot. 170 00:10:18,500 --> 00:10:21,600 Warm, tepid drink on a hot summer day, right? 171 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:26,200 No, the spirit is like a cool refreshing drink on a hot. 172 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,700 Humid Philly, summer day, when we drink it, we can feel it. 173 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:32,100 Coursing through our veins. It cools our body. 174 00:10:32,100 --> 00:10:35,800 It refreshes us, we know that it is inside and it is that is the, 175 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,400 the picture here that Paul is painting for us. 176 00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:43,500 Moving on, Paul uses a universal, very simple metaphor 177 00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:47,100 that all of us can understand which shows us how a, so, if the 178 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:51,000 gospel, is the good news that Christ has baptized us into 179 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,300 himself that the spirit is in us that we are as Paul says sealed 180 00:10:55,300 --> 00:10:58,200 and guaranteed to be connected with Christ. 181 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,600 And how do we apply this gospel? This gospel again, the 182 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,900 Corinthians were struggling with figuring out how they acted as, 183 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,300 as filled with the spirit Believers. 184 00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:10,400 How were they applying the The gospel. 185 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,000 What the gospel is, the good news of the grace of Jesus 186 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,900 Christ. So in verse 18, we see that the 187 00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:22,200 application of the Gospel is that we are arranged in the 188 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,300 parts of the body just as God wanted. 189 00:11:25,300 --> 00:11:28,300 But the body is the picture. Look with me at verse 14 for 190 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:31,200 second indeed. The body is not one part but 191 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,400 many. And then he goes on to talk 192 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,500 about the foot saying, because I'm not a hand, I don't belong 193 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:39,700 to the body and that it is not for that reason to any less. 194 00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:41,800 Out of the body. And then he goes on to give the 195 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,400 illustration of the ear and the eye. 196 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,100 I don't think we need to belabor this point. 197 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:50,800 We understand this, we are necessarily Inseparable and we 198 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:55,500 are different, but we are not meant to be divided in the 199 00:11:55,500 --> 00:11:57,600 Corinthian Church. Some were saying, I guess I'm 200 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,700 not needed. They were, we talked about this 201 00:11:59,700 --> 00:12:02,200 to be truly spiritual, they're like, oh, I guess I'm not needed 202 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,300 here and some other people were like, yeah, that's kind of 203 00:12:04,308 --> 00:12:05,200 right? You're not. 204 00:12:05,700 --> 00:12:07,500 I mean, could you imagine being part of a church? 205 00:12:07,500 --> 00:12:09,700 But like, man, I don't really feel like I belong here is like, 206 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,700 Well, that's because you don't, you should find somewhere else. 207 00:12:11,900 --> 00:12:14,700 Like, I don't think if Andrew said that at the connection 208 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:17,600 table, anyone would come back. Like, man, I really feel out of 209 00:12:17,608 --> 00:12:18,900 place. Here is like, well, you kind of 210 00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:21,100 not dressed, right? So there's some Churches down 211 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:27,700 the road and you could go to How strange would a giant eyeball be 212 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,000 walking around, right? Like it's just like, you know, 213 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,600 it's and I'm not talking about Monsters Inc. 214 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,900 Like we just know that, you know, one eyeball walking around 215 00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:38,900 would look really odd. It's a humorous to think about 216 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,600 to take in the mixed metaphor to his extremes. 217 00:12:42,100 --> 00:12:44,200 It's an overemphasis on one thing. 218 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,200 But also an under emphasis to is just as humorous. 219 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,400 We, we think about the body and import the importance of our 220 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,700 body are, the body, does not just Wash out or drop off 221 00:12:55,700 --> 00:12:58,400 appendages or organs that seem to serve no purpose. 222 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,100 Like if you don't use your arm for a while which is never, but 223 00:13:01,100 --> 00:13:03,200 if you didn't use your arm forward and also they just like 224 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,300 fell off. It's like what in the world, 225 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:07,300 what just happened? It's like, well, we weren't 226 00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:08,600 using it, so we just dropped my arm. 227 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:10,200 Well, I might want that arm someday. 228 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:14,300 It's similar to a splinter. When splinters when things get 229 00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:19,300 into our body, it pushes it out. You get a splinter and you don't 230 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:21,400 notice it for a while but then it gets hurt and then you look 231 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,600 and you see it's it's filled with pus and is starting to 232 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,700 bulge out and then you can easily squeeze it out. 233 00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:28,600 I'm sorry if I disgust you but you know what I'm talking about, 234 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,400 right? It needs to come out or when we 235 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:37,000 have external organs that are introduced into our body for a 236 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,600 transplant, we have to go through a process where we get 237 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,300 through there. Rejection of the body. 238 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,800 And there's medicines to, to deal with that. 239 00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:49,600 God has designed the body to protect itself to keep itself 240 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,800 together. And each person belongs to the 241 00:13:53,808 --> 00:13:57,100 body, we don't just push out things because they're not 242 00:13:57,100 --> 00:14:00,700 noticeable or we think that they're very important. 243 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,900 Yes, the spleen. No one knows what it does, but 244 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,200 let's keep it in there. Let's keep that spleen in there. 245 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:13,500 If everyone Paul says, did the same thing or if we expected 246 00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:15,700 only one person to do all things in to do them? 247 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:17,200 Well, how ridiculous would that be? 248 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,500 That's the image there. It's like, can we expect one 249 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:23,000 person to do everything and do it well and just let them do all 250 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,800 the work mom's. Sometimes you probably feel that 251 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,900 way, right? I'm seeing some heads, shake 252 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:32,700 some amen. Dad's too, I want to be fair. 253 00:14:35,300 --> 00:14:39,400 Do we find fault in some people for not being able to do all the 254 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,300 things? that we think that they should 255 00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:46,200 do simply because they haven't been gifted, or even able or 256 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,100 called by God to do How ridiculous is that? 257 00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:57,900 We don't expect a 120-pound puny little Kansas City, chief kicker 258 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,000 of the football team. To tackle our monstrous 6-foot 259 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,000 247 pounds running back, who's going to run them over this 260 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,100 afternoon? No, we don't expect that. 261 00:15:10,900 --> 00:15:13,000 Just as we don't expect those things. 262 00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:17,800 So also, so also we should not expect people that say I don't 263 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,600 belong to the body, they have a part to play. 264 00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:25,000 Notice in verse 18 who has arranged these things. 265 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:31,400 God, God has arranged each one of the parts to be what it says. 266 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:36,600 Just as he wanted. There's a place and this is an 267 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,200 important foundation for us because it is assumed by Paul 268 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:42,600 who assumes that his readers believe in no. 269 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,400 The same thing that all things have been ordered by God. 270 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,900 In this should put us at rest that when we look and see the 271 00:15:48,900 --> 00:15:51,300 order of the church that God has arranged things. 272 00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:55,200 The way that he wants them to be arranged and we can rest knowing 273 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,800 that in his wisdom and in his kindness, he's ordered things to 274 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,100 be. So there's purpose, there's 275 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:05,200 intention. And there's intention in the 276 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,100 order of creation as well. There's intention and physics 277 00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:11,200 when we find out about math, when we find out about human 278 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,400 reproduction, or sexuality or gender. 279 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,400 God is the Creator and he is the designer of every single system 280 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,400 in function in the creation. And there's good purpose to it, 281 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,500 and when we think that there's not a purpose to it, or there's 282 00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:27,800 not goodness in it just because we don't understand. 283 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:32,100 Just like other people who we feel, don't offer a contribute 284 00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:34,100 just because we don't see them in public spaces. 285 00:16:34,100 --> 00:16:36,800 As much does not mean that they're invaluable or they're 286 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:42,100 not intentionally placed. Some of you have seen Rube 287 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:48,300 Goldberg Illustrations. This is Rube Goldberg, there's a 288 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:49,600 you remember. See these? 289 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,800 These are these are funny machines that are put together. 290 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,900 Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist sculptor. 291 00:16:55,900 --> 00:16:58,300 He was an author and engineer and he is best known for these. 292 00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:01,200 These are his popular cartoons where he depicted these 293 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,599 complicated gadgets, performing performing simple tasks. 294 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:08,599 In indirect convoluted ways they just like he got from point A to 295 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:12,400 point G by doing all this stuff and he was he was trying to put 296 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,300 a point that there are just ways to get two different. 297 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,300 Current ways to get from point A to point G their butt. 298 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,500 When I was a senior in college, I gave a Communications speech 299 00:17:28,500 --> 00:17:33,500 on Rube Goldberg and his connection to irreducible 300 00:17:33,500 --> 00:17:37,400 complexity and Darwin's theory of evolution and how Darwin's 301 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:42,800 theory was was false. You're in your senior in 302 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,400 college. You do stupid stuff right you 303 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,800 know just it was a communications class it was like 304 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:51,400 I'm going to spend 15 minutes wowing these people and Michael 305 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,000 Bay. He has a theory of irreducible 306 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,400 complexity which argues this that if you take one thing out 307 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,500 of a machine it cannot be what it is intended to be. 308 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,700 Take one thing out of something that is intended to design, 309 00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:07,000 something or build something, no matter how insignificant it 310 00:18:07,008 --> 00:18:09,700 means. If you take a spring out of that 311 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:11,800 machine there it will no longer work. 312 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:18,200 All of us need each other, to be fully functional. 313 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,700 This is Paul's argument. Some of us are not as public as 314 00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:24,000 others, and that's okay. And for the very reason that God 315 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,200 has other designs, some of us are not very public because we 316 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:32,400 have other roles to play, and there are things that are built 317 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,300 that you cannot take out something without doing, 318 00:18:36,300 --> 00:18:41,000 irreparable damage to it. And firsthand both my wife. 319 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:46,300 And I understand how just things are when even just the smallest. 320 00:18:46,300 --> 00:18:51,000 Little protein is removed from the building blocks of Creation 321 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,900 in the womb that how the direction of a person can be set 322 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:58,000 in a totally different trajectory than the rest one 323 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,900 simple protein, missing from the DNA of a particular formation of 324 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:07,200 cells and building of systems in the body, how it can make things 325 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:13,000 different than other bodies. And in the same way, that is how 326 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,000 God has designed the church. That if you ever feel that you 327 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,000 are not needed that, you are not part of the vital life of the 328 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,100 church, then Paul in the scriptures and got himself wants 329 00:19:25,100 --> 00:19:27,200 you to say no just because you're not an eye, does not 330 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,500 belong mean that you are unimportant just because you 331 00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:36,800 don't play this particular role. Look at verse 22 on the 332 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,800 contrary. He says on the contrary, those 333 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,500 parts of the body that are weaker, he's going to compare 334 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:49,000 like now that we're, we've nailed it down that. 335 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,800 You can't just say that I don't belong or that, I'm not 336 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,000 important that I don't need you because there are people saying, 337 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,200 we don't need you and I'm not belong to you. 338 00:19:57,500 --> 00:20:04,400 How do we, how does the gospel? Mend that division Well, the 339 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,100 gospel applies to those who in the parts of the body that they 340 00:20:08,100 --> 00:20:10,300 are weaker. There are weaker. 341 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:13,800 People in the church. What does that mean? 342 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,600 The the weakness of those who feel like they're not as public, 343 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:22,200 or they're not as given as gifts or they have just not the same 344 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:26,600 abilities that they are equally as indispensable as the person 345 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,900 that is gifted, seemingly gifted naturally and spiritually gifted 346 00:20:31,900 --> 00:20:33,800 with gifts that are front and center. 347 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:37,800 Verse 23, and those parts of the body that we consider less 348 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,500 honorable and what that word there means, it's a less 349 00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:43,700 aesthetically pleasing. No one in here has any less 350 00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:47,100 aesthetically pleasing Parts. You are all beautiful people but 351 00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:52,600 what we do is we do dress those parts that are in need of kind 352 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,400 of aesthetic. You would you dress nicely 353 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,700 because you want to look nice. You don't want to wear some of 354 00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:01,100 you. Some of you are okay with 355 00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:05,900 wearing, you know, whatever. But Some of us like to dress and 356 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:07,900 look nice when we present ourselves publicly. 357 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:13,100 And what we do is we have parts that we want to accentuate and 358 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:16,700 then he says we closed the these with greater honor now. 359 00:21:16,700 --> 00:21:20,600 So this is then he then he says our unrespectable parts. 360 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,700 Okay, so that work there the on the there's the aesthetically 361 00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:27,600 pleasing that's like we put on nice clothes you saying but then 362 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,700 our unrespectable parts friends, those are our private parts. 363 00:21:31,700 --> 00:21:34,500 That word there is for the private parts, the on the Wii. 364 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:37,100 Don't just walk around naked, right? 365 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:39,100 Like just be blunt. This is kind of an image that 366 00:21:39,108 --> 00:21:41,600 he's saying here is like, we don't do that and when someone 367 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,600 does that you're like, dude. Come on, cover that up. 368 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:49,400 Now, I'm not sure how many people you run into that. 369 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,600 I just, I just gave an illustration where it's like, 370 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,400 sounds like, you're walking down the street, you're like, dude, 371 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,900 cover that up as if that's often if it wasn't often that you'd 372 00:21:56,900 --> 00:21:58,500 better make gave keep this keep going. 373 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,800 Are respectable Parts, don't need it. 374 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,000 So in other words, there's a reason why most of our body is 375 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,900 covered up in my face, is not my hands are not like we see this 376 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:16,100 over-representation in Islam. The hijab for Muslims. 377 00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:19,400 In fact, in the most strictest parts of Islam, you see that the 378 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,300 women are fully covered except for what they can see through 379 00:22:22,300 --> 00:22:25,800 their isolates. Because in the Quran, they teach 380 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:27,800 that the woman's presentable Parts. 381 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,900 There is a disrespect, if any part of the body, Body is shown 382 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,500 so that another man might not luster or the danger of doing is 383 00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:40,500 so it's so ridiculously over, emphasizing the fact that if you 384 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:43,700 do this women, if you show, just a part of your skin, you're 385 00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:46,600 going to cause a sin, another man, and you're guilty of death. 386 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:51,400 If that happens, talk about a ridiculous over emphasis on 387 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:59,300 trying to be legalistic in terms of how we attain the love of God 388 00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:00,300 for them. It's a la. 389 00:23:00,300 --> 00:23:03,700 There we who It does not exist. But the fact of the matter is, 390 00:23:03,700 --> 00:23:07,200 as we cover parts, we cover less honorable Parts on respectable 391 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,900 parts. And there are things that need 392 00:23:10,900 --> 00:23:12,900 to be covered in things that don't need to be covered. 393 00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:17,500 And in verse 24, he says God has put the body together giving 394 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:20,500 greater honor to the less honorable and so now, Paul is 395 00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:24,500 shifting from the body metaphor, the literal physical body to the 396 00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:27,100 body of Christ. God has put the body of Christ 397 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:30,100 together giving greater honor to the less honorable. 398 00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:34,800 So that what there would be no. Division. 399 00:23:36,100 --> 00:23:40,000 That the gospel of God, the good news of God that that we are all 400 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:44,700 one in Christ leads us to a place where as the body of 401 00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:50,000 Christ as the church we don't we don't push down those who are 402 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:55,000 less gifted or less important because there is no one who is 403 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,600 less important. But instead we do the opposite, 404 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,400 we raise them up. We give more honor. 405 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,100 God says give more honor to the less honorable so that you are 406 00:24:05,100 --> 00:24:09,000 not divided. And look that the members would 407 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,800 have what the same concern for each other. 408 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,500 That word there is anxiety. It's the word where we get. 409 00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:16,500 We're anxious for one another that we are. 410 00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:21,100 So desirous of one another to be lifted up to be honored that 411 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:25,000 it's it makes us anxious. It's an internal sense of man. 412 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,500 Are you are, do you know that we love you? 413 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,100 That if there's a sense that someone feels that they have no 414 00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:35,100 place in this, this family of God or that there's no part for 415 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:38,000 them to serve that we would be anxious about that and said, no 416 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,100 no. You we do not want you to feel 417 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:44,400 that way once you to understand how though you might not be up 418 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,800 front and center all the time and though you're gifting in 419 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:51,000 your service might not be seen. You are vitally important to the 420 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,200 life of this body which has implications as to church 421 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,300 membership. Which we'll talk a little bit in 422 00:24:56,300 --> 00:25:01,300 just a moment but if we if we never see someone and don't miss 423 00:25:01,300 --> 00:25:03,200 them, that we are not anxious for them. 424 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,000 I just saw will send it to her down the hall and sometimes it, 425 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:12,100 you know, families have like schedules and someone sick and 426 00:25:12,100 --> 00:25:14,600 sometimes I if I don't see someone, it'll be like a month. 427 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,200 I saw. Almost like you're alive. 428 00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:20,900 It's like hello. And he did not die. 429 00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:23,500 He did not disappear. I just didn't see. 430 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:26,700 I didn't see him and I was anxious. 431 00:25:26,700 --> 00:25:29,300 And just the same way that we're anxious for our friends were 432 00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:31,700 always anxious for people that we love and we want to see. 433 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,000 We want to know that they're loved. 434 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,600 Weaker Parts less, honorable parts unrespectable parts. 435 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,700 Are vital to life of the church. This word weaker is it means 436 00:25:45,700 --> 00:25:47,600 suffering from debilitating illness. 437 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,500 It's it's a sickness when we're sick were completely useless. 438 00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:55,200 There's some of us try to be useful because we just can't 439 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:56,800 stay in bed. We get up out of bed. 440 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,800 We think that we can do something, but at the end of the 441 00:25:58,808 --> 00:26:01,900 day, if we're sick enough, we just lay in bed and we let it 442 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:04,500 take its course. This is the sense here that 443 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,200 there is a sense. We're like, man, there is 444 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,400 nothing necessarily on the service. 445 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,400 That a particular person might be able to add to the body yet. 446 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:19,500 Even in that most extreme sense, there's absolutely no doubt that 447 00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:21,700 they are indispensable to life of the church. 448 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,100 Do you see how this is counter? To the way that the world thinks 449 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,300 we just discard. I mean, let's just be brutally 450 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:31,200 honest. The reason why we have so many 451 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,000 aborted children in this world is because it is a strain to the 452 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:39,800 desire or the if it throws a wrench in the plans of just 453 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,600 comfort for Some and they just decide it's more convenient for 454 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,500 me to get rid of this child than it is for me to take this as a 455 00:26:46,500 --> 00:26:49,100 blessing. I mean, hands down, that's the 456 00:26:49,100 --> 00:26:54,100 argument. It is an economic decision for 457 00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:59,600 many, not for all. But for many It's convenience. 458 00:27:01,900 --> 00:27:07,100 It adds no value to the life but even at that extreme what value 459 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:10,500 does a child have? Who we wipe the? 460 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,900 I mean just we wipe stuff that's that shit. 461 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:16,800 It's just unnatural stuff that comes out of a newborn baby. 462 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,800 It's not convenient at all. There's sleepless nights but we 463 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:25,600 don't discard we bring in, We Love, We Care, we serve for the 464 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,500 elderly at the other end. There are there are elderly that 465 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:31,500 are they, they don't, they don't add anything. 466 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,100 NG to the economic value of society. 467 00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:37,400 In there in bed, I was visiting with Norma Sandler this week and 468 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,300 I see her. She was an elderly woman who is 469 00:27:40,300 --> 00:27:43,200 still alive and she's at the nursing home the Riders visit 470 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,000 with her, and she's there with three other women in her room. 471 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,900 And, and they are just laying in bed, and they're chatting it up. 472 00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:51,900 And, but there are some that are incapacitated mentally and they 473 00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:55,800 add no economic value to. But are they worthy and value of 474 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,100 light and life? Do we do? 475 00:27:57,100 --> 00:27:58,400 We serve them. Do we love them? 476 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:00,400 Are they indispensable to the body of Christ? 477 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:04,400 Absolutely. When we get an attitude, when 478 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,300 things are just easily discarded, because they're not 479 00:28:06,300 --> 00:28:09,200 convenient to us, or they don't seem to add value that is when 480 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,200 the gospel is not at work in our hearts. 481 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:22,300 What has God done? Look at verse 24, the end he 482 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:26,100 says God has put the body together. 483 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,600 He has harmonized that word, there is a harmonious mixing, 484 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,500 it's a blending of colors. The more that we honor one 485 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:35,000 another, the more that we give Grace to one another, the more 486 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,300 that we respect one another, the more that we love one another as 487 00:28:38,300 --> 00:28:40,900 were being worked on and shaped and formed by the spirit. 488 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:44,100 What happens is the beauty that is intended to be displayed 489 00:28:44,100 --> 00:28:48,700 comes out. We are being mixed together to 490 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:50,400 be something incredibly beautiful. 491 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,600 The beauti already exists their friends. 492 00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:54,700 It's not that you're becoming beautiful. 493 00:28:54,700 --> 00:28:57,200 In God's eyes, you are beautiful. 494 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:01,300 We are beautiful before God. He's not making us more 495 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:03,600 beautiful. He's helping the world. 496 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,600 See the beauty of his son in hid, the body of Christ. 497 00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:11,900 What do we look like? Who are we to look like? 498 00:29:11,900 --> 00:29:13,300 Well, that's what it is. Is the Christ. 499 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:18,200 Look at verse 27, we are to look like now you are the body of 500 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,800 Christ in individual memory. Now is a, is it now that 501 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,600 definitive statement is like, now, now that I've given this 502 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:29,300 illustration, right, Now that I've started for just as 1 by 503 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:32,700 verse 12, the body has many parts, all the parts of that 504 00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:36,400 body are one so also is Christ. He ends this section by saying 505 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:42,400 now Corinthian Church. You are the body of Christ your 506 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,800 Christ. Let that sink in for a second. 507 00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:48,900 Those of us sitting in this room who are filled with the spelt. 508 00:29:48,900 --> 00:29:53,800 We are the body, the physical body of Christ here on this 509 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,100 Earth. Doing the things that Christ 510 00:29:57,100 --> 00:30:01,900 would have us do. And if Christ is present with us 511 00:30:01,900 --> 00:30:06,100 in the body, then therefore, how must we act towards one? 512 00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:12,700 Another Love each other. As Christ has loved us. 513 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,900 Right. So how has Christ loved us 514 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:22,600 husband's seasons 5 of husbands. Love your wives as Christ. 515 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,900 Loved the church and gave what gave himself up for her. 516 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:33,300 So, all of us are to give ourselves up for one another in 517 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:39,700 time and energy. We're not all going to be best 518 00:30:39,700 --> 00:30:42,500 friends right away, but we are family. 519 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:49,800 And the beauty that comes with the long term of being together 520 00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:53,900 as the body of Christ is what the world sees over time. 521 00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:57,100 It's a long haul, it's not instant, it's a long haul. 522 00:30:57,100 --> 00:30:59,500 How do we treat one another? How do we respond to world 523 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:01,800 events? How do we engage in the world? 524 00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:03,900 How do we deal with conflict? How do we? 525 00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:06,500 There are people visiting here this morning that if you are 526 00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:09,000 just checking us out for the first time and you want to see 527 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:12,800 what is it look like to be in the life of a local church? 528 00:31:12,900 --> 00:31:17,200 If you're going to see things that are, you know, basically 529 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,200 like things that are just hard to see is like that people have 530 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,800 conflict here but how we deal with that conflict. 531 00:31:22,900 --> 00:31:25,100 How do we love one? Another, how do we treat the 532 00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:27,300 elderly? How do we treat children? 533 00:31:27,300 --> 00:31:30,300 How do we view sexuality? How do we view all of these 534 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:33,000 things while we view them like Christ to vitamin and as the the 535 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:37,600 world sees us as Christ, they see the love of Christ in the 536 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,300 beauty of Christ. So we need to know what the 537 00:31:41,300 --> 00:31:43,200 gospel is, that we are baptized into Christ. 538 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:45,600 We need to apply the gospel, which binds us together. 539 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:47,800 And finally this is a simple point. 540 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,900 We need to rest in the gospel. Verse 28, God has appointed 541 00:31:51,900 --> 00:31:55,000 these in the church. Paul will go on and he lists, he 542 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,500 says, God has appointed these offices in the church. 543 00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:01,900 First apostles, he speaking to the Corinthians second prophets, 544 00:32:01,900 --> 00:32:05,500 third teachers next, any list, the things the Miracles Gifts of 545 00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:08,600 healing helping leading various kinds of tongues, notice he's 546 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,600 shifted in his thought. The first part he's listing at 547 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,500 these gifts. Remember the whole argument is 548 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:15,900 that guy's your overemphasizing? These gifts. 549 00:32:15,900 --> 00:32:18,300 Let me, let me point you to the reality of those spiritual 550 00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:20,800 gifts, everyone has the spirit of God. 551 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,100 There's different gifts are going to manifest themselves for 552 00:32:23,100 --> 00:32:25,600 the common good. And by the way, just because 553 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,000 someone has this gift in, someone does not have this gift. 554 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,900 Doesn't mean that they're Inseparable that are separable. 555 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:33,100 It doesn't mean that just invaluable that we're all 556 00:32:33,100 --> 00:32:35,100 together in this just like the body. 557 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,400 So now that, you know, that you're the body of Christ, and 558 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,900 here's how you need to work out, he's going to circle back. 559 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,100 He says, now listen God has appointed Apostles ones who are 560 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:48,200 sent by Christ to bring the message of Christ that they were 561 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,300 sent specifically by Christ and they're establishing the gospel. 562 00:32:51,300 --> 00:32:54,400 Then there are profits that were revealing God's word to the 563 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,900 church to establish the gospel then there was teachers teachers 564 00:32:57,900 --> 00:33:00,400 who were valuable to the church because at that time they didn't 565 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,600 have Bibles. They were expensive parchments 566 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,100 that they had to spend money on and so they taught the church as 567 00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:08,700 they were being established. Here's where Christ is in the 568 00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:11,400 Old Testament. Here's what the gospel means. 569 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,100 Jesus is using these offices to build the church, and he's also 570 00:33:16,100 --> 00:33:18,000 giving gifts there's people being healed. 571 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,700 There's, there's people that can help those people that can lead. 572 00:33:20,700 --> 00:33:22,700 There's various kinds of tongues, which we'll get to in 573 00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:27,300 chapter 14, but Church God's at work. 574 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:29,800 God has appointed. God has put together. 575 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,400 God has arranged God has gifted. You see the pattern there? 576 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,700 God's, the one that has established this. 577 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,600 If we Buck against the system, we're bucking against what God 578 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:44,900 has designed and it's exciting. The building of the church which 579 00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:47,100 is the metaphor that Paul uses in Ephesians. 580 00:33:47,300 --> 00:33:50,400 It's still being built but it's also like a body maturing. 581 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,500 We're maturing we need time. God is building us. 582 00:33:53,500 --> 00:33:56,500 He's maturing us. He's using the gifts of the 583 00:33:56,508 --> 00:34:02,400 Spirit to mature us And then in verse 20 29 he kind of drives 584 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,400 the point home of which he asked questions which the rhetorical 585 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,900 answer is what so are all Prophets. 586 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,400 Is everybody a profit is everybody? 587 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,100 An arm is everybody? And I are all prophets are all 588 00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:19,199 teachers. I'm just trying to stop it. 589 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:20,600 You can say it loud and say it proud with me. 590 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,900 Friends, here we go. Do all, do miracles. 591 00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:27,000 Do all, do gifts of healing. Do all speak in tongues. 592 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:30,800 Do all interpret. No, no, no, no, no, no, 593 00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:33,800 basically, okay, Paul get to your point like fine. 594 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:37,300 Fine. No, we are not all the same. 595 00:34:37,300 --> 00:34:39,500 We're not called to be the same. We don't all have the same 596 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:41,400 gifts. Okay? 597 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:45,199 Yes, we are one body but then he will he will transition and say 598 00:34:45,699 --> 00:34:48,800 desire the greater gifts. And I will show you a better way 599 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,800 of how to do that, and we'll get into what he points out to be 600 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,699 the greater gifts, and how to do that in. 601 00:34:54,699 --> 00:34:58,700 Love the love chapter, chapter 13, is how he basically puts 602 00:34:58,700 --> 00:35:03,300 Christ before them and says this is love, this is what love is. 603 00:35:04,100 --> 00:35:07,400 It's the it's the main objective of why we're together. 604 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,600 It's love God is love the church. 605 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,900 Is meant to manifest the love of Christ towards one. 606 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:15,000 Another how we act towards one another how we exercise our 607 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:20,500 gifts matters, this is The better way do this all in love 608 00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:24,200 understanding that we are one body that we don't all have 609 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,500 these things. And the reason why I say that we 610 00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:31,800 need to rest in the gospels, because listen to this, we can 611 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:36,800 rest knowing that none of us are being asked to carry the entire 612 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:41,700 load ourselves. The gospel tells us. 613 00:35:42,900 --> 00:35:48,100 That we know who we are in Christ, because God has made us 614 00:35:48,100 --> 00:35:52,400 that way. We are being used by God because 615 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:57,700 he has arranged that way, you are friends, who you are because 616 00:35:57,700 --> 00:36:00,600 that has how God designed you to be. 617 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,000 You do not need to be anybody else. 618 00:36:05,100 --> 00:36:07,900 That's that's not to say that we can't Aspire. 619 00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:11,800 Paul says desire greater things, desire and figure out what it is 620 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:13,800 that God is going to use you. But in the end of the day, God 621 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,400 has a long way of doing things. He accomplishes things he and no 622 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:21,200 point in the road. Do we ever hear him say, you 623 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:24,600 know what you're pretty, you're not as valuable to me back then, 624 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,700 but now you are now that you're up on stage now that you're 625 00:36:27,700 --> 00:36:29,800 doing this now that you've accomplished this. 626 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:31,700 Now, you're valuable to me. No no. 627 00:36:31,900 --> 00:36:35,700 When you were Stuck in your sins. 628 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:40,200 When you were struggling or are struggling with something that, 629 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:45,100 you know, is not pleasing to God, your value, to him does not 630 00:36:45,100 --> 00:36:48,400 change. Because when he sees us, he sees 631 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:55,600 Christ his son. The gospel God's grace to us is 632 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,200 good news. Here's if you're if you're 633 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,500 visiting with us this morning, I want to clarify the gospel for 634 00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:02,100 you and I want you to this to stick in your head. 635 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:07,400 The gospel is good news because the one to whom we are all 636 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,200 compared. To listen, the one whom we are 637 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:16,300 all compared to Jesus. The son of God, who is perfect. 638 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:24,900 That's who were compared to Who is entirely good in every way. 639 00:37:25,900 --> 00:37:31,500 The one who we are compared to tells us that the father loves 640 00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:36,400 us. And that we are his. 641 00:37:39,300 --> 00:37:41,300 And that Christ is enough for us. 642 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:47,500 And that God has said when I see you when you trust in my son, I 643 00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:52,900 see my son in you. Rest knowing that my son is 644 00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:55,000 sufficient for you. All you need is my son. 645 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,600 You need not compare yourself to anybody else. 646 00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:02,700 The righteousness of Christ. That's good news, isn't it? 647 00:38:03,500 --> 00:38:07,000 That's pretty good news. That's pretty good news. 648 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:12,400 The sermon you've just listened to is a presentation of Church 649 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,900 Newtown Square to find out more about our church. 650 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:24,900 Check out Church NS Q dot org that c HV R CH n SQ, dot-org you 651 00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:27,600 are welcome to copy and distribute the sermon to others. 652 00:38:27,700 --> 00:38:31,400 As long as you do not, do it for commercial purposes or alter 653 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:34,600 transform or build upon this talk in any way. 654 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:10,100 That's pretty good news. The sermon you've just listened 655 00:38:10,100 --> 00:38:14,800 to is a presentation of Church Newtown Square to find out more 656 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,800 about our church. Check out Church NS Q dot org 657 00:38:19,100 --> 00:38:26,100 that c HV R CH n SQ, dot-org you are welcome to copy and 658 00:38:26,100 --> 00:38:29,200 distribute the sermon to others. As long as you do not, do it for 659 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:33,300 commercial purposes or alter transform or build upon this 660 00:38:33,300 --> 00:38:34,600 talk in any way.