Fit Together in Christ

Introduction:

A.    It is hard to communicate understandably.

B.    Established thinking can distort new information.

I.  Consider the concept of the church that the apostles taught.

A.    The concept of the church was new to those in living in the first century.

B.    NT writers used images everyone would understand in teaching on this concept:

1.     Mt. 16:18-19 – Jesus calls the church His kingdom.

2.     Rev. 21:9 – John calls the church the bride of Christ.

3.     1 Peter 5:2- Peter likens the church to a flock of sheep.

4.     1 Tim. 3:15 – Paul refers to the church as the household of God.

II. Paul often used the image of a physical body in teaching on the church.

A.    Rom. 12:3-8

1.     Basic lesson:  enormous diversity in a physical body; there is enormous diversity in the church.

2.     Paul stressed:

a)     12:3 - every ability mankind is given comes from God.

b)    12:4-5 - Different body parts have different abilities and perform different functions.

c)     12:6-8 – perform your function well, for the benefit of the body.

B.    1 Cor. 12:12-31

1.     Basic lesson: every part of the body depends on every other part.

2.     Paul stressed:

a)     12:12-18 - diversity of function

b)    12:19-20 - Body not composed of identical parts.

c)     12: 21-25 - No part of the body is independent

d)    12:26-27 – how Christians are to respond to each other.

C.   Eph. 4:11-16

1.     Basic lesson: spiritual roles God established are for the benefit the church.

2.     4:12 - Paul stresses the purposes of these divinely established roles:

a)     Equip Christians to serve and build up the body of Christ.

3.     4:13 - It is a constant objective of every congregation.

4.     4:15 – we want all Christians to grow up in every aspect of Christ.

III. Focus on Eph. 4:16

A.    Misunderstanding is easy; understanding is hard.

1.     In the church – something must fit us, knit us, and bind us together.

2.     Jesus Christ fits us together. We are His body.

IV. Here’s the Point:

A.    Every member – must choose to let Jesus fit us to and knit us to the body.

B.    Being a living, functioning part of the body is not about:

1.     What I like; what I prefer; what I would stress; what I want.

C.   When we learn to function together – wonderful things happen!

Conclusion:

A.    Eph. 4:15-16 – body grows up into Christ.

B.    Are you growing in such a way to support the Head?