1 Corinthians 12:12-19 NKJV
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
So if you are new or visiting CLC this morning, we normally preach through the books of the bible. Currently we are going through the book of Genesis. If you weren’t here last week we are actually taking a break in Genesis to go through our 4 core values as a church because we want to make sure everyone knows our values and the why behind our values so you all can see the vision and partake of that vision of CLC. So the values are as follows…
The Four Values of CLC
- The Gospel is for Everyone
Every person, every nation, every generation - A Place to Belong
There are no outcasts in this family - We Go All In
Everything we do, we do with excellence and zeal. We go all in! - Everyone Grows
From the newest believer to the senior Pastor, we are called to grow
- This morning we are continuing in our four values with Everybody Belong.
- Last week Pastor Christian gave a powerful message on the first of the four values – “the gospel is for everyone – every person, every nation and every generation”
- If you missed last week, please be sure to get on our Youtube channel and watch it!
- His message really hit me hard – One of the things that I got from it, was that as Christians, we shouldn’t become gate keepers of the gospel – We don’t get to pick and choose who hears and who is “worthy” of the gospel – it’s for every person and our opinion shouldn’t contradict the Word of God – we should line up with the Word and realize that when Jesus sent the 12 out into the world, He said “go into all the world” – not “Whoever you think is worthy or deemed “cool” enough or will give you the most “money” or has the most “charisma”
- So at CLC we believe that the Gospel is for Everyone, this drives us to preach the gospel every week, to send missionaries to plant churches, and to be a diverse church full of all different kinds of ages and backgrounds… the gospel is for everyone
- Amazing powerful stuff and I hope this message follows suit and that these 4 values adds to your foundation as a believer and maybe tears up some places in your foundation that isn’t of the Lord
Point One – We Are Family
- The title of my message is the same as our second core value… at CLC there are no outcasts in our family, we as a church are a place to belong, for all believers and even those who are not yet believers but who are coming to Christ, we are a place to belong.
- Let’s get right into
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV
- 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
- As soon as you have been saved, transformed, born again – you are grafted into the body of Christ. At the very moment you are born again some amazing things happen… we know that when we are born again that in an instant we are forgiven, and filled with joy and peace… in an instant Christ lives inside of us, we are made a new person, a new creation… but we also need to remember that something else changes when we are born again… our relationship with the Church of God changes… The bible says in Romans 11 that as soon as you are born again you are grafted into the body of Christ it says in you are part of the Family of God – it says in 1 John 3:9 that when you are saved you become a child of God – Romans 8:17 says you become an heir like Jesus – Ephesians 1:5 teaches us that we are adopted by the maker of the Universe.
- So why is this important? Glad you asked – Because not only did you get eternal life – which last time I checked, meant forever – you just inherited a bunch of promises – But not just that… being born again means salvation, and promises, and blessings… and it also means FAMILY. You inherited salvation, promises, and FAMILY… we are a family, and in our family there are no outcasts. This is a place to belong.
- So as a family we all function perfectly as a body – well do we though? – no we don’t and that is very apparent – to us and to the world – but here’s the thing – Jesus knew that before He died for us
- But the cool thing is this – even though we are adopted – Jesus wanted us in His family – Knowing all our insecurities, faults, shame, sin – it didn’t phase Him one bit
- Do you know all the things that come with being adopted? Let me list a few so we all have an idea
- Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere
- Struggling to love your adoptive family
- Not looking like everyone else
- They don’t really love you
- There’s simply so many challenges to being adopted – if you are adopted or have adopted children – it is and can be very hard – there’s layers – and yet Jesus knew this
- He knew there were going to be days that you feel like you don’t belong, you feel overlooked, you feel like you’re the second fiddle – you don’t feel fully loved or wanted – “Pastor didn’t hug me today, I must have done something to offend him”
- “Sister so in so didn’t invite me to her dinner party but invited so in so instead”
- Side note – the enemy is a jerk – he will turn whatever he can into an offence, and he knows that a family divided cannot stand
- As pastors – we see it all the time and it’s sad
- Without open honesty and communication – no one grows
- So back to this family, this crazy adopted eclectic family
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
- Everyone say “One Body” Everyone say “One Family” Everyone say “One but many”
- And here lies the issues of that word “many”
- The body doesn’t operate as an “All for One and One for all” unit
- We seem to have “ears” who think they need to be “mouths” and “feet” that need to be “eyes” and some “gall bladers” that think “well I’m useless” so they just disappear from the body
- Or you have some that know exactly what they are, but have no discipleship and no accountability, so they don’t know what to do or how to act and they see others operating in their callings but compare themselves and give up before they ever start to be who God’s called them to be in the body – they have no roots so they are easily offended and never grow
- 1 Corinthians 12:20-27(NKJV)
- 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And 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.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
- We are a family – We are of one body – We are the church – and we are a church
- What’s so hard for some is they cling to their individuality as lone wolves of the faith because the enemy has fed them the lie that “It’s just you and me God” whenever they feel like they aren’t accepted as whatever body part they think they should be – or they can’t take conviction from the Holy Spirit with humility, and they let offense run wild and only listen if they are “encouraged”
- Here’s the problem with this whole thing – The bible clearly says that a person is a member – last time I checked, there’s no one member societies, civilizations, clubs, guilds, groups, teams or families
- Why does the bible name people’s genealogies? – Because it’s important to know where you came from, and what you are grafted into!
- You are a part of this body, this family whether you like it or not! God did not send His Son to die for you (His Son, weird, also apart of a family) so you could go have a one man or woman ministry – it just doesn’t work like that
- Do you know how I came to know the Lord and was adopted into His family??? Because someone cared enough to pray for my salvation, to pray for my parent’s salvation, to pray for my grandparent’s salvation – It was a family ordeal long before I was born
- But PASTOR! Have you seen this “Family”?!
- I don’t want to be a part of it!
- Why?
- Noah: A Drunkard – God used him and called him family
- Abraham: An Old Man – God used him and called him family
- Moses: A Stutterer – God used him and called him family
- Rahab: A Prostitute – God used her and called her family
- David: An Adulterer and Murderer – God used him and called him family
- Jonah: A Man who Ran from God – God used him and called him family
- Matthew: A Tax Collector – God used him and called him family
- A Little Boy with Five Loaves, and Two Fish – God used him and called him family
- Saul: A Former Persecutor of Christians – God used him and called him family
- This is what I’m getting at – This is our family tree saints – Lots of imperfect people – The Bible is full of people with a past, people with a testimony, people with all kinds of different sins and transgressions… it is full of odd people who eat bugs, or climb trees, or fall asleep in windows… and yes it even has some people who don’t have much of a past at all… it has Esthers and Jobs and Ruths, and Elijahs… but even they have fallen short of the glory of God and were sinners in need of salvation. My point is… weather you are the homeschool kid who eats his boogers but has never seen an R rated movie, or you are the high school dropout who has sampled every drug known to man… you are welcome here, and if you are born again then you are a part of this family. Side note, you can get born again if you are not at any time… more on that at the end of the sermon.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NKJV)
- 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [b]homosexuals, nor [c]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were [d]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
- Such were some of us – such was me for sure
- We got a weird family ya’ll – we got some characters – but we have one thing in common – we all needed a savior and we were all adopted
- This brings me to my second point
Point Two – In Our Family We Love with a Fervent Love
- 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV) And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
- So the thing that I find about the Body of Christ as a family is this – We love one another, but sometimes we lose the “fervent” part of that love
- Everyone will say they “love” their family members… but we all know those families that have outcasts… people who messed up so bad that even their parents don’t talk to them anymore… sure they will say “We love our son bobby” but also they never invite him to thanksgiving, leave him unread, and never take his phone calls…. They “love” that family member, sort of, but he is an outcast… They don’t fervently love him… but this should not be so in our church. CLC is a place to belong, there are no outcasts, therefore we must have FERVENT love for one another.
- Fervent is a word that has fallen out of fashion over time, but it is still used in some contexts and can appropriately describe a kind of interaction. “Essentially, to do something fervently is to do something with passion, and an older use of the word was to do something like a burning fire. Think about that for a moment… to do something fervently is to be a raging fire… have you ever seen the kind of intensity that a fire can have when consuming a building… the roar of the flames, the smoke, the heat… the speed at which it spreads… THAT IS HOW WE ARE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
- To have a love that will cover a multitude of sins – its has to be fervent – it has to be forgiving and not the “I love you and forgive you, but I’m not forgetting” – It needs to be the forgive and move on – don’t let offense become your master
- Saints – it’s all to easy to become jaded in Ministry
- That goes for leadership, that goes for children’s ministers, hospitality ministers, worship ministers, church cleaning ministers
- Saints – I stopped being used by God when I walked away from ministry because I got hurt and instead of loving fervently, I let offence turn me away from ministry and bringing God glory for 5 years
- Psalm 103:12 (NKJV) 12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
- Do we have that as “far as the east is from the west” mindset when it comes to being wronged?
- I’ll go first – no, no I don’t and it’s very transparent in the way I view hurt
- Forgiveness for sins should be an easy thing for us to implement into our walks – but man, sometimes it’s hard
- Here’s the thing, in this family we are imperfect – yet we are called to be “Christlike” and that is a tall order – but because of His fervent love for us – the passion He had for us to die on a cross so that we might be called sons and daughters of God – co heirs with Jesus himself – His love that covered and cleaned our sins – we should be striving to share that same type of love – especially with each other
- John 13:35 (NKJV) 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
- It might just be me, but I don’t think Jesus was talking about just any love – I think he really meant that fervent, passionate love that covers a multitude of sins – that love that says – “Hey bro, you hurt me, but I love you so much that I forgive you and I want to move forward and I’m not taking a tally of your wrongs – lets go show the World how the love of God looks – How it feels, how it changes lives, how it redeems”
- Why is this kind of love important? – let’s find out in point three (I’ve already said it a few times, but let’s get this in our hearts)
- Point Three – There are no outcasts in this family! – everyone belongs!
- 1 Corinthians 12:15-19 (NKJV) 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
- If you are born again – you belong
- And if you are not born again, you are welcome to stay and hear the gospel every week until you chose to be born again… remember our first value is the gospel is for everyone!
- But this family is a family of the born again, therefore if you are born again you belong.
- It’s that simple
- If you have breath in your lungs and confessed Jesus as Lord and follow Him – there’s a place for you here – You belong!
- I can tell you this, if everyone that has been a part of CLC from the beginning stayed at CLC – we would probably have an 800 to a 1000-member church right now
- Why don’t we? – there’s a few reasons – some people left because of offence, some people left because they were called into the mission field, some left because God had another place for them to minister or some left because they felt uncomfortable by the preaching (Aka we go hard against sin and we aren’t a church that tolerates or accepts people living in sin)
- No one was an outcast – but some might have felt that way and that’s a shame
- Our goal here at CLC is to encourage you, love you and challenge you to be more like Christ – it’s biblical – it’s not farfetched
- That’s why we say “come as you are, but don’t stay that way” God has more for you – He has a purpose for you – You have been trying to be an “eye” when God has called you to be a “nose”
- Can we be a church that gives grace?
- So I’ve spoken about this before but I was born with a cleft lip and pallet – So I have fought the feelings of being an outcast and feeling like I didn’t belong, and the looks and the stares and the whispers
- And I remember going to church and feeling accepted, but still not feeling like a belonged – in fact, it was in the church that I had my heart, my feelings, and my deep longing to be accepted stomped on the hardest – I remember being brand new to the youth group and the pastor’s daughter saying “We don’t want you here, can you just leave and not come back?” – I remember walking into a room with a group of guys who I thought loved me and they were actually making fun of me behind my back – I remember just starting to play drums and I wasn’t good but I was in the youth band and the youth worship leader said in the mic so everyone could hear “I wish Mitch was playing drums instead of Jared, Mitch can you come play instead?”
- I have many more stories that were burned into my memory that were hurtful and took a lot of forgiveness to move past them
- It shaped my life early on, and it’s sad to say, but I tried my best to be accepted – I became a people pleaser – I was a good listener – I would be trustworthy – I would always try to encourage and love on people because I remember what being an outcast felt like and it was my own personal hell
- The enemy knew how to push my buttons – but what the evil one used to torcher me, God would end up using for His glory and my good
- Can we be a family that gives grace, has unoffendable hearts? That’s what I started to do – That pastors daughter that hurt me, eventually we became friends and she asked forgiveness for what she said – The youth group guys who were making fun of me? We became friends and they apologized – The young worship leader who was a jerk – we became friends and later in life he would hurt me again – but man, I forgave him and moved on
- So why did I share some of these stories with you – it’s to say this – You and I have complete control over how we respond to hurts, offences and attacks of the enemy – because we don’t fight against flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities of the air
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22 (NKJV) 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
In Conclusion
- I just want to read our key verses one more time
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-19 NKJV 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
- We are a family… Everyone belongs. There should be no outcasts in this body. This is what we believe as a church.
- “Some people have asked “Why does everyone in this church insist on hugging each other?”
- Because at CLC we are a place to belong… and nothing brings down walls like a good hug.
- Others have asked “Can’t I just come in, sit in the back, mind my own business and leave?”
- Not at CLC, here at Christian Life Church we are a place to belong. If you don’t want to belong to a church and you just want to go to church there are a dozen other options in Cedar Rapids… but at CLC we are a place to belong.
- So if you ask “Why do I feel like I don’t belong?”
- Well for one you might be an “ear” trying to be a “bicep” and because you are an “ear” trying to be a “bicep” you are thinking there must be something wrong with you and it’s not that, it’s because you are trying to move in a calling or gifting that isn’t meant for you For two, are you doing anything more than showing up… do you participate in things other than just Sunday service… it is hard to belong to a family that you hardily ever see. And for three, sometimes the church just misses it, but we are striving to do better, because our second value at CLC is that we are a place to belong.
- “But you see I’ve tried to be an “ear” and I just can’t do it…
- Did you stop because you weren’t trained or discipled enough to use it?
- Did you stop because you were being discipled but the person discipling you offended you, so you left and decided you needed to be something else?
- One of the reasons discipleship is so important at CLC is because it trains you while building relationships… it is important because we want you to thrive as an “ear” or whatever while working with the family of Christ. It is important because at CLC we are a place to belong.
- “Why is it important to belong?”
- Because we believe that once you are born again, you are adopted into the family of God and God doesn’t give up on his children – He doesn’t forsake anyone and having a firm foundation of a local church is very important to the body of Christ.
- It is important because there will be times in your life where you don’t feel loved and you need a family to remind you that you belong to the family of God and you belong Christian Life Church, and at CLC we are a place to belong.
- “Why is it important to have a love that covers a multitude of sins?”
- Because we aren’t perfect, and we make mistakes, and we need to be able to fervently love our brothers and sisters so we can forgive and move forward as a unified family of God
- Whatever your past, at CLC we believe that you can be forgiven, washed, and that no matter who you were, we know who you are in Christ… and in Christ you belong. We are a place to belong.
- “Why does everyone need to belong in this family?”
- Because Jesus didn’t just die for some people – He died for everyone whether they choose to be a part of the family of God or not – it gives us the truth of the gospel that all have fallen short, and Jesus died for every person’s sins past, present and future
- Therefore, if Jesus thought the family of God was good enough for everyone, even the oddballs, the prodigals, and the worst of the worst sinners… then we as a church believe that our family is good enough for everyone. At CLC it doesn’t matter who you are or who you have been, if you are born again you are a part of the family, and you have a place to belong here.
- This is who we are as a church… it is why we do what we do… it drives us toward our vision and our mission.
The Four Values of CLC
- The Gospel is for Everyone
Every person, every nation, every generation - A Place to Belong
There are no outcasts in this family - We Go All In
Everything we do, we do with excellence and zeal. We go all in! - Everyone Grows
From the newest believer to the senior Pastor, we are called to grow
Join us this Sunday at either 8:30AM or 10:30AM for worship followed by this message from the Word of God. Christian Life Church of Cedar Rapids. 2808 Schaeffer DR SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. www.CedarRapidsChurch.com
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