The Lord's Day Bible Message Outlines
May 16, 2010
Pastor Dana Johnson
"But now God has
set the members...in the body just as He
pleased."
-1 Corinthians
12:18
But now God has set the members,
each one of them, in the body just as He
pleased.
1. Though all members
of the Trinity are involved in our salvation it is
specifically through the Holy Spirit that believers become
"members."
1
Corinthians 12:13 - 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.
a. Each
believer possess the Spirit-- illustrated by the
concept of drinking.
b. The moment the
believer receives the Spirit he/she is placed into the
body of Christ-- illustrated by the concept of
baptism.
2. Through the Spirit
(of God, and of Christ) the members have an organic (living)
connection to:
a. Christ,
who is the head of the body.
b. One another, as
fellow-members.
3. God has put the
members in the body. Consider a few reminders about the
body:
a.
The body is
constantly being directed by Christ, the head.
b. The body of
Christ is always manifested in local churches.
c. The body of
Christ is completely sufficient to accomplish all of
God's purposes.
d. It is an
organized organism, not merely an
organization.
4. The sovereign God
has put members in the body "just as He pleased."
a. He
distributes gifts, ministries, activities to each one
according to His over sovereign will.
1
Corinthians 12:4-6, 11 - There are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit. 5There are differences of
ministries, but the same Lord. 6And there are
diversities of activities, but it is the same God who
works all in all. 11But one and the same
Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one
individually as He wills.
b. This sovereign
arrangement is designed to:
1) create
necessary diversity.
1
Corinthians 12:14-17 - For in fact the body is not one
member but many. 15If the foot should say,
"Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it
therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear
should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the
body," is it therefore not of the body?
17If the whole body were an eye, where
would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where
would be the smelling?
2) establish
unity from diversity.
1
Corinthians 12:19 - And if they were all one member,
where would the body be?
5. In response to
God's sovereign arrangement in His body:
a. We must be
content with our personal role.
1
Corinthians 12:15-16 - If the foot should say, "Because
I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore
not of the body? 16And if the ear should say,
"Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it
therefore not of the body?
b. We must all care
for and give honor to each and every member.
1
Corinthians 12:21-26 - 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." 22No, much
rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker
are necessary. 23And 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, 24but our presentable parts have no
need. But God composed the body, having given greater
honor to that part which lacks it, 25that
there should be no schism in the body, but that the
members should have the same care for one another.
26And if one member suffers, all the members
suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the
members rejoice with it.
(All
Scripture quoted is from the New King James
Version)
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