April 29, 2007

Some time ago a dear friend of mine told me that he didn't need the church. "I can be just as good of a Christian as you are,' he said, ‘without being a part of a church." And when I reminded him that it was in church that we hear God's Word preached and that it was in church that we partake of Lord's Supper, he told me that he continued to study the Bible and that he would informally gather with other Christians and discuss the Word.  He also told me that he would from time to time celebrate the Lord's Supper around the table with his own family. "I just don't need the church," he insisted.

What do you think about that? Was he right? Of course, more important than your and my opinion is what the Bible says. And so, I'd like to ask you to listen again to the words of our scripture, verses 4- 5

4-5 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Did you hear those words, "In Christ, we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others?" To be in Christ automatically means that we are part of his body and that we belong to all the other members of his body. Another name for Christ's body is the church. So, to be in Christ means that we also belong to the church.

But, wait a minute. This verse doesn't say anything about belonging to a particular denomination or a particular congregation or group within the church does it. It just says the body of Christ- i.e. the church. But what is the church?

The church consists of all who truly believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. And that includes people from many different congregations and communities all around the world. And it even includes those who live before: Adam and Eve, Abraham, and the faithful Israelites who believed the promises of God and all the heroes of faith who have lived in the past and all who will follow us. This is certainly the picture Paul gives in Romans 11, when he compares the body of Christ with an olive tree and says that we Gentiles (or non Jews) have been grafted into that tree. In order to be saved we must belong to this olive tree-- to this body that consists of all believers all around the world and from all time. We don't have a choice. To be one with Christ is to be one his body.

So far, we haven't said anything about our names appearing on the roll book of any church. But, let's think about this. Imagine that there was a couple who had one daughter and decided to adopt another. So, they went through all the right channels and filled out all the paper work, and went through all the hoops to make the adoption legal. But then when the time came to pick up their new daughter, they gave the child a choice whether or not she would like to come with them. "You're our child and you are a part of our family," they told her. "But if you like your foster home or the orphanage or you for some reason don't want to come home with us, that is alright. Even though you belong to us, you can stay where you are. And we'll write you into our will and you'll inherit as much of our property as our other children."

What do you think? Would such an adoption ever take place?

Now as weird as that sounds, isn't that similar to saying even though we belong to God's family we really don't have to live with his family. Even though we are part of Christ's body we really don't have to live within that body. Even though we are part of the church we don't have to live within any part of the church. Now that's strange.

Beloved in the Lord, doesn't the scripture we read assume that all who belong to Christ's body are a part of it? Isn't that what it means to "belong to all the others?" Doesn't it mean that we have an obligation to all the others?

That's precisely the point the Apostle makes in 1 Corinthians 12:18- 21

18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

Brothers and sister, that's what belonging to a church is all about: needing to be with other Christians. Being part of Christ's body is not some great ideal that will be reached only in heaven. It is something real that we do today when we belong to a congregation and to a denomination- to a living breathing group of Christians.

Today, Jim and Nikky have confessed their faith in the Lord Jesus, but in doing so they and their family also joined Christ's body here at Faith Community. Blake and Cody Heiar have been part of Christ's body here, but now we hear from their own mouths that they believe in Jesus and that they want to be an active part of this body. Think about that last promise that each of them made.

Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the

Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love and commitment to Christ by

sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring and

submitting to its authority; and do you join with the people of

God in doing the work of the Lord everywhere?

Jim, Nikky, Blake, and Cody each stated that they desired to be a part of our body, to be governed by this body, and to do the work God called them to do as part of the body. In a nutshell, they said they wanted to belong.

Look at what verses 6- 8 say about belonging.

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Belonging is to use what I have been given to be a part of the church. Giving for the benefit of the other members of the body and receiving what the other members give to me. It also includes working with the other members to do Christ's work in the world.

Last week we considered how God placed us in this dying sin filled world to be a new creation. We pictured how people are running from God to their own destruction and how God put us in their way to swim against the tide and to show those fleeing people a new direction-to show them both by our words and our deeds the salvation that Jesus came to bring. As I reflected on that I thought about the snow storm that came a couple weeks ago, when we thought that winter had past. Of course, we knew this storm was just a fluke and that spring was right around the corner. Our grass was already green; the daffodils were blooming, and the trees had started to bud. As I thought about that, I thought about how trees serve as a sign of life in the dead of winter. In a sense that's what we are: a sign of life in a dying world. The trees in winter may not have our leaves yet, but the sap is flowing and they are alive. In a sense God placed us here to be a sign of life in the winter of this world. He placed us here that others might have a glimpse of his life and hope.

But as I thought about this picture another came to mind. I was reading about a snowstorm that hit North Carolina some years ago. Down south, even when it's snows it's relatively warm and the snow is heavy. The author wrote about a huge pine tree. The more it snowed the more that heavy snow began to gather on the branches of that tree. And pretty soon the branches and boughs of that tree snapped under the weight. All that was left was the trunk. That made me think of some brothers and sisters who have gone through trials in this dying world. And I thought about how I've seen boughs of their lives crack and fall. Some these trial just stripped the life out of them.

But author also noted that next to the highway stood several large groves of tall young pine trees. The branches were bowed down with the heavy snow-so low that branches from one tree were often leaning against the trunk or branches of another. These trees remained standing, their branches in tact.

If we are truly to be that new creation that Jesus called us to be, if we are to swim against the tide, we need the Spirit of God to fill us. And the Spirit of God work through his church. The gift spoke of in our scripture are the gifts the Spirit of gives. And he doesn't give them all to one person, but to different people that he gathers into one body that we might support one another.

Verse 3 says, For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Sometimes we arrogantly think that we can stand alone-that we don't need anyone else. The Word of God says otherwise.

That brings me back to my friend. He was extremely gifted person with a very compassionate servant heart. And he also was a very humble man. Verse 3 did not apply to him. He knew his weaknesses. And we often prayed for each other. But, he still did not want to belong to a church. Why? At one time was a member of a church-a very active member. But, the church to which he belonged, rather than supporting him in ministry actually hurt him and his walk with the Lord. Oh, the sisters and brothers may not have intended to, but they did. And so he left and he didn't come back. I believe with all my heart that my friend is a brother in Christ and we are part of Christ's body together and that some day we will spend eternity together. But, I also believe that he is missing the joy and comfort of being part of a visible body of Christ today. Yet, I understand why he left.

Jesus said,

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Let us never forget that Jesus is the good shepherd, who also said, as recorded in John 10: 27,

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

Certainly these words comfort those of us whose loved ones have wandered from Jesus. They also bring comfort to those of us whose faith is being tried and whose hand may have slipped from Jesus' hand. We know that our Lord still hold us fast.

But, as Christ's body these words should give us more than just comfort. Jesus commanded Peter in John 21: 16, "Take care of my sheep." Peter is the rock on whom Jesus has built his church. Today his Spirit gives us in the church that same command, "Take care of my sheep." Now, if Jesus is the good shepherd who looks for sheep who wandered away from the pen, shouldn't also that be a job description for us as well.

Or, we could look at it another way. Imagine that you were sawing a board and accidentally sawed off your finger. Would you expect your finger to take the rest of your body to hospital so that the doctor could sew you back together. Or, is it more natural that the rest of the body would care for the finger?

People of God, over the last years, many who once worshiped here are worshiping with us no longer. I don't know the reason they have done so. In many cases I don't know whether they have simply wandered away from the church, like my friend did or whether they have wandered away from our Lord. Yet each one who wandered away is very dear to our Lord, who at one time entrusted them to our care. I know that some of these people are dear to your hearts as well. No, I don't have an answer as to how we can get them back. But, it would seem that we have our work cut out for us.

But we don't only have a responsibility for them but also for those who remain with us. We have to do a better job caring for one another-- bearing each other's burdens, encouraging and exhorting one another, and in complementing one another as we do the work of the Lord together.

Let us pray for wisdom and grace that we might do what God is calling us to do.

Heavenly Father, you have given us responsibility over part of your flock. Some of the sheep are missing. Show us what should do. And give us the grace and the willingness to do what we must. But also help us to minister to one another more effectively. Grant us a genuine desire to bear each other burdens. Help us to both listen to and encourage each other. Help us as we seek to do God's work together. We ask this in name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for us. AMEN