It has been requested that I do this more often on the forums. If you all would like me to keep this up, or do it more than just once in a while, please give me feedback. I don't want patted on the back for writing small studies for everyone, but it's easy to get discouraged when it feels like they aren't gettting read.
1Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (For more reading on this, start at this verse and finish the chapter)
The Bible teaches us that the church isn't a group of individual organizations ran by individual people or teach individual pew sitters, but is one body with Christ being the head of it all.
As a body, we need to be striving for the same things together (reaching the lost, worshipping God, edifying the church). If there is no unity in the body, the body fails to function. If one leg tries to walk forward, and the other backwards, there is no progress. The body just begins to walk in circles. If the mouth wants to eat, but the hand refuses to place in the food, the body starves. Does this give you a decent feel of how the body needs to strive for the same goals?
Sometimes, a part of the body is hurt. There are several things that can hurt a part of the body. Financial losses, deaths, sickness, starvation. I am a firm and adament believer that is there is a part of the body that is hurt, it is the obligation for the rest of the body to take away that hurt, because it one part of the body ceases to function, so does the rest. The blood provides oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The lungs give oxygen to the blood. The nose delivers air to the lungs. Now if the nose gets plugged, other parts of the body have to fix it or that process will stop.
The body cannot fight with itself. It is to love and nourish the entirety of itself. Picture a person standing on the sidewalk punching the stuffing out of himself. It just doesn't happen. There's no way to move forward if you are going to tear yourself down. Then why is it that the members of the church always fight with each other? Many times you'll see members who refuse to edify other members or meet their needs. The growth of that church begins to be stunted because members want to see people that are just like them.
If a body is comprised of all eyes, then how will it eat? If it were all ears, then how would it see where it was going? A body is comprised of many different individuals who do completely different things to meet one singular goal. A pastor is completely different than a singer. In return, a singer just doesn't do the same things as the serviceman who mows the grass. They all seek to see growth in the body, but they are doing different things to see it.
When a body begins to nurture itself, and work together, only then can it reach out to nurture those who are not part of that body. (outreach) Everyday, we see healthy individuals (bodies) who open doors for the elderly, donate food to charity, and the like. If the body of Christ is going to reach out to the body of the lost, then it has to be a healthy growing body. Not growing in number, but growing in love and faith. When the body of the lost meet the body of Christ, they must see that there is a difference before they'll want to be a part of that body.
Christians, let us begin to come together in love. Let's overlook our differences, and see that we all want the same things. We want to see Jesus lifted high, and we want to see all come running to him. Become a healthy body.
Subject: Welcome to Spiritual Anatomy 
Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:10 pm
