Sunday Sept 28, 2014

BODY

LIFE

When we are presented with

a new concept,

or a new way of doing things,

do we usually understand it

or accept it right away?

What about Jesus’ apostles and the early Jewish Christians?

Do you think THEY “Got It” and embraced new teachings

or new ways of doing things

right away?

Let’s look at the Bible for the answer!

We’re asking 6 questions:

• Who did Jesus send the 12 apostles out to at first?• Did this subsequently change?• How come it changed?• Did the apostles “Get It” right away?• If not, what did it take to make one of them

understand?• And even after HE understood, did the others

accept it right away?

Who did Jesus send the 12 apostles out to at first?

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal

every kind of disease and illness.

Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the

Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—

God’s lost sheep.”

(Matt 10: 1-6)

Did this subsequently change?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on

earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples

of all the nations . . . .(Matt 28: 18-19)

How come it changed?

What had happened between Matthew 10 and Matthew 28?

Jesus had died

and had risen again.

How did this change things?

Before Jesus died, the Old Covenant Law was in effect. God was dealing only with the Israelites under the Law. The apostles were to go ONLY to them.

When Jesus died, He fulfilled the Law and the Law became obsolete. (Hebrews 8: 13) ”By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete . . .”

God’s New Covenant grace was now in effect.Under God’s New Covenant grace, God’s salvation is for ALL NATIONS. Jesus therefore told the apostles to go to ALL NATIONS with the Good News about Him.

Did the apostles “Get It” right away?

NO!

What did it take to make one of them understand?

(Acts 10: 9-29)

(Remember, this is a LONG time after Jesus told His disciples to go to ALL nations!)

Peter Visits CorneliusThe next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about

noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and

something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and

birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

“No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated

three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean?

Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for

you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.

They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and

close friends. . . . . they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came

without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”

Note that at this point, Peter still thought he was living under the Law!

But still, long after Jesus had told them

to go to ALL NATIONS with the Good News,

PETER had “Got It” at last!

The Good news was for EVERYONE!

So now, Peter understood, but did the others accept it right away?

Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in

Jerusalem, the Jewish believers

criticized him.“You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate

with them!” they said.

(Acts 11: 1-3)

Peter then explained his actions and at last,

the door was opened for we Gentiles (you and me) to be given the Good News!

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God.

They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege

of repenting of their sins

and receiving eternal life.”

(Acts 11: 18)

• So, even Jesus’ apostles had mindsets which they found hard to change.

• What about US?

• Let’s join them in saying, “WE CAN SEE!” and be open to what God has been doing for 2000 years now, in His wonderful New Covenant!

• Jesus’ death and resurrection changed much more than who the apostles should share God’s Good News with.

JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Some of the “big things” that Jesus changes are:

• How God deals with our sin.

• How we may be righteous in God’s sight.

• Who God’s ministers are now.

• What is the role or job of God’s ministers.

• How we meet and what we do when we meet.

And the one that we are learning about today:

Jesus calls us to live “BODY LIFE.”

We were once DEAD in our sins:

You were dead in

your sins . . .(Colossians 2: 13)

But God made us ALIVE with Christ!

God made you alive

with Christ.

He forgave us

all our sins . . .(Col 2: 13)

The new life that God has raised us up to live is:

BODY

LIFE

When you hear the term “Body Life”, what do you think of?

What does “Body Life” mean to you?

BODY

LIFEWhat does the Bible teach about it?

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27:One Body with Many Parts

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are

Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we

all share the same Spirit.Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the

foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear

says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear,

how would you smell anything?But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only

one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t

say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most

necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we

carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those

parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care

for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored,

all the parts are glad.All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you

is a part of it.

What can we learn from this about Body Life?

• We, together, are the body of Christ on this planet.

• Each one of us is a single part of this body.

• Each of is EXACTLY where God wants us to be!

• EVERY part is CRUCIAL to the health of the body.

• Some of the “weakest” parts are the most necessary!

• Recognizing this creates HARMONY in the body.

• It makes all the parts care for EACH OTHER.

• Each part suffers or rejoices along with the others.

God has given gifts to His body:

GIFTS

TO

THE

BODY

God has given GIFTS to each part of this body:There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is

the same God who does the work in all of us.A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each

other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special

knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the

ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another

spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to

interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each

person should have.

And God has given “people” gifts to the body:Eph 4: 11-14:

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do

his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and

knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with

lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and

more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part

does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Also, God has given us broad outlines of what we should do when we meet:

Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another

will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and

another will interpret what is said.

But everything that is done must

strengthen all of you.

Having considered all this, here’s my definition of Body Life!

• Christians living their lives in harmony together.

• Each using their special gift to do their special role. (EVERY SAINT BEING A MINISTER!)

• Each knowing what is happening in others’ lives and rejoicing or sympathizing and helping out depending on what’s happening.

• Everyone growing in unity in the faith.

• Everyone getting to know Jesus better.

• Everyone becoming mature in The Lord.

THOUGHTS

AND

COMMENTS

FROM YOU SO FAR

Where can we live out this Body Life?

• Large Christian gatherings?

• Small Christian gatherings?

• A Christian lime with a few people?

• A Christian lime with 2 people?

• At home with our family?

Benefits of living Body Life:

• Knowing and understanding Scripture.

• Growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.

• Sharing our burdens and joys.

• Praying for one another.

• Perseverance and encouragement especially in times of trouble.

• Getting wise counsel and advice.

• The joy of using your gifts to help each other.

• Helping believers and unbelievers as needed.

• Building up faith.

• Growing in love for one another (“they will know us by our love.”)

• Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit.

• Admonition.

• Growing in confidence and knowledge to share your faith.

• Gives our lives purpose, meaning and SIGNIFICANCE.

• Getting JOY + strength.

• Building unity and close relationships.

• Living ABUNDANT LIFE - life to the FULL!

• TRANSFORMATION – being transformed to be like Jesus.

• Understanding WHO you are IN CHRIST, in God’s wonderful New Covenant.

Is YOUR life being transformed

in these ways?

Can you really reap these benefits to the full if you

only participate in

large meetings,

such as this one on Sunday?

That’s why God has appointed

The Gathering Place

to be an assembly

OF LIFE GROUPS!

“WE CAN SEES”AND

QUESTIONS

FINALLY, TESTIMONIES FROM THE SAINTS ABOUT

LIVING BODY LIFE.

(Now, Body Life will actually take place

HERE THIS MORNING

as some parts of the body encourage and enlighten the other parts!)