Pictures of the Church - Part 1

 

 This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on January 26th 2025 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here. 

Pictures of the Church

Last week we looked at how to become a part of a church. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is not like any other club where you pay thousands and lakhs of rupees to get membership. It is open to anybody who recognizes they're sinners, repent put their faith in Jesus and decide to follow Him. They're born again and added to the body of Christ.

Our salvation is through faith which is called the Justification. But that's not the end of salvation. God now has a plan for our lives which includes becoming His disciples. Many haven't given themselves to obeying Jesus' commands. The Gospel has to transform lives. John the Baptist said to produce fruit by keeping up with repentance. 

None of us are perfect. We're all sinners. There has to be at least an attempt to change our ways. Faith is important but obedience must follow faith. 

Paul says that the Church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the Church and the rest of us are parts of the body. 

1. Unity in the body

When we come here to attend the Sunday service, our whole body is here. We don't leave any part behind. We may have many differences but we are one. If you look around we are all different in several ways. The parts of our bodies are different too. The world divides people based on differences like race, language, region and others. All the wars that take place are because of these differences. 

Ephesians 4:6 NIV - one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

We are united by the Father. 

Jesus' prayer for his disciples is to be one. Before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed that all may be one. 

John 17:21 NIV - that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 

We see that there's deep unity among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted His disciples to be in that deep unity. 

Galatians 3:28 NIV - There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

This unity transcends all social, cultural and other barriers.

Why is this unity important? 

* God says so

When we share the gospel, we can't cause them to believe. That decision is with them. There's no forced conversion to Christianity.

John 17:21 NIV - that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

When we are united, somehow the unbelievers will believe that God sent Jesus. 

John 17:23 NIV - I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

In this verse, the same thing is repeated. 

If we want power in evangelism, we need to work to be one - loving one another and accepting one another. Seeing this, unbelievers will somehow believe that God sent Jesus Christ. 

When we are united, we have Jesus at the centre. That is the common thing. 

So let's have fellowship with one another. 

What can we do to promote unity in our church? 

It starts with greeting one another and then serving, loving, accepting, bear with one another. It is also expressed in doing things together and praying together. 

 

The Bible uses more than 90 metaphors for the body of Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, we see a unified story of God wanting a people for Himself. The story begins in a garden and ends in a city in heaven. Everything will fade, but the church of Jesus Christ will go on forever.

We are the Bride of Christ. Before anything was created, God had a bride in mind for His son.

We have been chosen not because of what we have done but because of what He has done for us.

Who did Jesus purchase with His blood – His body, the church.

What do you value most apart from God, your salvation and your family? It is your body.

Let’s look at 1 Cor 12.

We are far from perfect, but one day, we will be.

Heb 6:2 There are four baptisms – the indwelling of the Spirit at conversion, the baptism of water, the Holy Spirit and the baptism by fire which is suffering.

UNITY

God’s heart is that we all be united Eph4:4.

Ephesians 4:4 - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called

John 17:21 -  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Our unity helps others see the Father in heaven; therefore, we need to do all that we can to foster this unity in the church.

What can we do to be united in this local church? It is not just intellectual assent but doing what it takes, viz., participating in whatever the church is engaged in, like prayer, Gym groups, training, etc.

We are different but one. The church is the most diverse grouping of people on the Earth. In Christ, there is no Jew, Greek, or Gentile. What brings us together is Christ.

Let us build on unity and build up the Body of Christ.

DIVERSITY

The body is made up of many parts. We have different gifts, and we are all unique.

1 Corinthians 12:15 - Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

“I don’t belong” – inferiority complex, and these people can back away from interacting and integrating. We have been placed in this body by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:21 - 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!”

 “I don’t need you” is also a mistake if we think we are independent or superior. This is a sin of pride and independence. We need each other, and we cannot survive on our own.

1 Corinthians 12:22 - On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable

The weaker parts (those not seen) are indispensable.

Ephesians 4:16 - From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The body grows up as each one does its part.

How do we practically work out this diversity? Encourage all who serve.

In India we can see everything that is wrong with everything. Let us be thankful people. It takes humility to encourage someone else.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

How am I using my gifts to serve the church? How am I building the church?

Do I value that I am a part of the body of Christ? We are privileged people and should not take this for granted. We cannot be ‘alone’ Christians. We have been placed in a body. God uses the church to put His manifold wisdom on display.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.