Stronger Together
Ben Johnson - September 27
Colossians 1:18a (NLT) – Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body…
Becoming a PART of the CHURCH – The BODY of Christ
1 Corinthians 12:12-22 & 27 (NLT) – 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…
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
No one is the WHOLE body, and no one should be OUTSIDE the body.
1. DISCOVER your GIFTING: God has GIVEN you something to contribute.
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT) – God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Your gift isn’t for YOU, it’s for US.
2. Get STRONGER: Healthy parts make for a HEALTHY body.
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) – 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.
The stronger we become INDIVIDUALLY, the healthier we become COLLECTIVELY.
3. Celebrate our DIFFERENCES: Remember, different doesn’t mean DIVIDED.
Romans 12:4-5 (NLT) – Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
God didn’t create us to look the SAME. But He did create us to WORK TOGETHER.
God created me to BELONG to His church, and He has given me a PART to play.
Mark your calendars for October 18th!
On this special Sunday, we’re celebrating what God is doing at New Life Church, honoring the calling He’s placed on our lives, and stepping into something new together as a church family. Come expectant — October 18th is a Sunday you’ll be talking about long after it’s over!
Life Group Discussion & Questions
BREAKING THE ICE: What’s something you’re really good at that most people probably don’t know about? If you could have one person’s personality, talent, or ability added to your own, whose would you choose and why?
DIGGING IN: Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 together.
1. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “God has put each part just where he wants it.” What do you think God may have uniquely placed or gifted in you for the benefit of others?
2. Why do you think we sometimes compare our role or gifting with someone else’s? How can comparison keep us from contributing what God has given us?
3. Where do you feel like you naturally fit in the body of Christ, and where do you sometimes wonder if you really belong?
4. Who is someone in your life that is different from you, but makes your life or faith stronger because of those differences? How might you celebrate them this week?
5. What is one step you could take right now to become more connected to the body of Christ, rather than simply attending church?
BRINGING IT HOME: The church was never meant to be something we simply attend, it’s a body we belong to. You have a part to play, and there is something God has placed in you that this body needs. Don’t settle for being a spectator when God is inviting you to become a part. Ask Him where you can serve, where you can connect, and where you can strengthen someone else this week. We are better together, because every part matters.