New Sermon Series 2023: One body - Many parts!
How often have you compared yourself with others in the church family? How often have you felt jealous or insecure as a result of someone else's talents or abilities? How often have you looked down on someone who isn't as good at doing something as you are, with pride. We all play the comparison game but God shows us a better way.
In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul describes the church as a body. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all it's parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ ... Now the body is not made up of one part but of many ... Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12,14,27).
God has gifted each of us uniquely. We have different personalities, skills, experiences and circumstances but we belong to the same church. We are different parts of the same body; we need one another. As each part of the body plays their part, the whole body matures. The church needs every member ministry. As we each use our gifts to serve God and one another, we build up the church.
Like the body of Christ the Bible too is made up of many parts. An Old Testament of 39 books and a New Testament of 27 making 66 books in total. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Bible was written by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.
Every month in 2023 we are going to look at a different part of the body and study in detail how some of the authors have used a particular body part to highlight a spiritual discipline that we can apply in our daily walk with God. As we do I trust that, week by week, we will be challenged to change our spiritual lives and revolutionise our daily discipleship.
January - Body
February - Eyes
March - Face
April - Heart
May - Breath
June - Feet
July - Mouth
August - Head
September - Hands
October - Ears
November - Blood
December - Knees
To help us to better do this and to look back and remember what we have learnt we have produced for our 2023 Sermon Series a personal journal. Can I encourage you to bring it with you Sunday by Sunday and delight in keeping a record of what you have learnt and what God has been saying to you week by week. You can pick up a journal at any of our churches; St. John’s Peasedown, St. Julian’s Wellow or St. James’ Foxcote.