One Body ... United For God's Work

ONE BODY UNITED... FOR GOD’S WORK

1 Corinthians 12:1-7

Preached on 9 November 2008

at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Waukegan, IL

by REV. KELVIN L. PARKS

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

Subject: One Body ... United for GOD’s Work

I am reminded of a Sunday Morning Peanuts comic strip, where LUCY walks in the room and demands that LINUS change the channel on the TV and then threatens him with her fist if he does not.

• Linus said, “What makes you think you can walk in here and just take over?”

• “These five fingers,” says LUCY. “Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.”

• “Well ... which channel do you want me to change it to?” ask Linus.

• Turning away, he looks as his fingers and says. “Why can’t you guys get organized like that?”

While ... I do not condone Lucy’s methods, she does give us a powerful illustration of how the Church, the Body of Christ, is designed to work together.

Remember what she said about her fingers ... “Individually they are nothing but when I curl them together like this ... into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.”

Likewise ... it is when we (Shiloh Baptist Church) come together (like this) into a single unit, that we too become ONE BODY ...UNITED FOR GOD’S WORK

And it is from this subject ONE BODY ...UNITED FOR GOD’S WORK and that is what I want to talk to you about this morning with the following three points

• A Problem - Divisions

• A Purpose - Unity

• A Plan - God’s Work

ONE BODY ... UNITED FOR GOD’S WORK

Well ... let us fist examine the problem. Walk with me, 12:1

Now ... No needs to read any further, Houston, we already have a problem. Which, I would like to refer to as PROBLEM #1.

You see Now (in our text) simply serves as a marker of an addition to what was just stated. In other words ... in order for us to understand what Paul is about to address, it is important, to understand what he just said.

So let us examine the case. Our first item of evidence can be found in 11:17-34. You see, Paul had just corrected the Corinthians regarding some issues that was taking place in the church.

Notice what he says in 11:17

Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse (repeat)

Well, I do not know what you come here for this morning. But it is a sad day when people cannot even come to church for the right reason.

You see Paul is saying in 11:17 -- your coming together is not for the better, but for the worse. In other words, the same way you came in is the same way you walk out.

• Paul is saying coming to church is more than ... just coming to teach your Sunday School class

• Coming to church is more than ... just coming when it is time for your group to sing

• Coming to church is more than ... just when it is time for you to preach

• More than when it is time for you to praise dance, or pray, or do a youth moment.

• You see coming to church should be more than that -- your coming together should be for the better and not for the worst.

Now I do not know what you come to do. However, one thing I know -- that if we could ever come together like this into a single unit then and only then will we be ONE BODY ... UNITED FOR GOD’S WORK

Notice what Paul says in 11:18

For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear (rumors) that there be divisions (schism) among you: and (watch this) I partly believe it.

But the question is ... why would Paul believe a rumor ... why would Paul believe some gossip? Partly, because this is not the first time that he has had to put the Church in Corinth in check...

You see ... in

• Division (1:10-11)

• Human Wisdom (1:18-25)

• Personality cliques (1:12-17)

• Carnality (3:1-9)

• Sexual perversion (5:1-8; 6:12-20)

• Lawsuits (6:1-11)

• Etc, etc, etc.

• You name it, chances are the Corinthians has already been there, and got the tee shirt and the shot glass to prove it.

So Paul say in (v.18) ...based on your track record, based on the following evidence I partly believe it

Well let us examine the evidence for this particular charge...