the place you most belong! i corinthians 12. the place you most belong! i corinthians 12 when people...

The Place You Most Belong!I Corinthians 12

The Place You Most Belong!


When people ask me what makes me

optimistic about life....



My Answer?The Church!

“What? You must be kidding!”



Missiological

Many feel that the Church

doesn’t work anymore!



Personal

The Church is hypocritical & judgmental!



Historical

Across the years the

Church has become

corrupted!



But every place it has been

‘snuffed out’, it is thriving!



The Church is

‘the Place You Most Belong!’



1 Corinthians 12:12-20

12 For as the body is one and has

many members, but all the

members…



…of that one body, being many, are

one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by

one Spirit we were all baptized into

one body…



…whether Jews or Greeks, whether

slaves or free—and have all been made

to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact

the body…



…is not one member but many.

15 If the foot should say,

“Because I am not a hand, I am not of

the body,” is it therefore not…



…of the body? 16 And if the ear should say,

“Because I am not an eye, I am not of

the body,” is it therefore not of the

body?



17 If the whole body were an eye,

where would be the hearing? If the

whole were hearing, where would be the

smelling?



18 But now God has set the

members, each one of them, in the body just as He

pleased. 19 And if they were all one

member…



…where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there

are many members, yet one

body.”



You, a Part of the Whole

Unity out of Diversity



Designed to Reflect God’s Redemptive

Power!



Colossians 1:16 NCV

“Through his power all things were

made—things in heaven and on earth, things

seen…



…and unseen, all powers, authorities,

lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for

Christ.”



Differing Roles

More than the Sum of Our Parts



Called to Complete

God’s Purposes in the World!



“The whole is greater than the

sum of its parts.” (Aristotle)



Romans 12:1-2, 4-5

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of

God, that you present your

bodies…



…a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this

world…



…but be transformed by the renewing of your

mind, that you may prove what is that

good and acceptable and

perfect will of God.



For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do

not have the same function, so we, being many…



…are one body in Christ, and individually

members of one another.”



Purposes of God

Pleasing theHeart of God



Actively Bringing

Glory to God!



Isaiah 43:7

“Everyone who is called by My name,

whom I have created for My

glory…



…I have formed him, yes, I have

made him.”



This is Your Moment!



For the work, mission, &

purpose of the Church…



…requires every ONE of

God’s redeemed,

transformed & saved people!



Itrequires

YOU!

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