The Wonderful Human Body
My
Dear Brethren:
Our
human body is made-up of 200 bones fastened together by tissues and
ligaments. The circulatory system
employs our blood as it is drawn through the heart’s right chamber and winds
into the lungs. The lungs secure the
blood with much needed oxygen, mail it back to the heart via its left chamber,
and finally propels into the main artery or aorta. The aorta’s blood branches into smaller and smaller places. The
first are arteries, designated as arterioles, which ebb into the furthest
recesses of our bodies through minute capillaries. Our immune system fends off unfriendly proteins, and infectious
microorganisms, with a one two punch of antibodies. A deadly left uppercut makes holes in the foreign cells, and a swinging
right hook engulfs and digests foreign matter.
Our digestive system starts up in our mouths. The food is broken into
fragments by our chewing and is mixed with saliva. It then goes down the esophagus and right into the stomach. The digestive process is redoubled by the
ferocious activity of gastric and intestinal juices. The digested nutrients are then sucked into the small
intestine. The remains of unassimilated
foods, and waste substances from the liver, are passed into the large intestine
and gloriously expelled from our bodies.
The pituary gland secretes a variety of hormones. One of them governs the rate at which the
cells utilize oxygen, and another imposes the metabolism of carbohydrates,
sodium, and potassium. Finally, our
skin is one big living organ! It
protects us from drying up, controls the loss of fluids, and shields us from
harmful substances. Its sweat glands
are our body’s air conditioning, the skin receptors discriminate levels of body
temperature and pain, and our fat cells insulate us. (Excerpts are
taken from Microsoft’s 1999 edition of the Encarta Encyclopedia.)
In
my reading of the above passage of God’s beautiful scheme for the function of
our human body, three things really struck me about its functions.
·
There
are “no personalities and no pew sitters” within our bodies
members! Wow!
·
Every
member knows exactly what its function and calling is. It does it effectively and naturally, it
does not take glory or attention for itself, and it always works at its peak.
·
Do
you notice as I did, that every bodily member’s role is active, it does not
assume a defensive but offensive posture, and it always is seeking to
protect? The church is Christ’s body
and should operate along the same lines as the human body. Let’s pray that the Lord blesses the study
of His Word on the function of the body of Christ as found in Corinthians 12.
1Cor 12:12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many
members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also
is Christ. Paul’s confirms what we have already stated. The human body, and the body of Christ as
His church, should function alike.
1cor
12:14 For the body is not
one member, but many. The Greek makes use of
the “absolute negative” for the word “not”.
Literally defined, we are told that under no circumstance, should a congregation be made up of a few
active members. This argument hits at
the very core of “a great church deception.” My beloved brethren, one pastors that
literally controls the governing life of a church, makes for all intents and
purposes, the body of Christ into a “non body”. Like wise, parishioners who fail to discern,
and fulfill their ministries, forcing pastors and ministers into positions of
control, do just the same.
1Cor 12:15 If the
foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it
therefore not of the body?
1Cor12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not
the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? What an incredible dependency we must have
for each other. An independent spirit
towards the Lord Jesus, or towards one other, will stunt our process of
growth. Every member is called to
sharpen each other, through their callings and ministries.
1Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were
the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
The fewer the number of members serving and ministering within a local
body, the fewer will be the giftings available to it. This particular congregation will be greatly hindered in its
discernment of demonic infiltration.
There will be a deficiency in the prophetic that administers guidance,
exhortation, and encouragement, and the confirmation of God’s will.
1Cor14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
If the apostolic ministries are deficient,
how will the right foundation be laid?
A church without the revelation of Jesus through the apostolic witness
of the risen Christ will build lopsided.
Acts 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all
1Cor3:10 According to the grace of God which is given
unto me, as a wise masterbuilder( ARCHITECT), I
have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Every church that I have attended in the
last twenty years, for the exception of the one that I go to now, has been unable to discern the presence of wolves,
gross sin, and major doctrinal error, blatantly obvious in its midst. In due time God always exposed these forces.
Considerable damage had been done to the flock however, or God finally closed
the congregations down. Much of this
has to do with the lack of commitment and participation of the church’s members
or the prohibition of spiritual gifts by the elders.
1Cor12: 18 But now hath God set the members every one
of them in the body, as it hath pleased him..
The pastoral staff shares in the function of overseeing,
for example
Acts
20:28 Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
This
favorite word of mine for “overseeing” is “episkopos” . Literally, it comes from two words meaning,
“standing above, in order to examine into, and scope out needs and
problems.” My brethren, this remains a true function of any eldership
staff.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Literally the Greek admonishes us, that not even of the
weakest member can we say “I have no need of you” and not be
lying! The superior members are in
desperate need of the inferior
22 Nay, much more
those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. The weakest members are indispensable.
23 And those members of the body, which we
think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely
parts have more abundant comeliness.
Literally “we place a wreath of superabundant honor upon the weaker or more unseemly members”, says the Greek. .. Our deformed, indecent, and unseemly parts always require special care. That same care should be given to all weaker members within our congregations.
24
For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having
given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: “To temper” means That God has caused each part of His body to be
melted and hammered together into an organic whole.
Three types of
churches
1Cor 1:10 ¶ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. This is a church that has attained to a same level of understanding and discernment within its parishioners. Active discipleship, healing, and equipping of the saints produced this. Consequently this congregation now operates within the same opinions, purposes, resolves, and decision making.
Phillipians
1:27 ¶ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that
whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that
ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel
Literally
a “one soul”
church. The spirit of sacrifice and agape love, which
is always divine and
sacrificial in nature, has controlled this congregation. The whole assembly with one will, and one
set of emotions, athletically
agonizes for the faith of the gospel.
Acts2:46 And
they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did
eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Literally “the one
burning passion church”. One accord is a political term that denotes
a unanimous decision or vote for one candidate. A political party puts all of its support behind its man or
woman. Multitudes raise their hands to
vote the same way, because of its harmony of heart, and zeal for their
cause. The party sacrifices personal
interest in view of the larger cause held by the whole organization. The church in one accord votes for its candidate Jesus Christ, and His cause, and
with all passion and ardor follows Him sacrificing all else.