The Body of Christ | Romans 12:4-8 | Expository Sermon by Dr. Richard Caldwell

Introduction: The Bible describes the church of Jesus Christ by means of multiple metaphors. THE CHURCH IS A FLOCK THE CHURCH IS A TEMPLE THE CHURCH IS A FIELD THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY THE CHURCH IS A KINGDOM THE CHURCH IS AN ARMY (Matthew 16; 2 Cor 10:3-5; Ephesians 6) THE CHURCH IS A BRIDE And then there is the metaphor that we find here. The church is comparable to the human body. None of these comparisons are sufficient to capture everything that our God wants us to know about the church, which is why each one is important and necessary. This morning we think about the church as the body of Christ. AN ANALOGY FOR THE CHURCH (vs.4) The first point I will not spend a lot of time on because it should be obvious to us. I simply want to point out that we are, in fact, being given a comparison. Two words in verse 4, and two words in verse 5, make this crystal clear. “For as” (vs.4) “So we” (vs.5) For as in one body there are many members, and the members do not all have same function So we (the Lord’s people, the Lord’s church), though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. As the human body exists and functions, so there is something comparable in the way that the Lord’s church exists and functions. THE APPLICATION TO THE CHURCH (vs.5) In verse 5, the metaphor is applied. A body is a unit. It is a unit that is characterized by diversity and yet interdependence. The body is one, and yet has many members. The church is a unit. Each individual member is uniquely gifted for service. Yet, we are each gifted in a way that we require each other, are benefited by each other, and are meant to employ our gifts together, in a unified fashion. What is especially emphasized IS OUR ONENESS. THIS TRUTH IS LARGER THAN ANY ONE LOCAL CHURCH. The church, in this case, is made up of every genuine believer, every regenerate person. It exists all over the world. BUT THIS TRUTH FOUND IN THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE IS LIVED OUT IN THE CONTEXT OF SPECIFIC LOCAL CHURCHES We need to recognize that our God has supplied for every local church’s ministry by the way that He has gifted ALL OF HIS PEOPLE. If we just stop to think about how this works out practically, that should be apparent to us. It is not like we receive a new gift each time we join a local church throughout our lives. Nor were we each assigned to one local church for a lifetime. God gifted us at salvation. We know this because the New Testament teaching regarding spiritual gifts treats EVERY CHRISTIAN as having already received a special grace for service. ESV 1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.