The Body of Christ is us

What is a good church? The church is not a building, but what happens IN the building. It is a family, a living body, healthy body.

God’s church is the body of Christ. He is the head, Ephesians 4:16, From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

What does a healthy body look like? It is JOINED TOGETHER.

From whom the whole body fitly JOINED (closely united, knitted, welded)together and compacted (held together, strengthened) by that which every joint supplieth (contributes). It’s joined together, to the head, and all the parts are joined together.

We encourage people to be like interconnected parts of a body. Ephesians talks about the unity of the faith (4:13), and the unity of the Spirit (4:3). A healthy human body is one closeknit inter-connected whole. The Body of Christ is meant to be interdependent, in harmony, in cooperation, in coordination, united under the Lordship of Christ.

Secondly, a healthy body has all its parts WORKING TOGETHER.

The EFFECTUAL working (active power, operative power, energy, activity) in the measure of every part (each different part properly does its work/its respective function).

A sign of a healthy body is that all the parts are functioning like they should. For a body to grow it must have a stretching. God wants every part functioning and taking on a role in the Body of Christ. That each one finds and grows in their own gifts and callings. Let us reach our full potential in God, and be a church which is characterised by action, not stagnancy.

Place yourself at God’s disposal. Be willing to be challenged, to be teachable, to be humble, and gladly serve as needed. Be willing to do that which is unrewarded. Unrecognised.

A healthy body is connected, working, and a healthy body is every part GROWING TOGETHER.

Maketh INCREASE (continually making, growth) of the body unto the EDIFYING of itself (builds itself up, constructs) in LOVE.

A healthy body is not only whole, interconnected, and every part functioning, but it also is thriving and keeping healthy and growing stronger. This growth is is an upbuilding, a building up in love.

As a church, let’s show God’s love to one another. Let us Be spiritual. Not carnal. 1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Be mature. No longer children. Eph. 4:14. The best kind of growth we want to see is when God brings real fruit and spiritual progress, one life at a time. Where individual believers are growing spiritually, each one of us.

God is building His church, you and me. He’s putting us together with the mortar of His love. The body is joined, working, and growing, all with the one goal, the one mission, as He leads.

Let’s widen our horizons… The harvest fields are all around. Let’s pray for a bigger vision, every one of us. What do we see as we look ahead?
- The Gospel Uplook: Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35).
- The Prayer Uplook: “In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up” (Psalm 5:3).
- The Blessed Hope Uplook: “Look up and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

God’s will for the healthy body - His body - is increase. We have to want it, believe Him for it, ask for it: Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. Paul prayed, 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.

God talks about a church that was blind. Revelation 3:17… The church of Laodicea was “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”. We must open our eyes and catch the vision God wants for our lives. Do we see things from God’s point of view?

We can believe God. It’s the Dimension of Faith. Vision is seeing Him who is invisible. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It goes beyond what we can see with our eyes. Let’s believe God, as we reach our world.

God is leading us forward. As the children of Israel followed the fire and the cloud. Vision is seeing the future. Where are we headed? Where are we going? It must be the Lord Who directs and guides our way forward.

What is the MASTER’S PLAN for this body, His church? We’re going to need to believe God to do His will. “Abraham believed God” despite what seemed impossible (Genesis 15:6).

Our Vision must be of Christ; magnifying Him; lifting Him up. We live in a day of opportunity. The mission is still the same: To reach people for Christ The fields are still white unto harvest.

Let us be a church that honours God in all that we do, and how we do it. Grow up into Him.