Give Greater Grace to Members Who Feel or Seem Unpresentable
FOCUS TEXT: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
Sunday, as a part of our “We Are Family” series we explored 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 where we discovered: A Spirit led Church will give greater grace to members of God’s family who feel or seem unpresentable (vs. 22-24).
We began by recognizing the truth that people who are led by the Spirt are empowered to only speak truth. This is important to remember because the author mentions ways members might speak falsehood to themselves and to other. We must conclude when this happens that those members are NOT in tune with the Spirit and are NOT speaking by the Spirit. Throughout this text Paul’s consistent drum beat is to call the body to gut check the flesh and to do the things necessary to humbly, and graciously speak and represent truth.
Verses 15-16 say: “If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.” Here Paul is calling the church to trust that God placed them in the body for a purpose (vs 18), and that when we doubt our place in the body we are doubting God and failing to be led by the Spirit to believe the truth. The Spirit rarely says: “you don’t belong here” …unless the church is condoning sin or is embracing heresy. Instead the Spirit consistently says: “You belong here!” We must trust that God has placed us at Anchor because He has purposes for our belonging here.
Then in verse 21 Paul says: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’” Here Paul is calling us to reject a spirit of superiority and social hierarchy and instead believe the truth that those who SEEM weaker or who we THINK are less honorable are actually indispensable and deserving of greater honor (vs 22-24). Paul is saying that a healthy church is a church who is consistently adding messy people and new believers giving more mature believers opportunity to come along side them, protect them, and help raise them up “to observe all Christ commanded.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
There is a common temptation among church leaders to hold those who “SEEM weaker,” and those “we THINK less honorable” on the sidelines until they are mature or “ready” to serve. But the problem is that being overly cautious only stunts their growth. We must focus on coaching those God has placed in our family to walk, speak, exercise gifts, serve, and engage in the activities of the kingdom by the Spirit. Like a child learning to ride a bike we must walk along side, run along side, and let go! We must encourage risk, give room for failure, give grace, and go at it again. Let’s not say or even suggest: “We’ve got no need of you.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
What do your words indicate about the work of the Spirit in your life? Are you consistently speaking truth to yourself and others? Or falsehood? What should you do about it?
The point was made Sunday that God puts those who “seem weak” to us and those we might “think less honorable” in the body to stir greater passion among the body and to increase multiplication. How have you seen this unfold at Anchor in recent months?
PRAYER RESPONSE
Take time to ask the Lord how He’d have you engage more deeply with the family. Is it to serve? Use your gifts? Disciple others?
MEMORY VERSES: 1 Corinthians 12:22-25
