There are a number of metaphors in the Bible that point to our need for community, but one of the best ones is that of the

, as we see Paul using in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. —1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NLT)

Paul is showing us that there’s a

between how our human bodies function and how the local church functions.

Each “part” has a

function, but all the parts are important and matter.

It’s from passages like this that we see the term “member” coming into use, talking about both members of the human

as well as members of the

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.

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. —1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)

Our bodies are places where we learn how to make all our members or parts work

.

The church, the body, is the place where we truly learn and live what it means to be

created in the image of God.

Learning to be truly human is always done in community, as part of the body, and it’s often

, but the results will be beyond anything we can imagine!

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. —1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (NLT)

If you’re a member of the body of Christ, the church, then you are a part of the body, a part

placed here, and your part really, really matters!

The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. —1 Corinthians 12:21-26 (NLT)

Every

of the body, every

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, matters and is needed.

When we downplay our value and significance in the church, we aren’t listening to God – we’re listening to the

, who loves to lie.

Staying away from church or staying away from being involved in the life of the body of the church may seem to make sense in the moment, but God is saying that doing that not only hurts the

staying away but also hurts the work of the

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body.

Paul is using this metaphor of the body because all the parts matter and have a role and make a difference, and each part affects

the rest!

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. —1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

In the church, the body of Christ, we have the Spirit working in and through us, helping us work together and grow together for

purposes and the purpose we were each created for.

If I’m a follower of Christ, I need to be a part of a body, but the Bible shows us that just as no part of the body exists by itself, so no follower of Jesus functions rightly

from a local body of Christ.

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Next Week: New Series – The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry