Church Sermon - August 24, 2003

CHRIST IS REVEALED THROUGH YOU!

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Old Testament Lesson; Exodus 19:1-6
Gospel Lesson; John 1:43-51
Sermon Text; 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

In our text for this morning, Paul makes it clear that a fully functioning body, or a fully functioning church, works best, functions best, when all of its parts are working together. Therefore, each of us, as members of the ‘Body of Christ’, work together using our varied gifts, to reveal Christ, our Savior to other people.

It is in this chapter of our text, that Paul uses the human body as an analogy for the Christian church. Even though the body has many different members, it is one body. And so it is with the Christian Church. As members of the Christian Church, our individual functions differ, however we need each other to form the body, and compose one holy Christian Church.

Today, let us begin by looking at our own bodies. Looking at the surface of the body, we can see a covering called skin that acts as a protector of our internal organs. But, if we were to stop this morning, only talking about our skin, we would have to admit how complex just the skin really is. Even the fact that no person has the same fingerprints, tells us that the skin is complex. When we look to internal things in the body, we see complex systems of the pulmonary, cardiovascular, the digestive, the glandular and the nervous system. Yet, not one of these would exist, without the cells that make them up. And again, not one cell would exist, without the molecules that make them up. And we could even go further to say no molecules would exist, without protons, neutrons and electrons. Some scientists even say the divisions keep on going even further!

It is easy to see that the body is a complex group of systems that exist to form what we look at in the mirror every morning. If one of these systems fails, there will either be death, or at least a lot of confusion or pain.

This morning I want us to know and consider that we are members of the ‘Body of Christ’. And being members of the ‘Body of Christ’, whether we know it or not,

Christ is revealed through you, in your individual gifts.

Christ is revealed through you, in His greatest gift of love.

Earlier, in the twelfth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul says,

"The body is a unit,

though it is made up of many parts;

and though all its parts are many,

they form one body.

So it is with Christ."

I Corinthians 12:12

Why is being a member of the body of Christ important? Well, again, let us just think about our human bodies once again. We may think that we have parts of our bodies that are very important and others that may seem insignificant. However, all parts of the body are important to achieve a functioning person. Problems occur in the functioning of the body, when even the parts that seem to be unimportant are not in place. For example, when a part of the body is irritated or damaged, even a seemingly insignificant one, such as an eyelash poking you in the eye, think of the discomfort it causes your body! Or, think about the pain associated with stubbing your pinkie toe, on a chair, table, or bed. Your whole body is affected. And, so it is with the ‘Body of Christ’.

Being a member of the ‘Body of Christ’ is important, because some day sin is going to overtake our bodies and we are going to die. Imagine not being a member of the ‘Body of Christ’! To those without faith, Jesus will say on the Last Day,

"Depart from me,

you who are cursed,

into the eternal fire,

prepared for the devil and his angels."

Jesus will disregard them, because they were not members of His body, the ‘Body of Christ’.

Sin is really like cancer. It affects the whole body. If gone unchecked, it spreads throughout the whole body and leads to death. When considering the importance of being a member of the ‘Body of Christ’, a more accurate description, although maybe a little more gruesome, is this. A body that is detached from its head cannot live and so, will surely die. So, someone who is detached from the Head, which is Christ, certainly cannot live.

We know that it is because of sin, that we are going to die. But, thanks be to God, that being members of the ‘Body of Christ’, we have the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ! It is amazing that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It is true that He took our sin upon Himself, and gave to us His righteousness, through His death on the cross.

Now that we are members of the ‘Body of Christ, Christ should be revealed, through us, to others, in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Today is the opening service for our school, Holy Cross Lutheran School. Just think for a moment about all the people, and all of the various gifts and abilities that God has given to those people who are needed to make our school run! Yesterday I came up with a list that certainly is not exhausted, and you can probably add to my list! But just think about all of the people who are needed with their various gifts and abilities to make our school function. Parents, students, a principal, teachers, teachers’ aides, tutors, secretaries, after school care workers, custodians, room parents, members of the PTO, those who pray for our school, trustees, those who help to maintain the building, coaches, librarians, those who participate in Partner’s in Christ, those who financially help school families who are having difficulties paying tuition and fees, field trip chaperones, piano teachers, band directors, the list could go on and on!

How wonderful that we have so many people, with so many different gifts and abilities that come together for the purpose of our school!

The school is a unit. It is made up of many parts, and yet it is one school, with one mission. The mission of Holy Cross Lutheran School is three-fold.

Holy Cross Lutheran School exists to assist the parents and members of our congregation in the spiritual training of the children of Holy Cross Lutheran Church. (Holy Cross Lutheran School exists so that Christ can be revealed to the youth of this congregation.)

Holy Cross Lutheran School exists to provide a high quality Christian education for our students, that they may be equipped for a lifetime of service to their Savior, their families, their churches, and their communities. (Holy Cross Lutheran School exists so that Christ may be revealed through the youth of this congregation to others.)

Holy Cross Lutheran School exists to reach our children and families in our community with the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Savior. (Holy Cross Lutheran School exists so that Christ may be revealed to the members of this community.)

How blessed we are, as a congregation, to have a school so that Christ may be revealed!

The very last sentence of our text says,

"But

eagerly desire

the greater gifts."

The ‘greater gifts’ does not refer to being an apostle, speaking in tongues, or any of the other gifts specifically mentioned, just prior to this verse. Instead, the greater gifts include:

But the greatest of these is love.

Whenever we love, Christ is revealed through us. Jesus was once asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

On the last day, when the ‘Body of Christ’ is gathered together, Jesus will say,

"Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"

And Jesus will say, "I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Christ is revealed through

you,

to others

in everything that you do

out of love.

In my sermon last week, I discussed the Divine Call of Mr. Rathje, before he was installed into the teaching ministry. I also said that it isn’t too often that a congregation installs a new teacher into office, and here we are doing it two weeks in a row!

Miss Krause was given a call to come back to Holy Cross. For the last year she had a volunteer call to teach at St. Martin’s School, in the Czech Republic.

Miss Krause, as a member of the Body of Christ, you have been asked to be the 6^th grade homeroom teacher, serve as the athletic director for the girls’ sports, and teach Spanish, among other things. We welcome you back and pray that God will continue to work through you in your teaching ministry, revealing Christ to the youth of this congregation.

We all are members of the ‘Body of Christ’. May God continue to use us to reveal Christ to others. And, especially today, we pray that God would continue to use our teachers and our school to reveal Christ, so that others may be members of the ‘Body of Christ’.

Amen.

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