Mystery Bible Character Quiz “Who am I?”

Who Am I? 1.I am found in the New Testament 2.You can read about me in Rome, in Ephesus, and in Corinth to name a few places. 3.My name does not begin with the letter “P” 4.I am not a man 5.I am usually always written about with great affection 6.WHO AM I?

The Body of Christ

A Mystery - Jesus double resurrection? Jesus was raised from the dead into a flesh and blood body that walked, ate, drank, etc Lk 24:39 That Body was taken to heaven (Acts 1:9) After his death though, another body was brought to life, to carry on his work, to fulfil His promises – (e.g. “Lo, I will be with you to the end of the age” Matt 28:20 etc.) – and to glorify God in heaven (John 17:4) not as one man, but a vast contingent of men, women and children doing “greater things”. This body includes all who connect themselves to Jesus Christ by faith.

The Body of Christ Christ is the head and the Savior of the church, which is his own body. Eph 5:23 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Rom 12:5 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1Co 10:16 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1Co 12:12 Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 1Co 12:27 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Eph 3:6

1Co 3:16-17 All of you surely know that you are God's temple and that his Spirit lives in you. Together you are God's holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple. John 2:19-22 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you raise it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

The Body – God’s design a complex interaction of specialised cells that work together in a unity to perform all sorts of activities – sometimes seemingly working against each other (consider the action of different muscles and the bones that support them). Much of what our body does happens without our conscience thought, and yet our brains make it happen

ankle arm belly button chest chin ear elbow eye fingers foot hand head heel hip knee leg mouth nose neck shin shoulder thigh toes waist wrist Use the body words to complete the body picture

Eph 4:11-16 He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts to his church. Their purpose is to prepare God's people, to serve, and to build up the body of Christ. This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God's Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed and carried about by all kinds of teachings that change like the wind. We will no longer be influenced by people who use cunning and clever strategies to lead us astray. Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head. He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The Body – God’s design Eph 4, 1 Cor 12 etc compares this complex system to that of the Church and helpfully shows how each of us are somehow connected, with a part to play interdependently with each other so that our success (or failure) is dependant on others. There is no room in such a system for arrogant self promotion, or for false humility that leads to self withdrawal

Looking after our Bodies The way he treats his body, you’d think he was renting. ~Robert Brault, ww.robertbrault.comww.robertbrault.com No one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds and takes care of it, as Christ takes care of the church. We are parts of his body. Eph 5:29-30 The scripture makes it clear that we are connected to each other and responsible for looking out for one another. Your hand does not get healed by cutting it off and waiting till it sorts itself out.

The Body – God’s Design God has put us in a body as a tangible, practical way to counteract the insidious ongoing desire of sin to create a separating and isolating individualism that is in direct conflict with the unity, joy and power of the divine trinity in who’s image we were created in. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. Jane AustenJane Austen

“We violate some of the great revelations of God when there is independence, separateness, when we just drive our own Chariot and plough our own furrow” T Austin Sparks – the Centrality of Christ “There is nothing more that demands crucifixion more than to live with other Christians”. Ibid Christ can not be your head if you are not part of the body

The Battle for the Body Satan and Sin have from the beginning tried to promote self and destroy connection. God said it is not good for man to be alone, and so sin has sought to force the issue bringing separation, isolation and individualism to disconnect people from their divine purpose. Gnosticism, an early Christian heresy sought to discount the value of the body and its place in the divine. In so doing, it also discounted the Body of Christ and made out that the individual spirit alone was all that was important to God. Can you be a Christian and not part of the Church?

The Battle for the Body You can be committed to Church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church. Joel Osteen For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel. Martin Luther Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man. Dwight L. Moody "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country“ John F Kennedy

The Battle for the Body Self Harm – a huge problem within the Church Sometimes it is just an accident – like hitting your thumb with a hammer, or the tension built up while trying to score a try seriously damages your knee (eg Quade Cooper) Other times – it is more insidious …. It would seem that Satan has no greater pleasure than trying to make us hurt each other, get upset about it and separate ourselves from each other.

Keeping it all together Recognise that your brother/sister in the Lord is part of you Recognise also the spiritual battle that is going on for the Church Focus on the head (Jesus) Try to stop hurting each other Take time to talk through stuff more Say sorry lots Forgive, as if we have been forgiven Pray for others and the ‘body’ Include others – get to know them and their special character (while recognising your own!) Resist separating even though it hurts Seek out each other out to build one another up Appreciate differences Get involved Remember your calling

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Marianne Williamson - A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Harper Collins, From Chapter 7, Section 3 A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history. Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi