1. Body Building Series – Week 1
Care for one another
1 Corinthians 12: 12-27

2. 1 Corinthians Ch 12:12-27 The Body of Christ
12 A person has only one body, but it has many parts. Yes, there are many parts, but all those parts are still just one body. Christ is like that too
18-19 If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But as it is, God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one. 20 So there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!” 22 No, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are actually very important. 23 And the parts that we think are not worth very much are the parts we give the most care to. And we give special care to the parts of the body that we don’t want to show. 24 The more beautiful parts don’t need this special care. But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. 25 God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. 26 If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.
27 All of you together are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of that body.

3. 1 Corinthians Ch 12:12-27 - Called to care for each other
Like us, Christ has one body, with many parts
There is a place / role for each one of us
Some parts need more care - To unite us
Value each other as equals
Live life together, including highs and lows,
There are no spare parts, we are all included!

4. Why is caring for each other so important?

5. 1 Thessalonians Ch 5:13b-24 Final instructions
Live in peace with each other. 14 We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who will not work. Encourage those who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.
16 Always be full of joy. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.
19 Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit.20 Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. 21 But test everything. Keep what is good, 22 and stay away from everything that is evil.
23 We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure—belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 24 The one who chose you will do that for you. You can trust him.

6. 1 Thessalonians Ch 5:23 Make up of a fully alive human
We pray that God himself, the God of peace, will make you pure—belonging only to him. We pray that your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—will be kept safe and be blameless
when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.
The one who chose you will do
that for you. You can trust him.
Body
Soul
Spirit
Holy Spirit
Focus on Jesus
Causes a focus on others

7. The tale of two types of humans
Self Centred
Self giving

8. Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries) in his autobiography ‘More Please’
‘More please’: his first coherent utterance.
‘I have always wanted more. I never had enough milk or money or socks or sex or holidays or first editions or solitude or gramophone records or free meals or real friends or guiltless pleasure or neckties or applause or unquestioning love or persimmons. Of course, I have always had more than my share of most of these commodities but it always left me with a vague feeling of unfulfilment: where was the rest?’

9. A fallen / lost / ‘just existing’ human
Body
Soul
Spirit
Hole:
Missing The Holy Spirit
Focus on self & filling the hole
Causes a self centred focus

10. Dez – Ex Doorman, Bouncer & drug addict now husband, family man & Alpha leader
‘On Alpha, I met Jesus and it changed my life. I was this drug-fuelled, violent person and now I love people and love God. I just want to share my story.’

Dez sums up his complete transformation: ‘[Jesus] turned the questions I had about whether God exists into a belief that God cares about me. I have changed from a violent, loveless drug addict to a man who is happily married and full of love. I’m now running Alphas for all types of people, from gangs to grannies, and I’m seeing their lives changed.’

11. Changing from lost people to Alive humans in Christ
In Faith choose to submit to Jesus and let Him into our hearts
Our Spirit is recreated
As we focus on Jesus the Holy Spirit starts to change our Soul
We reflect Jesus
Our choice between being selfish & God is the process of growth
Our Souls perfected in
the next life & bodies replaced

12. naturally results in caring for others
Christ Centred living
naturally results in caring for others
Christians have been made free so have free choice
Realise who you are,
worship Jesus &
live out His life in you through His Holy Spirit

13. Living Victoriously through Worship
2 Chronicles Ch 20v22-23
13 All the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their wives, babies, and children. 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah  Jahaziel said, “Listen to me King Jehoshaphat and everyone living in Judah and Jerusalem! The Lord says this to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or worry about this large army, because the battle is not your battle. It is God’s battle! 16 Tomorrow, they will come up through the Ziz Pass. You must go down to them. You will find them at the end of the valley on the other side of the desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Just stand there and watch the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid. Don’t worry, because the Lord is with you. So go out to stand against those people tomorrow.’”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before the Lord and worshiped him. 19 The Levites from the Kohath family groups and the Korah family stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. They sang very loudly.

14. Living Victoriously through Worship
2 Chronicles Ch 20v22-23
20 Early the next morning, Jehoshaphat’s army went out into the desert of Tekoa. As they marched out, Jehoshaphat stood there saying, “Listen to me, men of Judah and Jerusalem. Have faith in the Lord your God, and you will stand strong! Have faith in his prophets, and you will succeed!”
21 Jehoshaphat encouraged the men and gave them instructions. Then he had the Temple singers stand up in their special clothes to praise the Lord. They marched in front of the army and sang,
“Give thanks to the Lord!
    His faithful love will last forever.”
22 As they began to sing and to praise God, the Lord set an ambush for the army from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come to attack Judah. The enemy was defeated! 23 The Ammonites and the Moabites started to fight the men from Mount Seir. After they killed them, the Ammonites and Moabites turned on themselves and killed each other.
24 The men from Judah arrived at the lookout point in the desert. They looked for the enemy’s large army, but all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground. There were no survivors.

15. Why worship? Submitting to God A Letting go. . . Trusting = Faith
See reality clearly
Act in God’s timing
Peace, Joy & praise rise up
Real care also comes from faith