The Church: Proclaiming & Displaying the Kingdom of God
A Sermon on Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 by Pastor Tyler Graftaas
Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
The church is the method by which God has chosen to reveal himself to the world. It is through the church, by means of the Holy Spirit, that people have the opportunity to witness and experience the coming kingdom of God. The church is where peasants and kings, slaves and free, rich and poor, should experience equality of value and purpose because of our collective need for and surrender to Jesus.
The churches Paul wrote to struggled to live out this calling, just as we do today. To be the church is no simple task for it means abandoning our fleshly desire for superiority and the social pressure of uniformity, and embracing a spiritual hunger for unity and equality, while maintaining our God-given individuality. This is only possible through the saving work of Jesus Christ, and our surrender to him as head of the church.
Outline
No matter our past, in Christ we are one body with many parts (vv12-14)
No matter our failure, we are brought together by Christ (vv15-20)
No matter our function, we are made equal through Christ (vv21-25)
We experience life together when we are the body of Christ (v26)
Life Applications
We have to fight the urge to expect everyone to be like us on the one hand, and the innate desire to compare ourselves to others on the other, by seeing one another through the eyes of Jesus who died for each one of us.
How are you whole-heartedly participating in the life of the church and its mission by using all of our gifts and talents, alongside your brothers and sisters, to make the kingdom known?
Are you connected within the church in such a way that you genuinely share in one another’s sufferings and successes? If not, what steps can you take to be more vulnerable in sharing your own life, and more willing to share in the lives of others?
