Church Covenant Part 1: The Body of Christ

And if you take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 12 with me, Romans chapter 12 this morning. The message this morning is is going to go along with with our our church covenant. Some things that were mentioned there in the beginning couple of paragraphs today. Romans chapter Romans chapter 12 is where we will begin and then we will turn over to first Corinthians chapter 12 here in just a few minutes as well. If you want to find those two passages of scripture.

Last week we spent a considerable amount of time defining what a local church is specifically Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, its purpose and how one becomes a member. How does one become a member of the church? Well, you don't become a member of the church simply by showing up and saying, I want to join. You don't become a member of the church by signing your name simply to a role. In truth, you cannot become a member of the church, God's church until you have become a member of God's family through faith in his son, Jesus Christ.

As many as received him, that is Jesus. To them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name. You must be saved. It is our desire as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church this morning. More than anything else, concerning you that you would come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior.

The savior that we know. Who has delivered us from sin and hell. Has translated from us us from darkness into his marvelous light. Who has given us eternal life in him and forgiven all of our sins. More than anything else, reference to you today.

It is our desire that you know him. And then, when you come to him in faith and receive him as Lord and savior, the Bible commands that we be baptized. Now, baptism doesn't save you. I can dunk you over and over and over again in the baptistry back here. Not going to save you.

We're saved by faith. Not by baptism. The baptism is a confession before men. A proclamation, a declaration that we have been saved, that we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. And that is our desire to follow him through life.

Serving him as our Lord and savior. That is what baptism is. It is it's a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is why we immerse. And in order to join Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, you must have a testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and savior and have been baptized in believers baptism in the name of the father and son and the holy spirit as commanded in his word and as exemplified in Acts chapter two that we looked at last week. However, what I want to focus on today is this phrase at the end of the first paragraph in the covenant and that is one body in Christ.

There in the last sentence of that first paragraph it says, we do now in the presence of God in this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ And that's what we're gonna focus on today and, the things that follow in the next paragraph, in our covenant. We're gonna look at scripture because we're not here to preach the covenant. We're here to preach what? The word of God and so we're going to look at the word of God this morning and see what it has to say not just to you members of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church but to us Christians and hopefully members if not here at another Bible believing teaching church of God. Romans chapter 12, look if you would in verse four.

Romans twelve four, for as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So, we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members, one of another. Having them gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to proportion of faith or ministry, let us wait on ministering or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorted on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence, and he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good and we'll stop there for the moment. This passage and several others in the New Testament refer to this phrase the body of Christ.

The body of Christ. What is the body of Christ referred to here in the scripture? Well, it can be defined in one of two ways. First of all the entire body of Christ. The entire body of Christ composed of all true born again believers in Christ Jesus which have been redeemed by his blood, purchased by his blood and which he will present spotless before his father in heaven.

There is the congregation of the righteous. There is the entire body of Christ made up of all born again believers who will one day congregate before the throne of God in heaven and praise him for all eternity. That is one of the ways in which this phrase is used. However, the other way is most common and refers not to the entirety of the body of Christ but specifically with practical instructions for a local body of Christ. A church as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church.

In most cases the church and the body of Christ refer specifically to a local church body that has been tasked by God, commissioned by God with fulfilling the commands that he has given to it. We as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church have been commissioned by God to fulfill certain tasks that he has given to us and as we read particularly the letters of Paul, he is writing specific local churches and the commands given there are to them to fulfill the commands of Jesus Christ who is the head of the church as we'll read here some more in just a moment. Hence, we are also one body in Christ. In this location, bound together by a common faith and fellowship in Jesus Christ, our savior. By the Holy Spirit that he has given to us and who dwells.

Each one of our hearts and by a love for one another that has been shed abroad in our hearts by our savior, the Lord Jesus. We have been blessed with one another. I am blessed with you. I am blessed beyond measure with you and we are blessed with each other today as this body in Christ. We have been given varying gifts by the spirit that we might worship the Lord together and we might carry out the work of the ministry together and that we might be a blessing to one another.

God has given us talents. God has given us gifts. That we might help each other. That we might bring glory to our God. As one body, one family, one team, in Jesus Christ, our savior.

Under his authority. Look if you would in first Corinthians 12. If you would leave Romans 12 and turn over to to first Corinthians 12. First Corinthians 12 and we'll begin reading in verse 12, okay? So, first Corinthians 12 and verse 12.

For as the body is one and hath many members. Now, he's talking about the human body, okay? It's illustration here. Whereas, the body is one and hath many members, organs, parts, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit, are we all baptized into one body?

Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit, the Holy Spirit. For the one body is not one member but many. If the foot shall say because I am not the hand, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? That's a rhetorical question.

Obviously, not. It is still part of the body. If the ear shall say, verse 16, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? No.

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God sent the set the members, everyone of them in the body as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now, are they many members yet but one body and the eye cannot say into the hand, I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet.

I have no need of you. So we see this illustration given us here by Paul to help convey to us the necessity of the body of Christ in fulfilling the work of Christ in this world. This body, my human body has purposes to fulfill functions, tasks to complete and the different members of my body have to work together in order to fulfill those tasks. God has made us one body in Christ Jesus. Here at this place, Missouri Avenue Baptist Church.

The church is not the building. The church is not the property. The church is the body of believers that that meet here and minister to one another and for Jesus Christ our savior. As our human bodies are composed of many different members and they have different functions in the body. So, the members of the local church are many and have been gifted with different gifts and to be used in different functions in the church for the success of the body to succeed in the task that God has given to us.

To bring glory to its head, its founder, and redeemer which is who? Jesus Christ, our savior, the head of the body. So, we are each one members of this local church body united and empowered by the same holy spirit. In this illustration, you might say the Holy Spirit is like the blood that courses through the veins of this body to bring life giving oxygen to each one of its members that each one of its members might be able, enabled to function and perform. You might say that the Holy Spirit is is like the the the nerve network that runs throughout our body that that helps to bring direction through the God word of God to each one of the members to enable them to do and to obey the commands that they are given.

The Holy Spirit is vital. It is what connects us together and enables us as one body here to fulfill the will of God and bring glory to the head who is Jesus Christ. We are placed in this one body not merely out of our own will but is led by God and we have become a family in Christ, a team in his service. We are a team. Last night, I cheered for my team and for the first time this year, my team lost.

My team are the Virginia Cavaliers. I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia about three hours from Charlottesville and we are Virginia Cavalier fans and Virginia Cavaliers are terrible at football but they are great at basketball and up until last night they were undefeated. I think 15 or 16 and oh and they had to play Duke last night and I was a very unhappy camper at the end of the game because they lost by two points to do. But I cheered for them because they are my team. Actually, they're not so much my team because I'm not really on the team.

Sometimes, as fans, we like to think we're on the team but really we're not. We're just we're just observers. This past week, Joshua, plays on basketball team, junior high basketball team for school and, I cheered for his team, as well, this past week. They won one game. They lost one game.

I'm not really a part of that team either but I am in the way through the fact that my son is on the team and he is most definitely a member of the team. We have a team. Our team is Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. And what we do as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church as this local body of Christ is more important than what the Virginia Cavaliers do in basketball. And you have an opportunity to be a part of this team, to be an important member of this team, to exercise the gifts that God has given to you as members of this team in order that the team might succeed and that in the team succeeding, you are bringing glory to whom?

The head. Who is Jesus Christ? Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Why are we here? To bring glory to our savior in this world.

And we do that not only as individual Christians but as members of a team, a family, the family of Jesus Christ this local team, Missouri Avenue Baptist Church First Corinthians four verse two. Not to downplay the importance of the gifts, the different gifts that God has given to us in his spirit but also to emphasize this point. You can have all the gifts in the world but if you're not willing to use them, then do they do you any good? We may have a church full of of gifted people but if we're not using those gifts as part of the team to bring glory to the head then, good do those gifts do us? First Corinthians four two, it is required in stewards that a man be found what?

Faithful faithful. It is vitally important that we are faithful to our head, Jesus and we are faithful to use those gifts as members of his body. To bring glory to his name. To lift up one another and to win souls to Christ. A steward is somebody who was entrusted with something that for a time they were to watch over and to take care of until the owner came back to receive back that which was entrusted to them.

We are stewards of God who have been entrusted with days to serve him. We've been trusted with energy to be used, to bring glory to him. We've been entrusted with talents. That we can use to bring glory to him and edify one another. We've been entrusted with gifts of the Holy Spirit to be used in his service.

All of us who are in Christ Jesus, who have received his spirit through faith in his son, have been given gifts to be used on our team. That we might succeed to the glory of our father is in heaven but You must be faithful to use them. Hebrews eleven twenty five not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Two things from that verse. Hey, keep meeting together.

Don't abandon. Congregating as a church. The word church implies that you assemble. We can't fulfill all of the purpose that God wants for us and the gifts he has given if we do not assemble together. But not only to assemble together but also to what?

Exhort. What does that mean? Means help. It means help and encourage and assist one another. God has given you gifts and the gifts he's given you is so that you can use those gifts to help me and the gifts he has given me is so I could use my gifts to help you.

He has given us differing gifts that we might help each other. He has given us different members and parts of our body so that they might help each other to perform the task that God has given. I was going to say, you know, you can't, you know, wash your face and brush your hair, you know, without your hands But you might laugh because I don't have much hair to brush. But each member is important to the other and it's fulfilling of God's task. We need to meet and assemble and then we need to encourage and help one another.

Our abilities matter little if they are unavailable for Christ's service. There are so many Christians and I'm preaching to the choir because you're here but there's so many Christians that aren't in church today. They should be. If they can be. They should be if they can be.

And only should they be in church if they can be but they should be finding a way to use their gifts to to help each other. We're in the day of the the megachurch the small local churches is languishing while the megachurch down the street is running in the thousands. And the people that come to the megachurch, 90% of them, they come and they sit there for a service. And they've done their duty for the week and they go home. And that's that's all church is.

That's not what church should be. That's part of church but that is not all church should be. This church covenant that we read a moment ago is a written document which hopefully represents the desire of our hearts and the commitment of our wills towards the Lord's body which we are joining. It is not a contract that we sign. I don't ask you to sign it.

It is not a test to be passed. It is a reminder to each member to be faithful, to fulfill the responsibilities of being a member of not only the entirety of the body of Christ but also of your local church. We agree to this not as a matter of duty but a free will as directed by the Lord and enabled by his spirit. And we are blessed by the members of this body that we have. Many of you pray for me regularly.

That is an incredible blessing. Some of you help to maintain this facility so we can meet here. Some of you teach a Sunday school class. Help with the kids on Wednesday night. Most of you give regularly so we can keep the lights on and the heat on this morning because it's kind of cold outside.

And enable me to continue to minister here as your pastor. We are we are one in Christ Jesus and we have been led here by God to be this body. The Lord is the head. He is the one in charge of our team. We each have a vital but differing roles to play.

One, we must be faithful to do our part and two, we must follow the directions of our coach. Joshua's team didn't win the last game they played and the coach was not happy. You can ask Joshua about that. The coach wasn't happy because the team did not follow what? The instructions and so they lost the game and so the coach wasn't happy.

Praise God. We have a coach who is full of love and mercy. Because we all fail. But we do have a coach who desires and has enabled us to be successful as individual children of God and as a church that he might be glorified if we will follow his directions. If we will follow the head who is Christ.

Turn if you would to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four and we will read again verses 11 through 16. We read these last Sunday morning. Ephesians four verses 11 through 16. And he that is God, Jesus Christ, gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying, or the the lifting up, the growth of the body of Christ.

Do we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect or a a complete man mature, under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. By the slide of man and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love to one another may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual, the powerful working, and the in the measure of every part make it increase of the body unto the edifying of itself. In short, the purpose of the body of the church is the advancement of itself for the glory of God, to bring glory to Jesus Christ, our savior.

Through our own spiritual growth and use of our God given gifts for the growth of the entire body. Both in number and in spiritual maturity. This is the body. Follow the head that we might grow into mature Christian believers united together in a common faith and purpose. To bring glory to our heavenly father and all that we say and do.

He has given to us each other. Notice God gave certain gifts listed in verse 11. For the perfecting or the equipping of the saints so they could do the ministry and the edifying of the body. He gave his son, apostles, and preachers, evangelists, and teachers, not as coaches off the field but more like captains and quarterbacks on the field, directing the plays. So, the team can succeed.

I am not the head of the church. I am not the head of this church. Who's the head of this church? Jesus Christ. You're not here to bring glory to me.

You're not here to make me happy. I hope you're here to make him happy. I hope we're here to bring glory to him. I hope we're here. To help each other to bring glory to him.

I hope we're here to bring in the lost that they might be saved, that we might grow, that we might bring glory to him. I hope that we're here for him today. But each of us have roles to fulfill. You might have the best quarterback in football who's trying to direct the place on the field. He might have the best arm.

He might have the best head. But if the rest of the team isn't doing his part, their part, then, having the best quarterback isn't going to win the game. Each year, I'm excited because the Redskins seem to get a new quarterback. Last year, it's been a new quarterback. Seemed like every year and they get new linemen to protect the quarterback and the linemen get hurt and then there's nobody to protect the quarterback.

So, you have this great quarterback and he can't do anything. Why? Nobody to protect him. Nobody to protect him And so he runs scared the whole game. And they lose.

If we are to succeed, we have to work together and each part is what? Each part is God has placed us here is important. To the functioning of the body. This bond and mutual hope is produced as a result of the bookends of the statement, the next paragraph in your church covenant. Christian love and shared faith.

Look at the next paragraph in the church come. We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in what? In Christian love. The motivation for service to one another must be mutual love for Christ and for each other. Or else we will not succeed.

John thirteen thirty four and thirty five. A new command I given to you That you love one another as I have loved you. That you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have what? Love one to another.

If we're simply here out of duty then you're missing the boat. The motivation for service is love. We should love one another and then the other bookend of that statement, that second paragraph there is doctrines. The last word there is doctrines. The device whereby we are edified in truth that we are knit together and unified in the faith are the doctrines that we teach and where do the doctrines come from?

Word of God the word of God I am I'm not the best storyteller in the world. So, if you come here, you're not going to hear a lot of stories. I'm I'm a terrible joke teller. So, you're probably not gonna hear very few jokes. If you laugh, it's because I probably said something, I made a mistake and it was funny and you you get that chance quite often.

But we're here to know the Lord better, to be knit together in love and in what? In faith, in the doctrines, and the word of God. So, we preach the doctrine. We preach the word of God so that we might know his will and that we might follow his will. Together.

Doctrine is important. I'll take just a few minutes to look over this list in the second paragraph before we close the service this morning. I could preach a message on each one. We won't do that today but under it says there for the advancement of the church, we engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the advancement of the church in knowledge, in knowledge. Again, as we preach and teach the word of God, knowledge is vital.

A wise person receives what? Instruction and grows in knowledge. Knowledge is vital to the growth of the church. In verse 13 of Ephesians four, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the what? And of the knowledge of the son of God.

Not just knowledge as in teaching but also knowledge as an experience. We grow in the teaching and the knowledge of the facts but also in our relationship with Jesus Christ as we work together as one body in Christ. In holiness, in holiness, that we grow into a perfect, a mature Christian to the stature, the likeness of Jesus Christ. Think I have a verse up here. First Peter 114 through 16.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to former lust and your ignorance but as he which hath called you as holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation or behavior because it is written, be you holy. For I am holy. What does it mean to be holy? It means to be like Christ. God says, He saved us that he might conform us to the image of his son.

In Romans twelve two, it says, and be not conformed to this world but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that he may prove was that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We preach God's word. We meet together. We pray for one another. We help one another that we might grow in knowledge and then in growing in knowledge, we also might become more like who?

More like Jesus Christ. In every aspect of life, in every aspect of life. That we might comfort one another. Next, one on your list there in the covenant. In knowledge, holiness, in comfort Comfort doesn't just mean to lift somebody up when they're hurting though it does include that but as we looked at from Galatians five, comfort means to help.

The comforter, the Holy Spirit has been given us to help us and we are to help one another as we looked at from Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 25 that we might exhort and be a help to one another. Helping and assisting each other through kind words, bold challenges, and sometimes necessary warnings. To promote prosperity and spirituality. If when you hear the word prosperity, what do you think of? Tell me.

Money. Do you think that's what this is taught referring to? No. No. You come here long enough, you find out this church is not about money.

Praise God the people of this church gives so this church can grow and function and minister but this church isn't about money. It's about bringing glory to God. It's about helping each other. It's about winning souls to Christ. Not about money.

The word prosperity there means to succeed, to prosper, and the thing that God has called us to and bringing glory to his name. And helping each other winning souls to Christ to grow spiritually. The second word there, spirituality means to grow spiritually, that we might grow spiritually. Together, run a journey together. We're we're all kind of different places in our our Christian growth just like all of us in this auditorium are different ages here today.

We're also different ages spiritually but but we're here as a team. To help each other as to grow together and to mature. That as it says here that we be not tossed to and fro by by every false doctrine and stuff that's tossed about in the world today that we have each other. We have the word of God and we work together to help each other to stand firm in God's word and to grow in the fruit of the spirit. Promote prosperity, spirituality, sustain its worship that we continue to what?

Assemble together and why are why are we here today? Well, we were here to help each other. True. But most of all, we're here to do what? Bring praise and glory to our heavenly father.

To sustain its worship, to be faithful, to attend the services. That is an important part of the church. To keep its ordinances, baptism, and the Lord's supper. For discipline Another form of exhortation demanding at times that we confront members of the body When necessary, who are in defiance of Christ's commands. In love, in a loving and biblical fashion.

Bible tells us how to go about this in scripture. We won't take time today to to look at all the details. There is a proper way for the church to discipline itself. And the purpose is to help each other and they confronting that which is broken that which is askew, that the body might be made healthy. And then finally, as we mentioned earlier, doctrine, the preaching and teaching, the practicing of the word of God.

That we might contend for the faith, that we might defend it, guard it, proclaim it, follow it, and then, pass it on. To the next generation. Pass it on to the next generation. So, the church might continue so that more souls might be saved. So that more Christians might be helped.

So, if the Lord might continue to be magnified, by this congregation. Generation after generation. This congregation has been meeting here in this place since the nineteen fifties. Proclaiming the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. This congregation came here from another congregation that messed up met a couple miles that direction.

It started back a couple decades before it came here. And praise God it can continue. If we as a team work together, we'll keep terms of this covenant that God has given to us to advance not just the calls of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church but the kingdom. Of Jesus Christ. Are you doing your part?

Now, if you're here and you're a visitor today and I've talked some folks over here from Minnesota. Lord, Will and they're they're they're a member of church up there and they have their own local team. We're glad they can worship with us here while they're down here. And this may not be your local team but if it isn't, then, how are you doing? In your own church.

How are we doing? Are we doing our part? Are we taking seriously the task that is laid before us? And then finally and most importantly, are you part of the entirety of the body of Christ? Because all this is for not if you don't know Christ as savior.

There's so many people that grow up in church and they might even get up here and sing and do different things and use their talents. But never trust Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of their life and if you don't know Jesus then you're not really part of the body. You don't know the head and you will not congregate to worship with him someday in heaven. You're missing out and I plead with you today. Will you come to him?

Will you trust him? And become part of his family. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word, for the opportunity you have given us to be part of your family here. Thank you Lord for that.

The privilege and for the responsibilities that follow some of which we have observed from the covenant in your word today. Lord, give us strength. Give us vision, faith, hope as we move forward. Lord, expand your body here in this place. Bring more souls to the savior.

Help us to find them and bring em in. Forgive us. For our selfish, selfishness, sometimes just downright laziness. Forgive us of thinking in our hearts. Well, that's somebody else's job.

Lord, help us to to use the gifts that you've given us. Bring glory to your name. To help each other and to bring more people in. Lord, grow us in this place spiritually. We might prosper to the glory of the head, Jesus Christ.

Lord, we pray if there's one here today that's never trusted him. Would you come as we give this hymn of invitation this morning? In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.