1 Corinthians 11:12-19

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

-1 Corinthians 11:12-19

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Some of you are talented at sports.  Others are really good at specific academic subjects.  Some of you have wonderful musical abilities.  Others have the gift of compassion.  Some of you are blessed with material and financial abundance.  The list can go on and on.  The point though is that there isn’t a single person who is good at everything and has everything.  We were made to be interdependent on each other.  

This is why the Apostle Paul compares us to different parts of the human body.  Just like how every organ is required for the whole human to survive and thrive, the same is true for the church—the Christian community.  We need each other.

Our society tells us that we need to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.  Even our movie heroes like James Bond  speaks to self-sufficiency.  James Bond works alone and has enough talent, wit, sexual attraction and athleticism to stand against global villains wanting to destroy the world.  That’s pure fiction.  No spy program in the world has just one agent who does it all.  The CIA or MI-5 have thousands of agents all working together to defend their respective nations.

Self-sufficiency and self-reliance is one of the greatest spiritual lies of all time.  That’s why Adam & Eve ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden.  Satan promised them self-sufficiency.  “Eat this and you will be like God.”  Which means, they won’t need God anymore because they can be self-sufficient.

Don’t fall into the trap of self-sufficiency.  We need our faith community and our faith community needs us.

Are you depending on your faith community?  Are you allowing your faith community to depend on you?

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

-1 Corinthians 12:4-11

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The purpose of God’s gifts to us is to be a blessing to our community.  We live in such an individualistic and capitalistic world that we have been conditioned to think selfishly of our gifts—spiritual, material, or otherwise.  The common selfish mindset is always, “How can this benefit me?”

So when we pray, we pray often for ourselves in mind and not for others in mind.  For example, we oftentimes pray, “God help me to get into a good college” because we want to get into a good school and get a good job and make good money for ourselves.  There are very few people, even Christians, who pray, “God help me to get into a good college so I can be a blessing to others.”  I’m not sure I’ve even heard that prayer prayed out loud before.

As Christians, we can’t see our gifts as only for us.  The sole purpose of God’s to us is always to benefit the community.  Think of all the gifts God has given you.  Start asking Him, “God, how can I use this for the community?  What do you want me to do?”

1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. -1 Corinthians 12:1-3

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Faith itself is a miracle.  Left up to our own human devices, we would always turn away from God.  The Bible actually tells us that no one seeks God, not even one.  And here, in this passage the Apostle Paul shares that anyone who even accepts Jesus as God can only do so because their hearts and minds have been touched by the Holy Spirit.

If you believe in Jesus, that’s because the Holy Spirit has touched your heart.  If you’re struggling to believe, it’s because the Holy Spirit is working on your heart helping you to even want to believe.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving today, let us give thanks to God and His Holy Spirit for touching our hearts.  We can’t even have faith without the Holy Spirit’s help.

1 Corinthians 11:27-34

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

And when I come I will give further directions.

-1 Corinthians 11:27-34

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As we shared yesterday, the ritual of Communion connect us with other Christians present, past, and future.  When the Apostle Paul warns against partaking Communion in an unworthy manner he was specifically addressed the situation in Corinth where wealthy Christians have basically shunned the poorer Christians.  So when Paul tells us to examine ourselves before we take Communion, he is asking us to look at our relationship with the church and with the members of the church.  Are we doing anything to hinder those relationships?  Are we trying our best to live as brothers and sisters in Christ?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. -1 Corinthians 11:23-26

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Traditions are an important part of a person’s heritage and upbringing.  They remind us of what is important and connect with us to all those in the past who practice those same exact traditions.  This passage talks about a super important tradition in Christianity called Communion, or sometimes known as the Eucharist.

At church the believer would be given a piece of bread or cracker and also some grape juice.  They are to eat the piece of bread and drink the juice as a reminder that Jesus allowed his body to be broken and his blood to be shed for our sins.  The Apostle Paul who wrote this letter to the Corinthians practiced this tradition and just this past Sunday, I did so, too.  Due to the pandemic, we had to do it at home via Zoom.  But Maria and I watched a dozen of our church members all eat the bread and drink the juice together.

It symbolizes our connection to each other, to believers in the past, and to God.  It reminds us that we’re all in the same boat.  We were all spiritual lost and far from God and now we’ve all been saved no matter who we are.  This is why Communion is so significant.

The next time you partake in Communion, think about your connection to the Apostle Paul, think about your connection to other brothers and sisters in Christ, and think about your connection with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! -1 Corinthians 11:17-22

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We need to care for the WHOLE church.  For those of you who attend church, when you go there’s always like your own clique that you chill with and that you’re comfortable with.  Same thing with Harvesters.  When we were meeting in-person, people would sit next to their friends and so forth.  There’s nothing wrong with having friends that you are close to.  But, the Bible does tell us that we need to be concerned not just for our friends but for everyone who is part of our faith family.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul was concerned about the cliques that have formed in the church that were not getting along.  A lot of those cliques were based upon wealth.  So the wealthy people would get together to eat while ignoring or living out Christians who were poorer and didn’t have an abundance of food.  Paul is calling the wealthy Christians out saying this is messed up.  We can’t just be concerned about ourselves and our clique, we need to love and care for every person in the church.

Likewise, in Harvesters, we can’t just care for our friends.  Every person who is part of the Harvesters family should be important to you.  This doesn’t mean we’re going to be best friends with everyone at Harvesters, but it does mean that we have the mindset of wanting to connect and reach out to other members that we may not be as familiar with.  It’s an attitude and a frame of mind.

At church or at Harvesters, do you just stick with your own group or do you make an effort to try to get to know someone that you may not  know that well?  Are you sticking with your own clique or are you reaching out?

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.

7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

-1 Corinthians 11:2-16

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One of the most difficult things to figure out in the Bible is if a passage is speaking to a cultural ethos pertinent only to that time period or does it apply universally even for Christians today.

Most Christians interpret the act of a woman covering her head at a church service to be specific to the culture of the time.  Not many churches I know have women covering their heads.  Even the Apostle Paul admits this is a cultural practice when he writes, “We have no other practice.”  Well, two thousands years later, churches look a lot different than during Paul’s time.  So by tradition, this part of the passage is interpreted as being time and culturally specific.

But there are some truths in here that many Christian scholars deem universal—that they apply even today.

The first is the equality and mutual submission between genders.  Paul writes, “in the Lord the woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.”  Both need one another and not one is more important than the other.

If men and women are equal then why does Paul write that “the head of the woman is man.”  What’s up with that?  That doesn’t sound equal at all.

Pastor Tim Keller in his most famous series of sermons on marriage explains this command as a necessary tie-breaker in marriage.  If a married couple are both committed to Jesus, they will agree on the important things 99% of the time.  But that 1% when the disagree, they can stuck unless a tie-breaker is appointed.  The man is given that responsibility of breaking the tie, but a godly husband uses that right with great restraint and only with what is best in mind for his wife.  He sees his headship not as privilege to abuse and lord it over his wife, but as another mechanism in which he can serve her. 

Equality and mutual submission is always at the heart of our relationships with the opposite gender.