APOSTOLIC ACTING OUT
IF WE ARE THE BODY....
Scripture text – 1 Corinthians 12:27 – “27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing? If we are the body, why aren’t His feet going? Why aren’t His words teaching? Why is His love not showing there is a way?
Jesus always used his arms to reach out while he walked the earth like it says in Mark 10:16 – “16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
If we are the body of Christ, we need to reach out with loving arms to this lost world and be a positive example to show that we are Christians. Christian means Christ-like. If we are the body of Christ, we are also a temple of the Holy Ghost like it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “19What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
So the outreaching part of the body of Christ is your arms. So reach out to this lost world with arms wide open just like Jesus did when he walked the earth. Now we are the body of Jesus walking the earth so now it is our turn.
Just like the prophets of old, when they performed great works of faith, they were reaching out to the idol worshippers like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40 – at the victory on Mount Carmel. Elijah’s like, “Bring on the showdown. How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, then follow Him, but if Baal is god, then follow him. There are 450 prophets of Baal and just one of me so it should be no problem to get his attention and show everyone here today that if he’s the real god, he’ll have to send fire down. So they began to shout, run around, and cut themselves, but Baal made no reply. So Elijah yelled, maybe he’s sleeping, or busy, or traveling, or using the bathroom, or deeply thinking. So Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and built an altar of sacrifice. He dug up a trench and cut up a bull and placed it on the wood and poured four jars of water all around. He said pour them again and pour them a third time until the whole sacrifice had been soaked down to the overflowing trenches. Water rolled out of the trenches, and Elijah prayed, Lord God of Israel, let it be known today that you are God and I pray that You answer and turn their hearts back to You again. Let the fire fall and burn it all. Let it rain down.”
What did Jesus use of his body to perform healings? If you look in Matthew 8:3 – “3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
So again, while Jesus walked the earth, He used his hands for healing. If we are the body, then we should lay hands on the sick and they will recover like it says in Mark 16:18 – “18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” And in James 5:14 – “14Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”
The ultimate example of Jesus using his hands and arms was when His hands were nailed to the cross and His arms were wide open to show how much love he has for the world and that if you run to him, you will be set free because on that cross, he set the world free from the bondage of sin. His feet were also nailed to that cross which leads to the next part of our body of Christ.
Jesus Christ never strayed away into where He knew He would get into trouble. He only went to share what was written in the law and recruit people to follow Him. Again this is what He did while His feet walked the earth. Now it is our time to be His feet and go where He would go. It says in Deuteronomy 11:24 – “24Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be your’s: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.”
This proves that no matter where you go or what you encounter, God will always guide your feet to find righteousness and new souls to recruit, as long as you ask Him for His guidance like it says in Psalm 37:23 – “23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”
So when your feet go in these ways in which the Lord guides you in, then He will make opportunities for you to reach souls and tell them which way the feet of the body of Christ walk, which is in Matthew 7:13-14 – “13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
This is not the popular way according to the world; because to them it would not be “fun” to live the way Christ wants us. But it says in Proverbs 14:12 – “12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” And it also says in James 1:14-15 – “14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
This just proves that the world’s “fun” always leads to death in one way or another. You can always link every sin to death, in one way or another, whether it be fornication, which leads to STD’s and AIDS; or alcohol which leads to liver disease and kidney cancer; or drugs which leads to lung cancer, brain damage, and heart failures.
Fun in Christ leads to joy, happiness, and everlasting life. Just to follow the strait and narrow path will get rewarded in the end with everlasting life.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, not only did He walk the walk, but also He talked the talk. At age 12, He started teaching about the doctrine as it says in Luke 2:42-49 – “42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
We need to talk the talk also and show the world how the body of Christ speaks in Luke 6:45 – “45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
So like it says in Psalm 119:11 – “11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If we have the word hid in our hearts then we can spread the gospel to the nation and the world; teaching them the wonderful ways of the word, not the world.
In the wilderness, each time Jesus was tempted, He always referred to what was written as it says in Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 – “4But he answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE.”
There are simple ways to fight off the devil in confronting trouble in witnessing. In James 2:19 – “19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
So that would be a good way for the body of Christ to start out when witnessing; by using our words to send the devil trembling, and send him fleeing by using the one God’s name – Jesus.
When Jesus was on the earth, He showed to everybody, who had the great privilege to walk and talk with Him, great love from His heart. It did not matter what their opinion of Him was, whether they hated Him or loved Him. He loved everyone the same. All His earthly life was spent leading by example; like getting baptized, fasting for forty days, and loving everybody.
Finally, it is our time to prove to the world, that Jesus Christ, the only living God, is still alive and is the same yesterday, today, and forever like it says in Hebrews 13:8 – “8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” And we need to be an example like He was. Jesus tells us one important rule that the heart of the body of Christ, which is the church, is supposed to show in Matthew 5:43-44 – “43Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Then the ultimate example of God’s love for us, when Christ died for us like it says in John 15:12-13 – “12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
So as a Christian, which in my opinion is a modern day earthly Christ, lets show this outstanding love to our world from the heart of the body of Christ; speak the truth and share God’s greatness from the words of the body of Christ; walk by faith and not by sight like it says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” Let’s walk wherever God leads us to find souls to recruit; pray for the sick by laying our hands of the body of Christ on them and they recover by faith; and with our arms of the body of Christ wide open in love welcoming anyone and everyone who finally comes to know Jesus.
If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing? If we are the body, why aren’t His feet going? Why aren’t His words teaching? Why is His love not showing there is a way?
Jesus always used his arms to reach out while he walked the earth like it says in Mark 10:16 – “16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
If we are the body of Christ, we need to reach out with loving arms to this lost world and be a positive example to show that we are Christians. Christian means Christ-like. If we are the body of Christ, we are also a temple of the Holy Ghost like it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “19What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
So the outreaching part of the body of Christ is your arms. So reach out to this lost world with arms wide open just like Jesus did when he walked the earth. Now we are the body of Jesus walking the earth so now it is our turn.
Just like the prophets of old, when they performed great works of faith, they were reaching out to the idol worshippers like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40 – at the victory on Mount Carmel. Elijah’s like, “Bring on the showdown. How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, then follow Him, but if Baal is god, then follow him. There are 450 prophets of Baal and just one of me so it should be no problem to get his attention and show everyone here today that if he’s the real god, he’ll have to send fire down. So they began to shout, run around, and cut themselves, but Baal made no reply. So Elijah yelled, maybe he’s sleeping, or busy, or traveling, or using the bathroom, or deeply thinking. So Elijah took twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and built an altar of sacrifice. He dug up a trench and cut up a bull and placed it on the wood and poured four jars of water all around. He said pour them again and pour them a third time until the whole sacrifice had been soaked down to the overflowing trenches. Water rolled out of the trenches, and Elijah prayed, Lord God of Israel, let it be known today that you are God and I pray that You answer and turn their hearts back to You again. Let the fire fall and burn it all. Let it rain down.”
What did Jesus use of his body to perform healings? If you look in Matthew 8:3 – “3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
So again, while Jesus walked the earth, He used his hands for healing. If we are the body, then we should lay hands on the sick and they will recover like it says in Mark 16:18 – “18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” And in James 5:14 – “14Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”
The ultimate example of Jesus using his hands and arms was when His hands were nailed to the cross and His arms were wide open to show how much love he has for the world and that if you run to him, you will be set free because on that cross, he set the world free from the bondage of sin. His feet were also nailed to that cross which leads to the next part of our body of Christ.
Jesus Christ never strayed away into where He knew He would get into trouble. He only went to share what was written in the law and recruit people to follow Him. Again this is what He did while His feet walked the earth. Now it is our time to be His feet and go where He would go. It says in Deuteronomy 11:24 – “24Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be your’s: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.”
This proves that no matter where you go or what you encounter, God will always guide your feet to find righteousness and new souls to recruit, as long as you ask Him for His guidance like it says in Psalm 37:23 – “23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”
So when your feet go in these ways in which the Lord guides you in, then He will make opportunities for you to reach souls and tell them which way the feet of the body of Christ walk, which is in Matthew 7:13-14 – “13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
This is not the popular way according to the world; because to them it would not be “fun” to live the way Christ wants us. But it says in Proverbs 14:12 – “12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” And it also says in James 1:14-15 – “14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
This just proves that the world’s “fun” always leads to death in one way or another. You can always link every sin to death, in one way or another, whether it be fornication, which leads to STD’s and AIDS; or alcohol which leads to liver disease and kidney cancer; or drugs which leads to lung cancer, brain damage, and heart failures.
Fun in Christ leads to joy, happiness, and everlasting life. Just to follow the strait and narrow path will get rewarded in the end with everlasting life.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, not only did He walk the walk, but also He talked the talk. At age 12, He started teaching about the doctrine as it says in Luke 2:42-49 – “42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
We need to talk the talk also and show the world how the body of Christ speaks in Luke 6:45 – “45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
So like it says in Psalm 119:11 – “11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
If we have the word hid in our hearts then we can spread the gospel to the nation and the world; teaching them the wonderful ways of the word, not the world.
In the wilderness, each time Jesus was tempted, He always referred to what was written as it says in Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 – “4But he answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, THOU SHALT NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE.”
There are simple ways to fight off the devil in confronting trouble in witnessing. In James 2:19 – “19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
So that would be a good way for the body of Christ to start out when witnessing; by using our words to send the devil trembling, and send him fleeing by using the one God’s name – Jesus.
When Jesus was on the earth, He showed to everybody, who had the great privilege to walk and talk with Him, great love from His heart. It did not matter what their opinion of Him was, whether they hated Him or loved Him. He loved everyone the same. All His earthly life was spent leading by example; like getting baptized, fasting for forty days, and loving everybody.
Finally, it is our time to prove to the world, that Jesus Christ, the only living God, is still alive and is the same yesterday, today, and forever like it says in Hebrews 13:8 – “8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” And we need to be an example like He was. Jesus tells us one important rule that the heart of the body of Christ, which is the church, is supposed to show in Matthew 5:43-44 – “43Ye have heard that it hath been said, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, AND HATE THINE ENEMY. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Then the ultimate example of God’s love for us, when Christ died for us like it says in John 15:12-13 – “12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
So as a Christian, which in my opinion is a modern day earthly Christ, lets show this outstanding love to our world from the heart of the body of Christ; speak the truth and share God’s greatness from the words of the body of Christ; walk by faith and not by sight like it says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” Let’s walk wherever God leads us to find souls to recruit; pray for the sick by laying our hands of the body of Christ on them and they recover by faith; and with our arms of the body of Christ wide open in love welcoming anyone and everyone who finally comes to know Jesus.
