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“We are the Body of Christ”

(Membership Caring Month #1)

 

I want to start with something funny that I found on an internet site: A pastor visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch, he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. “Would you mind if I have a few? He asks. “No, not at all!” the woman replied. They chat for an hour and as the pastor stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. “I’m terribly sorry for eating all your peanuts. I really just meant to eat a few,” he says. “Oh, that’s all right,” the woman says. “Ever since I lost my teeth all I can do is suck the chocolate off them.”

Following Stewardship Month, we observe March as “Membership Caring Month.” Every year in January, the Annual Conference requests that all local churches submit the Statistical Report, formerly known as the Ezra Report. The name ‘Ezra Report’ is derived from the report made by the Prophet Ezra, which listed the exiles who returned from Babylon. The Annual Conference seeks to understand the status of all local churches because the United Methodist Church is a connectional church. Once we submit the report, our church committee, especially the Administrative Council, Financial, and Trustee chairs work diligently. I appreciate all our wonderful leaders.

As I review our annual report to the Conference, I approach it with empathy for each of our parishioners: who they are, what they do, and how they are involved in church ministry. In other words, we may need to remind ourselves of who we are and why we gather here every Sunday morning. That’s the reason we began to observe March as “Membership Caring Month.”

Today, as the first session of my membership sermon series, I want to talk about how “We are the Body of Christ.” When you hear a word “church,” what comes to mind first? It might be the church building. A church building is something visible that we can see and touch. When people speak of “going to church,’ they usually mean going to the church building. We often refer to the church building as “the house of God.” However, if a congregation doesn’t have a physical building and meets at a different physical location, such as a school gym, campground, or another building, to worship God, and have fellowship in Christ, can we still call that place a church?

We may call it, a “Faith Community,” “a Fellowship Community,” or “a Family in Jesus Christ,” which means that the church encompasses not only building, but also its “people.” The church refers to the community of believers. If you believe in Jesus Christ and have given your heart to Him, then you are part of the church. The church is its people—those who have one thing in common: they believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for salvation. You are the church.

The church is unlike any other group on earth. It is not a civic club or social organization, which means church doesn’t request “dues,” and has no qualifications for membership. Everyone can be part of the church, regardless of age (even babies), gender, ethnic background, economic status, or any other boundaries. You can simply be part of the church as you are because Jesus loves you. Jesus died for everyone who believed, believes, and will believe. In other words, if you love Jesus, and believe Him to be your Savior, that’s enough to be part of the church. So, let’s say to the next person, “You are the church.” Yes, you are the church, and we are the church.

Today’s scripture describes church as “the body of Christ.” Just as our physical bodies have several parts that function differently yet support one another, so too are we one body in Jesus Christ. If one member faces trouble, we all struggle together to find a solution. If someone is weak, the stronger members may assist. When one experiences joy, we all rejoice together. Within this body, some may work harder than others, like hands or feet; some may work as the brain, envisioning and planning; others may act as eyes or ears; and some as the mouth. However, whatever role you fulfill, it is essential to be mindful of glorifying Jesus Christ and carrying out His work, recognizing that you are a part of the body of Christ. Our physical bodies are not made of all ears without arms, or only eyes without legs. Similarly, the church, as the body of Christ is composed of individual persons with diverse gifts and abilities.

Many things happen when the body of Christ gathers because we are all different, bringing diverse knowledge and experiences. Therefore, we open our hearts and minds to one another as we learn and study together in order to grow in faith and worship One God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we laugh together; sometimes we cry together. This is what we call “fellowship.”

“Fellowship’ is a crucial part of church activities, particularly because people often move around in our society, making it easy to feel alone. Young people change schools or workplaces and move from place to place, leaving friends and families behind. Families often experience changes that lead to losing close relationships. Some individuals don’t even know the names of their next-door neighbors, while others may feel unwelcome in their own homes.

Part of the church’s purpose is to provide a space where people can develop loving, caring friendships with other believers in Jesus Christ. Among the resolutions we have for our church, there is a question: “What do you want our church to be?” Some of you answered, “A safe and comfortable space.” Yes, it is more important to make the church a safe and comfortable space than simply increasing the number of church members.

Of course, I don’t mean to say that increasing church membership is not important. It certainly is. To address this, the church— the people of God— must become a bridge between God and those who do not know Him. The purpose of the church includes worship, study, and fellowship. However, Jesus gave the church another reason for its existence.

Several weeks after his resurrection, Jesus was prepared to return to his heavenly Father. Just before he ascended into heaven in a cloud, he gave his disciples some final instructions. These words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, are known as the “Great Commission” of the church: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the mission Jesus gave to us. In other words, we are called to reach out to people, invite them to the church, study and learn together, and grow in faith to become disciples of Jesus Christ. In accordance with Jesus’ commandment, we have crafted our church mission statement: “Let us make disciples for Jesus Christ of all generations with open hearts, open minds, and open the doors for the transformation of the world.” We Particularly focus on all generations to make disciples for Jesus Christ, emphasizing our work in youth and children’s ministry. We are a church that gathers together in the body of Christ, worships God and shares fellowship in the love of Jesus Christ, and cares for one another through the Holy Spirit.

Moreover, we see ourselves as a bridge between God and His people. To fulfill this, we engage in mission projects both locally and globally. If we fail to be a bridge between church and the community, the church risks losing its mission and purpose as given us by Jesus. Even though we may be a smaller church, we are committed to fulfilling our mission to the best of our ability. This is why the church exists. Let us always remember that we are the church, no matter what we do and where we go. Thanks be to God. Amen!

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Posted in Sermons