One Baptism–One Body

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

When you are dealing with the body of Christ, no one is inferior.

Every Christian has at least one gift.

When we know what our spiritual gifts are, we can develop them, discipline them, dedicate them, and use them.

In order to function how God wants believers to function, we must understand what He says about the body of Christ.

Three considerations of the body of Christ that will help us function as God intends:

-       The picture of the church as a body.

• Jesus is the head of the body, the Holy Spirit is the life, and the church is the physical and earthly body.
• The church, like a body, is a living organism that grows and serves. 
• The body can decay. Spots are caused by defilement on the outside, and wrinkles are caused by decay on the inside.
• The Holy Spirit never gets old; He keeps the church young.
• In the human body we have diversity, just like the church.
• There is unity in diversity because all members of the body have different gifts.

-       The process of the Holy Spirit baptizing members of the body.

• Water never put anybody in the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit does that.
• The baptism of the Spirit is experience by all believers when they are saved.
• Once we are in the body of Christ there are no distinctions between members of the body.
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit means I belong to Christ’s body, the filling of the Spirit means my body belongs to Him.
• Baptism confers spiritual gifts on believers; the filling of the Spirit allows us to use those gifts.
• We do not seek to be continually baptized in the Spirit, but to be continually filled so that we can use our gifts to build up the church.
• Don’t use your spiritual gifts in your own energy.

-       The privileges of being part of the body.

• We belong to each other.
• No part of our body can function alone.
• Because we belong to each other we do not have to envy each other.
• We need each other because we all have different gifts that are all important.
• We affect each other.
• When you are healthy you can help other parts of the body function.
• The body of Christ should care for the parts that are suffering.

Each member of the body of Christ must accept itself in order to function.

Do not be something God did not intend you to be.

We must be ourselves and give of ourselves as God has gifted us.

When the body is functioning properly, all glory goes to God.

Are you a functioning part of the body of Christ?