Hello, you are listening to Second City Sermons,
a ministry of Second City Church in midtown Harrisburg.
This fall, we're studying the book of Second
Corinthians. Second Corinthians is a heartfelt
and practical book calling us back to the life
of the cross. We, like the Corinthians, so often
pursue glory, admire eloquence, shun suffering,
hide hurt, and hoard our goods. And yet the gospel
of Jesus tells us that resurrection comes after
a cross. that comfort comes after being crushed,
that the way up is the way down, that the way
to glory is through suffering, that his strength
is made perfect in our weakness. We'd love to
meet you and we hope you'll consider coming and
joining with us each Sunday morning at 10 a .m.
in the heart of Midtown Harrisburg. You can find
us online at secondcitychurch .org and on Facebook,
Instagram, and YouTube. We hope you enjoy this
sermon. God bless. Let me read for us 2 Corinthians
7, 13, down to 8, verse 2 again. And His affection
for you is even greater as He remembers the obedience
of you all, how you received Him with fear and
trembling, I rejoice because I have complete
confidence in you. We want you to know, brothers,
about the grace of God that has been given among
the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test
of affliction, their abundance of joy and their
extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of
generosity on their part. Let me pray for us.
Lord God Almighty, we pray you would bless both
the reading of your word and the preaching of
your word. God, open our hearts to you and to
one another. Knit us together as one body, we
pray. Amen. All right. I want to say it's lovely
to be with all of you. Certainly it's a little
bit of a different Sunday and it's a joy to have
different Sundays, particularly with other Christians
who worship in our own space. It's just wonderful
to gather together. We have been studying the
book of 2 Corinthians this fall and like 1 Corinthians,
part of the great lesson of 2 Corinthians, is
the reality of the Church of Jesus reflecting
the reality of God the Father, God the Son, God
the Holy Spirit, one yet many, one yet diverse.
The body of Christ, when enlivened by the Spirit
of God, reflects this reality of living as the
children of the Father. So some of you will remember
this. We moved here nearly 10 and a half years
ago, and an early illustration that I gave, and
I don't remember even what I was illustrating
necessarily. It's going to use, maybe it's a
similar illustration this morning, but an early
illustration that I gave was that early when
Lily was born, I heard from a number of people
at our church that we moved from in Richmond
that Lily was Peter in a dress. That is a funny
idea, but praise the Lord. More and more, she
resembles the heart and body and being of her
mother and certainly her own person. But the
fact is that it's true, right? Children resemble
us in all kinds of different ways, uniquely,
but they resemble us. Their bodies and their
hearts and their minds are reflections often
of their parents and of the communities that
they're surrounded by. So if I ask you a question,
this question, I will tell you there's many answers.
Actually, there's a number of answers you could
give. It's not indefinite. But if I ask you the
question, where is the body of Christ? There's
a few answers you could give. In Paul's writings,
you can think of about four ways he uses this.
You can think of the body of Christ in his incarnation.
God took on flesh. He walked among us. You can
think, Or you can hear in Paul the body of Christ
in light of the resurrection and the ascension.
Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.
The reality of the body of Christ seated at the
right hand of the Father. You can hear the body
of Christ in Holy Communion. The bread broken.
This is my body broken for you. Think of the
blood shed in the wine that we share together.
One loaf, one cup. Because there is one body.
You can also hear of the body of Christ in the
mystical union of the church. The church itself
is said to be the very body of Christ. Those
individuals gathered together in a corporate
body who have faith in the work of the Lord Jesus.
Think with me, if you can, of Acts chapter 9.
There, Paul, he wasn't yet called Paul, he was
called Saul. He was on the road to Damascus and
he was on his way to arrest men and women who
were following the way of Jesus. If you know
the story, he had actually first been mentioned
a couple chapters earlier in chapter seven, where
he was standing over those who were putting their
coats at his feet, which was to say he was presiding
over in an authoritative way, the stoning to
death of Stephen, giving testimony to the work
of Christ. But then he was on this road to Damascus
to do the same thing. kill those who were following
in the footsteps of Jesus who were part of his
body. And there he was literally blinded by the
light right there on the road. And he hears a
voice saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
me? And what's his response? Who are you Lord?
And the voice from heaven speaks back, I am Jesus
whom you are persecuting. Which is to say there
is such a union between the followers of Christ,
between the brothers and sisters of the way,
the men and women whom he was seeking out, and
Jesus, that he could say, you are persecuting
Not my followers, that's not what he says. He
says, you're persecuting me. I'm Jesus whom you're
persecuting. You could say there's such a union
between Christ and his people, between the head
and the body, between the groom and the bride,
that Jesus can say that his church, which Saul
was persecuting, is him. The church as the body
of Christ is no small thing in the New Testament,
particularly not in Paul's writings, but maybe
specifically actually in the Corinthian texts.
Think of 1 Corinthians chapter 12. I hope you
know that chapter. There's the famous verses
about the eyes and hands and the feet there,
right? What he says is, hey, the eyes can't stay
to the hands. Ah, I don't need you. I'm just
good looking. And the hands can't say to the
feet, I don't need you. I'm just good at the
grabbing stuff, right? Can't do that. In fact,
there in verse 27, he says, now you are, which
is wild. He doesn't say you are like, it's not
a similitude. It's like ontology. It's their
being. You are the body of Christ and individual
members of it. Such a union between Christ and
his body. The church, the collective of Christians
in their unity of individual parts is the visible
expression of Jesus. And this of course means
a lot of things. It means that ministry is not
for the few, right? That's part of the tech,
part of the point is you can't just have the
church. I've said this before, particularly in
our membership classes, New Begin says the church
is not a bag full of eyeballs. That's a picture
for us. It means mutual respect between different
members. It means interdependency. We actually
need each other. It means most of all that the
body finds its life and its direction through
the head, our Lord Jesus Himself. We're governed
by Him. We're given our movements and our direction.
We find our life blood through Him. So we come
to this text in 2 Corinthians chapter 7 to the
beginning of 8. And I want to point out just
a couple things that we find, and this is throughout
Paul's letter, but I think particularly right
here also we get this. And what we find is the
gifts of the individuals and the necessity of
the gifts of the individuals, and also the gifts
of the collective, okay? So, the gift of the
individual. I said, you know, part of the point
in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, is that the eye
is not the hand, and the hand is not the foot,
you know? And that because of that, we can't
say to each other, I don't need you. I don't
have any need of you. Rather that each and every
one of us, in the various ways that you specifically
have been gifted, are necessary for the life
of the body to work properly. And so, Paul begins
this passage in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 13, with
saying, we are comforted. But then he goes on
most of that paragraph to talk about Titus and
Titus's presence in his life and Titus's presence
in the Corinthians life. So what's going on?
Titus is mentioned nine times in the book of
2 Corinthians. He's by far in a way the greatest
individual who's mentioned in the book, nine
times he's mentioned. And seven of those nine
times are mentioned right here in chapters seven
and eight. The first time is back in chapter
two. And some of you might remember when we look
at this, because Paul says there, my spirit was
not at rest because I did not find my brother
Titus there. Let me help you remember this. So
Paul says he had gone to Troas and he says there
was a door opened for him for the gospel there
in Troas, which is like a missionary's dream,
right? Or a pastor's dream. It's just clear that
God is at work. And yet he says, my spirit was
not at rest because I didn't find my brother.
We know he didn't stay there because Titus wasn't
present with him in the work he was given to
do. So they left and they go on. to Macedonian,
which is to say, as great as the opportunity
was, he wouldn't take it without his right arm,
without the hand, the eye, the foot. Then in
chapter seven, verse six, he said he was comforted
by Titus. Here in 13, he says that the Corinthian
church as a whole was comforted by Titus. And
I'm not going to go through all the different
references there, the nine different references
to Titus, but part of the point is that the ministry
of Paul is dependent on this other, this other
individual, and the comfort and the joy of the
collective body of the Corinthians was dependent
on Titus, gift of the individual, the specific
person that is part of this greater body. What's
certainly clear here in this passage in 2nd Corinthians
is the necessity of the gifts of each individual.
Paul says when he's talking about the body of
the Church of Jesus in Ephesians chapter 4, which
is another one of the great passages of the body
that Paul has for us, he says when each part
is working properly, makes the body to grow so
that it builds itself up in love, And what that
implies is that when each part of the body is
not working properly, the collective doesn't
reflect the body properly. Each individual offers
something that is necessary. So the gift of the
individual, but think of that passage in Ephesians
chapter four, when each part is working properly.
And so let's think of a few ways in which maybe
the individual parts don't work terribly well.
That we suffer from different illnesses in the
body when each individual part isn't properly
working So think about amputation, you know the
idea maybe there in in In second or first Corinthians
chapter 12. I have no need of you. Let's cut
you off. Okay? Sometimes we cut our ourselves
off from the body. I Don't think you actually
need this hand This this foot is not helpful.
I am NOT helpful We don't maybe want to commit
to the idea of interdependency. For the hand
to thrive, it actually has to be connected well.
We draw back from costly shared life together.
We check out. We find worship as an option when
convenient. We decide that there are times when
our part of the body isn't needed. But the amputated
limb can't live, and what remains of the body
cannot function well. Each part is needed. Think
of elephantitis. I'm not sure if you say that
right, and I was surprised when I actually was
looking up these different ideas that that's
a word, and it's a disease. It's actually when
a limb swells up due to a parasitic worm that
blocks limb fluids. I don't really understand
that. You get the idea. Elephantitis. Something
gets enlarged. A member, let's just be honest,
often a pastor has an inflated view of themselves.
And what happens then in the body of the church
is that others don't have the opportunity to
actually use their gifts. So much energy is being
used for this inflated part that the others become
diminished. Think of atrophy, somewhat related.
Members just sitting in the pews, keeping them
warm. Church becomes spectacle, right? Something
to simply observe, to take in, rather than participation.
When you sit there, when one part of the body
doesn't exercise its muscles, what happens? It
atrophies. Your spiritual life atrophies when
you do this? The body as a whole, our spiritual
life atrophies when we do this. Even the strength
that you once had begins to diminish and the
health of the body as a whole weakens. Think
of fractures in our bones. I've only had one
of those actually in my life. I was going off
a big jump on a snowboard and I smashed my thumb
and I had to tape it. I couldn't use my hand
for a while while it healed. Think of fractures
in the body. Church members fall out with one
another, and your falling out with another individual
is never just about the two people who fall out
in the life of the body. It never is. That fracture
affects how the entire body is allowed to function.
Paul in 1 Corinthians tells them, don't take
one another to court. Deal with it inside. Why
would he do that? Because he knows that if there's
this great fraction that takes place, even among
these two individuals, the whole body will be
harmed. Of course, we could keep going, but if
a church is to be the body of Christ, and if
the body is to grow so that it builds itself
up in love, then each and every part must bring
the gifts that it's been given. Paul, both in
his ministry of preaching in Troas and in his
comfort over his concern for the church in Corinth,
both of those things needed Titus, which say
without him, they actually couldn't really happen.
Titus isn't a take it or leave it figure in these
communities or with Paul. And here's what comes
out of that. Neither are you. You are not. Each
and every one of you are an important member
of the body. And without you, it does not grow.
It does not function. It does not build itself
up properly in love. You are an essential member
of the body of Christ. If you are getting a little
older, we celebrated Mary turning 97 last week.
She's an essential part of this body. You are
if you are a young one in our nursery. I know
some of our nursery folk are watching right now.
You are an essential part of the body of Christ.
If you are a young parent with little kids just
frazzled, you bring an essential part of the
body to this life together. You are if you are
a single adult. Now often churches are full of
family ministries. single adults, you are loved
and you are needed. You are essential to the
body working properly. The gifts of the individual.
But there is actually this flip side in this
passage, and I was so glad when this passage
kind of landed on this Sunday that we get to
gather together with part of our Kenya Rwandan
Fellowship that meets in the afternoons. Because
this passage really is not just talking about
the necessity and the gifts of the individual,
but as soon as you turn to the next chapter,
it gets to the idea of the gifts and the necessity
of the collective. Okay? So just as we know,
the gifts of the Father and the gifts of the
Son and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In theology,
we call this the economic working of the Trinity,
that they have different... different ways in
which they are working out for our salvation,
working their gifts out for our salvation. Well,
we know the gift of receiving God as Trinity,
also collectively, God comes to us as Father,
as Son, and as Spirit, but also as one, as collective.
The gifts of the individual and the gifts of
the collective are for the church, too. Both
of them reflect God. So, chapter 8, Chapter 8
is mostly, and Adjad preached a couple weeks
ago about that and did a very fine job. Most
specifically, it's about giving, and it's about
giving particularly for the needs of the church
in Jerusalem. Paul, this is a big part of Paul's
mission actually. He mentions this collection
actually at the end of 1 Corinthians in chapter
16. He also mentions it in Galatians, and we
know that he did get back to Jerusalem. you know,
Acts chapter 21. But there's a very important
lesson that's taking place in those little verses
that I read for you in the beginning of chapter
eight regarding the body of Christ. Because there
are very, very clear texts, like the ones I've
mentioned, Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12,
that talk about the necessity of each individual.
But it's also true that there's a necessity of
the collective body working together, that as
we as individuals work together well, we build
up the collective properly. So, in chapter eight,
verse one, He wants the Corinthian church to
know about the grace of God that has been given,
he says, among the churches in Macedonia, which
is a region, but we know those are collective
bodies within that region. Think of the churches
of Macedonia. You can think of the Church of
Philippi or the Church of Thessalonica. It's
almost like he's mentioning Macedonia as a presbytery,
that whole region of churches, but then he mentions
them together. There's a benefit to the collective.
And he's saying, that as bodies, they are collectively
part of the gift of God to the church. The part
of sharing the gifts of the collective body is
part of sharing the grace of God, he says. And
I think what's really lovely about this too is
that what's very clear in that passage in chapter
eight, even in these first few verses, is that
he doesn't equate sharing the gifts with some
kind of extraordinary means. He's not like, oh
man, these people have their music together.
You might know this, there's four big musical
groups that put out like 90 % of church music
now, Hillsong and Bethel and places like that.
He's not looking at like, oh man, these people,
I've got to tell you about. them because of this
extraordinary thing. He says it's actually out
of their poverty that they share. It's out of
their weakness that they actually extend the
gift of the grace of God. Maybe we can say it's
actually out of their poverty that they reflect
God in a unique way as the one who became poor
that we might become rich. But all this is to
say is that we need one another and we don't
just need one another in the individual sense,
but we need one another in the collective sense.
Which is to say, Kenyarwand and speaking brothers
and sisters, it is a gift to us that you are
in our space and part of a broader collective,
right? Different bodies that we can look at and
say, thanks be to God, because you offer us something
and we grow because of you. Let me just mention
a couple fairly simple and maybe obvious things.
We know the reality of a God who is over all
things by the fact that different languages praise
him. We know the reality of a God who's over
all things by people from different countries
praising him. We know the joy of the promise
that we have that every tribe and tongue Right?
We'll praise Him by the fact that in our space
on Sunday afternoons, a different language is
praising the very same God. What a gift to us!
I mean, that's a gift to my children, to know
the great global reality of the body of Christ.
It is a gift, and it's a collective gift that
you sort of offer as an individual, but not remotely
in the same way. You help us know Jesus better.
And quite honestly, I hope we do the same for
you. Hope you know some of the grace of God through
this body, Second City Church. Maybe you praise
God in some kind of unique way because you're
here. You're connected to this group of folk
that call Harrisburg home and this church, the
body of Christ to which they belong. Let me end
by telling you of the happiness belonging to
the body of Christ. So, if the idea that Lily
was Peter in a dress brings you joy, which I
hope it does, I hope that the reality that the
church is said to reflect our God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, get one God. I hope that gives
you a deeper joy and a greater happiness. I remember
when I told you that story, and I remember telling
you that story in part because I have been told
many times that I told that story, and it's always
been with laughter. And I think, like I said
earlier, I think it's often shared with laughter
because of the idea of picturing me in a dress
or of just somebody saying that kind of thing.
But I hope also that it's the fact that maybe
my daughter is my daughter and there's something
sweet about being told You go together You belong
I do also hope that you smile and take joy in
the reality that the church the body of Christ
is to resemble God Father Son and Holy Spirit
diverse yet one And we confess the Father is
not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit
is not the Father or the Son, and yet one being
distinct, yet bringing their gifts to the whole,
the whole not existing without the individuals.
So maybe you've heard this. Actually, I really
hope you've heard this. But there have been a
number of studies done recently saying that religious
people are happier than non -religious people.
Maybe you're not a Christian here this morning.
Maybe you hear that and you think, yeah, maybe
that's true. Maybe you hear that and you go,
I don't like... Maybe you hear that and you think,
maybe I should consider Christianity. Anyway,
Pew did another research project about this over
2023 and 2024. So it really is very recent. And
they surveyed 37 ,000 people. So it's not a small
sample. It's pretty good sample size. And I'm
going to share with you just a few things they
found out. The study showed that of the people
who never attended religious worship, 19 % say
they are not too happy. 22 % say they are very
happy. And the survey breaks down, okay, the
survey breaks down into a few different categories.
It's those who say they attend religious worships
seldomly, yearly, monthly, weekly, and then more
than a week, okay? So they're actually trying
to gauge happiness by how often do you attend
a religious gathering? Okay, so the people that
don't attend, say they're 22 % of the time they're
very happy. Well, here's the interesting thing
that at each stage, At each stage, the happiness
grows. No kidding. So 35 % of those who attend
weekly say that they are very happy. But here's
what I found really interesting. 43, it jumps
by 8 % who attend a religious gathering. Think
of a small group or choir plug or ESL plug. 43%.
8 % more chance of happiness. I mean, truly,
that's a rather astounding thing in a world that
is so full of anxiety and worry. The more active
you are, the more you bring your individual gifts,
and they are received by the collective body,
the happier you are. Now, of course, there are
many reasons for this. But think about this,
right? Last week we considered in chapter seven
Paul's sorrow and affliction, which is a very
big part of 2 Corinthians. It is. It's something
we all experience. Sin and broken relationships
with God and one another, they produce sorrow
and affliction. None of us are immune from this.
And yet, if you can remember back to last week,
I know that was a whole week ago, but if you
can remember, How is Paul's sorrow and affliction
turned to joy? And I suggested to you that there
were really two ways. One was the reality of
being reconciled to God, this relationship being
healed, the vertical, and then the other was
the horizontal. That we receive actual joy and
happiness in the life of others who have received
joy and happiness and comfort. through God. Life
in the body of Christ, life with God, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. And then life lived out,
not amputated, not atrophied, not elephantitis
de, whatever, but lived out, loving and respecting
and cherishing the gifts of the individual. wondering
at the gift of a collective body and how collective
bodies share with one another. That kind of happiness
and joy and comfort is held out for you. So if
you want to laugh, sure, laugh at the idea that
our children resemble us. It's a joyful thing.
But if you want a deeper joy and a lasting happiness,
then enter into the body together, commit together,
pursue together, and reflect together the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you
for listening to Second City Sermons podcast.
We hope this sermon has encouraged you to worship
God and to celebrate the gospel of Jesus. Please
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for listening. God bless.