This is the manuscript of the sermon preached at Christ Church Sunday September 21, 2025.
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 NIV [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. [21] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Text:
Today, I want to talk about one of the most profound shifts we can make in our lives. It’s a move that takes us from a mindset of "me" to one of "we." This isn't just about being a little nicer or more outgoing; it’s a radical reorientation of our hearts.
In a world that celebrates the individual—your personal brand, your unique journey, your success story—it’s easy to believe that our faith is a private, solitary matter. We're taught to build our own kingdom, to pursue our own interests, to climb the ladder of personal achievement. This self-centered narrative can creep into our spiritual lives, leading us to focus on our own salvation, our own blessings, and our own struggles.
But the Gospel reveals a different truth. It calls us out of our isolation and into into a unified body. Spiritual life isn't a solo expedition; it's a shared journey. We are not just individual stars in the night sky; we are a constellation, connected by divine light.
The Apostle Paul makes this incredibly clear in his letter to the Corinthians, part of which was our reading today. Paul wrote what is our text for today
1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
The shift from "me" to "we" is about recognizing that we are parts of a whole, and that we are indispensable to one another.
The Necessity of Faith for Unity
Our natural human state often defaults to a self-centered perspective. We are wired for survival and self-preservation, which can lead to a focus on personal needs, security, and success above all else. This "me" mindset is like a fortress built on self-sufficiency. It makes us hesitant to be vulnerable, to share burdens, or to celebrate other people’s victories wholeheartedly.
Moving beyond this requires a conscious choice—an act of faith. Faith is not just a belief in God; it's a trust in His design for us and the church. It's the conviction that our individual purpose is found in serving each other.
I admit that this conviction runs counter to our fleshly desires, which is why it's so challenging. We need to trust that giving of ourselves—our time, our resources, our emotional energy—is not a loss, but a gain. We have to believe that when we contribute to the well-being of the whole body, we ourselves are made more whole.
Faith in Action: The "We" Mindset
Faith is what allows us to break down these walls. It’s the conviction that we are not alone, that God has woven us into a magnificent tapestry of believers. Faith is what enables us to see the person next to us not as a competitor, but as a sister or brother, a vital part of the same body.
Jesus himself modeled this for us. He didn’t come to save isolated souls; He came to reconcile the world to God and to each other.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus’ prayer for His followers was for their unity. In John 17:21, He prayed, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
Do you see the weight of that? Our unity—our shift from "me" to "we"—is a key to the world believing in Jesus. A unified church is our most powerful testimony.
The shift to a "we" mindset isn't passive; it's a living, active faith. It's not just about believing in unity, but living it out in our daily lives. Like the mirror of God’s word that we talked about last week.
James 1:23-25 NIV Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
When we come to the Scriptures, we are looking into a mirror that reveals our true spiritual condition. The Word of God doesn’t just show us what we do, but it shows us why we do it. It exposes our motives, our desires, our hidden sins. We see a reflection of our failure to live up to God’s holy standard. We see our anger, our selfishness, our pride, and our tendency to retaliate. We are called to be doers of the Word. We are called to actively seek to love our neighbor as ourselves, and yes, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, to move from “me” to “we.
As Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Our faith is the engine that drives us to love one another in tangible ways.
So what does this look like in practice?
It means sharing burdens.
Galatians 6:2 NIV Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
When a part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers.
Imagine a family with two parents and three children. One of the children, let's say the youngest, becomes seriously ill with a fever and flu.
The "suffering part" is the sick child. They are physically unwell, uncomfortable, and in pain.
The "whole body" is the rest of the family.
While only one person is physically sick, the entire family suffers as a result:
The parents suffer from worry and stress, spending sleepless nights tending to the child. They may have to take time off work, altering their daily routines and facing potential financial strain.
The siblings suffer from a disruption to their normal life. They might miss out on planned activities, have to be quieter around the house, and worry about their sibling's health. The attention of the parents is focused on the sick child, which can affect the other children's emotional well-being.
The family's communal life suffers. Meals might be less structured, plans for outings are canceled, and the overall atmosphere is one of concern and anxiety.
In this scenario, the individual suffering of the sick child is not contained. It ripples outward, affecting the emotions, actions, and well-being of the entire family unit. The family's health, peace, and harmony are all diminished because one part is in pain. This perfectly illustrates how a single member's suffering is a shared burden for the entire "body."
Faith prompts us to reach out, to listen, to offer a helping hand, a word of encouragement. It's the opposite of thinking, "That’s their problem, not mine."
It means celebrating together. When one part is honored, the whole body rejoices. Faith teaches us to celebrate a friend’s promotion as if it were our own, to cheer for a brother’s spiritual growth. It's the opposite of envy.
It means serving together. We are all given gifts for the common good. Some of you are the "eyes" of the church, seeing needs others miss. Some are the "hands," working behind the scenes. Others are the "voice," offering wisdom and comfort. When we operate from a "we" mindset, we don't just use our gifts for our own glory; we use them to build up the entire church.
1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT says A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
This clearly shows that the gifts the Holy Spirit gives are not for personal use but are a "manifestation of the Spirit" given to individuals for the purpose of helping the church ("the common good").
Here are two more;
1 Corinthians 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church."
Romans 12:4-5 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others
These scriptures provide a clear and consistent message: spiritual gifts are divine endowments given by the Holy Spirit to individual believers, but their ultimate purpose is to bring encouragement, strength, and unity to the church as a whole. They are a means for us to live out our faith in the church and our community and align our actions with God's will for His people.
A Continuous Journey
This isn't a one-time decision; it's a continuous process that requires daily self-reflection and an openness to God's guidance. It means intentionally laying down our own agendas and trusting that God’s will is for the flourishing of the entire community, not just our individual lives. It means embracing the difficult but rewarding work of forgiveness and reconciliation when we inevitably hurt one another.
The call of the Gospel is to step out of our fortresses of self-sufficiency and into the beautiful and interdependent life of the body of Christ. This is the life to which God calls us—a life of shared burdens, collective joy, and a faith that expresses itself through a profound, self-sacrificial love for one another. Let's not just be individual believers, but a unified body—the very embodiment of Christ on earth.
Let's pray.
Gracious God, we thank You for the message we have heard today, a message that reminds us that we are not meant to walk this spiritual journey alone. We confess that we often default to a mindset of "me"—focused on our own needs, our own struggles, and our own comfort. Forgive us for the times we have built walls instead of bridges, for the moments we have seen others as competitors rather than fellow members of Your body.
Lord, we ask for a profound shift in our hearts. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us move from "me" to "we." Give us the faith to trust Your design for church, to believe that our individual purpose is found in serving each other. Help us to lay down our self-centered agendas and to embrace the beautiful, messy reality of being Your Church.
May we be doers of Your Word, actively carrying one another's burdens, celebrating each other's victories, and using our gifts not for our own glory, but for the common good. Help us to practice the self-sacrificial love that is patient, kind, and not easily angered—the love that keeps no record of wrongs and rejoices in the truth.
We commit to this continuous journey, trusting that You will guide us every step of the way.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
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