The body is one, the members are many. How are we put together to be the body of Christ.

1. The Anatomy of a church
Examining
the
body of Christ

2. There is one body
Romans 12:4-5
For even as we have many
members in one body, and
all the members have not
the same office: 5. so we,
who are many, are one
body in Christ, and
severally members one of
another.

3. 1 Corinthians 10
16. The cup of blessing which we
bless, is it not a communion of the
blood of Christ? The bread which
we break, is it not a communion of
the body of Christ? 17. seeing
that we, who are many, are one
bread, one body: for we are all
partake of the one bread.

4. 1 Corinthians 12
12. For as the body is one,
and hath many members, and
all the members of the body,
being many, are one body; so
also is Christ. 13. For in one
Spirit were we all baptized into
one body, whether Jews or
Greeks, whether bond or free;
and were all made to drink of
one Spirit. 14. For the body
is not one member, but
many.

5. A Spiritual Checkup
2 Corinthians 13:5
Try your own selves,
whether ye are in the faith;
prove your own selves. Or
know ye not as to your own
selves, that Jesus Christ is
in you? unless indeed ye be
reprobate

6. As members of the body
• ARE we in the FAITH?
– Do we believe in Jesus?
– Do we understand and
practice His teachings?
– Do we manifest the love of
Christ in our relationships with
others in the church?
– ... or those in the world?
• IS Jesus Christ IN you?

7. Looking in the Mirror
James 1:23-24
For if any one is a hearer of
the word and not a doer, he
is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a mirror:
24. for he beholdeth
himself, and goeth away,
and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he
was.

8. 1 Corinthians 12
15. If the foot shall say, Because I am
not the hand, I am not of the body; it is
not therefore not of the body.
16. And if the ear shall say, Because I
am not the eye, I am not of the body;
it is not therefore not of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole
were hearing, where were the
smelling?
18. But now hath God set the members
each one of them in the body, even as
it pleased him.

9. Growing Together
Ephesians 4:15-16
but speaking truth in love, we may
grow up in all things into him, who is
the head, even Christ; 16. from
whom all the body fitly framed and
knit together through that which
every joint supplieth, according to
the working in due measure of each
several part, maketh the increase of
the body unto the building up of itself
in love.

10. Healthy Growth
• Every church wants to “grow”
• However, not all forms of
growth are healthy
• Tumors and cancers are
“growths”, but they are not
healthy
• Churches that compromise
their spiritual health for
numerical growth are “sick”

11. Unhealthy situations
• A church can have a cancer,
or worse – “gangrene”
2 Timothy 2:16-17
But shun profane babblings: for
they will proceed further in
ungodliness, 17. and their word
will eat as doth a gangrene: or
whom is Hymenaeus an Philetus;

12. Word Study
• kenophonia, empty
sounding, i.e. fruitless
discussion:--vain.
• gaggraina, from graino (to
gnaw); an ulcer
("gangrene"):--canker.

13. Bloated on False Doctrine
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when
they will not endure the
sound doctrine; but, having
itching ears, will heap to
themselves teachers after
their own lusts; 4. and will
turn away their ears from the
truth, and turn aside unto
fables.

14. Unhealthy Growth
• Numbers swelled by a
steady diet of “junk food”
• Truth is “refined” until it is a
tasteless, harmless,
worthless message retaining
only a mere “flavor” of truth
• Many are attracted to such
teaching and churches grow
large on it

15. Teaching the Unvarnished Truth
• Teaching truth does not always
result in greater numbers
• Sometimes it can mean a
reduction in numbers
John 6:59-60 These things said
he in the synagogue, as he taught
in Capernaum. 60. Many
therefore of his disciples, when the
heard this, said, This is a hard
saying; who can hear it?

16. Stumbling at the Truth
John 6:61-63
But Jesus knowing in himself
that his disciples murmured at
this, said unto them, Doth this
cause you to stumble? 62.
What then if ye should behold
the Son of man ascending
where he was before? 63. It is
the spirit that giveth life; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that
I have spoken unto you are
spirit, are are life.

17. Walking Away
John 6:66-67
Upon this many of his disciples
went back, and walked no more
with him. 67. Jesus said
therefore unto the twelve, Would
ye also go away?

18. Healthy Spiritual Growth
• Requires:
– Proper nutrition
• The Word of God / Truth
• NOT religious junk food
– Regular exercise
• Application of the lessons

19. Lack of Growth
Happens for various reasons:
– Malnutrition – the result of
• Not being fed
• No appetite
• Eat only sugar and snacks
– Disease
• Infection
• condition
– Injury
• Weak back, weak knee, etc.

20. Nutrition and Exercise
1 Timothy 4:6-8
If thou put the brethren in mind of
these things, thou shalt be a good
minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in
the words of the faith, and of the good
doctrine which thou hast followed until
now: 7. but refuse profane and old
wives' fables. And exercise thyself
unto godliness: 8. for bodily exercise
is profitable for a little; but godliness is
profitable for all things, having
promise of the life which now is, and
of that which is to come.

21. Painful problems
A sore tooth
• Needs to be treated
• Sometimes needs to be removed
Romans 16:17-18 Now I
beseech you, brethren, mark them
that are causing the divisions and
occasions of stumbling, contrary to
the doctrine which ye learned: and
turn away from them. 18. For they
that are such serve not our Lord
Christ, but their own belly; and by their
smooth and fair speech they beguile
the hearts of the innocent.

22. Different Problems
• Ingrown toenail
• Ear infection
• Nasal congestion
• Skin irritation
• Headache
• Backache
• Stomach ache

23. When you are sick
• The whole body suffers
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
that there should be no schism
in the body; but that the
members should have the same
care one for another. 26. And
whether one member suffereth,
all the members suffer with it; or
one member is honored, all the
members rejoice with it.

24. Treating the Problem
• “put the salve on the sore”
– Neglect is NOT a treatment
• In a church – identifying
and dealing with an
individual who is causing
problems is a necessary
process to maintaining the
spiritual health of the body

25. Healing the Body
• Our medicine is a mixture of
TRUTH and LOVE
– Error will poison a church
– Envy and pride, discontent
and murmuring will choke the
love out of a church
• God expects us to treat our
problems promptly – and
sufficiently

26. The path to spiritual health
Titus 1:10-13
For there are many unruly men, vain
talkers and deceivers, specially they
of the circumcision, 11. whose
mouths must be stopped; men who
overthrow whole houses, teaching
things which they ought not, for filthy
lucre's sake. 12. One of themselves,
a prophet of their own, said, Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, idle
gluttons. 13. This testimony is true.
For which cause reprove them
sharply, that they may be sound in
the faith

27. Public Rebuke
1 Timothy 5:20-21
Them that sin reprove in the
sight of all, that the rest also
may be in fear. 21. I charge
thee in the sight of God, and
Christ Jesus, and the elect
angels, that thou observe these
things without prejudice, doing
nothing by partiality.

28. The prayer of faith
James 5:14-16
Is any among you sick? 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: 15.
and the prayer of faith shall save
him that is sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, it shall be forgiven
him. 16. Confess therefore your sins
one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The
supplication of a righteous man
availeth much in its working.

29. A Sound Church
– Teaches “sound” doctrine
– Has healthy “members” who
respect, love and cooperate
one with another
– Is united in faith, purpose and
work
Acts 4:32 And the multitude
of them that believed were of
one heart and soul