Jesus is the head of the Church.  We all know that – do we not?  There was a time when the Church was being established for the first time.  Jesus said, “…I will build my Church.”  (Matthew 16:18)  God the Father individually calls each and every one of us and places us exactly in the body of Christ where it is best for us.  We the Church are the body of Christ.

“…Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the savior of the body.”  (Ephesians 5:23)

“…God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.”  (1 Corinthians 12:18)

Let’s look at this analogy of the head and the body that Christ utilizes in the Scriptures.  When the Church was in its toddler phase, it was like a child that had not yet learned to walk.  Jesus Christ the head knew what to do – but the body was not yet able to walk the walk.  It would take growth, development and maturity for the Church body to walk in Christ the head of the Church.

“He that saith he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.  (1 John 2:6)

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.”  (1 John 1:7)

Then the Church matured sufficiently after the toddler stage to be the body that Christ intended.  The Church brethren followed in the steps of Jesus Christ—one head and one body.  Christ the head directed His body the Church to walk in His way.

“He [Jesus Christ] is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.”  (Colossians 1:18)

That is the way that the true Church of God should operate—with Christ supreme—leading His Body.  The Church brethren were established upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, and were knit together in one body (Ephesians 2:20-21).

Continuing with the analogy, how could the Church be characterized today?  What we see are a lot of distinctive bodies of brethren who are not knit together in one body with Christ as their head.  A bunch of differing bodies cannot have one and the same head.  What we find today are many separate organizations which claim to have Christ as their head – but how could that be – for Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13).

“In [Jesus Christ] all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2:21-22)

And since Christ is not divided, He could not be detached and partitioned among estranged bodies that do not recognize or fellowship with one another.  One head would not direct its body to go in many different directions.  So what we do find today are all these head-less bodies which are not fitly framed together—Church groups that will have nothing to do with each other—and that is confusion.  God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

So Brethren, we have a problem to think seriously about.  We all claim to be of one Spirit—and indeed the true Church of God is of one Spirit.

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.”  (Ephesians 4:4)

From God’s point of view, His Church is of one Spirit.  Since that is the case – and no corporate organization represents the one true Church of God, then God’s true people must be interspersed throughout the scattered and diverse organizations.  But in order to fulfill Christ’s definition of the Church they must yet somehow be compactly knit and framed together.  They must be an underground Church of brethren who genuinely care for each other across corporate dividing walls and barriers.  The true Church brethren are not found among those in the “in crowd” who seek the glory, loyalty and preeminence in their corporate associations.

The true saints are reaching out and laying their lives down for one another – just as Jesus Christ gave us example (1 John 3:16).  They are speaking often to each other. (Malachi 3:16)  They fully recognize one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Sermon:

"Your Heavenly Crown"