 Good morning and welcome to our class on BC 1 1 0 course on identity today We're going to study on you know the 11th section 11 of one body in Christ So last class we start we covered on section 10 where we we Identified ourselves how blessed are we in Christ? So today we're going to look on one body in Christ how we have been identified as One body in Christ Jesus. So this is what we read in deletions 3 27 to 28 says for as many of you as we're baptized into Christ I've put on Christ have put on Christ, please God So with keeping this in our mind like Lord, we are baptized in Christ and we have put on Right. So as we identify ourself in Christ, let's look at God and let's pray sing that Lord Help us to understand this class as we are seeking you as we You know, we seek you to understand that we can identify ourself of being one and Christ So let's pray heavenly father. We come into your presence with thanks and praise Lord We pray that as we study today on being one body in Christ Lord We pray that we will identify we will understand to identify Ourself in Christ Jesus father. We pray that you will give us this understanding You will expand our mind expand our memory that we may understand we may get this revelation of being one body in Christ Jesus Holy Spirit of God, we pray and we invite you in mix of us that you will help us Understand you will help us understand that how we are connected with you how we can Understand and identify ourselves or each of us as one body in Christ. Thank you Lord We invite you Holy Spirit. Thank you father in Jesus name. We pray amen Amen, just give me a minute So let's turn to our Notes. We are on page 92 Not page 92 Section 11 Which page are we in? Okay, we are on page 102. We are on page 102 Yes, I'm in someone in the class trying to say something. Okay. We are on page 102 section 11 It talks about one body in Christ. So Let's go together. So Galatians chapter 3. Let's turn to Galatians chapter 3 verse 27 to 28 I read it for all for as many of you as We're baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus So what does it say for as many of you were baptized into Christ? So we are into Christ. So here we see that Paul is using a picture of baptism and he is also illustrating what it means for us to have faith in Christ Jesus So here is not He's not saying about that we are baptized into water But then he's making a point here that each of us are baptized into Christ Jesus so just as in What a baptism a person is immersed into water similar matter each of us are placed Inside a placed our faith in Christ Jesus. So we are immersed in Christ Jesus as one body As one body we each of us are within Christ Jesus And the next verse talks about there is neither Greek nor Jew that is neither slave nor free That is neither male or female for each of us all For you are all one in Christ Jesus. So here we see it's an amazing Evolution that Paul is bringing to us Because back then in the Galatian Church, there were a lot of division Division between the Jew and the Greek even in the last class we had discussed there was a huge Difference there were huge misunderstanding between the Jew and Greek. So Paul is writing here that in Jesus Christ That line is done away with each other So we are one in Jesus. There is no Jew nor Greek or any other Denomination we are one. We need to identify ourselves as one in Christ So now that Jesus is our identity that is more important for each of us. So this Identity should be a priority This identity where we identify ourself and Christ should be a Priority not a denomination not a background not a cast creed or language Nothing else should take place. They should not be any kind of division in the house of God We should not identify ourself with any other thing other than Jesus Christ. Why? Paul is Illustrating here and he is mentioning it very clearly that we are all one in Christ Jesus He is if you if you read this passage again, we understand that he is not Writing about a unity that comes out of a human achievement But here he's saying that when people are saved by Jesus Christ, they are brought into this marvelous unity a unity that is between the saved and the Saviour a Unity that binds all of us together when we are saved in Jesus Christ You also discuss the same thing in the book of Colossians can we turn to Colossians chapter 3 verse 11? Can I request one of y'all to please read anyone from the class use a mic to read Colossians chapter 3 verse 11, please Anyone even from the online you can Colossians chapter 3 verse 11 Where there is neither Greek or Jews circumcised Nor un-circumcised barbarian Skeetian slave nor free but Christ is all and in all Thank you. Thank you for that is neither Greek nor No circumcised nor un-circumcised nor any other denomination the denominations that we have in our days is Very clearly say none of these denominations that we could identify ourselves with very clearly says our Christ is all and in all so Abbe is Christ and has made us one with everyone else who's in Christ Jesus So here we see in this verse Paul includes them saying We are all one and Christ Jesus He has a statement saying you are all one and Christ Jesus. So what should be a mindset? What should be our thought process? How can we identify ourself in Christ and how do we identify? The others in the same family are in Christ So our being in Christ has made us one with everyone else who's in the Christ We are one in body So this is what you this is the mindset that we need to carry our identity in Christ supersedes all our natural identity It can be despite our racial social gender You know any any any and any other denomination identity Because these things will only lead into division Dividing the body of Christ, but then Paul is emphasizing time and again Let's not Identify ourselves and any of these but come together with one in Christ Jesus So that we shall be one body in Christ Can I may I request one of y'all to please turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 16 and 17? Let's take turn let's each of us take turn to read the scripture so that we can understand Therefore from now on we regard no one according to the flesh Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh yet now we know him thus no longer Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation all things have passed away Behold all things have become new Amen. Thank you. Thank you Nina. So what we understand here We understand here is therefore from now on we regard one according to the flesh Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh yet now we know him Thus no longer in flesh, but if anyone is in Christ He is a new creation and the old things have passed away and we have become How do we become new in our mind in our spirit in our inner being? So we do not know people after the natural Sense, but then we focus on who we are in Christ Jesus So we need to identify ourselves and others based on who we are in Christ Jesus With that, we will move on to the next point. It talks about God's dwelling place May I request one of y'all to please turn to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 21 and 22 Anyone in him the whole building is joined together and Rises to become a holy pencil in the Lord and in him you too are being built together To become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit Amen in whom the whole building being fitted together Grow into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you are all being built together For a dwelling place of God in the spirit. So each of us are as Whole building we need to be we need to come together to grow as a holy temple and the God So that we can build together the dwelling place of God in one in spirit May I request one of y'all to please turn for speaker chapter 2 verse 5 You also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house a Holy priesthood to offer up a spiritual sacrifices Acceptable to God through Jesus Christ You also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual also each of us are very important here Peter says that you are not an ordinary being in the church of God, but you are the living stone Each of us are the living Stones where we have been used to build the spiritual house of God And he also goes further and says you are the holy priest Where we offer spiritual sacrifice that is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ So what is it linear? We are God's dwelling place in this earth Where we are to offer our spiritual sacrifice The prayer a meditation in the word Which would be an acceptable before God through Jesus Christ So each one of us should identify ourself as the holy temple We are the temple of the living God. We need to believe this and identify ourself Can I request all to put your hand on yourself say I am the living temple I am the living temple and I identify myself as that living temple at the hand of God In the house Okay, let's just declare that over yourself. Let's move on to the next scripture one Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 to 17 can I request y'all to read one Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 to 17 one Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 to 17 Surely, you know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you So if anyone destroys God's temple God will destroy him for God's temple is holy and you yourselves are his temple Amen It's very clearly Paul is saying in the book of Corinthians that has God's dwelling place We establish God's presence in our community How do we establish God's presence because we are the temple of God when we are the temple of God We are the carrier of God's presence. So how do we become the carrier of God's presence? When we when we pray when we meditate on the word of God We become the carrier of his presence when we become the carrier of his presence We bring a change in the place where we are we bring a change in our community Why because we establish God's presence in our life So as we see that we will move on to official Psalms 132 verse 13 to 18 Psalms 132 verse 13 to 18 I will read it for all but it says for the Lord has chosen Zion He has desired head for his dwelling place Listen, the Lord has chosen Zion and he has desired It for his dwelling place so the connection is made between the choice of David and His descendants So we see God's God's choice of Jerusalem as Zion That has a sacred dwelling place a place where he desires to dwell it So what we see here the Bible is based On the historical facts where it's very really it involves real people real evens real place. Why? Why do you think It involves all real Real events real place the historical facts are real. Why anyone from the class? Why do you think God involves real people the real place? Why should God choose Zion something that is on the earth? Why not heaven and he says in the following verse 14 This is my resting place forever your I will dwell for I have desired it Look at that for desires and he also says in verse 15 I will abundantly bless a provision and I will satisfy a poor with bread 16 says I will also clothe priest with salvation and the saints shall shout aloud for joy and 17 says there I will make the horn of David grow that is the descendant of David or the leadership of David grow On denotes leadership the kingship and I will prepare a lamp for my Ninetages enemies I will clothe with shame But upon himself is crown shall flourish What we see here God could have chosen any place on this earth to be the stage on which you know all this drama Can happen the redemption could have been displayed but he deliberately choose Zion Why because even Zion to be his dwelling place He restricted himself to Jerusalem and the land of Israel Why because it is significant that this was the place that Lord desired. We see the Lord Chose Zion among many other places So the human response was you know all too often very cynical treating God's choice as something to be exploited Shelter again the judgment, but then God is saying The other scriptures also we see in the Old Testament once the ark of the covenant that came into Jerusalem There was to be no more Traveling for tabernacle because they rested in one place. You see the tabernacle The temple of the old time the Ark would never rest in any other place other than Jerusalem you see in one of The scriptures I remember reading it with David says I shall not rest until and unless I bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Jerusalem So this was the joy of the For surely that Lord will rest in this place So it was God's desire for him to dwell in Zion. Now you and I are that Zion You and I are that Zion in the New Testament where God desires to dwell in each of us That's what apostle Paul is saying that you and I are the temple of the holy spirit And also we see Peter saying that we are the living stone the temple of God where God will dwell within us So if the Lord is dwelling in us his presence is and us so we need to identify that presence We need to identify that God desires to dwell in us So we need to keep ourself holy because the holy God is dwelling in us We need to identify that we are the temple of God Because we are the temple of God. We need to preserve ourself from any infirmities or any kind of Iniquities or any kind of sin nature that could destroy this temple and God also says I will not spare the one who testers the temple of God So we need to keep ourself away from every worldly desires and keep ourselves pure Let's desire and strive hard to keep ourselves pure because we are the temple of God And the most holy God is in dwelling with us with that We will move on to the next scripture which which is from one Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16 to 17 and verse 21. Can I request one of you to please read? It talks about one bread and one cup The cup of blessings which we bless is it not the Korean of the blood of Christ the bread which we break Is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we though many are one bread and one body for we all partake of that one bread You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons You cannot partake of the of the Lord's table and of the table of demons Thank you So we see Paul is talking about the cup of blessing Which we bless. So what is this cup of blessing? So the cup of blessing are not those who eat the sacrifice of the partakers of the order So Paul is making a point here. This says may seem obscure to us Unclear, but it was very plain to someone in that ancient culture Just as the Christians Who lived their practice of this communion which speaks about the unity and Fellowship with Jesus You need to know that they had this pagan culture where they used to have this pagan banquet Which is given in the honor of the idols That spoke of the unity with the demons who took advantage of this Misdirected worship to eat the presence of the pagan temple banquet where they had the fellowship with the altar Of the idols. So what is Paul saying here? He's saying that and idol is anything Or what is offered to the idol could be anything they sacrifice to the demons So Paul is acknowledging that and idol is nothing in the world when we read one Corinthians chapter 8 verse 4 He says an idol is nothing in the world Does he now say that the idols are actually demons? No, but he does say the demonic spirit takes an advantage of the idol Deceiving and slave him without knowing it where the idol worshippers are glorifying demons in their sacrifice So that's why he says you cannot partake of the Lord's table and take part of the law a table of demons because people in those days in that Culture they were actually coming to archer coming to our church The synagogue based policy never take part in the Lord's table And they also used to go and take part in the temples in the pagan culture Take part so Paul is very clearly is making a statement here to them saying that you cannot take part in both So when Paul speaks of the Lord's table He uses the term in contrast with the tables used in the pagan idol means so an ancient invitation to such a meal Would read something like this. Okay, some of the scholar has written in such a way for us to understand what The people in those days in the Corinthians Church the way following so Paul is trying to bring a correction and the holiness or the importance of the Lord's table and Making a correction in the people trying to bring a discipline among them saying that you cannot serve to masters You cannot be in both the places. You need to reject the other and come into the Lord's kingdom Okay, so he's illustrating so what for our understanding I'm just reading an invitation that that's how it read in those days. Okay, it says and In the invitation for the meals which they used to offer in the pagan culture where like Charim on invites you to a meal at the table of Lord's Seraphus in the temple of Seraphus Tomorrow the 15th from nine o'clock onwards Okay, this is how the invitation used to read so if it means something to eat at the Lord's table Then it means something to eat at the table of demons So you cannot choose both. So he's bringing a correction to the to the people in Corinthians Church that Lord's table is something holy And Different from the table of demons. You need to reject That and when you're here, you need to be here alone So the holy communion of the Lord it expresses that we are one body with Christ So the scripture all the seas you cannot serve to masters So when you receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior when you take part in Lord's table be here in one place So this is what Paul is instructing the believers in the Corinthian Church who were taking part in both the tables and Here you see when we eat of one bread and drink of one cup You're establishing a covenant with God Saying that Lord I have a covenant with you where I become one with you That's what Jesus said. No, this is my body eat of it take part in my body. This is my blood So that we can become one with Christ Jesus So when we celebrate the blessing of the covenant, it expresses our unity with Christ Jesus our unity with God where we can say that I Abide in you as you abide in me Okay, yes, but that we will move on to the next point many Members many functions. Can I request one of your to turn to Romans chapter 12 verse 4 to 8? There are many parts in the one boy in the one body and all these parts have different functions in the same way Though we are many we are one we are one body in you Christ And we are all joined each other as different parts of one body So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us If our gift is to speak God's message We should do it according to the faith that we have if it is to serve we should serve If it is to teach we should teach if it is to encourage others we should do so Whoever shares with others should do it generously Whoever has authority should work hard How much was kindness to others should do it carefully Thank you. Thank you so many members in one body talks about the church Who's unified for less one body in Christ Jesus? So yet we are distinct within that one body, isn't it? So in in the body of Christ that is unity and not But not uniformity So we may have our difference. We may neglect each other's aspect neither or we may not be United with our thoughts. We have our own Desires which may be different from the other but here Paul is emphasizing okay on Unity in Christ is something very essential part in our life It is that the common ground it is set as a common ground where we all despite our Difference but this despite our different thought process We all can come into this one common ground where we are one body in Christ Jesus And we talk talks about having different gifts where the gifts The difference and the distribution of gifts gives is all because of the grace that is given to each of us So your Paul is talking about the spiritual gifts that are not same or not Given to each of us based on our talent on our scale on the merits that we carry But God chooses to give each of us So this is the idea that we relate in the Ancient Greek word for spiritual gifts is canis matter, which means gift of grace gift of grace so this term was apparently Combined what Paul? Paul emphasizes that giving of the spiritual gifts was all of grace So what does he say yeah, the spiritual gifts are given at the discretion of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit decides home to give what? So in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 verse 11 we say that but One and the same spirit works all these things Distributing to each individual as He wills as God decides or desires to give each one So what we need to understand here as We are part of one body We need to recognize that there are many members and have many functions in the same body But then we need to come together with one mind and God to serve each other So though there are many members and many functions, but we are united in Christ Jesus for one purpose to serve Each other so this is what we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12 to 27 Okay, 12 to 27, but I'll just read that which is important. Okay, we'll read maybe the first Verse like 12 to 14. I'll read for as the body is one and as many members But all the members of that one body Being many are one body. So also in Christ Verse 13 says For what for by one spirit? We were all baptized into one body where Jew or Greek slaves of free and Have all been made to drink into one spirit for in fact the body is not one member But many what we learn here though We are many in member how we come along with one body one mind to serve Christ It also talks about you may be a Jew or a Gentile. That does not matter whichever denomination you are in Whichever cast creed language you are from doesn't matter You are one and spirit where we are all baptized into that one body in Christ Jesus We take part in the Lord's table as one and spirit So we should learn to serve together. So when you read the passage Paul explains it very clearly that we can understand we all Suffer together as one member So when one member suffers all the members suffers with it And if one member is on it all the members rejoice with it Why do we do that because we are one body with Christ Jesus? We are one body with Christ Jesus So we need to learn to serve together Compliment each other and there's nothing for us to compete with another Though we are independent with each other, but we must honor and respect every member who's at Christ Jesus God has given this great honor to those who do not So we need to honor and respect each other because we are in Christ Jesus. We are The Christ we are the church of the living God. We are that holy temple Can I request I'll return to Galatians chapter 1 verse 22. Can I request all to read? Galatians chapter 1 verse 22 Galatians chapter 1 verse 22 and I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea, which were in Christ Thank you. So Paul is writing the church of Galatians and he's also explaining to us that He was unknown by face to the church of Judea, which were in Christ Jesus So he's saying that the unknown in certain different from our own habit of you know of fame You know, we try to become very prominent when we get into the ministry We try to see to ourselves like how we can promote ourselves how we can promote our name with our picture You see Paul was in the Lord, but he was obscure He took his time To meditate on God's Word and then even when we when he came to the ministry when he started preaching and teaching People recognized him as he is the one who betrayed us before he was one who betrayed us killed us but still Paul served when You know obscurity That's why he writes here. You may not know me by face, but people recognize them by the teaching By the teaching by his letters. They have not met him Face to face but then they have heard a man who betrayed Jesus Christ Oh betrayed the believers in Jesus is now proclaiming is now preaching the good news So his word the teaching of Paul became very prominent more than himself or more than it More than his name or his face So Paul was happy and he was well served to spend many years that way serving God and You know Allowing the teaching of God to go further not his name or his face We also read in first Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 14. Can I request y'all to please turn to first Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 14? Yeah First Thessalonians chapter 2 was 14 for you brethren became imitators of the churches of God Which are in Judea in Christ Jesus for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen Just as they did from Judeans Okay So for you brethren became imitators of Churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus for you also suffered the same things From your own countrymen just as they did from the Judeans, so what is what is Paul trying to say to the church of Thessalonica? He says the Thessalonians responded to the gospel. They became the target of persecution The minute you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and your life gets changed Transform and you set yourself apart from the others. You see you become the target for the others So as they did there they were not alone because So Paul is instructing the church in Thessalonica It's not just you alone who is facing the persecution But even the other places where people have received Jesus as the Lord and Savior they have set themselves apart They've stopped following any of their pagan culture or been worshipping the pagan gods even there the people are Suffering so he makes a point that you're just not alone who are going through this persecution But even the other churches of God I've been suffering the persecution So the Thessalonian Christians became the imitators of those who are suffering before them So they they try to get this understanding through Paul's letter saying that okay So it's not just we who have changed our life who have received who have become the followers of Christ Who are facing such problem But they are even the other churches in the places are going through this and they look at their life How they are enduring this persecution how they're enduring this Suffering so they try to become the imitators that means they try to follow that They try to follow that they try to observe that they try to apply that in their life So the Thessalonians are willingly Suffering the same thing because they were convinced what Paul was teaching That he was not teaching from the word of a man But he's trying to teach from the word of God because Christ himself who came into the world He didn't he didn't Jesus didn't come into the world for others to serve him But then he served others did Jesus face persecution? Yes, he did face persecution Did he suffer? Yes, he suffered. Did he was he did he die on the cross for the teaching for the kingdom of God? Yes, he did so you and I when we are in Christ Jesus We may suffer certain Persecutions in our life We may be neglected. We may be looked down at our workplace in our ministry in our family Why because we are in Christ Jesus Our lifestyle is different We are different. We don't gossip like how others gossip. We don't treat others Evil for an evil, but then the scripture says treat others evil for good pray for those who persecute you Don't be part of any gossip Don't don't have a joy in others suffering you seeing there's so much different in the lifestyle So when we are in Christ our life changes from within a thought process changes We don't enjoy doing the worldly things. We don't enjoy with another person suffering We tend to be part of it so the lifestyle is different and For this it may be persecuted. We may be ridiculed. We may be looked down, but then Be increased with each other saying that those who are in the Lord will suffer such things but hold on to Lord hold on to the word of God because the word It's not the word of man, but it is a word of God. So this is what The Thessalonians believe that Paul is not bringing the word of man But he's bringing the word of God because the word of man isn't worth suffering for But for the word of God because it is a true message from God So it is worth it for us to hold on to it for us to follow it. So we need to honor Other local churches that are in Christ Jesus because Although there's difference in our expression the way we worship God But then we are one church in Christ Jesus We are one church in Christ Jesus. So we need to remember that Lord we are one in your body We are one in your body One in Christ though we may function differently But we are one body in Christ Jesus just like how we are we have different parts of our body But it all functions to gather nothing refuses this My right hand does not say that I will not support my left hand Or I will not support to you know the food to reach him or so many other things Okay, but here Paul is bringing a very good illustration of our own body saying how he's in every Different function different purpose, but they all work together for that one body the similar manner though We are different in our nature and our expressions, but we all come together in one in Christ And the very purpose of that is to glorify God So this should be in our mind when we identify believers in Christ Despite the cars creed culture Denomination we need to honor them saying we are one body in Christ. So how do we honor? That we are one body in Christ. We need to focus. We need to see what is common in us What is common? What is common is we have accepted Jesus Christ as a Lord and Savior He is our God He's our savior. He came down on this or they died on the cross. So we have expected. So these are certain things that are common So discuss on the common things except on the common things Look at each other respect honor each other on the common ground And don't get into any kind of dispute or disagreement on the other doctrines Which they have developed within them refuse it. Don't talk about it Because Christ is looking at the unity in the body of Christ The enemy may focus may bring bring to our mind. Okay, let's discuss on the other differences But when we discuss what happens, there's a dispute There's a division and the body of Christ may get divided But then the Lord Paul is instructing us discuss on the common ground come together Worship God together be in one mind and one body be in unity in that one body So this is something that we need to look into for us to be unity in one body So that we can worship Christ we can worship God in one body in Christ Jesus So last class we studied on how blessed we are in Christ Jesus and this class we focused on how we are One body how we can identify ourselves and others of that one body in Christ And in next class we can discuss on section 12 where Each of us are ministers and ambassadors in Christ Jesus Okay, so with that we will end the session with a word of prayer And then I know Nina's posted a question we can discuss on that But let's end this class with a word of prayer because of time Okay Dear God, we thank you. We praise you. We love you beyond you We worship your father Lord I pray that you will expand our mind and our heart that we may identify ourselves and others So that we are one body in Christ Jesus Despite our differences a lot Help us to identify each other Each of us that common ground that we are one in Christ Jesus We are the child of God Thank you father. Thank you, Lord Jesus help us to identify ourselves the God Sent us only begotten son because you love the whole world Despite the people from different faith. They may be a Jew greek gentile Which have a background but you love them you sent your only begotten son to die on the cross for each of us When you have this big picture lord Help us to have that big picture even in our self the father that we may love others as christ love Lord, I pray that as we study each Each week lord in each class. We pray that we will learn to identify Ourself and you just not by identifying ourselves But our heart and mind to receive the christ nature the likeness of christ so that we may love each other and be United in christ to love each other so that we can be in that one body of Thank you lord for doing it Jesus may my pray amen Amen Thank you class for joining in today's session God bless God bless. Thank you. I'll just stop the recording