Sunday School Lesson February 21, 2021

Subject: Connecting to Christ’s Body

The Point: Spiritual growth calls for regular interaction with and ministry to other believers.

The Passages: 1 Corinthians 12:12-24

Study The Bible: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

1). God has deigned the church as one united body.

12. For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.
13. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

Lasting truths from: 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

* The body of Christ is incredibly diverse.

* All the diversity in the body of Christ can be unified through the Holy Spirit.

* Every person who trusts Christ receives the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion.

1 Corinthians 12:14-18

2). God has given believers roles and responsibilities within the body.

14. Indeed, the body is not one part but many.
15. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.
16. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were and ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18. But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.

Lasting truth from: 1 Corinthians 12:14-18

* No one member of the body of Christ makes up the entire body.

* Each member works best not in competition or comparison to the other parts of the body.

* God has arranged the parts of the body in such a way that it can fulfill its intended function.

3). God has made each Christian a necessary part of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:19-24

19. And if they were all the same 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!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”
22. On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable.
23. And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect,
24. which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable.

Lasting truth from: 1 Corinthians 12:19-24

* For a church to function well, it must be a body made up of members with different gifts.

* It is important not to overlook any parts of the body when giving honor and affirmation.

* We should show special care to those parts of the body that are often overlooked.

Live It Out

As you reflect on this lesson, respond to the following questions:

1. What is your role in the body of Christ?
2. How does your group affirm those who may be neglected in the body of Christ?
3. In your church, which gifts receive affirmation from the body and which gifts are often overlooked?

Closing Prayer:

“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name Amen.”