Building Up the Body of Christ

Written by Steve Jackson | Senior Pastor

We live in an age where we have an abundance of online tools to help us “connect,” but far too many of us continue to experience the loneliness of isolation. Our society notices this trend but focuses primarily on our emotional health. Loneliness leads to depression, and no one wants to be depressed. So, methods and medications are dispensed with the goal of making us happier and more satisfied.

I’m certainly not against happiness and personal satisfaction, but when the Bible addresses individuals living in isolation, it focuses on a greater problem than simply our emotional health. The Bible warns that those who live in isolation are putting themselves in spiritual danger.

To be a Christian is a call to follow Jesus by faith, but it is also the induction into a new community, adoption into a new family. It all starts and ends with Jesus to Whom we willingly yoke ourselves by faith.

But to be yoked to Christ is also to be connected to our fellow brother and sister in Christ. You can’t have one without the other.

I sometimes hear people lament, “I really like Jesus. I’m just not into the church.” Theologically, this is foolishness! Jesus is the head, but the church is His body (Colossians 1:18). How would it go over if I said, “I really like my wife, but only from the neck up?” I don’t suggest trying that!

Why did God set it up this way? Why is it essential that we connect to one another in the body of Christ? The primary reason given in Scripture is that we need each other to grow spiritually. Consider how the Apostle Paul explains this in Ephesians 4:11-16:

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."
Eph. 4:11-16
ESV

Notice, first, how Paul ties our connection to each other to our spiritual growth. When every part of the body is working properly (meaning each member is in proper relationship to, and service of, the other members), the body grows! Conversely, if any member is isolated from the rest of the body, that member begins to wither and all suffer the loss.

Notice, secondly, that the primary way we help each other in this spiritual growth process is by speaking the truth in love to each other.

This activity demands relational connection. It necessitates that we are close enough to others to know what truth they need to hear, and that we have enough relational equity to say difficult things knowing it will be received in the spirit of love.

Without such truth-speaking relationships, we are prone to spiritual fickleness. We will be like a ship tossed around in every direction by the blowing winds of our culture.  

Finally, notice the ultimate goal: maturity—the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Our goal is to help one another grow up to be more and more like Jesus with each passing day. This seems like an impossible goal, yet God promises to accomplish it in us (Philippians 1:6). But know this: part of that process will include the work of your spiritual brothers and sisters in your life.

Here at Faith Community Church, we desire every member to be in a discipleship relationship. We define that simply as an intentional relationship with the goal of becoming like Jesus. We need to invite others to be a part of that spiritual growth process God is doing in our lives.

The upcoming fall season is a great time to build these kinds of intentional discipleship relationships.

  • Life Groups are starting back up. Life Groups are smaller groups of individuals who regularly meet together in homes to speak truth into each other’s lives and help each other grow. You can find out more by clicking on “Groups” in the Church Center App.

  • Both Men’s and Women’s Ministries offer meaningful places for you to find these relationships. Men, plan to join us at our next Men’s Conference on September 19-20. You’ll hear how you can join a BLOC group – a group of 3-5 men who meet to build their lives on Christ.

  • Women, check out the Church Center App to see all the options available to you including: Titus Two Fellowships, Side by Side, Faith Women, or joining a BRIDE group.

If you aren’t connected, now is the time to make a change!  Let’s build up the body of Christ together,