Christ the Head Feeds His Body

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 150:1-6
• Hymn — Doxology
• Prayer of Invocation
• Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
• Sermon
• Prayer
• Hymn — All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
• Statement on the Office of Elder
• Ordination Vows
• Laying on of Hands and Prayer
• Declaration of Ordination and Installation
• Charge to the Elders
• Charge to the Congregation
• Hymn — The Church's One Foundation
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26

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Sermon Title: Christ the Head Feeds His Body

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

I. Christ the Head Feeds His Body Through His Word

A. The body of Christ metaphor: Christ is the head who serves and nourishes the body

1. Colossians 1 and Ephesians 5 — Christ is head of the church as husband is head of wife
2. Ephesians 5:25-28 — headship means sacrificial service; Christ gave himself to sanctify and nourish his bride
3. The word "head" was used in the ancient world for the source of a river — Christ is the fountain of every blessing

B. Corporate worship is primarily us coming to be served by Christ the head, not merely us serving him

1. John 13:8 — "If I do not wash you, you have no share in me"
2. We must sit and receive the food, washing, and service of our Master before we can serve him
3. The Lord's Supper: Christ at the head of the table serving his people bread and wine

C. The ranked gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:28 — apostles, prophets, teachers — are all word-ministry gifts

1. The remaining gifts (miracles, healing, tongues, etc.) are not afterthoughts but serve the proclamation of the word
2. Sinclair Ferguson: "The ministry of God's revelatory word is central to the use of all other gifts. It stabilizes and nourishes them."
3. Ephesians 2:20 — the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone

D. The "higher gifts" of 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 14:5 are those that make the word of God crystal clear to the people

1. Nehemiah's example: Ezra reading the law while Levites gave understanding to the people
2. Acts 8 — Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch: understanding the word brings rejoicing

II. Christ the Head Feeds His Body Through His Ordained Officers

A. The ranked gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 are not merely gifts but offices within the church

1. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 — the offices of apostle and prophet give way to elder and deacon in the ongoing church

B. Acts 14:19-23 — Paul's apostolic work is not complete until he appoints elders in every church

1. Paul stoned in Lystra, thought dead, rises and boldly proclaims Christ — a bolster to the disciples' faith
2. Paul does not leave relying on inspiration alone; he appoints elders and commits them to the Lord

C. Titus 1:5 — "Appoint elders in every town as I directed you"

1. The concept of order (shalom) — harmony and unity pleasing to God — is brought about through ordained elders
2. Tonight's ordination is God's means of feeding his flock through elders he calls as under-shepherds

III. Christ the Head Feeds His Body Through His Members

A. 1 Corinthians 12:27 — "You are the body of Christ and individually members of it"

1. The Corinthian problem: divisions over spiritual gifts, especially tongues (listed last in verse 30)
2. No one belongs to a sub-group (young adults, parents, elderly); all are individually members of the one body

B. The questions of 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 expose how the Corinthians had abandoned the body by elevating gifts only a few possessed

1. Gifts are for building up the body, not the individual

C. The "still more excellent way" of 1 Corinthians 12:31 flows seamlessly into 1 Corinthians 13 — the way of love (agape)

1. Agape is a duty-bound, covenantal, selfless, humble, committed love — not based on feelings or natural affinity
2. It is Christ's love, who laid down his life for enemies
3. The negative power of unity: Genesis 11:6 — Babel demonstrates that unity of purpose, even bent on pride, is powerful
4. Pentecost reverses Babel: unity now bent on Christ, who counted equality with God not a thing to be grasped — cross-bearing love rather than crown-grasping pride
5. This Spirit-wrought, Christ-like love among members is more powerful than Babel because it flows from the head, the Son of God

D. Summary: Christ feeds his church through his word, through his elders, and through individual members selflessly giving themselves for one another