Pastor Steve Massey- “God’s Glorious Church: One Body, Many Members” 04/19/26

The Bride of Christ. God's household. Heaven's embassy on earth. Scripture describes the church these ways and more, declaring that God's people—redeemed and gathered—relate to Him and one another in a unique and vital union. "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it," 1 Corinthians 12:27 (LSB). The church is not merely the unseen collection of saints throughout history, but also visibly expressed in local churches. By God's design, "church" is not an event to attend, nor a provider of religious services, but a dynamic body of Spirit-led members, each dependent upon and committed to the others. This Lord's Day we'll begin a short series on God's Glorious Church and introduce a new HBC Membership Covenant that spells out and celebrates what God calls us to as members of Christ's body, His church. Please join us this Sunday as we turn to 1 Corinthians 12 and consider "God's Glorious Church: One Body, Many Members." Get ready: Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. What words or ideas are repeated? How is the relationship between "the body" and its "members" described? What does Paul mean when he says "so also is Christ" (verse 12)? Why is both unity and diversity essential in the church? How does this passage shape your understanding of your responsibility to other church members? Why might it be helpful for a church to clearly express these commitments to one another? [Note: We will return our study of Daniel 7-12 after this short series on the church.]