Embracing Our Bodies: A Spiritual Journey in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Our Bodies as Instruments of Worship

Our physical bodies are not merely temporary vessels; they are essential for our spiritual journey and acts of worship. Through our bodies, we engage in practices like communion and baptism, which are vital expressions of our faith and reflections of God's story. This understanding frees us from the anxiety of contemplating the afterlife, as we recognize the significance of our earthly existence in representing Christ. By acknowledging the importance of our bodies, we can find peace and purpose in our daily lives, knowing that they are integral to our worship and mission. [36:46]

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV): "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Reflection: How can you use your physical body today to engage in an act of worship that reflects God's story?

Day 2: The Promise of Transformation

The resurrection of Jesus is a powerful promise of our future transformation. Our earthly bodies, though temporary, will be changed into something far greater in the afterlife. This transformation is a testament to the miraculous work of God, offering us hope and assurance of a future beyond our current existence. By focusing on this promise, we can live with a sense of hope and anticipation, knowing that our future is secure in Christ and that our present struggles are not in vain. [41:42]

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (ESV): "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."

Reflection: In what ways can the promise of future transformation change how you approach your current challenges and struggles?

Day 3: Caring for Our Bodies as Temples

We are called to care for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, recognizing them as reflections of God's creation. This is not an excuse for escapism theology, where we neglect our earthly mission in favor of focusing solely on the afterlife. Instead, we are urged to restore the broken and serve others, embodying the message of restoration that runs throughout Scripture. By caring for our bodies and using them to serve others, we fulfill our mission and reflect God's love in the world. [44:18]

Romans 12:1 (ESV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to care for your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and use it to serve others?

Day 4: Assurance in Christ and Our Finite Nature

Our future is secure in Christ, and we are reminded of our finite nature. Despite the limitations of our earthly existence, we are assured of God's control over our lives. Death is not the end but a transition to a more vibrant existence with Christ. This assurance allows us to live with confidence and peace, knowing that our lives are in God's hands and that He has a purpose for us beyond this life. [47:18]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: How does the assurance of a future with Christ change your perspective on the challenges and limitations you face today?

Day 5: Baptism and New Life in Christ

Baptism is a powerful reminder of the new life we have in Christ. It signifies the decision to follow Jesus and embrace the transformation that comes with it. This moment is a celebration of the commitment to maintain a relationship with Him and to live out the new life He offers. As we witness or participate in baptisms, we are reminded of the joy of salvation and the importance of continually nurturing our relationship with Christ. [50:21]

Colossians 2:12 (ESV): "Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Reflection: Reflect on your own baptism or decision to follow Christ. How can you renew your commitment to live out the new life He has given you today?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound connection between our physical bodies and our spiritual journey, as illuminated by Paul's teachings in 1 Corinthians 15. Our physical bodies are not just temporary vessels; they are integral to our worship and representation of Christ in the world. We need our bodies to engage in acts of worship, such as communion and baptism, and to reflect God's story. This understanding brings peace and freedom from the stress of contemplating the afterlife and our current existence. Paul emphasizes that our earthly bodies are temporary and will be transformed into something far greater in the afterlife. This transformation is a testament to the miraculous work of God, as seen in the resurrection of Jesus, which serves as a promise of our future resurrection.

We delved into the significance of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, urging us to care for them as a reflection of God's creation. This is not an excuse for escapism theology, where we focus solely on the afterlife and neglect our earthly mission. Instead, we are called to restore the broken and serve others, embodying the message of restoration that runs throughout Scripture. Our future is secure in Christ, and we are reminded of our finite nature, yet assured of God's control over our lives. The words of Dwight L. Moody resonate deeply, reminding us that death is not the end but a transition to a more vibrant existence with Christ.

As we prepare for baptisms, we celebrate the decision of individuals to follow Jesus and embrace the transformation that comes with it. This moment is a powerful reminder of the new life we have in Christ and the importance of maintaining a relationship with Him. We concluded with a call to action, inviting those who feel a shift within them to make a decision to follow Jesus and experience the joy of salvation.

Key Takeaways

1. Our physical bodies are essential for worship and representing Christ. They are not just temporary vessels but integral to our spiritual journey, allowing us to engage in acts of worship and reflect God's story. [36:46]
2. The resurrection of Jesus is a promise of our future transformation. Our earthly bodies will be changed into something far greater, highlighting the miraculous work of God and offering us hope for the afterlife. [41:42]
3. We are called to care for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. This is not an excuse for escapism theology but a call to restore the broken and serve others, embodying the message of restoration throughout Scripture. [44:18]
4. Our future is secure in Christ, and we are reminded of our finite nature. Yet, we are assured of God's control over our lives, and death is not the end but a transition to a more vibrant existence with Christ. [47:18]
5. Baptism is a powerful reminder of the new life we have in Christ. It signifies the decision to follow Jesus and embrace the transformation that comes with it, highlighting the importance of maintaining a relationship with Him. [50:21]
** [50:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:27] - Introduction and Announcements
[31:08] - Corinthian Concerns and Paul's Teachings
[34:33] - The Importance of Our Physical Bodies
[36:46] - Freedom from Stress and Afterlife Concerns
[39:02] - Psalm 139 and Our Creation
[41:42] - Resurrection and Transformation
[44:18] - Escapism Theology and Our Mission
[47:18] - Restoration and Serving Others
[50:21] - The Future and Our Finite Nature
[70:34] - Baptisms and Celebration
[72:00] - Benediction and Closing Remarks

Sermon Clips

We need our brains, we need our hands, we need everything moving to whatever degree God has allowed us to move. Even in a Christian context, to worship Yahweh, we need our physical bodies. In order to represent Christ to the world around us, we need our physical bodies. To retell, to reenact, to reflect on the story of God, we need our physical bodies. We think about how we do that in worship. We take communion together with our physical bodies. [00:35:17] (40 seconds)

When we show up in worship in church, you need your physical body. You need to engage your voice in, in worship. You need to engage your body in worship because this is how we were created. We were created to connect with the divine. I'm going to walk you quickly through some scriptures today that I hope helps you find as much peace as I have found with it. [00:36:14] (29 seconds)

About six months, maybe a little bit more ago, I was walked through some of these scriptures by a professor and I found an incredible amount of freedom from stress, from thinking about the afterlife, even just thinking about my body today and how it interacts with the world around me. And it was odd to me on how much of that stress I carried and how much of those, those things that I just held onto without giving it a whole lot of thought. [00:36:46] (42 seconds)

We are told that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, that our bodies carry and represent Christ in the here and now. So we must take care of who we are. This is not an excuse to jump on the eat all the McDonald's you want and live how you want bandwagon. You take care of what God has given you. But to pull this together, let's go back to the resurrection from last week. [00:40:02] (27 seconds)

And it's this journey that begins in the New Testament as Christ heads for the crucifixion. Now do you guys, I remember, but do you remember when we talked through the book of Mark? We read through the entire book of Mark together. There was this one point when everything changed. This one point that the transfiguration, where where Jesus was at the top of inhabitable Jerusalem, or sorry, Israel, and he was looking down towards where he was headed. [00:40:46] (35 seconds)

Philippians 3, 20 to 21 says, but our citizenship is in heaven. And it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. We change. Jesus' resurrection is the indication of our future. [00:42:10] (40 seconds)

If you have felt like that, you need to know that you are God's creation. Period. Yes, we were born into a fallen world full of disease, full of sickness, full of stress, full of anger. But that's not who you are. You don't need to own that. That's not who you are. You were made perfectly by the creator. Even when you look at yourself and it's like, yeah, but, but, but, but, but. But, no, you were made perfectly by the creator. [00:44:50] (49 seconds)

We get so caught up on wanting to escape earth and abandon our mission. And it's not right. God created us. He gave us the bodies we have with the limitations we have as individuals, with the talents, the gifts, the anointings we have as individuals for here and now. Every single person in this room. I don't care if you are intellectually delayed. I don't care if your body feels broken to you on a daily basis. God has placed an anointing and a gift in you for today. Amen? [00:45:59] (41 seconds)

We are called to restore the broken. If you are a Christian, you claim that Christ is in your heart, you claim that you represent Jesus, and you cause more grief than you fix, you aren't doing it right. Restoration is the calling. We are told that, behold, I make all things new. From the beginning to end, the point of Scripture is restoration with Jesus Christ. Saved people serve people. [00:46:42] (35 seconds)

Here is the piece that resonates in me on a weekly basis, and I just keep coming back to these words over and over and over again. I heard these words in a class, and I've heard them so many times before, but it was like that was, it was just this Holy Spirit -inspired moment, and my professor, Dr. Jack Van Marien, he said, I am made of dust, and to dust, and to dust I shall return, but thank God he did something about my dust. [00:47:47] (44 seconds)

All of these things the fact that we have a physical body now that turns into something so much better on the other side the fact that we come to the cross of christ we bring our sins we we ask for transformation and it happens you know what all of these things all hinge though on our ability to hold relationship with jesus christ. [00:52:19] (34 seconds)

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