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One Church, One Body

Mark 9:38-41

August 18, 2019 • Pastor Ray Viola

In John 17:20-23, The Lord Jesus prayed for unity in His Church. Only Jesus Christ can make the statement, “my church”. In fact, that is exactly what He said to the twelve in Caesarea Philippi. “…. I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Hell itself cannot destroy the church that Jesus builds, but, according to Psalm 133, the Spirit of God flows most powerfully in the soil of unity.

This one body that Jesus is building is composed of many members (1 Corinthians 12:12-18). Observe that the body of Christ, like our human body has many members. There are as many parts of the body of Christ as there are human parts. Clearly, not every part looks the same or has the same function, but they all contribute to the wholeness of the body. The arm is not “called” to do what the “ear” or the “eye” does, but they are all dependent upon one another if the body intends to function properly.

In our text, Jesus rebukes the apostles’ sectarian thinking of forbidding an individual who cast out a demon in Jesus Name from doing so because he was not “one of them.” This same sectarianism existed in the ministries of Moses (Numbers 11:24-29), John the Baptizer (John 3:25-30), and the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 1:11-13, 3:4-6). This same sectarian spirit exists today. While distinctions exist within the body of Christ, divisions are unacceptable (1 Corinthians 12:20-25).

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