2022-01-23 – Year C – Epiphany 3 – The Rev. Canon Christopher M. Klukas
Nehemiah 8:1-12; Psalm 113; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Luke 4:14-21

Costco Membership: benefits include being able to shop at the store, access to deals on various services, and cash back on all your purchases.

The Body of Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Biblical Church Membership is different from the worldly idea of membership.
- World: I pay my dues which entitles me to benefits.
- Church: I am in indispensable part of God’s mission team.
  - William Temple, Abp. of Canterbury, “’The church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.”
  - Our vision: Loving our neighbors and helping them to find God, love, God, and share God.
We need you, and you need us.
What is your role on our church team?

Thinking too Little of Yourself

1 Corinthians 12:15-16 – “…becasue I am not a hand I do not belong to the body.”
Doubting the Father’s love for you – John 3:16
Imposter Syndrome – “the experience of feeling like a phony—you feel as though at any moment you are going to be found out as a fraud—like you don’t belong where you are, and you only got there through dumb luck.”
- Spiritual Imposter Syndrome “I’m not a good enough Christian” “I’m not skilled enough in the things God is calling me to do.”
- Hebrews 13:20–21 – “equip you with everything good that you may do his will.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:7 – Jars of Clay – God’s power not ours.
Thinking too little of your gifts – “my ‘gift’ is nothing special. Anyone can do what I do.” It may not seem like much to you, but it is remarkable to someone who doesn’t share your gift, just like you find the gifts of others to be remarkable.
All of these are lies from the enemy, Satan (lit. adversary or accuser).
In truth, your gifts are needed. YOU are needed.
- 1 Corinthians 12:17 – If the whole Church was just like me, we would be missing out. If the whole Church was just like you, we would be missing out.
- 1 Corinthians 12:18 – “just as he chose.” Your gifts are God’s plan.

Sometimes we value our own gifts too much and those of others not enough. Pride in our gifts can puff us up and cause us to look down on others.
- 1 Corinthians 12:21-22 “The eye cannot say to the hand…”
David Livingston
Instead of Pride. We need to seek the opposite virtue of humility.
- Romans 12:3 – “don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.”
Rememeber that you are a jar of clay. It is God’s power working through you.

In Person attendance is down from what it was before the pandemic:
- Health shifts
- Fear
- Habit Shifts
- Silently slipped away
Hebrews 10:24–25 – “not neglecting to meet together…”
Lifeway Transformational Discipleship Assessment – Daniel Im, analyzing this research, noted that three practices “predicted a higher score across all eight discipleship attribute goals…1. Reading the Bible 2. Attending a worship service at your church 3. Attending small classes or groups…”
- These are some of the most important practices to help you grow as a Christian. Notice that two of the three a community disciplines!
Supporting one another through joys and sorrows – 1 Corinthians 12:25-26
Reaching out to others is most effectively accomplished as a team. Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs.
We need you, and you need us. Let us all recommit ourselves to the wonderful and sacred mystery of Christ’s Church!