When Joe got up to preach Sunday
and sat down when it was over, he had no idea that that would
be the last message he would ever preach. And that, I ask that you'll pray
for me, that that would be my attitude every time I preach,
that it could be the last message I ever preach. And I sure want
to preach the gospel. I preached through Hebrews twice,
and I look back at my old notes, and I never really gave verse
3 a whole lot of thought. And yet, it's such an important
verse. Let's read it together again.
I've entitled this message, In the Body. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them. And them which suffer adversity
as being yourselves also in the body. Anyone who's been imprisoned
for the gospel's sake. Remember them to this degree. You're in the cell with them. You're right there with them. Remember anyone who has suffered
adversity or has been mistreated and abused for the gospel's sake.
In that adversity, you're in their body. You're suffering the adversity
yourself. He doesn't say this metaphorically
as just think as you're in prison with him or just as if you're
in the body. No, you are in the body. And this is the great mystery
of the church being the body of Christ here on earth. What an awesome, amazing, mysterious
thing. The scripture says, you are the
body of Christ and members in particular. So much so that when they are
imprisoned, you are too. You're right there in jail with
them, same cell. When they are suffering adversity,
you're in their body, a part of their body, suffering the
same adversity. I think of what the Lord said
to Saul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? The Lord was beyond
Paul's reach. Paul could not do anything to
the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet he says, not, why are
you persecuting my disciples? But why are you persecuting me? This is my body you're persecuting. This is part of what Paul said
is the one body. Ephesians 4.4, there is one body. Do you remember when the Lord
is presented on judgment day to say, inasmuch as you've done
it to the least of these, my brethren, what? You've done it
to me. And inasmuch as you did it not
to the least of these, my brethren, Look at the way the Lord calls
every one of his people. He calls me Brother Todd, his
little brother. Inasmuch as you've done not to
the least of these, my brethren, you did it not to me. Now how I treat you, if you're
a believer, and this ought to make us stop and think, How I
treat you, if you're a believer, is how I treat Jesus Christ himself. I hope we'll gauge everything
we say and do with that in mind. This speaks of the reality of
union with Jesus Christ. I'm his body. Every believer
is a part of the body of Christ. Now, that's not just speech. That's real. The church is his body. the fullness of him that filleth
all in all." I think of the Apostle Paul speaking in Acts chapter
20 to the Ephesian elders. He said in verse 23, that bonds
and afflictions abide in every city. You know, when he entered
into a city to preach the gospel, he knew he was going to be tied
to a stake, whipped, thrown into jail, Everywhere he went, he
knew that was going to happen. He said to Timothy, be thou a
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. And he said, endure
hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And this is a reminder
to us when he's talking about these people thrown in jail for
preaching the gospel or these people suffering this adversity.
This is a reminder to us that this world we're living in hates
Jesus Christ. And don't miss that. This world
we're living in, everyone you know that does not believe the
gospel is a hater of Jesus Christ. Now somebody says, I don't know
if I'd go that far. Preach the gospel to them, you'll
find out. They might be very nice, sweet people. It's when
they hear the truth with regard to who Christ is and what he
accomplished. That's when the real thoughts of what they think
of Christ will come out. Now, somebody says, why? Why
does the world hate Jesus Christ? Let me give you two reasons.
Simple enough. One, because men are evil. Men are born bad, born hating
God, born evil. The carnal mind, that's the mind
you and I were born with, is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. Now that's why men hate Jesus
Christ, because men are evil. He's good. He's glorious. He's altogether lovely. He's
worthy of worship and adoration and praise. And what evil it
is for a man to hate Him who is altogether lovely. Here's the second reason men
hate believers. Throw them in jail. They suffer
adversity. You know, if men could, they'd
shut this place down right now. We'd be in jail. I have no doubt
about it. Men could do what they wanted
to do. Now, I'm thankful for the country we live in that affords
us the protection that we have. But men do not love the gospel. And here is the reason. The gospel we believe says what
they're hoping in is no good. It is that simple. The gospel
we believe excludes any hope but Jesus Christ alone. Men hope in their works in some
way aiding them in salvation. Uh, I think I'll be saved because
I fill in the blank, whatever you put it in there. I think
I'll be saved because I know you won't. The gospel declares
there's no salvation by human works in any way. The gospel says, where is boasting
then it is excluded. By what law of works? Nay, but
by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Oh, that's good news to me. But
if you're hoping for salvation in your works, it's not good
news to you. Paul said, God forbid that I should glory. saving the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you glory only in the cross
right now? Is the only hope you have of
being in heaven what Christ did in your behalf and nothing else? Well, if you're hoping in something
else, you won't like this message because this message condemns
any other hope. If you don't have the hope of
the gospel, you will not be in heaven. And that is why men by
nature despise this message. But I love what Paul said. Do
I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men? For
if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. The God that men hate, the God
of the Bible, believers love. We love every attribute of God. We love who he is. We love his
character. We love his way of saving sinners. The body of Christ loves the
gospel because they're the Savior's body. He's the Savior of the
body and all of the body, are those blessed ones who are persecuted
for righteousness sake. Now, the body of Christ, he says,
with regard to those that are suffering adversity, you are
in the body. He doesn't say this metaphorically. He doesn't say it says if you
are in the body, he says you're in the body with him. Now the
body of Christ are all of those who are in him. And if you cut into my heart
right now and see what my greatest desire is, it's to be in Him. It's to be found in Him. Now, what is this thing of being
in the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, the first thing that comes
to my mind is the great mystery of union with Jesus Christ. Hebrews
2.11 says, Both he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are
all of one. They're the same. Someone says,
that sounds blasphemous. I'm scared saying something like
that myself. I mean, when I say things like this, it's not like
I'm saying them flippantly, but doesn't it say, both he that
sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one. It says that,
doesn't it? I wouldn't say that. Did not the Bible say it, but
the Bible says it in this this being in his body comes from
being eternally united to the Lord Jesus Christ. I love that
scripture. I'm so mystified by it. According as he has chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world. Now never think
of election apart from Jesus Christ. Election is in Him according
as He has chosen us in Him. It's not some kind of arbitrary
choice. It's because God has always viewed
His elect in the Lord Jesus Christ eternally. Loved in Him. Paul said, Nothing shall separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Accepted in Him. Ephesians 1
verse 6 says, He hath made us accepted. I hate it when people say, won't
you accept Christ? I hate that term. I hate it when
people say anything like that. The issue is not, will you accept
him? The issue is, will he accept
you? That's the only issue. And the scripture says he had
made us, everyone united to Christ, all those chosen in him, he had
made us accepted in the beloved. I love that song. In the beloved,
accepted am I. redeemed and forgiven in Him,
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, and this thing of being in Christ, of being united to
Him, being in the body, that's of God. Of Him are you in Christ
Jesus. How'd you get there? God put
me there. When did He do it? It's eternal. of Him are you in Christ Jesus. I've never been independent of,
viewed outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's my hope. I love
that. And all of these in Him are His
body. Do you remember when James and
John Asked the Lord, can we sit on your right hand and on your
left? Actually, it was our mother that made that request. And he
said, are you able to be baptized with the baptism I'm baptized
with? Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink? And
they said, we're up to it. We're able. And what did the
Lord say? you shall indeed drink of the
cup that I drink of and you shall be baptized with the baptism."
I'm baptized with it because I was in Him when He did these
things. That's why I drink of this cup. That's why I'm baptized
in that baptism of fire, the wrath of God, because I was in
Him. In the Beloved I went to the
tree I am crucified with Christ. I love when the Lord said to
John the Baptist, he told John the Baptist to baptize him. And
I understand John's response, I need to be baptized in thee,
he comes out of me. He said, suffer to be thus so,
for thus it becometh us. Now don't miss that. Thus it
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. When Jesus Christ kept the law,
Todd Nyberg kept the law. When Jesus Christ obeyed God
perfectly, Todd Nyberg obeyed God perfectly. God's pleased
with me. I'm accepted in the beloved. Christ bore our sins. The sin, the sins I have committed in
the last 15 seconds, the last 24 hours, all my life long, the
shameful, wicked, hard-hearted sins He bore in His own body
on the tree. Now turn with me for a moment
to Psalm 40. This will, Psalm 40. Verse six. Sacrifice and offering, thou
didst not desire. Mine ear hast thou opened. Burnt offering and sin offering
hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book is
written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my
God. Yea, thy law is within my heart. Now who's speaking? There isn't
any debate. This is quoted in Hebrews chapter
10. You can read it for yourself in Hebrews chapter 10. This is
Jesus Christ speaking, but let me say this. In every psalm,
it's Jesus Christ speaking. Yes, it's David speaking or whoever
wrote the psalm, but the first application is what the Lord
says, and this is the Lord speaking. There's no debate about that.
Now, look what he says in verse 11. Withhold not thou thy tender
mercies from me, O Lord, Let thy loving kindness and thy truth
continually preserve me, for innumerable evils have compassed
me about. Mine iniquities, not Todd's that
were imputed to me, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me. so that
I am not able to look up. They're more than the hairs of
mine head. Therefore, my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver
me. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Those are the words of the Lord from the cross. My sin became
his sin. You see, if a judge Punishes
somebody for something they didn't do it's unjust didn't it now. I don't know how this works.
I know God can do this Christ never sinned We believe that
with all of our heart. He knew no sin. He did no sin
But when he took my sin upon him it became his sin and he
became guilty of it God can do that and this is how he's made
the way to be just and justify the ungodly Now, the sins of
the elect became his. When he died, we died. I'm crucified
with Christ. When he was raised, we were raised
and he has raised us up together in Christ Jesus. I love that
passage in Ephesians chapter two, verse five. He has raised
us up together with Christ. and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus. Now this is how secure I am.
I've heard people say this so many times, I'm as sure for heaven
as if I'm already there. Better for me, I am already there.
In Christ Jesus, I am already there. That's how secure my salvation
is. In the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, would you turn with me to
Ephesians chapter one. Verse 22. And God hath put all things under
his feet. Well, I love to think about that,
don't you? This speaks of his utter and complete lordship. Everything is under his feet. Every event he's in utter and
complete control of. And gave him to be the head over
all things to the church, which is his body. The fullness of him that filleth
all in all, the church, each member, all of those whose names
are written in the Lamb's book of life are his body, his fullness. You know what that means? It means if he didn't have you,
he wouldn't be full. And that's not going to happen.
The church is the fullness of His body. Look at Ephesians chapter
4 verse 4. There is one body. Verse 11. And He gave some apostles
and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ. Look in verse 14,
that we henceforth be not more children tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of
men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay in wait to deceive,
but speaking the truth and love may grow up to him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working and the measure of every part,
maketh the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in
love. Look in chapter five, verse 23. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is
the savior of the body. Verse 28. So what men to love
their wives as their own bodies, he that loveth his wife loveth
himself. Now, men, love your wives and you
love your own body. You'll have a better marriage.
It'll be good. But that's really not what he's
talking about. That is what he's talking about, but when Christ
loved his own body, he was loving himself. That's the teaching,
look. So what men to love their wives
as their own bodies, he that loveth his wife loveth himself,
for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and
cherisheth even as the Lord the church, for we are members of
his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined in his wife,
and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak. concerning Christ and the church. Now this thing of being in his
body, I want to turn for a moment to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. This is
a passage of scripture that troubled me for so many years before I
understood it. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse
10. We must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ. Every one of us. Nobody's accepted. How come? That everyone may receive
the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Now, Have you done some bad things
in your body? Of course you have. Well, if we look at that passage
of scripture just according to that, that means I'm going to
be judged according to the things done in my body. This is speaking of the body
that never sinned, the body that every believer is in. If you're
in this body, you're going to be judged according to what you
have done. And it's all good. And if you're
not in this body, it's all bad. How can that be? Hebrews 10,
10. makes this statement, by the
which will we are sanctified. Through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ, once for all. I love that song, once for all,
oh sinner, receive it. Once for all, oh brother, believe
it. Cling to the cross, the burden will fall. Christ has redeemed
us once for all. Now I'd like you to turn to 1
Corinthians chapter 12. This is where Paul is dealing
specifically with this. Beginning in verse 12. For as the body is one, when
that person's suffering, I'm in the body with them. When that
person's in jail, I'm in jail with them. The body is one. We're one in Christ. Isn't that
powerful? We're actually one in Christ. For as the body is one and has
many members, and all the members of that one body being many are
one body, so also is Christ. Now I've got hands, I've got
feet, I've got arms, I've got legs, I've got a nose, I've got
eyes. It's all part of the one body. And every believer is a
member of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 13, for by
one spirit, the Holy Spirit, we're all baptized, immersed
into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we
be bond or free, we've been all made to drink into one spirit.
You know, I love thinking about this. A lot of the folks in the
New Testament church were slaves. You had such diversity of background,
yet they're all one body. Verse 14, for the body is not
one member, but many. Now, if the foot shall say, because
I'm not the hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not
of the body? Well, of course not. If the ears shall say, because
I'm not an eye, I'm not of the body, is therefore it not of
the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?
If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath
God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath
pleased him." That's a good place to be, isn't it? In the place
where God has put you. Verse 19, and if there were all
one member, where were the body? But now there are many members,
yet but one body. The eye can't say into the hand,
I have no need of thee, nor can the head to the feet, I have
no need of thee. You know, this thing of, well, I'm more important
than somebody else. I'm the preacher. I'm more important
than you guys. You know, if I say something like that, I would
prove I have no understanding of the gospel. That's all I would
prove by that. Thinking, well, I'm an eye. I'm somebody, and
you're just a foot. What a evil way of thinking. The whole idea of clergy, laity,
it's offensive to God, I'll tell you that. And it's offensive
to me, too. That's one of the reasons why I don't like preachers. True preachers I do, don't understand
me. Gospel preachers, I love gospel preachers, but if I meet
somebody out in the community, he's a preacher, I just automatically
don't like him. I'm bad, I'm sorry. But preachers make an indifference. The eye cannot, verse 21, sow
into the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to
the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more, those members
of the body which seem to be more feeble, they're necessary. And those members of the body
which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more honor,
and our uncomely bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely
parts have more abundant comeliness. A liver or a kidney are not very
attractive looking. What's more important, a pretty
face or a liver? You know, that answers that question.
The parts of the body that we would consider uncomely, they're
really the most important parts. You know, I was thinking about
this. I mean this. Let's say I preach a message that is a
good, God-glorifying message. All right, you know what? It's
because God enabled it, but it's also because somebody was enabled
to pray for me that I would do that, that I would be enabled
to bring a message that glorified Christ, that preached the gospel
clearly. Well, what's more important,
the preaching or the praying? I'd say, if anything, the praying.
I'd say, if anything, the praying. Let's go on reading. For our comely parts have no
need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more
abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should be
no schism, no division in the body, but the members should
have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers,
all the members suffer with it. Or with one member's honor, all
the members rejoice with it. If your finger is hurting, do
you say, well, I'm going to just cut it off and get rid of it.
No, that's really the most important part of your body at that time.
Now you are the body of Christ and members in particular. How secure is every member of
the body of Christ? Being the body of Christ, that's
why we're joint heirs with him. I'm his body. That's why I'm
a joint heir with him. I love the scripture in 1 John
chapter 4 verse 17 as he is. So are we. In the world right
now. However he is, that's how every
believer is. And that's why every believer
is so secure a member of his body. You know, if he lost one
member of his body, he'd be an amputated part of his body. That's
never going to happen. Every believer is secure and
complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in conclusion, what the writer to the Hebrews
called us to remember, you're bound with him because you're
in the body. You suffer adversity because
you're in the body. This tells us how important the
church is. It's the body of Jesus Christ. Now, I realize there's two aspects
to the church. There's the universal church.
That's all of the elect to ever live. That's the people whose
names are recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life, every one of them.
That's the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, whose
names are written in heaven. And there's the local church,
the Todd's Road Grace Church. It's an assembly of believers. And there's always in local church
wheat and tares, always. And somebody said, well, we need
to get rid of the tares. The Lord said, don't try it.
Because when you try to rip out the tares, what you'll end up
doing is ripping out the wheat. And none of us have the sense
to be able to do that. And I hope we'll remember that.
Every local assembly is wheat and tares, and it's a company
of sinners. So there's going to be problems.
You can just write that down. Wherever you've got people, you've
got problems because they're sinners. But all that being said,
the church is the body of Jesus Christ. The believers in a local assembly,
they're the body of Jesus Christ. Now, with regard to church, it's
a gathering. I hope we'll never under emphasize
the importance of the Lord saying where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. What a
privilege to be a part of the body of Jesus Christ. Now, I hope we When we see suffering,
we're right there with them. In jail, right there with them.
Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
grace that's made us members of your body. Lord, it's mysterious. It is altogether other and heavenly
and not of this world. But Lord, by your grace, we believe
everything you say in your word. We thank you for your word, and
Lord, we ask as a body we might be enabled to preach your gospel
during this time that you've given us. Lord, those that are
suffering in the body, We want to be right there with
them. And Lord, we are with them because when they suffer, we
suffer. And when they rejoice, we rejoice. How we thank you
for your grace in Christ. And we pray. Amen.