Podcast Summary: Jesus the Healer w/ Nancy Dufresne

Episode 137 | Discerning Your Part, Part 12

Date: January 10, 2023
Host: Nancy Dufresne, Dufresne Ministries

Episode Overview

In this twelfth installment of the "Discerning Your Part" series, Nancy Dufresne explores the vital subject of discerning the Lord’s body—both Christ’s physical body and the spiritual body of the church. She teaches that understanding these concepts is foundational to walking in health, healing, and fulfilling one's role in the body of Christ. A central emphasis is placed on the importance of being properly connected to a local church and having a God-appointed pastor, which she argues is not just beneficial but a matter of spiritual life and death.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discerning the Lord’s Body as the Foundation for Health & Long Life

Timestamps: 00:10–10:15

• Nancy opens with a faith-filled reminder of God’s healing power being present everywhere, reinforcing that Christians must believe and receive what’s already provided through Christ's sacrifice.
  • Quote: "Power is present. That power is there to do a work. Believe in what’s done, not try to get something..." (00:14)
• She references 1 Corinthians 11:23-30, underscoring the warning Paul gave about partaking of communion "unworthily" or "irreverently," which leads to weakness, sickness, and premature death—not due to a lack of God’s will, but due to a lack of discerning the Lord’s body.
  • Quote: "It’s a matter of life and death that we discern the Lord’s body. Amen." (08:20)
• Two main applications:
  • A. Discerning Christ’s Physical Body: Believing that Jesus bore all sickness, disease, and lack, so we don’t have to bear them ourselves.
    • Quote: “Our sickness, disease, pain, symptoms was laid on Him. Therefore it should not be laid on us.” (09:25)
  • B. Discerning the Spiritual Body: Recognizing each believer's place and function within the body of Christ.

2. Every Member Has a Place—and a Supply to Bring

Timestamps: 10:15–15:30

• Nancy draws a parallel between the human body and the church body, referencing 1 Corinthians 12:18 ("God has set the members... in the body, as it hath pleased Him").
• She instructs that moving from one’s God-appointed place or refusing to function is akin to crippling or handicapping the church.
  • Quote: "It’s not right to decide we don’t have to bring that work. …We’re not authorized to cripple, hinder, or handicap the body." (14:10)
• Just as the body’s parts both give and receive supply, so do individuals in the church.

3. The Role of the Pastor in Equipping Believers

Timestamps: 15:30–22:40

• Nancy teaches that God desires the health and well-being of every believer so much that He gives them help—primarily through the ministry gifts and especially through pastors.
  • Quote: “Part of discerning the body of Christ is to discern that you need a pastor.” (16:30)
• She explains that the presence of a pastor—a shepherd—is not about personal friendship, but about being connected for spiritual nourishment and guidance.
  • Quote: "It doesn’t come by becoming a buddy to the pastor... Attach your faith to the word that pastor preaches and your life will receive what it needs." (17:55)
• Matthew 9:35-36 is used to illustrate that Jesus had compassion on the shepherdless multitudes, seeing them as faint and scattered. Nancy relates this to modern believers who drift spiritually without pastoral oversight.

4. The Dangers of Being Without a Pastor

Timestamps: 22:40–24:50

• Nancy warns that without a pastor, believers are more likely to grow weary, lack direction, and have areas of their life "scattered"—marriage, health, finances.
  • Quote: "To have a pastor is going to keep your life from being scattered. If you listen and be a doer of the word that is taught." (23:30)
• She stresses the importance of being "teachable" and not believing you know everything.
• The role of the pastor is to help consistently feed, guide, and protect believers—likened to a shepherd with sheep.

5. Biblical Example: Elijah and the Widow

Timestamps: 24:50–26:40

• Nancy recounts the story of Elijah, the brook Cherith, and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17). She notes that although God "commanded" the widow to sustain Elijah, it was only through Elijah's words that she recognized and stepped into her role.
  • Quote: "It took the man of God to help her to recognize what God had commanded her... A pastor will help you to recognize what God has commanded of your life." (25:35)
• She relates this to the need for ongoing pastoral ministry rather than just special-occasion visitors or conference speakers.

6. Real-Life Application & Personal Stories

Timestamps: 26:40–27:10

• Nancy shares a story where she, as a pastor, was able to give spiritual answers people couldn't obtain on their own. She notes that God sometimes will only reveal certain things to you through your pastor in the place He has called you.
  • Quote: "He will speak directly to you. But there’s also some things He’ll only speak to you through your pastor." (27:00)
• She encourages listeners who don’t have a Bible-believing, Word-preaching pastor to pray and believe God to lead them to the right church—even if it means relocating.

Notable Quotes

• On discerning the body:

  “It’s a matter of life and death that we discern the Lord’s body.” (08:20, Nancy Dufresne)

• On your function in the body:

  "It’s not right to decide we don’t have to bring that work. …We’re not authorized to cripple, hinder, or handicap the body." (14:10, Nancy Dufresne)

• On needing a pastor:

  "Part of discerning the body of Christ is to discern that you need a pastor." (16:30, Nancy Dufresne)

• On receiving from a pastor:

  "It doesn’t come by becoming a buddy to the pastor... Attach your faith to the word that pastor preaches and your life will receive what it needs." (17:55, Nancy Dufresne)

• On the protection of pastoral ministry:

  "Having a pastor will safeguard you, protect you from fainting in your race, your spiritual race you’re running, and protect you from being scattered. Amen." (26:20, Nancy Dufresne)

Memorable Moments

• The analogy comparing church members moving out of their appointed place to a finger waking up on a foot or an arm trying to be a leg, highlighting the importance of stability and function in the body of Christ. (13:20)
• The story about Nancy’s mother equipping her with protective words for resisting peer pressure, drawing a parallel to listening to pastors for spiritual safety. (26:45)
• The practical encouragement for listeners to actively believe for a pastor if there isn’t a suitable one nearby, stressing that it's worth even relocating for robust spiritual nourishment. (27:00)

Key Takeaways

• Health, healing, and longevity are connected to discerning Christ’s body—both spiritually (the Church) and physically (his sacrifice).
• Every believer has a set place and function in the body of Christ and is both a giver and receiver of God’s supply.
• Pastors are a critical part of God’s provision for believers—a safeguard against spiritual fainting and life’s “scattering.”
• Being teachable and connected in a faith-based local church is essential for walking out God’s plan, and listeners should pray and act to find the right place.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• The power for healing is present: (00:10–02:10)
• Explaining 1 Corinthians 11 and discerning the body: (02:15–08:30)
• Each member’s place and supply in Christ’s body: (10:15–15:30)
• The essential role of pastors and being connected to a local church: (15:30–22:40)
• Dangers of living without a pastor and analogy of scattered sheep: (22:40–24:50)
• Elijah and the Widow—how pastors help us discern God’s commands: (24:50–26:40)
• Personal stories on pastoral guidance and encouragement to seek out a Word-based church: (26:40–27:10)

Conclusion

Nancy Dufresne’s teaching in this episode is passionate and practical, urging believers to value their part in the body of Christ and the vital, God-ordained ministry of pastors for their protection, direction, and spiritual health. She weaves scripture, analogy, and personal experience, providing a compelling case for every Christian to discern their part and embrace the local church community as essential to God's plan.

“Remember this: Jesus is the healer. God bless you.” (27:15, Nancy Dufresne)