[lead dropcap="yes"]What do we think about when we hear the word “body”? A physical structure made of flesh, bones, and organs. An incredible, unparalleled anatomy with endless detail. When God speaks of the body, he thinks about you and me, his body. We are unique, each with a gift, and play a role in making the body what it is. We are the body.[/lead]
A Body
Continuing our collection of talks “The Church”, we are presented with another metaphor constantly used in the Bible to describe the church: The Body of Christ. God urges us to not only love Jesus but to be a part of and play an active role in the church body, which is our mission in Christ. The purpose of the church is three-fold: ministry to God, ministry to believers, and submitting every part to the church.
MINISTRY TO GOD
First and foremost, our goal as the body of Christ is to lift up the name of Jesus. We must not get so busy doing the work of God that we forget why we do it! We gather weekly singing incredible songs, not to have a rock concert, but to worship the name of Jesus. Our focus must always be centered on this truth.
MINISTRY TO BELIEVERS
We are ministers of God’s incredible message to the world. And so our focus must be the constant development of our faith. Let God’s word transform us into world changers.
SUBMIT EVERY PART TO THE CHURCH
We each are parts of a whole that couldn’t function properly if even one part were injured. Think about it, no one gives thought to the purpose of their ribs until the day there is a broken one. Likewise, the church body works better when everyone takes part to serve. Unless we submit our gifts through serving, we will never find our true calling. Every part, when played correctly, allows the body to do great things!
“Hear me out LOUD and CLEAR, we need EVERY person living out their call and living out their purpose in the body connected together.” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.
We need each other. When we submit our gifts to serve the church and encourage others to do the same, we step into the unique position Christ has prepared for us, which cannot be taken away from us. Then, we will witness the how amazingly the church will flourish. It’s the paradox of our faith: In the kingdom of God, you get lower to go higher. Let’s not do church, let’s be the church: A body with many parts, working together to change our world.