Yesterday, I was as sick as I have been in quite a while (sinus issues, got to love it, as it happens every year about this time). While I wasn’t hacking and coughing, my head was stuffed up (even now, my ears are still clogged), and I spent most of the day lying down (though I tried to spend some time with my wife and kids, as I was able). Most of the day, however, I had the house to myself. A friend sent a video, and I agreed with much of the teaching. He said that Church in the West is more in to Customer Service than in to the Gospel. As a preacher, this statement rang in my head (And boy, was my head ringing), throughout the day.
As a preacher, teacher and evangelist, I exist to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to equip and train the saints for the work of the Gospel. All too often, however, many church goers want a “do it all for you” preacher or staff, who exists, not to equip and train, but to feed, and feed, and feed the sheep, and if the sheep don’t want to eat what is given, look for a new Shepherd. In reading the Scriptures, however, that’s not how it was set up. The Church is the Body of Christ serving the Father, with Jesus as the Head, and the members ALL fulfilling roles He assigns by the Holy Spirit. Each person is to play a part, each person is to fulfill a role, and each role is different than the other. Some roles are more prominent, while others are less, but each is as important to the function of the body.
It’s time we stop outsourcing our faith, stop saying “it’s not my job,” and ask “how may I serve, Lord?” Whether done in a home, in a church building, or in a store, we are the Church everywhere we go, and we are called to serve Christ in any and every capacity. We need to ask “Am I here to be served, or to serve?” pondering Jesus’ own similar statement; if we truly follow Jesus, His example is not the least part of His life that we should follow.
Romans 12:3-8
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Corinthians 12
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
