Wednesday, April 26, 2006
But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
—1 Corinthians 12:18
The Bible likens the church to a family and to a physical body. We are called as Christians to be functioning, participating, contributing members of the body of Christ. We need to be a part of a body where there is accountability, where there is friendship, and where there is koinonia. We need to be a part of a body where we come to receive and to learn, but we also need a place where we can contribute and serve the Lord with the gifts He has given us.
In comparing the church to a body, the apostle Paul wrote, “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And 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’ ” (1 Corinthians 12:20–21).
I do many things with my hands, but I don’t think about how I am going to use them. My hands just sort of do what they do. Underneath the skin, everything is working together so I can use my hands. Each part of my body is dependent on another part of my body.
In the same way, the church as a body is interdependent—we cannot live and flourish apart from other believers. God wants us to engage. He wants us to be a part of what He is doing. Attending church is not a spectator sport. We are here to be a functioning part of His church.
Everyone has a job to do. Everyone has a need to serve. There is a place for you. Are you doing your part?
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org.
Copyright © 2006 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.