Romans 12:3-8 NKJV
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
One Body in Christ
As followers of Jesus Christ we are all one body, the body
of Christ. But we are all different. We are all uniquely who we are
individually. God didn’t make us all the same. He didn’t gift us all the same.
And we are not all called in the same way to the same exact ministries. And
even if we were all teachers, our teaching style may differ one from the other.
For God did not make us to be clones of each other. He made us uniquely who we
are by his design, for his purposes. And he is not going to use us in all the
same ways.
Yes, in the gatherings of the church, the biblical body of
Christ, i.e. those of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus, there needs to
be law and order. We need to have overseers to make sure things are done in
order and according to the will and purposes of God. But just because a man is
a pastor, elder, deacon, or overseer, it
does not make him superior to the rest of us, and he should not treat us as
though he is a cult leader who we must follow blindly wherever he leads us.
Overseers must lead by example, not by an iron fist.
Also, in today’s world, many of these pastors, elders,
deacons, and overseers are not following in the ways of the Lord, but in the
ways of the flesh. Jesus is not their commander in chief, but they are
following business models for how to “do church.” So many of them are not
leading the church, the body of Christ, in service to the Lord, but they are
teaching them lies, and they are training them in the ways of the culture and
not in the ways of the Lord. For many of them are acting just like cult
leaders.
And so many gatherings of the church are not biblical
gatherings at all. One man serves as king over all, and he does all the preaching,
and no one is testing what he is teaching to see if it is of God or not. The
people are not given opportunity to minister to one another, for the “pastor”
is considered the sole “minister.” And he is raised up above all the rest. So
he is more like a cult leader almost to be worshipped as though he is a god. And
what he says goes whether or not it is of God and is biblical and righteous.
Not a Business
So, please understand that the church is not a building or
an organization incorporated under the state called “church.” The church is the
biblical body of Christ comprised of all who are of genuine biblical faith in
Jesus Christ via dying with Christ to sin, and being raised with Christ to walk
in newness of life, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of
God and of his righteousness. And all of us are given gifts of the Spirit and
assignments from God called our “body parts,” and all of us are necessary parts.
So our gatherings should not be for the purpose for all of
us to sit in pews or in chairs and in rows while we all listen to one man do
all the preaching and one small group of musicians do all the ministering in
music. But, in an orderly and biblical way, we should be ministering to one
another, using the spiritual gifts given us by God in our body parts assigned
to us by God. All of us should be speaking the truth of God’s Word to one
another in love in order to help each other to grow to maturity in our walks of
faith in Christ.
We are to be those who are exhorting one another daily so
that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to be
stirring up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet
together, but encouraging one another. And we are to be addressing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another
in all wisdom, with each body part doing its work. For when each part is
working properly, the body grows and builds itself up in love.
We are All Necessary!
So God did not design his church, the body of Christ,
comprised of all who are of genuine biblical faith in Christ Jesus, to just be
bench warmers while only a select few get to do all the ministering. We are all
necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ. And the Bible teaches
that in the last days that both men and women will prophesy (preach, proclaim
the Word of God) and will dream dreams and see visions (Acts 2:16-18). So we
need gatherings of the church where each part is able to do his/her work.
And this is why the Lord put me on the internet 22 years
ago, so I would have a voice, so I would have a place where I could minister
using the spiritual gifts given me by God in my body part assigned to me from
God. And here I am able to connect with other Christians (other body parts) and
we can and do encourage one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our
Lord. We each have a voice and a place where we can be used of God to share his
gospel message and to help each other to grow in Christ Jesus.
[Matthew 5:13-16;
Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts
2:14-18,42-47; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians
12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians
4:1-16; Ephesians 5:11-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians
3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter
2:9,21; 1 John 2:6]
The Peace of Christ
Based off of Colossians 3:1-17;
Ephesians 5:19-20
An Original Work / October 31, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Let the word of
Christ dwell in you,
As you teach with
all wisdom,
Teaching one another
to not
Think on earthly
things;
Think instead on
things above,
Where Christ sits
with God, in love,
Saving us from all
of our sins,
Cleansing us; made
new within.
Let the peace of
Christ rule your hearts,
As you sing songs
unto Him;
Speak to one another
with psalms,
Hymns, and spir’tual
songs;
Always giving thanks
to God,
In the name of
Christ, His Son,
Who gave His life up
for us all,
And gave us eternal
life.
Let the love of
Christ within you
Rule in your hearts;
grace within,
Purifying you from
your sin,
Make you whole
within.
Forgive as the Lord
forgave.
Show His kindness
ev’ry day.
In word or deed,
whate’er you do,
Glory give to Jesus
Christ.
Let Us Use Them
