What on Earth Am I Here For?
The Responsibility of the church is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:11-16
Reflection
When asked, “what do you do when you’re not getting anything out of church”, I said that it’s possible “get a lot out of” church no matter how poor the preaching is, no matter how weak the music is, regardless of how unfriendly the people. The Bible teaches that the way to get is to give. He who gives gets. He who seeks to be served will never be satisfied. The church is an imperfect place full of imperfect people being used by God to heal the world. The huge transition for every Christian is the transition from taker to giver, from “geocentrisim” (I and my needs are central . . .as in the earth replacing the sun in the center of the universe) to “heliocentrisim” (my needs circulate around what the “Son” wants). It’s not about me.
This means serving. Vs. 16 says that health, growth, and love (spiritual maturity) comes as each of does our special work in service of others. In fact verse 11 tells us that that’s the purpose of church leaders, to equip members to serve, so that we all grow up. Yes, that’s a responsibility of leaders, this passage was written as a charge to leaders not as an opportunity for blame for unhappy churchgoers.
I hope each of you fills out the S.H.A.P.E. survey, chooses to meet with a “SHAPE counseller” and discovers God’s special way for you to serve. The benefits are these: you grow up and you’ll have fun doing it.
(To comment, click on “comments” below)
I have experienced the truth of growing up (spiritually) through serving. The transformations in my heart, and the things God has enabled me to do in serving others completely blows my mind. I could have never imagined I would be where I am today - thank you God.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 years ago I came to NLPC. There was a big push to just get involved and serve. Try something little. Use your skills to help the church. So, I did just that. I signed up to help in a ministry to do some simple little tasks. I am so glad and I thank God that I did just that. It was a turning point for me.
By His grace, I was faithful in the little task. He then gave me more and more and more and more - unbelievable. Little me. Through this more and more God taught me how to surrender my life to Him. I could not do the more and more on my own. I could only be a good and faithful servant by laying my own life down and let Christ, who lives in me, be in charge of my life. Now this is not easy, and this is the cross I bear every day, that is, surrendering my self to Him.
So, be with God everyday by reading the Bible and praying, then surrender and serve to experience Him in this world right now. You will never be the same!
I really agree with these comments. It many times is a stretch to reach out in areas that feel new, but what a blessing it is in return.
ReplyDelete"Until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ" - the implication is that CLC will NOT achieve these goals unless each and every one serves in their areas of giftedness! If I do not serve the body, I prevent the body for reaching "the full and complete standard" God desires us to.
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