Read:
1 Corinthians 12:27
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Also Read:
Ephesians 4:11,12
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
We are living in a time where the church as a whole has forgotten what ministry is all about. We go to church and pay money to our home church so that the pastor's and minster's in the church can be there for a particular body , and this is needful and necessary, but not the end all. It's biblical to give unto the work of the Church, but the body of Christ as a whole is one body involved in the Great commission of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The minister's in the church is to equip or prepare the body of Christ for the work of ministry. The bible says here in verse 28 of 1 Corinthians that there are minister gifts in the body of Christ and this is very important. The minister gifts in verse 28 is to prepare and equip the whole body of Christ to advance God's Kingdom. We advance God's Kingdom by ministry. We are all called as one in the body of Christ. Many in the protestant church doesn't really understand this concept, and the pastor is doing everything in the church. We have to get out of our little shell and be a light to those in our workplace, our neighbors, or wherever we are at. You may have an administrative gift. You may have a gift to fix things. Whatever gift you have you are very special to the body of Christ. We are all called to advance God's Kingdom. My wife and I own a cleaning business, and we have a friend that got diagnosed with cancer. My wife told her and her husband that we want to use our business and clean there house for free. I'm also going to make a bunch of sandwiches and cook a big pot of spaghetti for them. We are going to keep them lifted up in prayer and believe for a good report from the doctor. This is ministry, and you can reach out to people in a unique way by just doing things like this to reach out to them. My wife and I were helping with a church years ago with a pastor from our apartment complex. I was doing some teaching and worship, and the pastor would have all of us find ministry right there in our apartment complex. Somebody from our small group baked a cake for a police officer that just had surgery on his back, and you should have seen his face when we took that cake to him. He was ministered to. There are so many things we can do as the body of Christ. Its great to come to church and get lifted up, but that's not where it ends. We are to take the message of Christ to the hurting, lost, and those in need. I want to encourage us today to be the body of Christ, whether it is baking a cake, sending someone a card, or whatever your can do to be a part of the body. What do you have to give today that maybe you never gave? You might not of understood what ministry is all about and that we are "all" called in ministry as the body.
Prayer:
Lord, we ask that you will shed light on what our place and position is in the body of Christ. Let us know Lord that there is something we can do to be a part of your Kingdom. Help us Lord to use the gifts that we have and not only use them inside the four walls of the church, but use them also out in the world that many would come to repentance and be touched by your Spirit, Amen.
by Keith Edwards
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