September 22 - The Church Makes A Difference

The Church Makes A Difference

“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Corinthians 12:26)

A church is distinguished from every other team, organization, or social club in that it is bound together by a spirit of unity and community. All members are necessary, all members have something to contribute to the health of the church. God created the church because we need one another. I read a sign recently that said, “The church is not where you go…it’s who you are.”  Amen to that!

Our need for community is not a weakness; it is a strength. In fact, it is the basis of the church. Paul describes the perfect church as a body, something that is only strong and healthy if all the parts are closely connected and moving in the same direction. The strongest muscle or toughest bone, when separated from the rest of the body, becomes weak and useless. This is one reason God created the church: we draw strength from one another.

On July 24, 2002, nine miners in western Pennsylvania became trapped 240 feet below ground in a flooded mine shaft. Rescue efforts began immediately, but the rescue crews knew the odds were against them saving all the men. Amazingly, however, all nine miners survived the ordeal. These men claim that it was their decision to bond together that saved their lives. From the outset of the danger, the men watched out for one another. They tied themselves together, so that no one could float away or slip under the water. If one man got tired, his bond to the other men kept him afloat. The miners vowed that whether they lived or died, they would do so together.

The members of the church keep each other "afloat" by using their gifts to help one another. God gave each of us unique and multifaceted gifts so that together we could create a dynamic, interdependent, effective community. Where one member is weak, another member is strong. We all have something to offer, and this keeps us humble. We need each other. All of us have our individual gifts, and each of us has his or her place. None of us is any more important than anyone else.

In the body of Christ, everyone is important. Even the seemingly insignificant participants are urgently needed. As the Apostle Paul reminds us:

"The head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable . . . If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (I Cor. 12:21-22, 26).

But there is another reason God created the church. It is so we can work together for God's glory. Do you ever get a sinking feeling when you watch the evening news? Another suicide bombing in Israel. Civil war in parts of Africa. Death squads in Brazil. The growing drug trade in the U.S. What a conflict there is between the Eden God created and the world as we know it! We don't have to look farther than our own neighborhood to see the results of sin, self-centeredness and destruction. Where do you start if you want to make a difference? There are so many needs, so much brokenness, and you are just one person. It's enough to overwhelm even the most gung-ho among us.

But God made the church to answer that need. The body of Christ was created and set apart to do the work that Christ did in the world. To go where

His feet went, to the lost and poor and hurting of the world. To teach as Christ's mouth taught, about love for God and love for our fellow human. To see as Jesus' eyes saw, finding beauty and redemption and grace in a prostitute, a leper, a tax collector. To touch as Jesus touched, with gentleness and love and healing power. God didn't call on a smattering of Lone Rangers, Supermen, or Rambos to save the world. Rather, He chose ordinary, humble, average folks to preach and teach and heal and restore and tear down and build up and redeem a broken creation. Each of us plays an important role.  But then again, that’s what the church is all about.

Terry Risser

Reflections

1)  Why do we sometimes minimize our role in God’s Kingdom?

2)  Have you ever compared yourself with someone else’s gift?  What talent has God given you to use?

Consider reading the Word today:

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser