MANY PARTS: ONE BODY
Bernadette Keene
Today’s Scripture: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ...” Ephesians 4:11-12, ESV
Theme: God never designed us to do ministry for people; rather, He designed all believers to do ministry together.
THE CLASSROOM
“We are all learning together” is a phrase I use in my classroom frequently. I am a teacher, and most people believe my primary job is to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic- reminiscent of that old song “School Days.” While these skills are important, my main goal is to teach critical thinking and give children confidence to take what they have learned and use it independently and skillfully outside of the classroom. Realistically, a child can learn to read, write, and calculate equations, but if they do not have the courage to share what they know when I am not around to help them, how can they be effective?
Being a teacher is not just about academics; it is about equipping students to use what they learn for their good and the good of others. It is about teamwork, collaboration, and personal growth; but also, about sharing knowledge with others so they can thrive and in turn pay it forward.
THE CHURCH
The classroom is comparable to the church. In the Scripture of the day, we learn that Jesus gave us apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers and made the people in these roles responsible to equip us to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Notice that the verse does not imply that our leaders should be doing ministry for us, but should teach and equip us to take what we learn from them and apply those godly principles inside and outside the four walls of the church building. Attending church on Sundays, participating in life groups, or volunteering on a serving team are all good habits, but what really matters is the intent of your heart. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b, ESV.)
Ministry is not just about the activities we do or the teams we are on. It’s about loving God and loving people while we take what we have learned from our leaders, apply it to our own hearts, and then go out and share what we know with the people we encounter - the Good News of Jesus!
Make It Personal: God blessed each believer with at least one gift that is to be used inside and outside the church to reach people for Christ. When we all grow together and move as one unified group, we make up the Body of Christ. Just as in a classroom, it is taking what we have learned under the guidance of our leaders and moving forward to help others along the way. It is about teamwork, collaboration, and personal growth; but also, about sharing our knowledge with people God puts in our path so they can know the love of Christ and in turn share what they know with others.
Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the unique gifts that You have given to each of us. Help us to be good stewards and share our gifts generously with others. Motivate our hearts to be active members of Your Body, serving each other and our community with love and humility. Amen.
Read: Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:10, 1 Corinthians 12
Weekly Memory Verse: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1a, ESV