Continued Series from “The Church…The Clash of Man’s Expectation & God’s Plan Series”
What is the role of church in a believer’s life?
Some believe since Christians have the Holy Spirit, read the Bible, and hear God for themselves, they don’t have the need for church leadership functions as the people in the Old Testament did. Here is what the scripture tells us:
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
The church is called to equip the saints for the work of ministry and to help them grow up. God established the five fold ministry gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to produce a healthy, united, and balanced church. These are leadership/governing functions, and they were created by design in the New Testament era to help the body grow up. The word “equipping” means to prepare and to prefect. God has established those functions for the benefit of His people, so they can be guided and shepherded in truth without people being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
The church is not meant to be the only solution to a believer’s maturity, but it does have an important role to play. The Lord will also work His own process in a believer’s life in which the person has to learn to yield to God, crucify the flesh, and live in the Spirit as a lifestyle. Each person has been given the Holy Spirit to commune with God and learn to hear His direction for their lives. As a believer begins to mature in the Lord, the role of church in their lives is not as intense as it was when they were babes in Christ. However, the necessity for doctrine, instruction, prayer, encouragement, accountability, service, and fellowship that a church provides does not go away until Jesus comes back for His bride!
If/when we align our expectations to what the Lord desires to do in His body, we are positioning ourselves for growth and maturity. Unfortunately, if we insist in having church our way, we will continue to be frustrated and disappointed. It will also arrest our development in our relationship to the Lord.
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 1 Corinthians 12:15-16
In 1Corinthians 12, Paul gives the analogy of the church being like a human body with each part doing its function uniquely. Each part belongs to the body regardless of what the other parts think of it. When God calls us to a particular church regardless of how we feel or how others feel about us, we belong there. No other person has any more right to belong than we do. We don’t need to allow others to make us feel inferior. We are not lesser in value because we are not operating at a certain level/function. We can’t lose our identity in the heat of the battle! This is where we have to fight for what God has spoken about belonging to the body and not shrink back because of disappointments or hurt feelings. I’m sorry if you have been hurt by any members or leaders in the church. Please forgive them. Trust God that He is not finished with you nor with the church!
These devotionals turned out to be a lengthy series because the Lord has been downloading them piece by piece to share them with you. Unless we look to Him, we can get drowned in the sea of carnality! Often times, the church dynamics are not simple, and they truly require seeking the Lord for clarity or else confusion can set in. The good news is that God sees all things and knows all things regardless of how things appear at the moment. He is not finished with His people. He is at work when we are not aware and praise God for that!
I hope these devotionals have given you God’s heart for the church as opposed to our expectations or the church culture. It is important to examine our approach and perspective towards church in the light of the scriptures. We may need to Repent, forgive others, or ask to be forgiven depending on how we have handled tough church situations.
Jesus was crucified and resurrected, so we can have life! What hurt is worth holding onto in the light of His sacrifice? It is time to let go of our offenses, so God can heal and restore the body. He is coming back for His bride (a unified body), and each of us have a part to play to get the bride ready to meet her bridegroom!