Through an educational
program the city had an intern position in the planning department. However, it
wasn’t long before the intern was snatched from the planning department and put
into administration. While some might view the situation as climbing the ladder
of opportunity, others view it as elevating a person to a position for which
they are unqualified. We believers allow something similar to happen in the Body
of Christ. In today’s church it is often the leadership who determines when and
where people serve, which gives the appearance that leadership is responsible
for arranging the body parts. Paul wrote, “But in fact God has arranged the
parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Cor
12:18 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----”But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev 2:4-5) I can count the sermons claiming this first love is new-believer-exuberance on the pennies in the national debt. Well. Ok. That’s an exaggeration. But all the same, I’m a bit wore out on that refrain.
-----Love is more than an emotion. Emotion is merely an expression, first of the mind to the self, then of the self to others. Love is an attitude, but it is also more than that. It is an ambition, but too, it is more. Love is the intent to do the beloved the good the beloved needs having been done as completely one is able. Love does not need emotion. It needs direction of the beloved’s true needs.
-----This is what makes all the parts be a body. For those parts to perform in love, the leaders either need to get out of the parts’ ways, or else know every last need of every last part, every other part which can provide that need, and how and when to bring them into contact. In other words, there just isn’t anything the leaders can know and do to make all the parts work together well. That the leaders can’t really isn’t much of a problem, because the Bible never refers to the leaders as the head of the church. It says Christ is that.
-----The leaders function as the head of the church anyway. Do we really need to expound on that point? I didn’t think so. Somebody needs to do order the church around don’t they? Or the church will go helter-skelter, won’t it? That’s like saying someone has to order the economy around, because a free-market system will only go helter-skelter. And both will if the members of both are not somewhat matured within their proper roles. That’s where leaders are important -training and exemplifying the proper body-part function. The Holy Spirit can sufficiently work its effects in a reasonably mature individual. So, when there reaches a critical mass of reasonably mature individuals within a church body, the Holy Spirit will naturally move the church through moving its body parts.
-----I was impressed by the seven torches around the throne of God which Revelation 4 says are the seven Spirits of God. What does a torch have in common with a lampstand? Yah. Fire. Both make light. Like the Spirit makes light. And isn’t the directional light, the headship of the church effectively functioning in the church leaders instead of its functioning from the Spirit within every part of the body rather similar to the lampstand being removed from its place? “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.” (Eph 4:15-16) “He is the head of the body, the church…the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” (Col 1:18a and 2:19b)
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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